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Areaware Cubebots 

Donald Rattner WA-AS-TA-HX-CU-1_1

Wiley Prefab Architecture

February 5th, 2012

Designer Keller Williams at MODULE R

We’re pleased to host an afternoon with one of our favorite Brooklyn creatives: customizable magnetic jewelry designer Keller Williams. Keller will be demonstrating Klik Klik, her suite of magnetic spheres, discs and squares, on Saturday, February 11, at our Brooklyn store. All in-store sales of Keller’s designs that day will receive a 10% discount.

She’ll also be introducing a new line of magnetic jewelry, called METL. We can’t wait to see it ourselves – it’s that new.

Learn how to compose necklaces, brooches, bracelets and rings from strings of magnetic pieces. With Valentine’s Day approaching, what better way to get someone stuck on you?

WHEN AND WHERE

Saturday, February 11, 2012
11am – 4pm

141 Atlantic Avenue, between Hicks and Clinton Street
Brooklyn, NY  11201

Store info, map and directions here.

T   (718) 360-9304
E   customerservice@module-r.com

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January 29th, 2012

Red Stuff :: Part 1

Red is a color of contradictions. For many the world over it signifies the positive qualities of energy, enthusiasm, excitement, and of course, love. Yet it’s also associated with fire, danger, the command to stop and a certain type of person’s neck.

     
     

As Valentine’s Day approaches we tend to think of red in its more appealing connotations, as decorations cast in the holiday hue start popping up here and there. And who are we at MODULE R to get in the way of this smile-inducing visual trend? Not us. That’s why we’ve put together this collection of customizable objects from our catalog, all rendered in the color of l’amour. L’amour, l’amour, toujours l’amour!

Click on the pic if you’d like to learn more about the piece. And don’t forget: you red about it here.

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January 15th, 2012

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Most Modular of Them All?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most modular of them all? Why, that’s easy – Tetris Mirror of course!

The Tetris Mirror is a sophisticated system of mirrored modules that interlock to form larger compositions of reflective glass. For once you can shape the mirror to suit its surroundings, rather than search endlessly for the right alignment of shape, size and looks. Don’t settle for something you happen to find – design something that is unique to your space.

Choose from three different styles of mirrored modules, and between clear mirror and a combination of clear and red tinted mirror components. An ingenious system of magnetic backs joins the modules together.

Designed by Julia Dozsa.

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January 12th, 2012

Readykea Or Not, Here We Come

READYKEA is a modular system for a mobile exhibition created by architect Antonio Scarponi. For the DADA New York II: Revolution to Smash Global Capitalism exhibition by Adrian Notz and Philip Meier at Zurich’s DADA House, Scarponi used only two IKEA pieces (Trofast and Antonius) to create the entire exhibition concept. READYKEA is a modular system that its creators intend to be a ‘functional subversion’ of these two IKEA products, and perhaps of global capitalism itself.

The ‘guerrilla exhibition’ had to be cheap, easy to store, easy to replicate elsewhere, easy to ship, easy to carry around and easy to dismantle. The exhibition is conceived as a shop, as a compound and as a workshop in progress. The brief requested three exhibition units containing the sections of the show (documentation, vision, action), a reception desk, a workshop desk, a bed to host a ‘revolutionary in residence’ (even Che Guevara slept sometimes), eight stools and a corner for media content productions such as blogs and social media actions.

The concept to only use pre-manufactured IKEA products comes from the idea to make it possible for anyone in the world to replicate the whole exhibition. IKEA is widespread and their products are available almost everywhere and in the world, which makes it possible for anyone to re-build this exhibtion while using the manual that Scarponi has made.

The exhibition runs until 19 February 2012 and features artists like The Yes Men, Reverend Billy, Voina Group, Irwin, Königreiche von Elgaland-Vargaland, Mc Ghillie, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, UBERMORGEN and Roland Wagner.

Up the Revolution!

