The Design Gift Shop Blog

Our most precious gift! - Newsletter 09/2011

2011-09-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

TIME...
we all would like to have more of it. It took a little bit of our time to get this newsletter done and I hope you are going to enjoy it like we did when we prepared it.
We have great clocks and watches at The Design Gift Shop which might help you track time, save time and - most of all - have a good time!!!

Fresh from the keyboard our latest Newsletter 07/201
http://eepurl.com/fwv2Q

Enjoy it and if you are interested to get it from now on directly delivered into your e-mailbox, have a look and subscribe either on our website www.thedesigngiftshop.com or sign up directly on the newsletter.

BMW GUGGENHEIM LAB

2011-08-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the first BMW Guggenheim LAB opened in New York (Houston St at 2nd Ave, New York City). It will be in New York from August 3 to October 16, 2011, before traveling to Berlin and a city in Asia, to be announced later this year. It is "a mobile laboratory travelling the world to inspire innovative ideas for urban life". It offers a platform to present and discuss ideas for the future of cities. All events at the LAB are free! A total of three labs is going to travel the world and visit 9 cities in 6 years.

The theme for the first two-year cycle of the BMW Guggenheim Lab is Confronting Comfort. In New York, Berlin, and Asia, the Lab will explore how urban environments can be made more responsive to people’s needs, how people can feel more at ease in urban environments, and how to find a balance between notions of modern comfort and the urgent need for environmental and social responsibility.

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has opened to the public in New York on August 3. If you happen to be in New York you can visit the Lab and participate in the game Urbanology to see how your choices affect the city, attend one of the many FREE events or you can enjoy organic local food at the Lab cafe.

Malwitz Custom Surfboards - 5’6 Asymm Fishes

2011-07-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

Something to dream about...

These boards remind me that I want to take surf lessons. I think asymmetrically fish shaped they look great! Designed and build in New Jersey by Malwitz Custom Surfboards for Saturdays and Chandelier Creative.

Every MCS board is designed individually with no templates. Colours are always mixed by hand. This takes time but makes for a truly custom and totally unique board. Literally, no two boards are ever the same.

Catch of the Week 26/07 to 01/08/2011 (Jewellery from SKALLI Paris)

2011-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

This weeks "Catch of the week" is all about fashion jewellery and watches from French label SKALLI Paris.

Distinctly original with its hallmark French origins, SKALLI Paris fuses an international design component from Nordic origins with the vivid and heavily engrained colour story of Provence, the brand’s home region.

Spoil yourself or somebody else!

Happy browsing from The Design Gift Shop!

Gorgeous days and chilly nights - Newsletter 07/2011

2011-07-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted anything. To my excuse, I have been away in Europe for a few weeks to recharge, catch up with friends and see the latest trends over there.

And here is fresh from the keyboard our latest Newsletter 07/201
http://eepurl.com/eQGOM

Just in - WineLight and Sky Planter triple set

2011-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

# 1 - WineLight - the hottest tea light holder

WineLight from SIDEbySIDE is simply the hottest, grooviest & greenest tea-light holder ever! The humble wine bottle cleverly re-used and re-configured: the glass top half perfectly matched to a solid, hand-turned base of European oak. The latter precisely grooved to hold the equally humble tea-light. The result is a simply elegant tea light holder perfect for indoors and outdoor use.
Designed by Jette Scheib and produced by the talented people at the Side by Side sheltered workshop - for the intellectual & physically disabled - based in Bavaria, Germany. Their mission is to combine good design with practical consumer goods while providing meaningful employment for their charges. We love and fully support this great concept!

#2 - Sky Planter Triple Pack

Another new arrival comes from Boskke. It is a great triple pack of the already well known Sky Planter Mini at a very special price to encourage the idea of a mini hanging garden - particularly perfect as herb garden.

Happy Mother's Day - Newsletter 04/2011

2011-05-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

Best wishes for all mums, enjoy your Mother's Day!!!

By the way, our latest Newsletter is up and running.
If you are interested, have a look and subscribe either on our website www.thedesigngiftshop.com or sign up directly on the newsletter:

Newsletter #4-2011 - http://eepurl.com/dECyU

We are on kidspot.com.au

2011-04-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

You can find us here on kidspot - Australia's #1 parenting directory - or a second time here on kidspot. If you want to support us we would love to get some nice reviews posted on that site from YOU ! Many, many thanks!!!

