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If all you know about cork is that is used for wine stoppers, then read on. Cork design is the new ‘it’ thing in design today and is slowing becoming a fashionable part of everyone’s life. Portugal is the largest exporters of cork, and with Portuguese cork providing the best quality cork to manufacturers around the world, it’s no surprise why it’s the birthplace of this fantastic trend. This impermeable, buoyant, durable and fire resistant material has taken the world by storm. Transformed into eye catching designs, it’s really hard to believe the material you’re looking at is actually, just cork! There are innumerable ways to use cork, including as a wine stopper. Cork pin boards, door stoppers and baseballs are some of the more common uses of cork. But designers today are taking the use of cork products to a new level with more unconventional uses of this sturdy material. Below are a few examples of how cork design can add beauty and style to your life. Oh and did we mention – it’s 1...

Ultramoderne’s cross-laminated timber pavilion opens in Chicago photography by tom Harris / © Hedrich blessing the winning pavilion of the Chicago lakefront kiosk competition has opened on the shores lake Michigan. the contest saw a total of 421 entries from over 40 countries, with Rhode Island-based studio Ultramoderne selected to realize their ‘Chicago horizon’ design. as well as providing shelter, the pavilion houses a food and beverage vendor, creating a new public space along the city’s waterfront. influenced by two Chicago prototypes — Mies van der Rohe’s various experiments in flatness and the Eames’ explorations of scale in ‘powers of ten’ — the pavilion uses cross-laminated timber to build an expansive canopy supported by a series of slender columns. ‘the design for the kiosk became a quest to create the largest wood roof possible — to demarcate a zone of the city for all to enjoy,’ explains ultramoderne. From ground level, the lake Michigan horizon remains prevalent, forming...

When it comes to a home, the mood is definitely created by the lighting. You can have the most spectacular decor and furniture, but if the lighting is wrong the entire look and feel is wasted. It is only obvious that we should avoid (if possible) any electrical light during the day; large windows and skylights are essential in maximizing the influx of natural light. True ambience is however created in the evenings and at nighttime when we cannot rely on natural light. There are three main types of lighting that you need to consider and understanding these is vital. There is generally the main lighting within an area and responsible for the functional lighting of the space. It is obviously advisable to look at energy saving options throughout the various kinds of lighting, but especially with ambient lighting that is responsible for most of the light. Some variations of this kind of lighting are listed below. Up-lights point illumination toward the ceiling. Up-light fixtures include tor...