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Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Leigh. I know you can come up with some great ideas.

I am stuck with my fab new room, which is an extension on the back of my house, adjoining the kitchen. It has glass doors all along the back looking onto the garden. It is approx 20 x 12 feet in size but I do not know how to arrange it, or where to start. I have new oak floor, plan on a wood burner eventually, have white blinds on the windows, walls are creamy white. I have 2 arm chairs which I can recover, a leather sofa, and aim to buy another sofa, plus some other furniture. But what? Help!

When people ask me what Vancouver is like, this is the video I’ll show them. Watch the video in all its glory below.

The inspired designers at  Made Goods, known for using natural elements to create unique products, have officially launched their latest collection online today.

The beautiful, handmade pieces in their new collection reflect the company’s passion for quality design, and we couldn’t be more impressed! Boasting 60 brand-new styles, the collection continues to focus on fanciful mirrors yet also includes their first headboard and nightstand designs. Whether you’re looking to re-vamp an entire room or find that one unusual piece to complete a space, the looks at Made Goods are sure to stand out and make a statement!

Some of our favorites: (it was hard to choose!)

Celeste Mirror

Catherine Drum Chandelier

Benjamin Table

Florence Mirrors

Gavin Headboard

For those of you in NYC, stop by Made Good’s new collection launch from January 28- February 1 at Pier 94 Booth 45020-23.

We were recently invited down to check out the Cayman Cookout taking place at the Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman, and we jumped at the chance to talk to some of the world's top chefs. In our latest video we learn a little bit about what makes a good kitchen tool and why. We chatted with Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, José Andrés of Minibar and Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations. This eclectic, multi-national crew of elite food experts shared their favorite kitchen tools and offered insight into why they are essential.

For product information please contact the manufacturer.

While we all like to tap into an artist's brain, find out exactly what goes on in their mind to make them create what they do, sometimes there isn't really more behind a work of art than simply a vision that a person is unable to explain through words. The different approaches to making art—from pragmatic to utterly emotional—is part of what keeps the field perpetually intriguing.

A reticent painter originally from Côte d'Ivoire, Ouattara Watts recently opened up his studio to Cool Hunting for a preview of the newly formed works comprising his forthcoming exhibition. The large, garage-like space is located in an industrial part of Brooklyn between Williamsburg and Bushwick that's home to numerous emerging artists. With both the Whitney Museum and Venice biennials on his résumé, the veteran painter may hold more clout than his neighbors, but his artistic spirit seems unaffected by his widespread success.

Organized by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Watts' upcoming NYC exhibition—which Roitfeld says is more like a small retrospective—will feature 18 new paintings alongside a few existing pieces. Watts completed all of these large-scale works in a matter of about six months, explaining that with the way the world is right now, he has a lot to say. At the moment, he is mostly preoccupied by the population of mistreated children in the world, a concern that presumably evolved since the birth of his own child, a life-changing moment for him.

Bursting with color and layered in fabrics and objects picked up from his global travels, Watts' paintings are still entrenched in his own style of Neo-Expressionism. Cryptic serial numbers abound, alluding to a secret code that only he knows about, but one that could potentially be worked out through clever deciphering or a deep understanding of West African cosmology. The mysticism that prevails reflects a coalescent spirituality, his beliefs not tied to one religion or another, but that together are very much a part of his enduring creative passion.

The mix of media Watts uses is also symbolic of his constant exploration, and the people he encounters along the way. For example, the massive piece, "Vertigo #4" is covered in a denim remnant given to him by the shop owner of a fabric store near his Midtown apartment. Glued to this is an Ikea-like dish cloth embroidered with the initials "JL"—who they belong to Watts claims not to know. These found objects and recycled fabrics likely speak to the movement against using expensive materials, a notion developed in the 1970s by fellow Ivorian painter Mathilde Moraeau which she called Vohou-Vohou. The mix also undoubtedly marks a more natural way for Watts to express himself, free of monetary limitations or a prescribed aesthetic.

Although known in his own right, it's difficult not to associate Watts with the legendary artist Jean-Michael Basquiat. The two met in Paris while Watts was studying at the renowned L’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and while their friendship was short-lived due to Basquiat's death, Watts considers him almost like a soulmate. Basquiat convinced him to move to NYC, where Watts gave rise to African art with prominent shows at the Gagosian and Vrej Baghoomian galleries.

The exhibition opens 7 February and runs through 19 February 2012 at the cavernous space known simply as 560 Washington Street.

All images by BHP, see more in the slideshow below.

(via . of paper and things .: spaces | studio of tenka gammelgaard)

Shades brand Shwood teamed up with HUF owner and professional skateboarder Keith Hufnagel to have some fun skating across the LA’s streets and making some cool sunglasses. Made from recycled broken skateboards, these stripy shades are unique and handmade at Shwood’s Portland workshop. By gluing the wooden pieces together and using a vacuum sealer instead of clamps, Shwood and HUF’s unique shades are too cool for school!

+  Shwood

+ HUF

Via The Fox is Black

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: green products, Recycled Materials, recycled shades, recycled skateboards, recycled sunglasses, sustainable wear

This month, A1 Co., Ltd. and BIES Ltd. opened the first set of solar-powered electric car charging stations across Sofia, Bulgaria. Built as simple structures, each station simply uses solar panels to collect solar energy and a special module for electric cars to connect to the batteries. While the number of electric cars in Bulgaria are still very few, according to experts, a boom in the purchase of electric vehicles is expected this year — particularly due special incentives that will be given by the Bulgarian government.

Via Via Expo

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: A1 Co. Ltd., BIES Ltd., electric vehicle chargers, electric vehicles bulgaria, ev chargers, ev chargers europe, solar power ev chargers, solar powered car chargers, solar-powered electric car charging stations

Today a leaked internal email from Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed outrage over the New York Times‘ scathing exposé revealing the harsh working conditions of Apple’s many Chinese suppliers. Cook insisted that Apple has done and will continue to do everything they can to improve worker conditions, and he even questioned the validity of the New York Times article, saying “Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are.”

Read the rest of Tim Cook Outraged Over New York Times Accusations That Apple Abuses Worker’s Rights in Chinese Factories

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: apple, apple factories, apple factory issues, apple news, apple suppliers, Chengdu, china, chinese factories, chinese factory conditions, chinese factory danger, foxconn, human rights violations, iPad, ipad factories, ipad factory explosion, ipad news, new york times, news, Reuters, Steve Jobs, tim cook, violated workers rights, workers rights, workers rights china