By

neon signs and retro rooms: ellie seymour’s book maps mid-century motels across the US

ellie seymour traces the revival of america’s roadside icons

 

Luster Publishing releases Vintage Motels: America’s Most Iconic Motels, Beautifully Restored, a new book by Ellie Seymour that takes readers on a nostalgic road trip across the United States. Seymour documents 40 mid-century motels, once symbols of freedom, anonymity, and the golden age of American car travel, revamped into contemporary boutique hotels while preserving the character of the past.

 

The Pearl in Florida, the Skyview in California, Hotel Lucine in Texas, and The Dive in Nevada are among the 40 motels presented. Whether it’s through restored neon signs glowing once more at sunset or minimalist reimaginings that reinterpret classic Americana, these projects show how design celebrates a design era when every roadside lodge was a small architectural experiment, shaped by the optimism of postwar America.

Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs, California | © Stephen Kent Johnson / OTTO

 

 

the book celebrates the Iconic Motels of a bygone era

 

The story of America’s motels begins, as travel journalist Ellie Seymour reminds readers, exactly a century ago in 1925, when architect Arthur Heineman opened the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California. The term ‘motel’ itself was born out of necessity, as ‘Milestone Motor Hotel’ simply didn’t fit on the rooftop sign. Offering private garages and hot showers, it catered to the rise of automobile tourism and set the blueprint for a phenomenon that would flourish after World War II.

 

The premise of the book was sparked by a passage from Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Big Country (1998), in which the author declares, ‘I love everything about motels. I can’t help myself. I still get excited every time I slip a key into a motel room door and fling it open.’ For Seymour, this sentiment opened the door to a deeper fascination with America’s roadside culture. Growing up in England, her understanding of motels came from cinematic archetypes, Psycho, Thelma & Louise, Pulp Fiction, and Schitt’s Creek, which portrayed them as both seedy and strangely alluring. But her own first road trip across California, Nevada, and Arizona shifted that perception entirely.

Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari, New Mexico © courtesy of Blue Swallow Motel

 

 

design, nostalgia, and the spirit of the open road

 

By the 1960s, over 60,000 motels lined American highways, each distinguished by its own signage, architecture, and character. Yet, as the Interstate Highway System expanded and air travel became accessible, many of these independent motels fell into decline, abandoned, demolished, or left to crumble into noir backdrops for crime and melancholy.

 

Seymour’s book captures the motels’ revival, showing how a new generation of owners, architects, and designers is restoring mid-century motels across the country. Some remain time capsules, keeping their kidney-shaped pools, wood-panelled interiors, and retro furniture intact. Across 256 pages, Vintage Motels brings together storytelling, archival materials, and contemporary photography to document this shift from decay to rediscovery. Each motel is featured across four to six pages, accompanied by the history of its original construction and the creative strategies behind its rebirth.

Cuyama Buckhorn, New Cuyama, California © courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn

Skyview, California © courtesy of Nomada Hotel Group

The Pearl, San Diego, California © courtesy of The Pearl

Trixie Motel, Palm Springs, California © courtesy of Trixie Motel

Madonna Inn highway sign © courtesy of Madonna Inn

Madonna Inn-steakhouse ©courtesy of Madonna Inn

The Dive, Nashville © Ben Fitchett

Ojai Rancho Inn © Yoshihiro Makino

Hotel Lucine © Johanna Andruchovici

Vintage Motels: America’s Most Iconic Motels, Beautifully Restored by Ellie Seymour

 

 

project info:

 

name: Vintage Motels: America’s Most Iconic Motels, Beautifully Restored

author: Ellie Seymour | @ellieseymourwriter

publisher: Luster | @lusterbooks

design: doublebill.design | @doublebill.design

The post neon signs and retro rooms: ellie seymour’s book maps mid-century motels across the US appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

By

studio museum in harlem set to open with the message that ‘black art matters’

studio museum: a lighthouse on 125th street

 

The Studio Museum in Harlem officially opens its purpose-built new home to the public on Saturday, November 15th. Today, November 6th, designboom attended a preview of the building and heard presentations from Studio Museum team Thelma Golden and Raymond J. McGuire, along with architects Pascale Sablan and Erin Flynn.

