Having & Being: Alpenglow for your home

Their shared mountain tours, for example to Mont Blanc, not only brought two friends euphoria – but also a business idea. In any case, Fridolin Förster and Torben Siegert were so inspired by the joy of reaching the summit that they considered how to preserve memories of their great tours at home. After years of tinkering with this idea, their "Holzgestein" project is now entering its exciting phase – a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The product in question is a true gem and home accessory for anyone who can't get enough of the mountains: Using sophisticated 3D printing technology, a relief of a mountain peak is created and mounted in a simply beautiful oak case.

Thanks to a dimmable LED light and USB cable , the mountain then magically glows from within, revealing the details of the rock topography that make each mountain peak so unique. Not only does it look very attractive on a shelf or desk, the LED is also powerful enough to create atmospheric lighting for a room. With a target price of around 50 euros, these detailed little illuminated mountains are an ideal gift for all mountaineers or people who live far from their mountain home. The highlight – customers can also have their own favorite mountain illuminated on the shelf as a three-dimensional relief. For an additional charge of 29 euros, it will be possible to import the data of their favorite mountain and have it produced. Classics such as the Matterhorn and Zugspitze, as well as Kilimanjaro, Mount Everest, and other major mountains are already part of the standard range. In the basic version, the mountains must be connected to a power source to illuminate them; a version with an integrated battery is planned if enough supporters for the project can be found. Here you can find details and support the crowdfunding.

So, there is still growth in Germany: The sneaker market (models starting at €90) grew by almost ten percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. Adidas is the main winner here, but anyone who recently had the impression that young people and Gen Z are once again wearing a noticeable amount of Asics is absolutely right. They grew by more than 180 percent, almost ten times the average. The Japanese brand already achieved record results last year, and that's probably not just due to its traditionally good running shoes – bestsellers are primarily the GEL-NYC andGEL-Kayano 14 models, classic Y2K terrain. They are also currently looking for the best people for collaborations, such as Cecilie Bahnsen, whose more playful designs often sell out immediately. Just before the summer holidays, a little Latin knowledge: The strange name refers to the expression “Anima sana in corpore sano” by the Roman poet Juvenal, which literally means “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, or in a figurative sense: An active life is also good for the brain.

As wonderful as it is to go on vacation, you always leave home behind. If you have a garden or a blooming balcony, this is a concern, as there's a risk that a few hot days will ruin the work of the spring months and the hoped-for harvest in the fall. You can either organize a watering service in your neighborhood or explore what other technical helpers can do. The AquaBloom system from Gardena, which has been on the market for several years and has now been released in an improved version, works pretty worry-free.

The solar module and small submersible pump are connected to a hose system with numerous small drippers – assembling these drainage pipes is actually quite fun. Without a power connection and with a water tank (i.e., a large bucket or rain barrel), the device supplies water at adjustable intervals either to individual pots and boxes on the balcony, or, of course, to the particularly needy sections of the vegetable patch. The improved version of the new AquaBloom offers slightly more pumping power and more stable plug connections with even more variables. Furthermore, the system now switches itself off when the water tank is empty – but then maybe your vacation is over, and you can once again take care of things yourself with the watering can.

Everyone is constantly on the go. Even working has shifted between the office and home office; people sit far too much, but are no longer sedentary. Why are we bringing this up now? Because it forms the semi-philosophical foundation for this new collaboration: Rimowa and Vitra have teamed up under the motto "Creating Movement" for two limited-edition products: the " Aluminium Stool " and the "Aluminium Toolbox." The former, in particular, will likely soon be found in many offices/home offices and homes because it is a perfect hybrid of suitcase and piece of furniture. Still with wheels, but without handles on the sides, but with storage space inside and a removable seat cushion. The Toolbox, in turn, goes back to the iconic product that the French designer Arik Levy developed with Vitra in 2010 and which is now manufactured in grooved aluminum sheet. This makes it more stable than the standard plastic version. Unfortunately, today's mobile consumers are so on the ball when it comes to consumption that pre-orders on the Vitra website were sold out within a day. Hopefully, more supplies will arrive soon.