Via Pop-Up City

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January 8th, 2012

Stack Like a Butterfly: Nomad Space Dividers

Made from recycled, double-wall cardboard, Nomad Butterfly by MIO is a modular architectural system that can be assembled into free-standing, sculptural screens, temporary partitions, rooms or even displays without hardware, tools or damage to existing structures. Simply slip one module into another, then another, then another; before you can say “module”, you’ve got an attractive room divider right in front of you.

One 24-module package creates about 20 square feet with the “open” configuration, and about 14 square feet with the “closed” configuration. Mix the available colors however you want, or stick to a monochromatic palette – being modular, it’s all up to you.

Available in Forest Green, Grass Green and Orange. Twenty-four modules to a package.

Nomad Butterfly can be combined with the lozenge-shaped Nomad modules or used alone.

Designed by Jaime Salm and Roger C. Allen. Made in the USA. Hip hip hooray!

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January 3rd, 2012

The Home Front: American Design Now

MODULE R is pleased to announce its sponsorship of an important lecture and residency program at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.

Returning for its second year, “The Home Front: American Design Now” brings together a variety of respected voices to examine the current state of design in the United States. This year’s programming continues to explore the ideas, developments, and talents that are moving native design forward on a global stage.

The program is presented in three sections: a series of monthly lectures, a designer residency in MAD’s Open Studios, and a free publication containing interviews with over thirty-five leaders in the field.

The Home Front: American Design Now is guest-curated by Dan Rubinstein, editor of Surface Magazine.

One free copy of the publication “Temperature 2012″ by Chicago’s Volume Gallery will be available to each lecture ticket holder while supplies last.

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December 22nd, 2011

Games Grownups Play: The Seletti Take

The continuities between our childhood and adulthood are nowhere more evident than in the activity of play. While we may go about it differently in our latter years, the impulse to exercise the imagination for pleasure rather than practicality seems to endure long after we set aside our childish things.

But wait – perhaps we don’t need to discard the mementos of childhood after all. Selab, the design wing of the Italian firm Seletti, has figured out a way to make them relevant to us again. Their strategy is to take the familiar forms of childhood toys and re-cast them in entirely different materials from their customary manufacture. Here we present just three examples of such reconstituted objects of play, all made in Italy – where they happen to know how to have fun in style.

   

My Bricks

Did you know that the predecessor of modern-day LEGOS were actually made of wood? The use of plastic came a little later, when the concept of toy building bricks was more fully fleshed out by the Danish company that has made them since the 1930s. And that’s how nearly all of us know them today.

Until now. Move up the material food chain with a set of interlocking building bricks made from white porcelain (a substance made from fired clay, just like real bricks).

Each set comes in a beautiful gift box and includes 12 square bricks and 34 double-square bricks. A rectangular brick measures 3 1/4 x 1 5/8 x 3/4 inches.

Crystal Domino Set

Take this classic game to a new level of luxury, with every playing piece being a beautifully weighted crystal. The Crystal Domino Set includes 28 crystal dominoes in black, with gray number dots. The dark tones of the pieces suggest an elegant nighttime setting, with soft music in the background and a white shag rug on the floor. Say, is that Marcello Mastroianni we see picking up the pieces?

The set comes packaged in a beautiful black box, perfect for a gift, for display or for storing your set after you reluctantly put it down for the night.

Each domino measures about 2 x 1 1/8 inches.

My House of Cards

The phrase House of Cards is commonly used as a metaphor to describe something that appears substantial but is in actuality unstable, built on flimsy foundations and likely to come apart under the slightest stress.

Then there’s My House of Cards. Rather than building blocks made from paper thin card stock, this recreation of a universal metaphor uses a substantial white porcelain for constructing its modular units. You still need to stack the pieces up to make houses of your own design, but they’re definitely not going to blow over at the first wind like your usual house of cards.

Beautifully boxed for gift giving and display. Each box contains 18 cards. Shuffle up and deal!

