The Talented Furniture Designers of Berlin

The Talented Furniture Designers of Berlin

photo: Neo/Craft

Germany is the country where the Bauhaus was born founded by Walter Gropius an outstanding  Berliner who, among his revolutionary legacy, coined the historic quote “Form follows function”. He looked for the union between use and aesthetics. Berlin has it all, (only if it was at the sea…) so it’s not surprising that you can find really amazing designers in Berlin. The crafts have always had that strong artisan character deeply rooted in the tradition of learning from those who mastered techniques and materials. Despite that, I personally will take the liberty to think of them as true artists. But regardless of how you address them, there’s certainly one thing we will agree on: what they do is simply amazing. Because they don’t just create stunning objects, they create objects that will help you bring meaning to spaces and to learn what it means to inhabit a space. And hopefully to be able to fill that place with unforgettable and meaningful memories. Here you have 7 of our favorite furniture and product designers that work to keep Berlin’s look cool and, always, unique.

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Sustainable Berlin: Amazing Zero Food Waste Projects for a Better Future

Sustainable Berlin: Amazing Zero Food Waste Projects for a Better Future

photo: Elaine Casap

Old habits die hard. Not that this is an excuse for avoiding change, but… they just do. When you, like most of us, grew up in this affluent society of ours, you are used to groceries always being available to you. That yoghurt in the back of the fridge, that you forgot when you went away for a few days… oh well, sheepishly throw it away, you can get a new one today. That take away food, that you didn’t end up eating in the end – bye, there’s the bin. Again, you bought 10 eggs and ended up eating 3? If you are recognizing yourself right now, this article is for you!

There is that indifference, in all of us. But if global food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases next to China and the USA. Unshaped fruit and vegetables, overproduced goods, portions at restaurants that are too large or expired groceries that are still fine to consume – all of it ends up in the bin, even though it is still perfectly fine to eat. Food waste is on of our biggest problems today and the fight against it should become habitual. This is why we are giving a shoutout to these awesome Berlin-based food projects that are taking a stand against it.

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The Best Berlin Apps that will Improve Your Berlin Experience

The Best Berlin Apps that will Improve Your Berlin Experience

photo: Le Buzz

When you think that you have done it all when you cannot decide what to do, or just want to have some different experiences this selection of Berlin Apps will help you no matter if you’re looking for a vegan restaurant or a ping-pong table. So you can discover yet another side of this kaleidoscopic city and make the most of your Berlin experience. Either if you are an Urberliner, you are studying or you are just here for your vacation. Check this list out and enjoy the city!

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What does the Taste of Chocolate Remind you of?

What does the Taste of Chocolate Remind you of?

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You know how different moments in combination with certain tastes can suddenly flood your mind with memories. Like how lemon cake reminds me of my birthdays as a child and sour candy of my yearly road trip to the baltic sea. So suddenly sweets become more than a just a little treat but develop into a well of memories and hidden associations to draw a smile from. This is what Milka wants to make its fans aware of with their new campaign.

The iconic chocolate brand invites its fans all over the world to take a bite and feel what the taste reminds them of sharing their experience on social media using the hashtag #milkaschmecktwie (Milka tastes like…). All Berlin-based Milka fans will be happy to hear, that there is a special chocolate event happening at the Mall of Berlin this weekend. Milka invites everyone to share their personal associations with the taste of their chocolate on the Wall of Inspiration, this Friday and Saturday. Feel free to stop by, take a photo at the installation or write your association on the back of a postcard to decorate the wall with! Of course, you can taste a piece of Milka chocolate before jotting down what its taste brings to mind.

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The BVG Teams up with Adidas for Iconic Subway Sneaker

The BVG Teams up with Adidas for Iconic Subway Sneaker

Like many Berlin fans I really love the pattern of the old subway seats from the BVG. It’s one of those things so iconic about Berlin, even though its such a simple design. I was quite excited when I saw the BVG has teamed up with Adidas to release its first own limited edition sneaker in celebration of its 90th birthday. How cool is that? And the shoe looks really amazing, too! I can’t wait to see it live.

