The new TIMELINE signature kitchen system from Aster Cucine USA, in collaboration with New York City-based design firm workshop/apd, draws upon the history of craftsmanship and artisanship in centuries past to create a kitchen collection with a "vintage" look and feel for contemporary life.

Familiar but unconventional in a modern kitchen, the epoch collection features exquisite cabinetry, countertops and backsplash accents in the finest selection of materials including Venetian ceruse (a whitening compound used in the 16th century on human skin as well as cabinetry) applied to white oak; wire mesh inspired by French country cabinets, antique mirror glass; oxidized metal, weathered steel, and bronzed glass.

Kitchens also can be "personalized" with art panels by famed Toronto artist Murray Duncan. TIMELINE reflects the quality of the handmade and the patina of the hard worked, yet it is decidedly modern, clean-lined and efficient.

Available now to consumers in the U.S., TIMELINE will be on display starting in September at the award-winning New York City kitchen and bath design company Urban Homes Inc.

+ Press release courtesy Workshop/apd

ASTER CUCINE DEBUTS "TIMELINE," NEW SIGNATURE KITCHEN COLLECTION IN COLLABORATION WITH WORKSHOP/APD

NEW YORK – Eurocucina 2010 set the start of the debut of TIMELINE, a new signature kitchen collection from ASTER Cucine, one of the world's leading contemporary kitchen manufacturers, in special collaboration with New York design studio workshop/apd.

For the TIMELINE kitchen system, Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen, design principals at workshop/apd, drew upon the history of craftsmanship and artisanship in centuries past to create a kitchen collection with a "vintage" look and feel for contemporary life.  Familiar but unconventional in a modern kitchen, the epoch collection features exquisite cabinetry, countertops and backsplash accents in the finest selection of materials including Venetian ceruse (a whitening compound used in the 16^th century on human skin as well as cabinetry) applied to white oak; wire mesh inspired by French country cabinets, antique mirror glass; oxidized metal, weathered steel, and bronzed glass.  Kitchens also can be "personalized" with art panels by famed Toronto artist Murray Duncan.

TIMELINE kitchen system, image courtesy workshop/apd

Our Aster Cucine partnership with workshop/apd has produced a custom design kitchen system that yields both an astonishing piece of design and the ultimate in functionality… …TIMELINE represents as much a work of art as the next generation in modern family living.

Jacob Kindler, U.S. managing director of Aster Cucine

Having taken its cue from the centuries of craftsmen and artisans who spent time carefully selecting the best materials and working them with precision and skill, the TIMELINE kitchen system reflects the quality of the handmade and the patina of the hard worked, yet it is decidedly modern, clean-lined and efficient.

Our kitchens, the heart of family life, are now part of our living environments and no longer hidden from view… …They are often times at the very center and should be as welcoming as the rest of the home.

Mssrs. Berman and Kotchen at workshop/apd

TIMELINE kitchen system, image courtesy workshop/apd

Available now to consumers in the U.S., TIMELINE will be on display starting in September at the award-winning New York City kitchen and bath design company Urban Homes Inc.

An ideal target for people looking for unique and luxurious design in the kitchen, ASTER Cucine also debuted four other kitchen collections at Eurocucina 2010 in Milan. Included is the new futuristic DOMINA, a trendy Italian kitchen that uniquely features custom cabinetry with end to end curves and without any straight lines.  Other collections include the ease and simplicity of the classic AVENUE, merging the traditional with magical modern twists; the ultra-modern CONTEMPORA, which through strong design makes the most of its beautifully grained Tinoe wood and glossy lacquered surfaces, and the exquisite OPERA HALL, a classic take on the French idea of "Les Plaisirs de L'Isle Enchantèe," with pieces rich in artistic and cultural references that date from the 1500's to our present day.

TIMELINE kitchen system, image courtesy workshop/apd

TIMELINE kitchen system, image courtesy workshop/apd

+ About ASTER Cucine

Established in 1983 in Pesaro Italy, Aster Cucine is one the European leaders in innovative modern and kitchen design. Deeply pervaded by a “service oriented” philosophy, the company has developed a comprehensive company-product-distribution system geared to meet fully the aesthetic and functional requirements of each individual customer.

Aster Cucine headquarters is located at
Via Ferraro Manlio, 61100 Villa Fastiggi Pesaro, Milan, Italy.
Tel. 877 890 3800
www.astercucineusa.com

+ About Urban Homes, Inc.

Urban Homes is an award-winning kitchen and bath design showroom that offers "one-stop shopping" with talented in-house kitchen designers as well experienced installation crews. The company features a wide variety of custom and semi-custom cabinetry as well as numerous countertop, flooring, appliance, light and hardware products. By combining outstanding service, extraordinary craftsmanship and sensible pricing, it has built a reputation as a firm that builds relationships first.

