Townhouse Bedside Lamp

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Mr. Fries and Mr. Zumbühl in action

Townhouse Zurich teamed up with Zurich based design office Fries&Zumbühl and created this modern bedside lamp. The Townhouse lamp can be set up in three different positions to regulate the light intensity and can thus be used as a reading, mood or night light. Like Japanese Origami the lamp is folded from a singular sheet of metal and held together without any screws. A 2 mm plexiglas is inserted to ensure a soft glow. Manufactured 100% in Switzerland, energy saving bulb included. Design by Fries&Zumbühl exclusively for Townhouse.

Book Harp

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Oh, this custom Book-Harp Shelf by swiss designer Hanspeter Steiger makes me swoon. Here’s what he writes about the piece on his site: “The strings of the book-harp are a play of light and statics, three-dimensional picture and bookend, transparent and complete simultaneously. Depending on the angle of the literary instrument it seems once closed, sometimes translucent – and turns to life upon passing. It captures the passer-by at the corner of his eye and draws attention to itself, the variegated content, or out into the sky.”

swiss felt door handle protector

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Here’s a product that made me look: Umgewohnt, a switzerland based company, produced these awesome felt door/window handle protectors. Just slip them on your door or window handle and voila, no more slamming of the door and making dents into the wall. Beautiful and practical. Here’s a list of stores that carries them. (But man, they need a better web presence!)

Cercle et suite d’éclats

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Last summer, Felice Varini did this installation called “Cercle et suite d’éclats” in Vercorin, Switzerland. I agree with Pieter of TodayAndTomorrow, the scale of this point of view artwork is very impressive.

Container DS by Kuno Nüssli

Container DS Container DS

How beautiful are these minimal Containers DS by swiss Kuno Nüssli? Inspired by freight containers they are stackable and you can outfit them with legs and wheels if necessary. Love it!

(via ignant / noquedan)

New Freitag Computer Bags

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Most of the working population have to rely on their tie to show a bit of color. Freitag strives to change that and are launching two new computer bags: F76 LEO and F77 BEN. Both of them have an integrated laptop sleeve (13“ and 15“), inner and outer pockets, and lots of elbowroom, for climbing up the corporate ladder.

Zimoun : Sound Sculptures & Installations | Compilation Video V1.0

“Sound Sculptures & Installations” is a series of beautifully minimal sound installations by swiss Zimoun and Pe Lang. Fascinating, no?

(via todayandtomorrow, thank you Burks)

Swiss Cheese Makers

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The Book about Swiss Cheese Makers began as an editorial project for a journalist friend. “I expected this to be an agricultural trip, meeting people who make a living through the production of cheese in a more or less industrial way,” Scheffold confesses” But far from it: I met unorthodox lateral thinkers, visionary fellows, modest canny and successful people living and working in some of the most spectacular landscapes of Switzerland. Some sell their products abroad, inventing a new cheese every other month, some work exactly as they have learned from their fathers, now sometimes just selling to hikers visiting their remote location by chance. But all of them seemed to follow an individual vision they are not willing to betray for growth and money.”

“Swiss Cheese Makers“, by Fabian & István Scheffold & Vizner, Switzerland

(via my long-distance roommate BBlinks)

recycling awareness ribbons

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Love these Recycling Awareness Ribbons by swiss designer Mayari. RRR Ribbons are made from used beverage cartons. It’s all about upcycling. Reuse, reduce and Recycle.

Here’s how to make a RRR Ribbon: (It’s subtitled but she is speaking swiss german, in case you’re wondering!)

Mailplane

mailplane

You like threaded conversations, googling your inbox, and you prefer labels over folders. You really love Gmail. Continue to use the Gmail web interface you know and love, but from Mailplane instead of your web browser: Mailplane brings Gmail to your desktop. (Oh, look, this nifty app has been cooked up by a swiss. Yay!)

Kaffee

This Kaffee short by Crictor made me laugh, as I am now trying to stick to ‘1 coffee per day’ and I catch myself staring at my coffee cup…

Switzerland, the Brand

The inherent value of “Swiss made” brands is so high that the country’s government is currently considering new laws to protect it: “The government wants to replace vague laws with concrete rules to crack down on abuses of ‘made in Switzerland’ and Swiss cross labels” (“Protecting ‘Swiss made’ brand divides opinion,” swissinfo.ch, April 6, 2008). The movement is known in Switzerland as “the legislation project Swissness.”