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December 18th, 2011

A Class Balancing Act: Equilique Acrobats

Sculptor John Perry was playing around with some rare earth magnets one day and, experiencing one of those creative sparks that creative people sometimes get, suddenly had an idea about how to apply them to figures of people. He soon began to sculpt a series of acrobatic figures in which he embedded the magnets and, lo and behold, discovered that they could be stood one upon the other in amazing ways.

Thus was born Equilique, a unique interactive art piece for adults that’s equally appealing to young people with a penchant for creative play. Each set includes 4 performers, a base plate, a ball, prop and hoop. The pieces can be configured in a nearly infinite array of different positions and still retain their balance – much the way real circus acts can do. Except these never have to come down for lunch.

   

Equilique comes in several color schemes: Black/Red/White, Silver and Zebra. You can mix and match colors, or combine acrobats from multiple sets to form even bigger circus acts.

Figures are made from durable ABS, the spiral and hoop from superstrong polycarbonate. So now you know what all the hoopla is about!

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December 13th, 2011

AMAC Stackable Canisters

The AMAC Stacking Canister Series represents one of those ideas that are so simple and elegant that you wonder why it took civilization so long to come up with it.

First, make a lightweight yet durable  acrylic container that is square in plan and comes in gradually increasing heights. Top it off with a removable lid. Make the body of the canister clear so the contents are visible without having to remove the lid.

Second, design the base of each canister to indent slightly so that it fits snugly into the recess of a lid placed underneath it. In other words, make the canisters so they can stack securely one on top of the other.

   

Third, color each lid in an attractive hue for quick identification and a touch of aesthetic embellishment. Last, price them to be affordable.

Voilà: AMAC Stacking Canisters. Good for bath, kitchen, office, living.

The company that makes the canisters was founded by Gene Hurwitt in California in 1960 and now has pieces in the permanent collection of MoMA. AMAC boxes are part of our popular culture: they served as the canvas for silkscreened portraits by Andy Warhol and had a role in a film featuring the character James Bond.

All canisters are 4 x 4 inches square in plan. Heights are 2 1/2, 3 3/4, 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 inches.

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December 11th, 2011

Run Marbles Run: Q-BA Maze

You may have noticed in looking through the MODULE R webstore and our Brooklyn gallery of customizable design that we’re somewhat taken, shall we say, with cubes. So enamored are we with this pure geometric form that we’ve even toyed with the idea of starting the Journal of Q-Bonics to more fully explore the subject. Alas, our hands are full enough with building MODULE R that such an endeavor must await another time, or more likely, another life.

Fortunately the form continues to motivate designers and artists so that we are never without a cubic construction to enjoy. A recent entry into the cubic marketplace – or more precisely, a re-re-entry after a bit of re-design – is the Q-Ba-Maze 2.0 Marble Run (two can play this phonetics game apparently). This is a unique system of colorful plastic cubes that interlock to create a pathway for hurtling marbles through it . Since the cubes are all interchangeable, there’s no limit to what shape run you can build except maybe for the laws of gravity. Infinite creativity means you and your kids will never run out fresh design possibilities.

   

And, with the balls able to take multiple routes as they careen through the run, there’s the element of unpredictable action with every launch – quite unlike most runs, which compel each marble to follow a single prescribed track. It’s like a live demonstration of probability, physics and art all in one.

The toy comes in two sizes. A Big Box Set includes 72 cubes in five different colors and 20 metal marbles. The Starter Set contains 36 cubes and 14 marbles.

Recommended for 5 and up, since the littlest tikes have a habit of wanting to ingest small spheres. Not the way you want to lose your marbles!

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Mission

MODULE R is a concept store focused on transformable art and design. We collect pieces from all over the world that are customizable, reconfigurable, expandable, stackable, interchangeable, interactive and modular. Our catalogue includes accessories, books, furniture, children’s playthings, cookware, jewelry, lighting, storage systems, space dividers, floor and wall coverings, and artwork. In bringing this collection together – and authoring this blog – we hope to promote flexible design as an ideal way of making things in an age that prizes personalization, multi-functionality, economy and experience.