Now here’s a Christmas gift idea that’s a bit “off the wall”. We’re only kidding as this is possibly not going to be your Christmas gift of choice but we just spotted this new design and had to share it!

From Dutch designer Rogier Martens, this garden bench comes complete with wheelbarrow-style wheel for easy moving. Clever idea and really quite practical.

There is not too much more to say really as the picture speaks for itself. His website is in Dutch but we guess that Rogier probably speaks good English so if anyone is interested in an unusual garden addition get in touch via his website!

Turkish designer Erdem Akan has merged Middle Eastern tradition with European and American style in his Turkish Reforms Collection.

His Fesscap caught our eye. Inspired by the traditional fez and combined with elements of the baseball cap, Fesscap aspires to becoming the “hat of the century”, according to Erdem.

Handmade from a mixture of wool and felt, in addition to traditional red it is also available in black, white and purple. With the winter months now descending upon us we can see this stylish bit of headgear being a real winner.

British designer Oliver Hemming has released an outstanding new clock collection branded “Time”, signifying the continuing development of his iconic range of decorative home accessories which includes his award winning Nio collection as well as his famous Spice Boy .

Proleno has just taken delivery of the first batch of stock in the UK just in time for Christmas.

Belgian designer James Van Vossel has just won a prize at Interieur 08 for his Z-Ball: innovative seating for kids in a learning environment. It reminds us of the old space hopper from a few years back. Those of us who are starting to experience “senior moments” will remember it with a wry smile!

Z-Ball is an inflatable ball with 3 handles. The position of the handles stimulates a better position of the 5-attitudes of the back.

We’re struggling to find out much more about this item and James’s website, whilst very funky, does not easily let you see the product, so if anyone knows more about this cool bit of kid’s seating or even where it might be purchased, please let us know!

Anyone who likes tasteful design should take a closer look at these three delicious rolls, Tekka, Kappa and Sake. These exceptional stools are covered with faux leather and are available in various colours and are the brainchild of Düsseldorf designer Achim Beermann.

After his architecture studies at the TH Aachen and several years of freelance work in different architecture and design firms, he started his own business and since 2005 Beermann has been developing inspirational furniture and home accessories.

Clearly they won’t be to everyone’s taste but they are certainly statement pieces.

Further details about Achim and all of his designs can be found at his website at www.studiowhitesite.de

We stumbled across this interesting design company today. Istanbul-based Demirden Design is a company with over 15 years of experience in the design industry. It has received numerous awards, including two Red Dots and the Design Management Award.

Since the company was established in 1994, its creative team has been involved with exhibition, event, product, graphic and multimedia design.

Demirden’s multidisciplinary approach and internal synergy has resulted in its successful past and promising future.

And from this pedigree background the ilio brand was born.

ilio takes its inspiration from the natural world to create a fresh new look for everyday functional objects. Every item in their tableware and furniture collections is imbued with a unique artistic identity designed to appeal to those who appreciate a contemporary sensibility. A sensibility that is beautiful and functional, daring and playful.

We have completely fallen for “twig & sprout” a simple, yet incredibly elegant, table and chair (or is it a stool?) combo.

Like the calm and elegance of sedge grass around a pond, this stool (we decided it was a stool!) and table combination brings comfort and ease to everyday life. Made of natural beechwood, its simple appearance belies its advanced craftsmanship and design that allows it to be its own lever when carried.

And what about the icedrop candle holder for the ultimate in cool?

Like an icicle suspended from a tree or melted wax at a table’s edge, icedrop is literally frozen liquid in motion. Its function as a candleholder is obvious from its very appearance.

We love all things Ecsotype! Regular readers will recall that we recently featured Christian Pound. Reader interest in that article has been enormous so we thought that wife Sabine deserved a mention too!

On track to a career in art curatorship, French born Sabine changed course in 2004 to join husband Christian running the newly founded Ecso Group.

The move to creating objects has proven to be the right one for Sabine, who cherishes the thought that good ideas materialised into form can be shared and offered for years to come.