Small Country, Big Brands, by Barry Silverstein

(thank you benedikt)

Mission for a smart Zurich

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Here’s a Zurich based site/campaign that made me look and jump off my seat. (klugeszuerich.ch is in german only, sorry) Mission for a smart Zurich: Philosophical and ethical questions printed on white stickers began appearing on Zurich lampposts, hydrants and trash bins in fall of 2007. The mission grew into 5000 stickers, two poster campaigns and 60′000 eBoard screens in train stations. Some of the questions are: “Are you a good person. When did it start?” “When are you egoistic?” “What do you see when you look into your heart?” “Do you love your partner for what he is or for what he could be?”

I wasn’t able to figure out who’s behind it. Anyone know?

(via @blancpain)

Can you grill a bratwurst?

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Now here’s a completely useless but *highly* entertaining iPhone App that was just released by Bell, a big swiss butcher chain. The app basically let’s you BBQ a bratwurst in real time. By blowing into the microphone you increase the BBQ fire/heat. Two thumbs up for originality to the crew over at ROD communications. Made me laugh (and hungry).

Download the App here over at iTunes.

Designs by Laura Pregger

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Laura Pregger
Laura Pregger

I am completely in love with Laura Pregger’s work.

(thank you Momo)

Lampetia

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Oh what a beauty is Lampetia by swiss designer Hanspeter Steiger!?

Schwiizer Chuchi

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Oh, I so have to getBetty Bossi’s “Schwiizer Chuchi” a collection of over 130 swiss traditional recipies! Whee! (Chuchi = Kitchen in swiss german)

(thank you Hugi)

Biggest Swiss Flag Ever

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swiss flag

Saturday, august 1st, was swiss national day and that was reason enough to mount the biggest swiss flag ever on mountain Saentis, 20minutes from where I grew up. Impressive. Wish I could have seen it in person.

(images by reuters)

Tube iPhone Case

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«tube» makes products that are almost completely produced from old bicycle tubes or remaining stocks.

«tube» was founded by swiss Steve Henseler and Marc Lounis and the founders of a Cubegrafik, a design- and communication agency in Biel.

Coat Hanger Mamouk

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This Coat Hanger Mamouk by swiss wallstreet had me look. What an eyecatcher! And what a tremendous sculptural quality it has. (I wish they’d show a video of how the wires turn into a hanger.)

Neue Werkstatt

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Neue Werkstatt is a Switzerland based lighting design company with a very distinct, minimal style. Made me look. (I feel like their product shots are not doing their designs justice. Too bad.)

Variable Heart Cake Form

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The variable heart cake form, designed by Swiss Zimmerli Design, is a folded sheet steel band. Adjust the size of desired heart as needed. Lovely. (Kurt Zimmerli also designed the famous SIGG Bottle)

broadcasting from switzerland

This little family is vacationing in the swiss alps. We had three fantastic warm days in Zurich and are now in the rainy Appenzell region. We realize how spoiled we are with rainy weather in NYC. When it rains it’s still warm, not here, it’s freezing. We are crossing our fingers for pool weather. Below are a few impressions of our trip so far. More to Come!

Right off the plane we went to FREITAG to check out their factory where the upcoming CreativeMorning will take place on July 17th. Sascha gave us a full blown tour of their production hall. Truly fascinating what the FREITAG brothers have created. Hat tip!
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G and I are enjoying our daily Rivella. Rivella is a healthy and natural soft drink from Switzerland. What’s unique about Rivella is the wholesome lactoserum it contains (called milk serum in Switzerland). Sounds crazy, right?
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These signs in the Zurich Tram had G and me laugh out loud. The swiss do have a sense of humor, after all. We especially love the guy with the saw, trying to cut apart one of the seats. No, you really shouldn’t do that.
tram signs
tram signs

Now if this isn’t ueber-swiss I don’t know what is: Typical condiments arrangement you see at restaurants.
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A slice of my childhood: Sausages (wienerli), two slices of bread (Ruchbrot) and Moustard (Thomy Senf). This makes me happy.
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I have introduced our little three year old Ella to the 40 year old Rakete Icecream and she fully approves.
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Today’s an exciting day: I am being interviewed and photographed for a story that will be in next thursday’s Tagesanzeiger, one of Switzerland’s biggest newspapers. Yay!

photoshoot for tagesanzeiger

Victorinox 125 years

In 2009 Victorinox celebrates 125 years of Swiss ingenuity since its foundation in 1884, from the brands Original Swiss Army Knife introduced in 1891. The below video has been created by Boutiq. See the making of here.

(thank you rahel)