 

From the moment visitors approach the new museum on West 125th Street in New York, the design signals the meeting of its mission with its urban context. The project replaces the earlier commercial structure adapted in 1982 for the institution, and marks the first time the museum has had a home created expressly for its program.

 

Raymond J. McGuire, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Studio Museum in Harlem, describes the spirit of the museum and its programming:This building says to the world, Harlem matters. Black art matters. Black institutions matter.

 

It will stand as a lighthouse on 125th Street. A space where creativity and community meet, where young people can see themselves reflected, and orders of African descent can continue to shape our history. This new chapter was not inevitable. It was earned through decades of vision, stewardship and belief.’

exterior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, 2025. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

 

 

architect pascale sablan draws from the streets of harlem

 

The Studio Museum in Harlem intentionally draws from the ‘street, the stage, the sanctuary, and the stoop.’ Across the city, these are familiar typologies of gathering, expression and belonging. Architect Pascale Sablan of Adjaye Associates echoed this when she said:It is our hope that every surface, every light-filled space, and every moment of this building will speak to you of this mission.’ The museum occupies the same footprint as the earlier museum but is re-imagined for the twenty-first century.

 

At street level a double-height window opens the museum to the sidewalk: visitors can sense daylight passing through the gallery interior, while the broad frontage activates the pedestrian flow of Harlem. The facade, composed of dark-grey precast concrete with sand-blasted and polished finishes, interleaves glass and bronze-toned curtain wall with vertical fins. This material palette references the masonry architecture of the neighborhood while giving the building a refined presence.

exterior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, 2025. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

 

 

a museum as a ‘reverse stoop’

 

Inside, the ‘reverse stoop’ greets visitors as a stepped area leading downward from the street into the museum lobby. The architects describe this gesture as an invitation to connect. It’s a spatial threshold that brings visitors from the city into the institution with little impedance.

 

The Studio Museum in Harlem offers 82,000 square feet of interior space, which represents an increase of more than fifty percent in exhibition area and almost sixty percent more public spaces. The gallery volumes are laid out across multiple floors: second and third floors host exhibition galleries and the education center; the fourth floor accommodates studios for the Artist-in-Residence program and a reading room; the fifth floor offers flexible event space; the roof terrace on the sixth floor opens toward sweeping views of Harlem and beyond.

 

Vertical circulation is anchored by a monumental stair clad in terrazzo, located in the central vertical gallery and connecting the lower level to the fourth floor. Corridor galleries and stairs from the fourth floor to the roof are executed in precast concrete with satin-brass railings, aligning material consistency throughout the building.

exterior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, featuring David Hammons’s Untitled flag (2004), 2025. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

 

 

Public spaces are designed to feel porous. The café at the lower level, the welcome centre, the lecture and performance hall, retail, and project spaces are all intertwined with exhibition areas. The design teams emphasized accessibility, with two elevators (one shared visitor and freight) and barrier-free routes throughout. Thelma Golden, Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, notes:this building is a reflection of all that‘ — the institution’s mission, the community’s energy, the artists’ aspirations.

 

In her remarks at the preview event, Erin Flynn, RA, LEED AP, Partner, Cooper Robertson, emphasizes:we aim to cultivate a sense of engagement among the many different users of the building… Whether someone is discovering the art, participating in educational programs, creating in the artist studios, or simply enjoying a coffee.’

the ‘reverse stoop’ is a stepped area leading down from the street into the lobby. image © designboom

 

 

Daylight filters from skylights and double-height spaces deep into the building. The gallery in the third floor includes a barrel-vaulted double-height space to accommodate large-scale works. Educational workshops and studios are positioned adjoining the gallery spaces so that production and display co-exist. Four art niches on the street facade provide places for outdoor sculpture and installations.

 

The roof terrace, whose gardens are curated by landscape design firm Studio Zewde, offers planting around the perimeter and views across Harlem’s skyline. It allows events and informal gatherings to take place in open air as an extension of the gallery into the city.