The Urban Homes Showroom is located at
325 West 16th Street, (between 8^th & 9^th Avenues), New York, NY 10011.
www.uhny.com

+ About workshop/apd

With an emphasis on sustainable practices that directly affect how we live, workshop/apd specializes in high-end residential renovations, new home construction, and commercial development. Since its inception in 1999, the workshop brand has grown and now extends to custom furniture, lighting, accessories, products, and kitchen systems.

Throughout the years the company's designs have appeared in such leading publications as Architectural Record, Conservation, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Interior Design, Metropolis, Metropolitan Home, The Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. They also are the 2006 winners of the Global Green USA/Brad Pitt Sustainable Design Competition.

In April 2010 the company launched RightFrame, a technology firm that automates home design to change the face and the carbon footprint of the suburban landscape. It combines smart, modern style and responsible living in a moderately-priced well-designed house.
www.workshopapd.com

Power Shoulder, image courtesy Jongho Park

South Korean designer Jongho Park has recently created ‘Power Shoulder‘ chair.

Recently, ‘power shoulder jacket’ the eighties retro style was back in fashion again, which highlighted shoulders. The new style has been found in many collection with more understated and delicate one than the previous style. ‘Power Shoulder Style’ that set off strong shoulder line was likely to be applied to furniture, creating a new design.

A wide range of variety was found in design during an attempt to express furniture design with a motif from fashion design.

‘Power Shoulder Chair’ was designed with the factors found in the reconfigured ‘Power Shoulder Style’. The keys to ‘Power Shoulder Style’ summarized into exaggerated emphasis, chic style, sophisticated line, and understated angle were reflected to the form and proportion of legs and seat of the chair.

It was composed of sleek planes, which were cleaved and divided into smaller planes. Angles and lines between planes were highlighted to present sharp and three dimensional feature.

Power Shoulder Stool was made by bending galvanized steel sheet: 5T for seats and backs; 2T for legs.

+ Designer: Jongho Park

+ All images courtesy Jongho Park

Last year, we introduced the new born design studio KiBiSi and their creations. Furthermore, KiBiSi recently has revealed new designs: NYC Biomega Bike, The Shanghay Chair Wood Wood edition, AiAiAi Headphone TMA-1, Puma Bike Series and 2nd Generation Transition Terrafugia roadable aircraft.

+ Designer: KiBiSi

NYC Biomega bicycle, image courtesy KiBiSi

NYC BIOMEGA BIKE

The latest Biomega bicycle, NYC takes its cue from the iconic Biomega bicycle CPH, reinvigorating Biomega’s status as a pioneer of chainless bikes – this time with a smooth, quiet carbon fiber belt drive. The NYC’s sleek and no-nonsense look integrates a front mudguard in the aluminum down tube complimenting its aggressive, yet reliable urban driving properties. The NYC is designed by the three creative forces of Danish design group, KiBiSi, with the ambition to create an honest means of transportation with the potential of a classic. Biomega dedicates this ultimate bicycle to the ultimate city – NYC.

The NYC will be available in spring 2011. Biomega bike dealers can found at www.biomega.com

+ About BIOMEGA

Biomega is a world pioneer of design lifestyle bicycles. Biomega designs and develops bicycles, apparel and bicycle accessories. It is committed to creating a shift in the way society imagines transportation by making "furniture for urban locomotion" that competes directly with cars with bikes so beautiful that they imbue our cities with new meaning, even as they make us and the planet healthier. Biomega brings social innovation, design thinking and high-end city lifestyle to the world of bicycles. The Biomega brand features collaborations with renowned designers such as Marc Newson, Ross Lovegrove and KiBiSi. Biomega has the worldwide exclusive license to the PUMA brand for bicycles. The company was founded in 1998 and is distributed in over 20 countries and has headquarters is Copenhagen, Denmark.

Shanghay chair, image courtesy KiBiSi

LTD. EDITION SHANGHAY CHAIR WITH HAY AND WOOD WOOD

The Shanghay chair is designed by the KiBiSi team for the Danish Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The chair is conceived as a single segment of the long social bench that orbits the pavilion both inside and outside. In collaboration with the fashion brand Wood Wood, the chair is now being launched in a limited edition on 250 copies produced by HAY. Wood Wood has used their impeccable sense of style to pick out 6 new colors for the chair. The collection consists of a simple black and white that works well as base colors, three dusty main colors ranging from a very subtle pink over the twilight blue to a minty green, and a natural oak finish to top it off in true Scandinavian style.

