Me thinks not since the Bauhaus era has Germany experienced such a burst of design creativity—BMWs notwithstanding. When I lived there in the early 80s all the homes were rather boxy—and I’m talking on the inside. While, ironically, as this is still a box, here’s just one example of Kreativität at work on a former airline food service trolley, or what I like to call my makeup case:

You can find out more about this remarkable recycling effort at bordbar.de.

The point is, now so many cool decorative/practical objects, including many you see in the Chiasso catalog, and on other design blogs such as dwell, mocoloco and gizmodo.com, come from contemporary German designers, as well as their counterparts in Italy, The Netherlands and the rest of Europe. Why is this significant?

Because as cool design diversifies, so do our perspectives of the world in which we live. Just as hopping on a plane to points exotic, romantic and downright unfamiliar shake up our preconceived notions and lead us to new epiphanies, so does shopping for, and living with, stuff crafted in new materials, textures and shapes. We need their influence to keep our minds open and perspectives fresh, kid-like.

The good news is, there’s plenty of bountiful, boundless ingenuity and creativity beneath our wings. It’s meant to engage us, tickle our sense of wonder and lift us up every day. But, we must first look for it, or share it (or draught off of it every once in a while).

What’s caught your wandering eye lately?