 

During the presentation, Golden asks attendees:Think about what it took for us to get here… our resilience, our longevity, our continuing relevance in this moment.’

‘From the Studio: Fifty-Eight Years of Artists in Residence’ (installation view) in the Museum’s artist in Residence Studios, 2025. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

 

 

More than a landmark work of architecture, the Studio Museum’s new home in Harlem is a commitment to an expanded program. The exhibition spaces, the studios for artists in residence, the educational workshops, the rooftop terrace, all aim to widen the museum’s role in the neighborhood and beyond. The building is designed to host temporary exhibition spaces, a permanent collection, public programming, and spaces for community engagement.

The Studio Museum in Harlem’s new terrace, with views to the south. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

 

Pascale Sablan says:From the very beginning, our team was profoundly aware of the responsibility we carry to create a building worthy of this extraordinary museum of the Harlem community of New York City and of the global world of the arts. This design was born out of the Studio Museum’s vision to translate the culture of Harlem into building more.

 

Through many deep and inspiring conversations between Thelma Goldman and David Adjaye, this vision evolved into a reimagining of Harlem’s own vernacular architecture. It is our hope that every surface, every light-filled space, and every moment of this building will speak to you of this mission, the courage, and the aspirations of the Studio Museum.’

interior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building featuring the Grand Stair. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

installation view. image © designboom

 

project info:

 

name: Studio Museum in Harlem

design architect: Adjaye Associates | @adjayeassociates

executive architect: Cooper Robertson | @cooperrobertsonpartners

location: 125th Street, Harlem, New York

landscape designer: Studio Zewde | @studio_zewde

The post studio museum in harlem set to open with the message that ‘black art matters’ appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

By

The Flexible-Use Penguin x MOEBE Book Stand

Here’s a simple idea, well-executed. This book stand was designed by Danish design brand MOEBE for book publisher Penguin.

Made of stainless steel, it can either be used as a bookend, a book stand, or a page-holding stand.

They’re available in three colors or in their natural finish.

The Penguin x MOEBE Book Stand was created to commemorate Penguin’s 90th anniversary, and they run €57 (USD $65).

By

Walkabout 26 Max travel trailer impresses with sliding atrium-style ceiling, toy hauling capability

Keystone, one of the major manufacturers of towable recreational vehicles, has grown in the shadows and not had its chance to shine like it would now with the launch of the Walkabout 26 Max: a purpose-built travel trailer that commands your attention. Its bold, adventure-ready design looks formidable on the outside while promising capability and durability on almost all terrains when paired with a strong tow vehicle.

The RV industry has evolved more dramatically than any other in recent years, with many motorhome, trailer, and camper manufacturers rising and fading over time. Founded in 1996 by Cole Davis in Goshen, Indiana, Keystone RV quickly became one of the top manufacturers of towable RVs in North America by the turn of the millennium. Recognizing its success, THOR Industries acquired Keystone in 2001, a move that helped establish THOR as the world’s largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles.

Designer: Keystone RV

Much of THOR’s growth and prominence can be attributed to Keystone’s strong performance, characterized by its lineup of stylish and soulful towable travel trailers, fifth-wheelers, and toy haulers. Now combining the goodness of its previous iterations with the nuances of the American and the Australian RV industries, the Walkabout is feature-packed for a prolonged outing in the wilderness.

The construction is pretty straightforward. Keystone eliminates wood in favor of aluminum panels, making up a more enticing auto-inspired finish, which elevates the Walkabout from its travel trailer DNA into a flavorful motorhome with ample onboard storage for your gear. Of course, the interior is a breakaway from the industry norm; the exterior is no short of sublime: the trailer home is, it’s safe to say, designed to maximize comfort outdoors and inside.

Starting underneath, the Walkabout is provided with CURT Touring Suspension for a balanced ride on bumpy trails. It rides on 15-inch all-terrain tires and features anti-lock brakes and one-touch 3-point leveling to automatically level the vehicle into position at camp. The 7,000-odd-pound trailer is slapped with panoramic windows around its perimeter and has more natural light and spaciousness flooding into the interior through the atrium-style sliding ceiling above the living area, providing a super, storage-integrated sofa for the whole family and a pair of trapezoid-shaped dinette tables.