The Shanghay chair is composed of 4 small boards folded around each other to form the simplest chair imaginable merging legs and seat, back and structure into the 4 constituent parts. Since the chair can be acquired in multiple colors and is so easy to disassemble and reassemble people will be capable of creating their own hybrid designs by recombining their colors of choice. The Shanghay Chair has already gained awareness by being selected for Wallpapers Handmade issue and exhibition at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010.

The chair is officially launched the 26th of August at HAY HOUSE, Copenhagen, and will afterwards be available at HAY stores and Wood Wood.

+ About WOOD WOOD + HAY

WOOD WOOD

The Copenhagen based company, Wood Wood, started in 2002 as a small exclusive T-shirt company. Since the company have expanded with a biannual clothing line, which is sold all over the world. Moreover Wood Wood have had numerous collaboration projects often incorporating an international network working with respected names such as; Adidas, New Balance & LEGO.

HAY

HAYs ambition is to encourage Danish furnitures return to the innovative greatness of the 1950’s and the 1960’s but in a contemporary context. The company was established in 2003 and is owned by Rolf Hay and the Bestseller Group. Since the launch the company have created several prestigious products in collaboration with well-known designers.

TMA-1, image courtesy KiBiSi

TMA-1 By AIAIAI

Danish headphone company AIAIAI has just released their new DJ headphone, TMA-1. A lead-user-developed piece of audio equipment that looks to renew the way that lifestyle technology is marketed. The design of TMA-1 is by fellow Danes KiBiSi. It is stripped down to nothing more than the essentials. No ornaments, colors or other distractions. Only a very discrete and hidden logo indicates that these headphones come from an established brand. This marks a new route in a terrain, that for the last couple of years have seen an endless array of products branded with extensive logos, and marketed by celebrities. The TMA-1 travels on a different road, and with it’s simple and iconic look, it is essentially nothing more, than the idea of the headphone.

Visit http://tma-1.com to see the full list of testers and news on where and when exactly the TMA-1 is released.

PUMA Bike Series, image courtesy KiBiSi

PUMA BIKE SERIES

Created for ease of movement, urban transportation, and individual appeal, PUMA, Biomega and KiBiSi have collaborated to produce the next evolution in commuter bikes. Smart European design and computer technology collide with urban American style – and culminate in a completely new Trans-Atlantic bike paradigm.

PUMA pared down its bikes to their essentials and constructed a new bike line with innovative and thoughtful details that meet the needs of a unique consumer set.

This PUMA Bike line is designed for urban mobility and finds innovative solutions for the everyday annoyances that come from maneuvering bikes through urban obstacles. The collection redefines and reinvigorates the city ride.

Each bike features colors inspired by island culture in the Atlantic – symbolizing this new Trans-Atlantic approach and balancing PUMA's European heritage with American popular culture.

By pulling together the best parts of practical, continental city and folding bikes, BMXs, American cruisers, and fixies, these PUMA Bikes create a whole new urban typology. One that stands out in the crowd. And knows how to make its own way.

The 5 models in the 2010 PUMA Bike range, available on www.puma-bikes.com are: Disko, Funk, Nevis (Man & Lady) and Pico.

2nd Gen. Transition Terrafugia , image courtesy KiBiSi

2ND GEN. TRANSITION TERRAFUGIA

The Terrafugia Transition single engine two seater aircraft is the result of a trans-Atlantic collab between industrial designers, including KiBiSi, mechanical engineers, aerodynamic engineers and a dedicated Terrafugia team with an unequaled childhood dream of flying cars.

The FAA approved vehicle merges the worlds and requirements of cars, trucks and planes, combining cutting edge aerodynamics, mechanics and manufacturing skills. Taking advantage of new FAA regulations in the Light Sport Aircraft category, Terrafugia developed the Transition to provide pilots the convenience of a dual-purpose vehicle. Its unique design allows the Transition to fold its wings and drive on any surface road with a modern personal airplane platform. Once at the airport, the wings extend and the aircraft is ready for take-off. Both folding and extending the wings is done from inside the cockpit. The Transition addresses head-on the issues private and sports pilots face: cost, weather sensitivity, high overall door-to-door travel time and a lack of mobility at destination. Lessons learned from testing, optimization, aesthetic design and design for manufacturing have been ongoing with KiBiSi as consultants from the completion of the 1st gen. and flight testing in summer 2009.

The overall design approach and thought mode has been holistic – making an unfamiliar object appear as a wholesome whole. Step by step it has been built on one new coherent DNA set, aligning very different sets of requirements and, to one another, outlandish elements and characteristics from each their transportation paradigm.

Construction, testing and certification of the next generation Prototype are now underway. First customer delivery of a Transition Roadable Aircraft is expected to occur in 2011.