The hands-free Nubrella looks as dorky as a grown man playing with G.I. Joes (note I didn’t say anything about Star Wars and light sabers), but when you’re confronted with pulling winds and fighting to reverse an inside-out umbrella, you’re not going to exactly get the type of attention you want from the opposite sex in that situation either. Designed to not to lose it shape, the nylon patent-pending Nubrella’s been constructed to withstand 50mph winds with its aluminum structure. It flips open and rests on your shoulders like a massive sci-fi helmet, encasing your entire body above your armpits so you can keep the most important parts of your body dry. Now you’ll have two hands left to dedicate to other rain-fighting duties, such as hanging onto the nearest lamp post or manoevering past flying projectiles while on your bike during the start of a hurricane. The product will be featured as a Father’s Day gift in May by gifts retailer Hammacher Schlemmer, but a girlfriend who spends a lot of money and time on her hair would likely appreciate this too.

When we heard about the partnership that had been formed between Spanish-Portuguese designer/manufacturers De La Espada and Brit-bred furniture designer Matthew Hilton, we didn't bat an eyelash. Sure we were thrilled about it, but we can't say we were surprised. It only made sense to us that one of Europe's leading manufacturers of Solid Wood furniture would team up with the much-respected furniture design mastermind who was once given the highest honor possible to UK industrial designer, when he was named a Royal Designer for Industry in 2003. The symbiotic relationship was born out of a shared vision based on each other's complimentary expertise. De La Espada brings a reputation for high quality manufacturing and rigorous testing to the table, whereas Hilton adds unique creative insight to the design of the product. Together they're sure to turn a few heads when they bow the Matthew Hilton range at the Milan Furniture Fair this month. In addition to their work with Matthew Hilton, De La Espada will also be unveiling some of their newest work with Turkish designers, Autoban, whom they graced our pages with previously.

For those Renaissance people out there who enjoy the past time of putting their daily musings to paper, Rebound Books is a nifty outfit based in Cape Town, South Africa that essentially ‘reclaims’ neglected old books into truly one-of-a-kind journals full of creamy, matte, environmentally friendly paper. The binding is done by a master book binder, and he thread-sews sections by hand. The blank "book-block" is then glued to the cover to make a durable book that will last for decades. Since Rebound Books is not in the business to mass produce, but rather to create unique and quality journals for the design-discerning scribes of the world, they offer a pretty limited selection. That said, they seem willing to work special orders–so if you have a special hardback collecting dust that you want to resurrect, this might be the answer. No word on whether they’ll ship to the States, but it’d be worth an inquiry. If you’re in Cape Town, BIBLIOTEQ book store on 41 Kloof Street has them.

Trivets are important. Not as important as, say, a workable plan for Palestinian statehood, but can lasting peace in the Middle East prevent our nice wooden table from scorch marks? Swedish home accessory masters Hetta offer two bendable cork pot rests (in a ladder or chain style) that can hold several hot vessels at once. And, because they’re made of cork, they’re biodegradable, should you ever decide to throw them out. What does all of this mean? Szechuan hot pot party at your place!

Via Treehugger

We know from past experience that Barcelona-based Actar Publishing puts out some of the best books around on cutting edge design and architecture. That’s why we’re super psyched for two of their most recent releases that celebrate the most compelling samples of graphic design in recent memory from two of our favorite foreign lands. Super Holland Design is a stunning compendium that delves into the work of Dutch designers such as Experimental Jetset and Sander Plug, amongst others, that have forced us to re-think the meaning of design through their use of new techniques and technologies. The second volume we’re touting is ESC: Enter Spanish Creativity, which displays some of the finest graphic design talent to come out of (you guessed it) Spain, including works by Basedesign and Ipsum Planet. The primer explores the “visual seduction by new and experimental formulas” as “the defining concept of emergent Spanish Design”. We’re certain both books will provide your design crazy mind with a compelling read as well as a feast for your eyes.