While the layout inside is close to your home’s comfort with a full-sized, well-equipped kitchen – comprising workable counter space, a two-burner stove, a residential-sized fridge and storage cabinetry – spacious bathroom, bunk bed, a family-friendly living area, and a master bedroom cordoned off by a sliding double-door, which is perhaps the first of its kind I have seen in a travel trailer.

The glossy exterior of the Walkabout is packed with a lot of slide-outs, a toy hauling space in the rear, and a huge pass-through storage bay at the front. It is provided with hooks, stands, and supports for your equipment. An interesting slide-out for your muddy boots and gear alongside an outdoor shower makes cleaning them easy before the next use or storage. To hold the campers out in the fresh air, the trailer also adds an outdoor cooking station with a fold-down worktop. Keystone also puts a spare tire mount on the back and provides an awning and a telescoping ladder for roof access. Capable of being provided with an off-grid-ready add-on, the Walkabout 26 Max starts at $60,000.

The post Walkabout 26 Max travel trailer impresses with sliding atrium-style ceiling, toy hauling capability first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

Pexar Starlight Review: 15.6″ Picture Frame That Lights Up Memories

PROS:


Premium design with wood grain finish and canvas-like matting

Rear LED Gallery Lighting adds warmth and dimension to photos

Large 15.6-inch anti-glare display with excellent visibility

Generous 64GB internal storage

Simple setup and effortless sharing via the Frameo app

CONS:


No built-in battery

Video playback is capped at 15 seconds

Uploading more than 10 photos at once remotely requires the optional Frameo+ subscription

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR’S QUOTE:

The Pexar Starlight blends premium design and an all-new gallery lighting into a digital frame that finally feels as special as the memories it displays.

Digital photo frames have been around for years, but finding one that actually looks good in your living room remains surprisingly difficult. Most feel like gadgets that happen to show pictures rather than thoughtful décor pieces. They display photos well enough, but they rarely inspire the kind of emotional connection that makes you want to give them the best spot in your home.

The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch Digital Picture Frame approaches photo display differently by adding integrated lighting that makes memories glow like gallery pieces. Born from Lexar’s imaging expertise, this frame combines a generous screen with thoughtful design details that celebrate photos rather than just showing them. Let’s see how it actually fares in practice.

Click Here to Buy Now: $349.

Aesthetics

Unboxing the Starlight reveals a wood-grain finish that immediately separates it from typical digital frames dominated by glossy plastic. The texture has genuine depth and character, not just a printed pattern attempting to mimic wood. Running fingers across the surface reveals a tactile quality that makes the frame feel substantial, like furniture designed to last rather than disposable tech.

The canvas-like matting surrounding the display creates instant gallery vibes without trying too hard. Every photo cycling through looks intentional and curated, as if someone carefully selected each image for exhibition. This presentation quality works magic on even casual smartphone snapshots, making everyday moments feel more special than they did when scrolling through a camera roll mindlessly.

Placing the frame on a living room shelf shows how the thin bezel maximizes screen space without screaming for attention. The proportions feel balanced, with enough frame to provide visual weight but not so much that it dominates nearby objects. The design quietly commands attention rather than demanding it, which matters more than expected when living with something daily.

The innovative gallery lighting changes how photos feel in a room entirely. During daylight hours, the warm glow adds a subtle dimension that makes images pop against the wall behind them. As evening arrives and ambient light fades, the lighting becomes more prominent, casting a soft halo that naturally draws the eye toward whatever memory is currently on display.

Watching the lighting interact with different photos throughout the day reveals careful tuning and attention to detail. The warmth complements skin tones beautifully while enhancing golden hour sunsets and cozy indoor shots taken during winter evenings. The lighting never fights with images but rather supports them, creating depth without becoming a distraction from the actual photographs.

