When thinking back on the year in design, the things that kept coming back to me weren't products, buildings, or collections necessarily, but spaces and events. I love when a creative person or group is allowed total control over an entire location and is able to create a memorable, immersive experience for the viewer.

So, without further ado, here are the five places I had to be pried away from in 2010.

Paola Lenti - Palazzo delle Stelline, Milan Design Week

Paola Lenti's Milan exhibition was at the top of my must-see list this year after accidentally discovering it in 2009. This is one of those places where I step in and say, "OK, I want, no, need to live here." The textures and colors of the furniture, rugs, and other pieces come together beautifully, creating a very serene and inviting environment - a welcome departure from the absurdity that is Zona Tortona.

"Luceste" by Toshiba + Suppose Design Office, Milan Design Week

I have to admit, I didn't have high expectations for this installation, which explored the beauty of LED light. My thoughts changed the second I stepped in the room and couldn't see any edges or actual walls, but only a hole in the ceiling filled with gently swirling clouds and a soft, color-changing illumination. The atmosphere was incredibly hard to capture on camera, but I'll never forget the surreal feeling of a limitless space where light was the only focus.

Super Natural by Studio Toogood, London Design Festival

Arranged around the theme of "foraging, collecting and observing the English countryside," this was a truly unique installation that I honestly could have stayed at the the entire day (I took so many pictures of Brigitte Tee's foraged mushrooms through the exhibit's magnifying glasses that people must have thought I was crazy). Once past the 'shrooms, visitors were greeted with a café, a hardware collection made from bones, repurposed binocular cases, and Studio Toogood's new line of furniture.

Marcel Wanders for Baccarat, Milan Design Week

So, why were a bunch of crystal vases one of my favorite things of the year? Miniature people set up in ridiculous miniature scenes! When I first walked into this room, the figurines were so tiny that I didn't even notice them; once I did though, it was another slippery slope towards the demise of my camera's shutter.

Gilpin Family Whisky, 100% Materials - London Design Festival

This is straying a bit from my theme, but Gilpin Family Whisky was definitely one of the more memorable events of the year; after all, it's not everyday that I have the opportunity to sample whisky made from a 97-year-old's urine. "Diabetes Public Engagement" uses the urine of elderly diabetics, which is extremely high in sugar, to create a high-end, single malt whisky. The project was created by James Gilpin, a diabetic himself, to bring awareness to the challenges of living with the disease.

Finally, to answer everyone's burning questions, yes it was highly purified, and
yes, it was delicious.

+ Ryan Heiser's 2009 Design Top 5