If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Sweet Dreams Security: Safety Never Looked So Good.

Who says that elements designed to keep people away can't be inviting? Certainly not Matthias Megyeri of Sweet Dreams Security in Great Britain where safety, preventative and secure elements are functional but fun. Butterfly-shaped razor wire, teddy bear shaped padlocks and lace embroidered Beware of Dog signs are some examples of the whimsy interjected into products usually designed to be foreboding and unattractive.

Several of their designs like the heart shaped link chain and glass landscape toppers are ordered by commission, but others are available to purchase. Definitely the cutest security precautions you'll ever take.

Below are all of their products to date with descriptions taken directly from their website.

Sweet Dreams Security™
Fences with bunny rabbits for railheads, razor-wire woven with butterflies, padlocks shaped like teddy bears and feline CCTV covers – a few of the products in the Sweet Dreams Security™ range. Matthias Megyeri has carved an exciting new niche market for products that respond to what he sees as an uncomfortable balance between the growing demand for security products and an over-saturation of the kitsch, the‘cute', the garden gnomes and the frilly curtains.

Railings: R. Bunnit , Peter Pin and Didoo

The first set of three unique railing-top characters by Sweet Dreams Security™ is now available. This contemporary take on traditional Victorian street furniture injects a sense of energy into often-lifeless urban landscapes. Let the jagged but friendly little creatures guard your home with a warm smile.

Razor Wire: Mr. Smish & Madame Buttly
The Sweet Dreams Security™ razor wire is our most vicious but cute product to date. Standard razor wire has been transformed from a purely threatening object into one that is highly playful, yet every bit as effective.

‘Mr. Smish & Madame Buttly’ had the honour of gracing the cover of the 2005 ‘SAFE: Design Takes on Risk’ MoMA exhibition catalogue, in New York.

You can either order ‘Mr. Smish’ and ‘Madame Buttly’ separately, or together as the dream team of security.

Preventative Wall Toppers: Landscape

‘Landscape’ by Sweet Dreams Security™ consists of ten glass objects designed as security features for the top of garden or backyard walls. The strong, sharp structures offer an original and appealing alternative to broken bottle shards, which are now illegal to use.‘Landscape’ is now also available in various vibrant colours as a result of collaboration with a traditional Stuttgart-based glass company.

Padlock: Billy B.

Sweet Dreams Security™ introduces a fresh, friendly face to the Old English Padlock by offering ‘Billy B.’ to grace your backyard or private space. Made by Henry Squire & Sons Ltd UK – family-owned lockmakers since 1780 – this fun, new product boasts the quality workmanship expected from an old favourite.’Billy B.’ is now being sold in selected design outlets worldwide.

Chains: Heart to Heart

Sweet Dreams Security™ developed ‘Heart to Heart’ to enhance a classic product icon with a sprinkling of sweetness.The heart-shaped chain will inject a dose of good, old-fashioned charm to your front garden, backyard or other private space.

Alarms: Daisy T.

The ADT alarmbox flower attachment from Sweet Dreams Security™ transforms your existing alarmbox from dull and dreary to chirpy and cheery, giving a playful look to your building exterior and bringing a smile to the faces of passerby. The extra shell provided by the flower’s petals also provides an extra layer of protection against wily burglars’ expert ways.

The one-year installation of ‘Daisy T’ at the Design Museum, London, has greatly raised her profile and even turned her into somewhat of a local celebrity.

Security Cameras: City Cat TV
These quirky Sweet Dreams Security™ CCTV camera attachments add a welcome touch of humour to our increasingly security-conscious lives.

The sliding feature on the outdoor camera ensures that the quality of the images captured is never impaired by bright sunlight.

Security Illusion Curtains: Mrs Welcome
Sweet Dreams Security™ proudly introduces ‘Mrs Welcome’. Woven to look like a metal security shutter, this traditional lace curtain with a twist is soft and welcoming on the inside, yet cold and harsh-looking on the outside: a placebo product designed to keep the burglars at bay, without making you feel imprisoned in your own home.

Made in Nottingham, UK, this product also marks a return to traditional English lace-making roots – a much-needed boost for a fast-fading local industry and identity

Beware of Dog Sign: Snoopy D

‘Snoopy D’, from Sweet Dreams Security™ is an ironic remake of a classic warning sign. The phrase ‘Beware of Dog’ takes on an entirely new slant when embroidered onto a delicate lace window hanger using the traditional German hand-embroidery technique known as ‘Plauener Spitze’.

‘Snoopy D’ lends a touch of old-fashioned class to a society ruled by suspicion, where niceties are all too often forgotten.

Sweet Dreams Security™ has found international acclaim, exhibiting widely and attracting high profile bespoke commissions - two projects in Tokyo this summer, Colour By Numbers and Tokyo Hipsters Club, and a window installation at Paul Smith in New York. After participating in the ‘Hometime’ exhibition organised by the British Council in China and showing at the Design Museum's Design Mart exhibition of new British design in 2004, the products were included in Paul Smith's Great Brits exhibition at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2005. As well as participating in the Pop noir exhibition at The Israel Museum in Jerusalem the product range is also being exhibited at ‘Safe – Design Takes On Risks’ at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and in a show curated by Droog® design in Amsterdam.

above: designer Matthias Aron Megyeri

SweetDreamsSecurityTM
Matthias Aron Megyeri, Designer
18 Trafalgar Mews
E9 5JG, London, Great Britain
m.megyeri@sweetdreamssecurity.com

Telephone 0044 (0)20 8986 5116
Mobile 0044 (0)77 7962 4974
For information regarding prices please contact us.