The anti-glare screen proves its value in challenging lighting conditions that would ruin most displays. Positioning the frame near windows or under bright overhead lights doesn’t create reflective hotspots that make screens unreadable. Photos remain clearly visible from multiple angles throughout the day, maintaining their visual impact regardless of how sunlight shifts across rooms.

The packaging deserves special mention for winning the 2025 MUSE Design Awards with its completely eco-friendly design. The gift box uses 100 percent recyclable materials with a green fiber coating and sand-gold metallic accents, drawing on Nordic and Japanese aesthetics for a premium unboxing experience. The paper pulp construction eliminates plastic entirely while feeling surprisingly luxurious, making the Starlight especially thoughtful for holiday gifting when presentation matters as much as the gift itself.

Ergonomics

Setup takes barely a minute from opening the box to displaying your first photo on screen. Power on, pick language and time zone, connect to Wi-Fi, name the device, finished. The whole process feels refreshingly simple, with clear prompts that don’t require consulting manuals or watching tutorial videos to figure out what’s happening.

The Pexar Starlight’s touchscreen responds accurately to every tap and swipe without the frustrating lag that makes cheap displays annoying to actually use. Navigating settings, albums, or display options feels smooth and predictable throughout. The interface clearly borrows from modern smartphones, making it immediately familiar even for people who typically struggle with new technology and avoid anything labeled “smart.”

The metal stand holds the frame securely in both portrait and landscape positions without complaint. Switching orientations reveals smooth, stable positioning without wobbling or tipping concerns that would make you nervous about bumping the table. The stand’s minimal footprint doesn’t hog surface area, fitting easily on crowded shelves or narrow surfaces without requiring furniture rearrangement.

Wall mounting keeps everything flush while allowing proper clearance for the gallery lighting to project its characteristic glow. The hardware feels robust enough to trust with a device this size and weight. Once mounted, the frame looks intentional rather than like tech equipment awkwardly stuck to the wall, which becomes important when it’s a permanent fixture in your space.

Auto-rotation works like magic when repositioning the frame between portrait and landscape orientations. Pick it up, turn it sideways, and the display adjusts instantly without requiring button presses or menu navigation. The automatic sensing means photos always display correctly regardless of orientation, whether you’re trying different placements or just moved it to a new room.

Performance

With a 1920×1080 screen resolution, the Pexar Starlight delivers sharp, detailed images that look great from typical viewing distances across the room. Fine details in photos remain crisp and clear, while text in captions or greeting cards stays perfectly readable. The pixel density feels well-matched to screen size, providing clarity without that overly processed digital look that sometimes makes photos feel artificial.

Colors pop with vibrancy that feels realistic rather than artificially boosted like oversaturated TV displays. Photos show rich, engaging hues that don’t cross into unrealistic territory that makes images look fake. Skin tones appear natural and flattering, while blue skies and green landscapes maintain the depth and richness you remember from actually being there.

The 64GB internal storage swallows photo libraries without breaking a sweat or showing performance issues. Loading several thousand images reveals no slowdown, stuttering, or lag during transitions. The frame cycles through photos smoothly, maintaining quick changes and responsive controls regardless of how many memories are crammed into storage over months.

Loading photos via SD card or USB feels straightforward and surprisingly quick for large batches. Insert the storage source, navigate to Settings, select Import Photos, choose your images, and let the frame handle everything else. The interface makes it easy to select all photos at once or cherry-pick specific favorites, depending on how curated you want the current collection.

Of course, sending photos to the Starlight from your phone makes the experience feel almost magical, thanks to integrated Frameo support. The mobile app connects to the frame instantly without drama or confusion. Scan the QR code or type in the frame code, and your phone recognizes the device immediately. Sending photos becomes as natural as texting pictures to friends, which matters enormously for getting family members to actually contribute images regularly rather than forgetting about the frame.

The Frameo ecosystem makes sharing photos feel effortless and genuinely social rather than technical. Family members in different cities or countries send images that appear on the frame within seconds of tapping send. The system handles multiple contributors gracefully, organizing incoming photos by sender and allowing everyone to see who shared what without confusion.