New arrivals for healthy and yummy cooking!

2011-04-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

For those who like food and cooking we want to let you know that we have two newcomers to our kitchen range from royalvkb from the Netherlands.

Number one is the new Slowcooker for healthy cooking in a Tagine like Terra Cotta and China dish.

You place fresh ingredients in the bowl - there is no need for oil - and put it in the oven.This wonderful and nutritious way of cooking preserves all the vitamins, minerals and flavours. And your work is already done, sit back, relax and wait for your meal to be steamed and cooked. That is what I call slow cooking! The Slowcooker is in stock ready to be ordered.

Number two and also new is a this version of the royalvkb Herb Garden planter for fresh basilic or rosemary.

The outside shade is grey while the inside is white. This two-tone design looks very elegant. The function of the new model stays in line with the classic white version. The Herb Garden serves as a stylish kitchen herb organizer with scissors at hand from an integrated pocket.

Long awaited and now finally back in stock is the stainless steel royalvkb Garlic Crusher.

This multi award winning kitchen tool is one of our bestsellers and not without reason. When you hold it in your hands it really feels like a tool and not like a whimsical gadget. You crush the garlic with the flat side and spread out the contents by rolling over it. Afterwards use the crusher as stainless steel soap under a running tap to get rid of smells on your hands while you clean it with ease.

Doesn't it make you hungry just looking at these three well thought out kitchen products for preparing, serving and consuming of delicious, healthy, self made food?

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

An afterthought to our St. Partrick's Day Newsletter

2011-04-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

For all of you who liked our St. Patrick’s Day Newsletter here is a little afterthought:

I am not Irish – I am German – but I am fond of “The Irish”.

And I would like to let you know how this developed.

At the end of the 80`s early 90`s I lived a few years in London and one of my workmates - David - was Irish from Dublin.

And he invited me to a few parties. As I found out there was a least one party every weekend.... life can be hard!

And all, yes all the people I met at these occasions very, very friendly and welcoming.
And they loved to party! On weekends they would forget everything else and had a good time.

Well, afterwards there was always Monday, but.... a couple of days later there was Friday, Saturday and Sunday again.

One of my key moments with Irish people was at the Soccer World Cup 1990. On the 30/06/1990 in the Quarterfinals they played Italy.
I am not a keen follower of soccer. When I came with some friends later that evening to an Irish pub the crowd there was dancing, cheerfully and happy.
I was convinced they had won against Italy. But no, they had lost 1 : 0 and were out of the World Cup.

Nevertheless they all were celebrating that their team got so far. I was flabbergasted as in my country and in many others people would have been disappointed. But for the Irish it was just another good reason to celebrate life!

Now I live in Australia and people here and their approach to life sometimes reminds me to the Irish way of living.

Here is a youtube film form St Patrick's day @ Sydney's Central Station 2011. It shows this kind “lust for life”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxEB48jY3F8

I hope you enjoy it too!!!

Kurt

The Design Gift Shop
www.thedesigngiftshop.com

ECO and SUSTAINABLE - Paris has its first chilled sparkling water serving public fountain.

2011-04-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

Located in Jardin de Reuilly, a park in eastern Paris, the new fountain injects city tap water with carbon dioxide and then chills it to a pleasing temperature.

This new initiative eliminates the need for many plastic bottles. What a good sustainable idea to create less waste in the first place.
The French are among the world's top consumers of bottled water, taking in an average of 128 litres each in 2009.

Catch of the Week 30/03 - 05/04/2011 (kitchen accessories)

2011-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

This weeks "Catch of the week" is all about little stylish helpers in the kitchen. We selected 10 products from our kitchen range and offer them for a short period up to 50% cheaper!

Among them is the very "chic" ORB mortar from Joseph Joseph. A sleek porcelain globe is formed by two separate bowls. The large spherical bowl is perfect for crushing and grinding large quantities of ingredients or even several at once. The lid, when inverted, provides a neat hand-held mortar - ideal for grinding smaller amounts of herbs and spices.

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003 and this UK company is now internationally recognised for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products available, and has become one of the fastest growing companies in the worldwide homewares market.

Another great offer is the extendable trivet made from carefully oiled walnut by Side by Side in Germany. From small to large the walnut trivet can be expanded to fit up to 4 pots (extends up to 100 cm).