The sneaker will come out on January 16 at the Adidas flagship store in Mitte and at Overkill in Kreuzberg in a limited edition of only 500. You can expect there to be quite the long line because the shoe also functions as year-long BVG ticket (valid in all BVG buses, trams, ferries and subways – not in the S-Bahn though!). With only 180 EUR this is quite the bargain!

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Edition Noël: Designer Christmas Tree Ornaments Made in Berlin

Edition Noël: Designer Christmas Tree Ornaments Made in Berlin

For many families, decorating the christmas tree together belongs to one of many long cherished traditions, that one is looking forward to every christmas. Grandmas old ornaments are retrieved from the cellar, freed from dust and checked for cracks before they end up back on the christmas tree. Prior to this everyone needs to decide on the colour and in the end, like every year, eyeing the crumbling decoration, you notice once more: we should really get new ornaments for next year.

Those who want to revive old traditions and add some new unique pieces to your christmas ornament collection, will be happy to have found Edition Noël. Behind this label, seven ambitious and talented designers joined forces to create something special next to their daily work: handmade christmas ornaments. Their collection includes 300 Sets with 6 delicate, individual ornaments each. In the process, every designer let their individual creative focus flow into each ornament they made. The designers have backgrounds in illustration-, fashion-, jewelry-, textile- and product design, giving the ornaments a different style, one by one.

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A Christmas Gift Guide for Berlin Lovers

A Christmas Gift Guide for Berlin Lovers

Christmas is around the corner and you are absolutely at a loss at what to get your loved ones? Fear not, we roamed the stores, fought the cold and skipped the Glühwein to find unique Berlin based christmas gift ideas for you. So if you are in for something a little more special and a little less amazon bestsellers, you are sure in for a treat now!

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A Black Unicorn Halloween

A Black Unicorn Halloween

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Yes, Halloween is around the corner. A weird festivity we love to hate, nothing but another reason to look bizarre and have 5 drinks too many. We cannot relate. We aren’t cheap, we aren’t trashy, we’re intricately, mysteriously fabulous! We are missing that occasion that represents us. *sigh* Where’s the candy? We need tasteful, sugary distractions. But, when we reach into that lil’ limited edition bag from wonderland and get out one of these lil delicious gems – we stop. What is this in our hands? It has the form of … a lil’ black unicorn, by Katjes, all veggie!

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12 Awesome Berlin Food Innovations you need to know

12 Awesome Berlin Food Innovations you need to know

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Berlin is our culinary wonderland with so many interesting new places, products and projects popping up all the time that bring pleasure to our tastebuds. We teamed up with the Berlin Foodie Guide – the new culinary platform from our partner Priceless® Berlin – to discover the latest food trends and novelties for you guys. Earlier this month we visited the Berlin Food Week which was pretty much an explosion of culinary inspiration for us. Alicia got a taste of the latest gastronomy trends in Berlin at the Food Clash Canteen event. You can see her review over at the Berlin Foodie Guide. And I took a closer look at food projects that were presented at the House of Food.

The House of Food brought together some of the most innovative and exciting food entrepreneurs under one roof who presented their projects at little booths and during a series of workshops on stage. There was really a lot to discover and especially the projects from Berlin were interesting to us. There were food apps, gourmet stores, innovative new products and online shops

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Berlin’s Iconic Subway Design as a foldable Chair & Table Set

Berlin’s Iconic Subway Design as a foldable Chair & Table Set

When product designer Stefanie Grau asked me if I would like to design a piece of furniture and become part of her newly formed grey collective I was more than thrilled to say yes. She had developed a set of chairs and a table that are fully foldable thanks to a high-tech fiber that connects all the parts. The idea is that when you fold the chairs or the table into its flat form they become canvases. So they are not only practical and easily stored, they can also become decorative items on your walls.

With a design so universal and minimal it really felt like the sky is the limit. Fellow collective members 44flavors created a quite colorful pattern, while Sara Parsons decided to go for a minimal design with lines and curves. Stefanie herself also designed a few sets going for subtle color surfaces and gradients.

For my own surface design I decided to do something very Berlin, giving a reference to one of the most iconic things we have here: Our yellow subway. I picked up the color palette and also created a version of the iconic blue and red seat pattern that incorporates yet another famous Berlin symbol (I detail which I dare you to find yourself!).

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