Video clips up to 15 seconds capture brief, meaningful moments that photos alone can’t convey completely. While longer videos would expand creative possibilities, the time limit encourages sharing highlights rather than full recordings nobody watches. The built-in speaker provides clear audio for these short clips, adding voices and context that bring moments back to life.

The ten-photo limit for remote uploads seems restrictive initially but rarely causes problems during everyday use. Most sharing happens in small batches anyway: a few shots from dinner, a handful from the weekend trip. For complete vacation albums with hundreds of images, the SD card slot and USB connection handle bulk transfers without making you babysit uploads or watch progress bars creep forward.

Sustainability

The frame’s construction suggests durability designed for years of daily use rather than quick obsolescence. The wood grain finish shows remarkable resistance to fingerprints, smudges, and general wear from regular touchscreen interaction. After days of handling, the surface maintains its original appearance without visible degradation, dulling, or wear patterns that would diminish its premium look.

Storage expansion capabilities prevent the frame from becoming obsolete as photo libraries grow from thousands to tens of thousands. Rather than hitting capacity limits and requiring complete replacement, the frame adapts to increasing storage needs through affordable SD cards. This flexibility supports sustainable consumption by extending the useful lifespan instead of forcing upgrades.

The digital format reduces environmental impact compared to traditional photo printing and physical framing habits. A single Starlight displays thousands of memories that would otherwise require paper, ink, shipping materials, and physical frames. For households that previously printed select favorites, the frame offers a more sustainable way to enjoy entire collections.

The frame’s offline functionality provides independence from cloud services that could potentially disappear or change. Once photos are loaded onto internal storage, they remain accessible forever regardless of internet connectivity or ongoing service availability. This autonomy means memories stay safe and visible even if business models change or companies discontinue cloud support unexpectedly.

Value

The Starlight occupies premium territory in the digital photo frame market, and pricing reflects the larger screen and distinctive features. Comparing gallery lighting, screen quality, and storage to similarly priced options reveals competitive positioning that justifies the investment. The feature combination makes sense for people who prioritize design and want tech that enhances spaces.

Gallery lighting alone differentiates the Starlight from most frames in any price range currently available. Competing products focus exclusively on display quality without considering how the device impacts room ambiance and atmosphere. The integrated lighting makes the Starlight both a photo display and a mood lighting element, effectively serving two purposes simultaneously.

The 64GB storage outpaces many frames offering 8GB or 16GB that charge extra for expansion cards. Starting with a generous internal capacity avoids constant photo management or forced deletions to accommodate new images. This abundance provides better long-term value by eliminating storage anxiety that ruins the experience of actually owning and enjoying the frame.

The Pexar Starlight works beautifully as a gift for parents, grandparents, or distant family members who might struggle with complicated tech. The simple setup and multi-contributor functionality make it especially valuable for keeping families connected across distances. The thoughtful packaging and premium presentation reinforce its identity as a meaningful gift rather than just another gadget.

Unlimited distance sharing adds genuine practical value for families spread across different cities, states, or countries. Grandparents receive photos from grandchildren instantly without wrestling with email attachments or complicated file transfers that confuse them. This simplicity increases the likelihood that the frame actually gets used regularly rather than gathering dust after initial novelty fades.

The wood grain finish and gallery lighting ensure the frame enhances home décor rather than detracting from carefully curated spaces. This design consideration adds real value for people who view their purchases through an aesthetic lens first. Premium looks justify premium pricing when the alternative means compromising on how your living space feels, functions, and welcomes guests.

Verdict

Living with the Pexar Starlight reveals a frame designed by people who understand both technology and how families actually interact with their memories. The gallery lighting, thoughtful materials, and anti-glare screen create experiences that go beyond simply displaying photos. Small design choices add up to something that feels special rather than utilitarian, making the frame something you want to show off.

The Starlight shows how digital frames can contribute to atmosphere and aesthetics without sacrificing useful features. For anyone seeking a way to display memories that enhances their space while keeping loved ones connected, it delivers on both fronts convincingly. The frame makes digital memories feel as meaningful as the moments they preserve, which is ultimately what any photo display should accomplish.

