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P&C 4 U
Thoughts 16 years ago No Comments

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Hard to believe, but four years ago P&C had its coming out party in cyberspace. Call it an e-zine, online resource, or collaborative blog, but there’s no denying that it has enlightened, empowered and entertained its readers with industry profiles, a visual dictionary, hundreds of helpful links, and articles pc4u.gifbrimming with all sorts of sage advice from readers and regular contributors. (Just check out RANT & RAVE.) P&C is not Interior Design, Metropolitan Home, or the array of other publications devoted to the built environment. We don’t want to be. We are here to fill the void by making this crazy, staggeringly diverse industry approachable and accessible, not only for those who are waiting for the bouncer to let them in, but also for the ones who have managed to make it inside the velvet ropes.

So to celebrate our 4 years, here are 4 fun design related items involving 4 different countries that I’ve stumbled upon in the last 4 months:

1 | Rettangolo Colour by Gessi
The sleek showroom elegant additions recently showcased the Mimi and Rettangolo collections by the charming Italian manufacturer Gessi. Influenced by the imagination of the product (and not by the chic orange scarf and wrist watch that my guest and I received upon arriving at the event), I feel compelled to share their über-cool LED waterfall faucet that not only radiates just one color, but several – each based on the actual water temperature. Bravo!

2 | Pixel Couch by Cristian Zuzunaga
In the new century of all things digital, designers are taking notice. Spaniard and new Royal College of Art grad, Cristian Zuzunaga, apparently sees the pixel as the ultimate modern icon because he has brought it front and center with his new Pixel Couch. Danish manufacturer Kvadrat is handling the graphic fabric and Italian manufacturer Moroso is completing the package with their Springfield Sofa.

3 | Idea Paint
Making a big splash at NeoCon 2008 by landing a Best of NeoCon 2008 Innovation Award and the Best of NeoCon Gold Award for Wall Treatments, this product name is dead on as it truly is a paint that inspires ideas. The company’s declaration that the product is “capable of turning an entire wall into a creative canvas” seems to me a misstatement because it can actually transform any stable, paintable surface – e.g., cylindrical column, table top, little red wagon – into a collaborative space.

4 | TRASH: anycoloryoulike
Contemporary artist Adrian Kondratowicz has discovered a new formula: Trash + Installation Art + Environmentally Friendly = Awareness + Fun + Effective Public Relations. Masking the malodorous with the happier aroma of peppermint bubble gum, utilizing 100 percent biodegradable PVC, and featuring eye-popping polka dot graphics in a variety of colors, these bags bring attention to the amount of garbage in our day-to-day lives – but in a way that doesn’t shove it down our throats. Why didn’t I think of this”

Laura McDonald Stewart, ASID | IIDA
Interior Designer / Founder