Beautiful things: G-Star chairs, summer igloos and self-playing Steinway pianos

 

 

Fashion brand G-Star Raw has formed an unlikely partnership with iconic furniture- maker Vitra to create a stunning range of industrial office equipment. The Prouvé Raw crossover collection revives a line of utilitarian furniture originally designed by Jean Prouvé in the 1940s. Crafted using metal and hardwood, the line includes office chairs, a selection of desks and cabinets and a range of lighting, all coloured in a distinctive green and olive palette.

 

The limited edition designs, which have been used to furnish the new G-Star headquarters in Amsterdam, are available until the end of 2016

 

 

 

 

Whatever the season, this Garden Igloo will improve your entertaining credentials. The “convertible greenhouse” is available in a choice of materials: the open-fronted “canopy cover” (pictured above) and a fully rain proof plastic sheeting ideal for enjoying your garden even when the weather isn’t on top form.

 

The structure measures 3.6 metres in diameter and 2.2 metres in height – more than big enough for a few pieces of garden furniture and some pot plants. And when the winter comes, you can easily disassemble it until the return of spring.

 

 

 

 

Digital music is made to be heard but not seen. Once, huge brass gramophones added an element of theatre to playing music at home, and the resurgence in sales of vinyl records shows there’s still a desire to physically own music.

 

With this in mind, Steinway & Sons has released Spirio, which it described as its “most significant product innovation in over 70 years.” The 162-year-old piano manufacturer has teamed up with Wayne Stahnke, who has been perfecting the art of modern player pianos for decades. The result is a classic Steinway grand piano that’s programmed to play performances from over 1,700 artists from the worlds of classical, jazz and contemporary music to concert-quality standard.

 

Using digital high-resolution sound designed to capture the nuance of live performance, it can emulate delicate pedalling, subtle phrasing, soft trills and thundering fortissimos. The Steinway Spirio is the perfect marriage of timeless craftsmanship and technological innovation that brings the grandeur of the concert hall into your home.