Click Here to Buy Now: $349.

The post Pexar Starlight Review: 15.6″ Picture Frame That Lights Up Memories first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

Incredible “Polymorphic Molding:” A Mold You Can Reset Into Any Shape

Whether you’re vacuum forming, casting polyurethane or doing a composite layup (i.e. a bent lamination or fiberglass layup), you need a mold. Creating the mold can be time-consuming and expensive, and of course you need a place to store the mold when it’s not in use. However, British company Fyous has up-ended this model with their PolyMorphic Mold.

Rather than static molds, the company has developed a reconfigurable pin-based system. You feed your 3D model into their machine, which takes about 20 minutes to set the pins up.

Each pin can handle 6 tons of pressure. You then place the mold into your forming machine of choice and mold away. When you’re done, the mold can simply be reset, ready to take a different shape.

Here’s their system being used to create a three-part mold for foam-injection orthopedic footwear lasts:

Freaking incredible. And the mold is, the company says, “infinitely reusable.”

By

The Polka Dot Queen: Yayoi Kusama Through 10 Artworks

The post The Polka Dot Queen: Yayoi Kusama Through 10 Artworks appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

By

31 Women: Peggy Guggenheim and Her Groundbreaking Exhibition

The post 31 Women: Peggy Guggenheim and Her Groundbreaking Exhibition appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

By

Together Apart: Kandinsky and Malevich’s Paths to Abstraction

The post Together Apart: Kandinsky and Malevich’s Paths to Abstraction appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

By

Clock Makes Hours Appear and Disappear Through Moiré Patterns

Most clocks are content to quietly tick away in the background, marking the hours with little more than a glance from you throughout the day and night. But what if telling time could be mesmerizing instead, an experience that draws you in, sparks curiosity, and turns your wall into a living gallery worth watching? What if checking the time felt less like a chore and more like appreciating kinetic sculpture?

The Moiré Clock is a kinetic timepiece that turns the passage of time into a visual illusion worth watching throughout your day. Using overlapping patterns and continuous motion behind a striped filter, it animates each hour through optical phenomena, making time feel less like a number on a dial and more like a moment to savor. The design explores how perception and movement can create meaning beyond simple functionality.

Designers: Felix Cooper, Amber Li (STATION Design)

At the heart of the Moiré Clock is a rotating paper disc, printed with custom numerals and set behind a striped steel window that creates the optical magic through interference patterns. As the disc turns throughout the day, the moiré effect causes the hour numerals to morph, dance, and reveal themselves in a hypnotic display that changes with every passing minute behind the filter screen.

The minute and second hands ground the illusion in familiar movement while the hour appears and disappears in a mesmerizing rhythm behind the stationary filter window. The bold red second hand adds a pop of color and visual anchor, making the clock easy to read despite its unconventional hour display created by optical interference. The interplay between traditional clock elements and the animated moiré numerals creates a unique timekeeping experience.

The clock is a study in material contrasts between industrial and artisanal manufacturing traditions. Crisp white paper milled by French Paper Company in Michigan, American-made steel sourced from Pennsylvania, and a quartz movement from Takane, the last US manufacturer of clock mechanisms still producing domestically. The tactile paper face and brushed steel housing give the piece a sense of warmth and industrial substance that goes beyond typical wall clocks.

At 8.5 inches wide and just 2.5 inches deep, it’s compact enough for a home office, studio, or hallway without dominating the wall space, but bold enough to stand out as functional art that deserves attention. Setting up the clock is straightforward: add a single AA battery, set the time using the rear dial, and hang it with a nail or push pin. The paper components invite gentle handling.

The kinetic numerals and bold red second hand make each glance at the clock a small event worth experiencing, turning routine time checks into moments of visual delight throughout your day at home or in creative spaces. For anyone who wants their home to feel creative and alive with kinetic energy, the Moiré Clock brings a sense of play and wonder that traditional clocks simply cannot match or replicate with static designs.

The post Clock Makes Hours Appear and Disappear Through Moiré Patterns first appeared on Yanko Design.