This week's MoCo picks.

+ New at miniHome, the 12WIDE the "largest miniHome to date" and the miniHome DUO, "marrying an ADD-ON room at the Loft portion of the SOLO, giving a full 12′ ceiling - and this gives us some very cool overlook spaces from the Loft!". Via Fresh MoCo and Modern Eco Blog.

+ candidrogers architect's AIA award winning Marfa 10 x 10 Lightbox, "a minimal dwelling retreat consisting of a mere 320 sq. ft. The interior living / dining space takes advantage of the exterior court by two flap doors which allows for the interior and exterior living space to become one. The project size is minimal in effort to keep costs down.". Via materialicious.

+ Architecture majors Todd Bennett, Amy Campbell, and Ross Findly's green Fletcher Street House, "Together they came up with the idea to buy, design and rehab a house in Philly for their summer experience rather than going the traditional internship route.". Flickr photo set here. Via materialicious via 100khouse.com.

+ The modular Énóvo House, "a sleek modular assembly that’s designed to evolve as the needs of its inhabitants change.". Via Inhabitat.

+ FreeGreen's Smart Box, "FreeGreen launched with the mission to encourage progressive building practices by making green home designs free for everyone. They provide detailed, green home plans that are freely downloadable.". Via Jetson Green.

+ Zurich University of the Arts grad Christoph Senn's Broken Mirror Fabric. Via Boicozine.

+ imovatedesign's Timebehold "a colour changing innovative and kinetic light that is designed to react to time and creates stunning light reflections on the surface of itself and beyond.". Via DESIGNSPOTTER.

+ Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec's Pebble outdoor collection for Tectona. Via pan-dan.

+ Daniel Schipper's Folding Greenhouse, "a folding device which is a light-weight, flexible, modular greenhouse. Especially suitable for small spaces like cityhouses, balconies, roof terraces or town gardens.". Via designboom, via Yanko Design.

+ Benjamin Hubert's Cast Desk Tidy for Welmade Products, “The desk tidy has specific cast shapes in the top surface, designed to fit your stationary, encouraging a thoughtful process of pencil selection and stationary display rather than the conventional ‘throw it all in a pot approach’.”. Via Dezeen.

+ Art. Lebedev's Cubistorus Modular Shelving System units connect together with special clips, "and can be arranged vertically or horizontally, supporting platforms for desks, benches or beds.". Via Apartment Therapy.

+ Core77: New York Design Week 2008 image gallery.

+ PingMag's Salone Satellite 2008: a Designer’s Perspective.

+ Designguide.tv's video of Barber & Osgerby and their pieces for Meta, "dedicated to combining exquisite materials with the world’s finest artisans to create 21st century design at a quality once seen at the heights of the decorative arts.".

+ Tor Clausen's acoustic Musical Furnishings, "modular coffee tables that can house four, eight, nine, and 16 percussive components including tambourine, snare, cowbell and three levels of bongo.". Watch the video. Via Josh Spear.

The week began in San Francisco with a trends report/ city guide, a good place to start the series. We were happy to see the new Bond., a very promising collection, Partisan puzzles lifted our spirit and Adieu the dissipating ink book begs to be manufactured. We can never get enough Refined Sugar, the Refined Cereal light fixture reminded us of the forbidden fruit of our childhood. Oh Canada the Chad Kouri Monster Light is taking the beast in an interesting new direction. SallyTV told it like it was while we wait with bated breath for Stefan to return. And hydrodynamics never looked so luminous.

+ Bond. launches with dissipating ink, protective attire and Partisan toys.
+ New work from BureaudeBank, Sieger, Fredrik Färg, Kitman Keung and ASKO.
+ Refined Sugar Studio gave us food for thought.
+ Highlights from MADE in the WEST include an arena-glass tabletop on a hockey stick base and a toboggan lounge. You asked is Matthew Kroeker’s SAW table: too corporate?
+ This Week in Tokyo: chopsticks, Muji, Schemata and Kobayashi.
+ Philippe Starck was Mr. Impossible. At Kartell. You either love him or hate him.
+ d-VISION showed us how to eat in the woods.
+ Sally Kuchar interviews The Apartment’s Stefan Boublil at SallyTV – funny, irreverent and THE KATE MOSS NAKED ON A SOFA pic! We liked the pipe.
+ Mike and Maaike kick off bbq season with the Baja Firepack
+ Umbra’s new Studio Collection involves balloons, cassette tapes and roadkill.
+ Love Lovegrove’s Mercury Cluster from Artemide.
+ This Week at Art MoCo. I Throw Myself at Men. Pretty self-explanatory.

Up top: Eric Markow and Thom Norris's woven glass.

Sometimes the only way to start the week is to jump right into it. And so we did, with Lilly McElroy’s performance photos from a collection entitled I Throw Myself at Men. Pretty self-explanatory.

Tina Newberrry’s work, on the other hand, is a lot quieter, with a humour as subtle as the colours she uses.

Paintings by Fiona Rae are a splash of colour, shape and fantasy, and it is hard to tell which emotion reigns at any given time.

Sabina Sulé works backward by creating a representational subject first, then working it by layering and scraping to the point of compete abstraction.

Nina Braun ends the week on a warm and fuzzy, creepy-crawly note. SM

More at Art MoCo.

Besides the main fair ground and the ever so popular Zona Tortona area, a lot of the events during Milan Design Week were spread out all over town in different stores, showrooms and venues. One of them was Artemide showing their first ever collaboration with Ross Lovegrove resulting in the Hydro / Aqua series inspired by the hydrodynamics of water. Also on display were works by Karim Rashid, Adrien Gardere, Ernesto Gismondi, Herzog & de Meuron, Michele De Lucchi & Alberto Nason and a lighting installation called "La stanza del Maestro".

+ artemide.com

Umbra’s new U+ Collection features an interesting mix of pieces from a variety of young designers. Natalie Kruch’s Balloona tables (shown above in black and white) were launched at February’s IDS08 show and picked up immediately by the housewares retailer. And yes, those are the balloons that make dandy balloon animals. Dennis Lin’s wine rack is a groovy sectional, also in black and white, and would work nicely with the cassette-bordered mirror. One new coffee table sports Joshua Davis graphics and another is more of the pixelated variety. The new collection is not without its share of whimsy, including an old-fashioned pinball game glass-topped table and some very tidy roadkill.

+ umbra.com

Just in time for Summer, Mike and Maaike have created the handy Baja BBQ Firepack for Lazzari/ Design Annex, a package of eco-friendly instant charcoal that avoids the need for lighter fluid and the resulting chemical residue. Two pounds of natural lump charcoal is packaged in recycled biodegradeable paper pulp with an integrated chimney. Simply place the entire package in the barbecue and light. The coals are ready in 15 – 20 minutes. No mess, nothing toxic. Click on the image above for a closer look.

+ mikeandmaaike.com
+ lazzari.com