contempo Archives | Ouno Design

“Contempo” – my term for the insincere faux-modern design style infecting our lives

LB — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 22:06:28 +0000

There is a particular type of contemporary design that I deeply despise but for which there is no terminology. About six years ago, out of frustration, I started calling it “contempo.” It is a deliberately cheesy term for a cheesy aesthetic, an aesthetic of dumbed-down, cutesy faux-modernism.

Todd Selby on mess

LB — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:55:46 +0000

Canadian House and Home recently asked photographer Todd Selby about the aesthetic of his photography and blog:

Q: What’s with all the crazy collections and homes with a borderline messy aesthetic?

The post Todd Selby on mess appeared first on Ouno Design.

Industrial articulated wall lamp

LB — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:15:18 +0000

It seems impossible to find completely unadorned industrial design like this new (or even pseudo-industrial, since this lamp was probably made for the domestic market). It’s a vintage midcentury modern lamp from Furniture-Love.com via plastolux.

The post Industrial articulated wall lamp appeared first on Ouno Design.

Cringe List, Part 1: Alessi

LB — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:18:15 +0000

I always meant to initiate a regular feature about bad design but for a long time I didn’t have the heart for it. For one thing, finding insincere design is like shooting fish in a barrel.

The post Cringe List, Part 1: Alessi appeared first on Ouno Design.