Side by Side - based in Bavaria in Germany - is a collaboration of 9 different sheltered workshops for the intellectually & phisically disabled. Their mission is to combine good design with practical consumer goods while providing meaningful employment for their charges. We fully support this great concept!

Check out all the other offers from our website and come home with your "Catch of the week"

Happy browsing from The Design Gift Shop!

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

Catch of the Week 23/03/2011 - 29/03/2011 (gifts for kids)

2011-03-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Gifts for Kids, is there anything more rewarding than the happy smile on a kids face when they receive a gift they really love???

This week's special offers, we call them "Catch of the week", include some of our favourites.

For example the fantastically versatile Wishbone Bike from New Zealand.

This are 3 bikes in 1 ! If you don't believe it go and check it out on our website.

Another great gift are the aprons for girls (Juju and Fraisette) and for boys (Floflote) from the French label L'epicerie des bidules. The gorgeous designs by Solenne Auvret are not printed but lavishly embroidered. That makes a huge difference! Can you show me the girl or the boy who doesn't want to help cooking or baking or with the BBQ!

And there is more by Barefoot Toys from Sri Lanka, Charlie & Lola from the UK and Star & Rose from Australia!

Happy browsing from The Design Gift Shop!

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

aiaiai TMA-1 DJ Headphones

2011-03-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

aiaiai from Denmark became quickly well known for their design and production of headphones, earphones and some related accessories.
Caine from aiaiai Australia approached us in 2010 and introduced us to their great products.
At first we learned about the Tracks and Pipe range.
The Tracks headphones were obviously very well designed. They immediately received the Danish Design Prize 2010/2011. And Danes know a bit about design!
May 2010 we started to get information about their aiaiai TMA-1 DJ Headphone. A lot was written about the very low key design and about all the input which came from famous DJs.

From August 2010 on it was finally available for us. Since then it was only a success story. As if the audio world had only been waiting for the TMA-1. And don't take only my word for it. Look it up on the TMA-1 website.
Review after review was published and there is no end in sight.

Here are the latest reviews for you:

http://hi-liferecords.com/?p=383
http://www.headfonia.com/aiaiai-tma-1/2/
http://www.skratchworx.com/reviews/aiaiai_tma1.php
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/22/aiaiai-tma-1-headphones-review/

If this got you interested check it out on our website. aiaiai TMA-1
What will come next? Stay tuned!

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

Catch of the Week 08 - 14/03/2011

2011-03-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

This week I use my favourite pastime as the "Catch of the week" - COFFEE ! I just love coffee and any excuse is good enough to sip a flat white! So if you need to stock up on coffee essentials, have a look at our offers. But remember, it's here for one week (08 -14/03/2011) and then it's gone........

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

Newsletter #2-2011

2011-03-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

Our latest Newsletter is up and running.
If you are interested, have a look and then subscribe either on our website www.thedesigngiftshop.com or sign up on the newsletter directly:

Green Days - up to 20% reduction - Newsletter #2-2011 - http://eepurl.com/cQMEA

Catch of the Week 01 - 07/03/2011

2011-02-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

Lexon Design Objects are the latest Catch of the Week at The Design Gift Shop.

Probably the most famous of Lexon's designs is the award winning Tykho radio. It is completly covered with silicone so you can even use it in a shower.

Lexon LA42 Tykho radio

Lexon has created many, many more gadgets and consumer products and received design awards all over the world.

Special promotions at The Design Gift Shop called "Catch of the Week" last for one week only and then they are gone.

So hurry up and have a look.

Available at The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com)

The Design Gift Shop Australia

2011-02-27T22:44:00.000-08:00

Online shopping is one of Australia's loves, and here at The Design Gift Shop we intend to make your online shopping experience truly memorable.

We stock only the highest quality products, hand picked from our suppliers so that you don't have to search for something unique - it's all here in one place.

From gifts for him and her to games for the children, we're sure that, whatever the occasion, we're number one when it comes to that very special and unique gift.

So come back and check on us from time to time, we're constantly adding new products so you can find everything you need all in one place.

Happy Shopping!

Bloggers delight

2011-02-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hi,
this is The Design Gift Shop (www.thedesigngiftshop.com & www.thedesigngiftshop.com.au)) and we are starting to spread and share blogs and opinons at Google Blogger too. We are a online store for design and designer related gifts and objects, many of them award winning. We are based in Australia and Europe. We look forward to your feedback!