Seinfeld And Gates: Shoe Shopping For Microsoft

The below spot, the first ad produced by Crispin Porter+Bogusky for Microsoft, is being severely criticized and attacked by some Microsoft advocates on twitter and several other social media sites as "bad".

Personally, I think it's hilarious, memorable and one of the first Microsoft ads that will have great appeal to the Mac audience and jaded Microsoft users. It's true that it shows no hardware, software or 'technology' per se but we all know that's what Microsoft does and we don't need to be told that yet again.

Microsoft doesn't need to explain who they are, nor show us a particular product (for that, you can just look at any tech site or magazine), but instead help broaden their appeal and build confidence back into the brand after the Windows Vista release disappointed so many.

This spot makes Bill Gates approachable and likeable as opposed to an 'evil corporate giant' and the message is about the future. Besides The 'shoe circus clown club member' bit (a nod toward Seinfeld's past ads for American Express) is worth the entire 60 seconds.

The spot is the first commercial ad released by Crispin Porter+Bogusky (and apparently one of several to come) for Microsoft but their "Mojave Experiment", a series of internet ads and banners that utilize the unoriginal, but tried and true "try it, you'll like it" approach, has been out for sometime now.

Iris Design Studio's Bright Idea: Light Bulbs Become Functional Art

Above: Perito Moreno Vanity Circle PM013

Iris Design Studio takes light bulbs...bare ordinary looking light bulbs and by cutting them, combining them, suspending them and more, creates functional art.

For her Perito Series, she cuts them in half and artfully applies them to mirrored surfaces of different sizes, shapes and colors. Below are their models.

Perito Moreno Flower (l.) and Clock (r.):

Perito Moreno Large (l.) and Medium (r.):

Perito Moreno Small(l.) and Parallel(r.):

Perito Moreno Single and Dual:

Perito Moreno Diagonal(l.) and Opposites (r.):

Perito Moreno Heart (long or short):

Perito Moreno Arabesque:

She also has more complex designs like the Olinda Blue:

And the Mital Del Mundo Partition:

And a whole series of La Paz Bulb table, floor and pendant lamps:

Who is behind Iris designs?

Above: Iris Kadouri
She began her design studies at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design in London and after graduating, based herself in New York. While working on various consulting projects, Iris began designing lighting and furniture. In 2004 she moved to Israel and founded Iris Design Studio, a design collaborative and product design company.

The website.

contact info:
Main Office:
Iris Design Studio Ltd
6 Hamelacha St.
N I Zone, Lod 71520

Israel
Tel: +972-8-9250212
Fax: +972-8-9252207

In North America:
Iris Design Studio Ltd
Toll Free 1-866-245-3312 (E.T.)
Fax: 1-866-308-0915

Ruby Slippers: Part Two - The Designer's Actual Shoes Are Wicked!

Awhile back I informed you that several designers were asked to reinterpret Dorothy's Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz in honor of the 70th anniversary and for an auction on September 20th to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

I shared with you many of the 19 participating designers' sketches previously and now have photos of the actual shoes for you!! Be sure to check out the other post to see how they've gone from concept to reality.

Shoes by A. Testoni:

Shoes by Betsey Johnson:

Shoes by Botkier:

Shoes by Jimmy Choo:

Shoes by Diane Von Furstenberg:

Shoes by Gwen Stefani for L.A.M.B.:

Shoes by Oscar de la Renta:

Shoes by Tibi:

Shoes by Tuleh:

One of the pairs of original "ruby slippers" worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie:

See more details about the auction, The Pediatric Aids Foundation, The Wizard of Oz's 70th anniversary and the original sketches for the shoes here.

Danielle Proud Transforms A Townhouse With Carpet Craziness As A Marketing Campaign

The "funonthefloor" Fun house is a traditional Georgian townhouse whose interior has been transformed by the UK's cross stitch Queen, author, interior designer and DIY crafter, Danielle Proud and her team of DIY project experts.

Lord Harris of Peckham, chairman and chief executive of Carpetright, won the support of rivals when he asked them to help fund the campaign to turn around the image of carpets. Carpetright is putting a million pounds towards the TV and billboard ads.

They've turned it into a living, breathing showcase of the latest carpet trends, technologies and home decorating ideas. Curated with Danielle's signature craft queen touch, the house - through six dramatic and distinctively themed rooms - highlights the transformative power that carpet can have in any home, and places carpet at the forefront of interior decorating style.

Danielle Proud

above: Craft Queen, DIY fanatic, interior designer and busy Mom, Danielle Proud is on a mission to carpet the nation! Learn more about her and her book, House Proud, here.

The FunHouse: