The Incredible Whimsical Steampunk Sculptures of Stephane Halleux.

You may not be familiar with the name Stéphane Halleux, but if you saw the Oscar-winning animated short, Mr. Hublot, you've already seen some of his work. I'd been following his talents for awhile and was thrilled with the recognition Mr. Hublot received at the 2014 Academy Awards.

Stephane crafted the main character for Mr. Hublot, whom he affectionately called "Mr. Cinema" during his construction:


It was Halleux's steampunk sculptures that caught my attention about a year ago. An incredible imagination coupled with craftsmanship, unique materials and a dose of adorable make me want to buy every single one. In the over 20 sculptures of flying soldiers, controllers, winged men, robots and vehicles shown below, you can see which ones served as the inspiration for the character. Take a close look at the finely crafted details - the leathers, metals, goggles, buttons, suitcases with plaques, working levers, spinning propellers, functioning wheels and more.



Stephane's sculptures as they appear in galleries:



Stephane has been sculpting since 2005 when he first began to create the fabulous universe he’s still developing to this day. He studied at the Saint-Luc Institute in Lièges (Belgium) before working as a model maker and coloring for the animation business.


above: in the images of Stephane with some of his pieces, you can see the scale

In addition to his sculptures, Stephane embarked on an amazing steampunk video game, The Dead Flowers Case, produced by Mando Productions in Paris, France. They were seeking funding for the game on Kickstarter last year, but the campaign was cancelled in November 2013 for reasons unknown. For updates on the status of The Dead Flowers Case, they suggest you stay up to date on the Facebook page.



Galleries that carry Stephane's work:
•Galerie Schortgen in Luxembourg
•Absolut Art Gallery in Bruges
•Galerie Ariel Sibony in Paris

images courtesy of Stephane Halleux, many taken by Muriel Theis

Stephane Halleux

A Tub For Two Prescribed By Agape: The DR Tub

Brazilian designer and architect Marcio Kogan of Studio MK2 and Mariana Ruzante designed this new organically shaped bathtub for two for Agape. The DR Tub (pronounced "Doctor") was unveiled early this year at the IMM Cologne fair and was the most talked about new product from Agape.



To quote the designers, “The intention is to create a friendly, sensual and charismatic object. The smooth, flowing lines of DR offer great versatility”, making it the ideal tub for the family."



The Brazilian designers introduced this new twist on the traditional bathroom, customarily seen as an intimate place dedicated to well-being and body care, now viewed as a space to be shared.

This is a first-time partnership with an Italian company for the Marcio Kogan studio, known and appreciated worldwide for their beautiful architecture and interior design projects.

Agape
Studio MK2

Kevin Bacon Recreates Footloose Entrance on Tonight Show 30 Years Later

This is epic. The fabulous Kevin Bacon recreates, step by step, his 'Footloose' entrance on NBC's The Tonight Show after Jimmy proclaims that dancing has been outlawed by NBC. In addition to sharing the 3 and a half minute video with you, I simply had to make some screen grabs so you can see the details, because the whole thing is so hilariously done.



Beginning in the dressing room Kevin hears the news, exclaims "Jump back", immediately pops a cassette into the wall (nice throwback), his feet start to move, he takes a drag on a cigarette, swigs a beer and begins to dance his way down the corridor to the show's entrance stage.



Even the interior barn gymnastics scene is recreated (undoubtedly with a stunt man).


NBS staffers then join in the fun as he dons a burgundy tux and they all dance their way onstage.


Enjoy:


The cult classic movie Footloose is celebrating 30 years since its release.
Just another reason to love Kevin Bacon.

Crazy Counters: Caesarstone presents 'Islands' by Raw Edges

As part of their ongoing commitment to creating new platforms for design, Caesarstone has collaborated with London design studio Raw Edges to produce Islands. The brief was to re-examine the domestic environment and the use of surface. With their signature creativity, Raw-Edges transforms the surface into the structure itself. Available in a range of sizes and proportions, Islands is designed for different functions within the home.



Veering away from the common modular system, Islands reshapes the typical interior arrangement by positioning the working surface as the binding element of its design. A display of cabinetry, appliances or separate units is slotted into voids within the surface itself instead of being placed atop or around it. Islands offers a new take on a variety of domestic spaces: kitchens, bathrooms and spaces whose surfaces answer more emotional domestic needs such as a space to play and a space to display objects.



Raw-Edges investigates the interaction between different sizes, materials, colours and textures within the interior space. Inspiration is drawn from Caesarstone's Classico collection and in particular from its 2014 Supernatural designs, whose countertops star as the focal point of Islands. The surfaces' strength, durability, textures and natural looking designs complement the different materials from which the separate units are made, such as reclaimed wood, terracotta, glass and other materials found in a domestic environment. The design celebrates the daily function, origin and importance of the units which are commonly hidden away behind a unified façade.




Raw-Edges founders Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay describe Islands as: “a great opportunity to experiment with everyday areas like kitchens and bathrooms. We always strive towards the alternative, the humorous and always question the traditional approach to design.” They add: “If in a common kitchen the surface is only a top layer that covers the kitchen units, here we would like to propose the surface as the core of the kitchen which holds the different elements together in quite an unexpected way.”



Eli Feiglin, VP of marketing at Caesarstone remarks: "Caesarstone is continuously seeking new and creative ways in which to reaffirm its position as a global trendsetter and leader in the industry. We are proud to work with a designer who rethinks the domestic environment, explores the surfaces' unique properties and who may enhance them with a creative exploration of colours and materials."



The following video was created with miniature models:


Video credits:
Client: Caeserstone
Designers: Yael Mer & Shay Alkalay
Scale Models: Raw Edges Design Studio
Production: Seeing The Brick Motion Studio
Director: Maarten Vranken
DOP: Gunter Blokken & Maarten Vranken
Animators: Maarten Vranken & Jan Kegels
Music & SFX: Jeroen De Meyer
2014 © Seeing The Brick Motion Studio

Caesarstone will present a further exploration of Islands with an interactive installation focusing on food and dining within the domestic environment.



• Islands by Raw Edges for Casaerstone will be presented at Palazzo Criveli Via Clerici 5, Milan
• Opening times April 9-13, 10AM - 6PM,
• April 8- late night preview 10AM - 8PM

info and images courtesy of Caesarstone, and the Instagram photos used in this post are from from the preview at the Interior Design Show in Toronto and are courtesy of Caesarstone CA.


Caesarstone
Raw Edges

It's Electric. it Folds. And It's Smarter Than You. The Awesome Gi Bike.

The new Gi Bike is a full-sized folding electric bike with wireless smartphone integration. Weighing a scant 15.4 lb (7kg)*, the aluminum frame bike is loaded with features, looks futuristic and comes with its own app and USB port for both Android and iOS phones.




Folding in a mere 3 seconds with a single-motion operation, the Gi Bike can run 40 miles on one battery charge and reaches speeds up to 15mph (25kph). Powered by a lithium ion battery, you get five levels of assistance along with a smart mode that analyzes your use and adjusts itself accordingly.



“The intelligent app will foresee any detractions from your set-route, enroute,” says Gi Bike. “Hazards, constructions, heavy traffic, will be constantly updated by users via social integration, making the Gi your perfect companion when time’s running short.”



The Gi Bike comes with integrated rear lights, LEDs on the sides of the front wheel, and an anti-theft lock system that switches on automatically when you walk 10ft away from the bike.



Once folded, it’s only 900mm (3ft) long and 1,020mm (3ft 4in) tall, and you can shift it around like wheeled luggage.



The bike is fitted with a monoblade fork, an off-centre seat tube, a one-sided chainstay and no seatstays at all. It’s belt driven and you get a USB port in the down tube so you can recharge your phone while you’re riding. The rims and spokes are custom-made for the Gi and the tires are 26x1.5 in. Accessories are currently being developed, including a rear mudguard and a briefcase holder.



And just added, this new teaser video:


*A standard, non-electric version is considerably lighter at 26.5lb (12kg).



For more info check out www.gibike.com and be sure to look out for the launch on Kickstarter soon.

True Detective a la Hardy Boys Book Covers by Todd Spence

Self-proclaimed Geek art illustrator and editor of Break.com, Todd Spence, created these fabulous mash-ups of the two main characters from HBO's True Detective, Rustin Cohle (Matt McConaughy) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) with vintage Hardy Boys Detective novels.

The results are friggen' fabulous.







A shout out to my friend Fred Dekker for turning me onto these.