Finds of the Week

Every Friday we share our “finds” of the week, including the best designer-recommended tools; our interview subjects’ dream studios; and some cultural happenings that you need to know about.?

Discover...

? Gantri Founder Ian Yang’s Favorite Table Light

? Danny Miller’s hybrid work space in lower Manhattan

? ThoughtMatter’s Studio Event, “Why is Art a Luxury?”

Product Recommendation: Kobble Task Light

Perfect for urban dwellers with limited space, this sculptural Kobble Task Light is both compact and stylish. And it looks kind of like a penguin to us, but its beauty is really in the eyes of the beholder. Recommended by Ian Yang , founder of the San-Francisco-based pioneering lighting manufacturer Gantri , this product is your best bet if you are looking for a new addition to your desk space.

“It provides the perfect amount of soft, targeted light for my workspace, illuminating my keyboard without overwhelming my space,” says Yang. “I'm drawn to its unique design — I love how it manages to be both alien and minimal at the same time. I really relate to it.”?

For more of Yang’s favorite products, tools, and creative gear, read the full story here.

Dream Studio: Danny Miller’s hybrid work space in lower Manhattan?

High Tide benefits from founder Danny Miller ’s uniquely artistic approach to branding and design. He grew up in New York City, surrounded by contemporary art his entire life. And naturally, he envisions their studio space reflecting his city background — with mugs made of milk glass and whale-shaped minke knives to reflect his eccentric personality, of course.?

“We would build out the front of the area to be a lounge/retail area to sell products, and have events and art exhibitions. Really it would be an area where High Tide can show up as a brand and showcase things that we as a studio are passionate about and into. Perhaps we can have a little coffee bar there where clients or friends of the studio can pop in and enjoy an espresso if they’re in the neighborhood,” Miller says. “Then the ? back of the house would be where the design and operations team would work during the day. Of course, part of that would also be a massive library to store the collection of books and records the studio has accumulated over the years, a lovely hi-fi sound system set up (Klipsch speakers and a Mackintosh receiver), and a large magnetized steel wall to pin up works in progress and for creative team crits.”

Read Miller’s full interview here, where he shares more about how he works and envisions working, including the delightful, wide-ranging soundtrack he listens to in the studio.

Creative Factor Rec: Why is Art a Luxury?

A creative mind is constantly asking questions that provoke — new possibilities, ways of thinking, and places to reimagine.?

As part of the NYCxDesign festival, the branding and design studio ThoughtMatter will explore the question, Why is art constantly underfunded and out of reach for so many? in their “Who is New York For?” event on May 22nd. Through looking at some original works in the Thought Matter studio, attendees will get a better sense of why NY might not be designed for NYers. (And perhaps hold power accountable in the process.)

Learn more here.