Design Adventures

The team at Note Design Studio really like to get their hands dirty when they’re hunting for a little creativity. For the Marginal Notes collection here, they ventured deep into the forest, encountering everything from strange characters to abandoned construction sites… all of which become the unique inspirations for this adventurous collection. Hit the jump to learn the story behind each piece!

TUCK- We came across a picture of a bearded man in a coral red tuque (pronounced “tuck”), or burglar beanie hat, and the color caught attention. The hat became poufs to sit on, and the their edges were folded just like the edges of the hat. It added the function of a pocket for magazines and such.

SIFTER- A gigantic sifter in the center of an excavation site, turned out to be a tall and handsome coat-hanger. It was discussed for a long while if it should work as a lamp or a clothes-hanger, but te designers decided that the first thing that comes to mind is usually the best. The net in the sifter helps with the catching of your keys falling out of your pockets, or just as a basket for your hats and gloves.

NOUR- One of the designer’s girlfriends came by the studio, and showed them her fascinating multi-colored origami polyhedra. They thought it would look interesting with a light inside, and a process of finding a paper with the right properties ensued. They gave the many sheets the right play of colours and patterns, and then the girlfriend put them all together by hand.

MOSQUITO- The designers needed backdrops for an exhibition, and with all the time they’d spent searching for inspiration in the
worlds of fieldtrips, excursions and excavations, they had the image of an insect screen in our minds, and made it the perfect frame to showcase things in front of (or behind).

PEEP- The designers asked, how can boxy storage furniture let more light through? After some material tests, they had a colorful group of characters, each with different sizes and functions. The boxes hold your things, and you can decide what you want to show and what not to.

KEEP- It’s a frame for display, similar to a cage in the zoo. Traps to keep things inside and sometimes let things out of. Simple wooden cube boxes where you decide how much you want to show or not. Some have an open side, others have perforated sliding lids really hard to open from the inside.

SETTLER -To bing down a tree, and to cut it up into useful pieces. A thing of pride for a lumberjack or a settler building their first cabin. The iconic shape of a log on a sawbuck inspired these benches, since a dead tree in the forest is really the best place for a short rest.

THE CATCH- Gotcha! A firefly in a butterfly net was the visual cue that led up to this swing-arm lamp. Through its central pivot-point it can be swiveled around the room and shine a light wherever necessary. Also, it really catches the light.

Designer: Note