A colourful, whimsical stool covered with more than 500 deflated balloons has launched Natalie Kruch’s career with a bang. The 22-year-old designed Balloona, a small wooden stool wrapped, twisted and tied with balloons, two years ago while studying industrial design at the University of Alberta. She wanted to explore the themes of “minimalism vs. ornamentation and mass-production vs. craft,” and “If there’s a theme in my work” she says, “it’s finding beauty in everyday objects” she told Maclean’s. Toronto-based housewares retailer Umbra spotted the prototype at a design show last year and began production this summer. [Via](http://www2.macleans.ca/2008/11/06/newsmakers/nm_balloontable1/).