Her approach consists of striving to constantly outdo herself. Novelty is the filter through which she runs all new designs, and the justification for their existence.

We gave credit to Christian for the Presse bag but the truth is that they design as a team so here’s something “from” Sabine, to balance the books!

Speaking of books….‘Book’ is a small leather bag with proportions that are roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper.

A central satchel is nestled in a harness and two handles provide different carrying options (over the shoulder or across the body).

The bag is available in four different colours with all components being individually configurable, leaving room for hundreds of colour combinations. Bottom line is that you can create a bag to suit your style, suit your mood and be almost totally individual (what are the odds?).

Dig deep into your pockets, however, as this is not a bargain basement bag but, then again, whoever said that the best things in life are free hadn’t encountered the designs of the dynamic duo that are Christian and Sabine Pound!

We spotted an interesting designer today.

Born in 1969, he studied interior design at Saint-Luc Institute before opening his own Studio in Brussels. In 2000 Lust started to design for MDF Italia, an ongoing relationship which was the start of his collaboration with leading international producers such as Driade, De Padova, Baleri Italia and Extremis.

His work is clearly identifiable through the visible tension he gives to his objects, and the curves inspired by his innovative (de)formation process of metallic surfaces. He has received dozens of awards including Compasso d’Oro and his work has appeared in over 50 exhibitions. He is a regular feature in international design publications.

” A wonderful aspect of Xavier’s work is the illusion of lightness and motion,” writes the Russian critic Olga Bozhko. “In his designs he manages to express what seems impossible. Its seems as though his works are not created; they are born.”

Lust says “I work towards a design ideal in which created forms have an eternal justness, to the point where they seem self-evident. My creative process starts from an intimate understanding of the way that a material behaves. My starting point is often one of structure rather than aesthetics, but the result is a natural beauty dictated by the atomic structure of materials: a harmonious vocabulary of curves and lines that have an intuitive human appeal”.

We love his Baobab Coat Hanger: A winning piece of furniture, nearly a sculpture of modern art which recalls the Tropical tree of Baobab.

Aly Khalifa started Gamil Design in October, 1995 to combine his talents of design, engineering and product development. He has degrees in both Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University. His work has ranged from innovative wind tunnel testing to a patented eyewear system and he has worked in plastic, fabric and metal in the consumer products, sporting goods and medical equipment industries. He has been a Visiting Professor at North Carolina State University School of Design and has led many creativity workshops. To top that, in his spare time, he plays cello for various rock and lounge bands, enjoys inline skating and cycling. What a resume!

One of Aly’s designs that caught our eye is the Teastick.

The Teastick offers the design-hungry buyer a completely unique look and function. Sleek and intriguing, the Teastick is fabricated from high-grade stainless steel, and is able to stand years of service.

And best of all, it’s easy to use!

It acts as a measure, container, and infuser - everything needed for tea but the cup of hot water. Just slide back the perforated cylinder, scoop from the tin of your favourite tea, slide it closed and immerse in water.

Tea anyone?

Born in Brussels in 1978, Belgian designer Sylvain Willenz studied Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London from 2001 to 2003 and in 2004 Sylvain opened his own studio, based in Brussels.

Sylvain’s works deal with projects from lighting to product design and furniture. His work is characterized by a clear love for materials and processes and bear a no-nonsense approach to design. The work-spirit is straightforward and uncomplicated. His projects celebrate design, archetypes, and industry.

Things like rubber, post-its, elastics, graphics, stickers, plasticine, Internet, music, toys, highways, flowers, cacti, fat books, chewing-gum, spraycans, cars, graffiti, shoes and cooking, are just a few underlying inspirations in SylvainWillenzDesignStudio’s works.

One of his many designs that caught our eye is Petrol: a rug assembled in two to three layers from machine-cut felt discs. The three different diameters of discs create the organic and random pattern of the rug, which can be produced in infinite configurations and formats. Petrol can run down a corridor, or spill from one room into another, like a moving organism.

Sylvain Willenz can be contacted at info@sylvainwillenz.com