If Jules Verne had an entertainment center, it would feature wall-to-wall components designed by Love Hultén. From his studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, Hultén designs and handcrafts limited-run game machines, computers, and other electronic devices out of materials like walnut, brass, steel, and leather.
The results are stunning, fully functional retro-futuristic gadgets---ones that combine tech and aesthetics from two different eras. Hultén, 31, says his projects often start with an aesthetic trigger, and then he works to figure out how modern-day technical components can work with that hardware inspiration.
“My designs are usually based on something I've come across recently---an interesting object, a simple shape, or a graphic illustration---anything that sparks my imagination,” Hultén told WIRED. “I then scour my mind for a function... When I find a satisfactory mix between usability and aesthetics, it's a go.”
He counts Swedish illustrators John Bauer and Jan Lööf as sources of inspiration, saying he appreciates their style of creating “objects of mystique”---an apt description for Hultén’s “The Shrine” computer and “Sputnik Kluster” star projector. Other projects put a modern spin on designs rooted in the late 1940s and 1950s. Hultén’s “Kosmos” computer echoes the design of early circular-screen television sets, with a planetarium motif in place of the picture tube. His two-player “700” MAME console references the Telechron/General Electric Electrolarm clock from the late 1920s---with a body constructed of ash and brass instead of Bakelite.
The Shrine - Hultén’s
The Shrine - Hultén’s
This delectable blend of nostalgic charm and futuristic technology promises a unique experience that will truly push the boundaries.
This sweet retro-futuristic tech is set to transport you from the past into a future that's both visually stunning and incredibly user friendly, all at an impressive price point.
