BEST OF: Outdoor Furniture
June 18th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
So summer is definitely here! It’s time for sitting back, sipping on your favorite ice cold beer and having a good time with friends. It might help to have a comfy outdoor living room or the perfect sun-bathing loungers to aid those relaxing good times. Below are some of my favorite suggestions that will do the job and make your outdoor space feel and look the part:
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MILAN: Salone del Mobile 2011
April 23rd, 2011 § 1 Comment
Baccarat in Milan Salon Del Mobile 2011
Baccarat in Milan Salon Del Mobile 2011
EVERY YEAR IN MILAN THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES of the design world gather for a week to contemplate the newest creations, trends and technologies. This year the event hosted by Baccarat and Veuve Cliquot was held April 12-17th. Baccarat displayed their new collection of crystal chandeliers amongst whimsical cloud installations (as seen above).
So what did all the big names in Italian design bring to the table this year?
Moroso displayed the Biknit Seating collection by Patricia Urquiola: “an exaggerated stitch pattern, an expanded, intense aesthetic transforms a weave into a visible, dramatic design.” They also showed her Klara collection of wooden chairs, Tokujin Yoshioka’s Memory chair and Doshi & Levien’s Impossible Wood chair among several other novelties.
MOROSO Biknit by Patricia Urquiola
MOROSO Klara by Patricia Urquiola
Artemide showed off Karim Rashid’s newest lighting creation, the Nearco pendant, alongside Guido Matta & Enrico Girotti’s Nuboli lamp (a translucent ceiling pendant in the shape of a cloud).
ARTEMIDE Nearco by Karim Rashid
ARTEMIDE Nuboli Lamp
Zanotta presented their 2011 Novelties at the show including the steel asymmetrical Lama Chair by Ludovica & Roberto Palomba alongside the twisted Elica 2576 Table that comes in a white or black high gloss finish.
ZANOTTA Lama Chaise
ZANOTTA Elica 2576
Domitalia brought to the table some beautiful new seating options with the New Retro chair by Fabrizio Batoni Design, the Playa chair also by the same designer, and the glow-in-the-dark outdoor Baba chairs by Radice Orlandini Designs.
DOMITALIA New Retro Chair by Fabrizio Batoni Design
DOMITALIA Playa chair
DOMITALIA Baba chair
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
DE CASTELLI Shrouded dresser
RAW EDGES Plaid Bench
CASAMANIA Loop Chaise by Sophie de Vocht
MAGIS Zartan Chairs by Philippe Starck with Eugeni Quitlet
Philippe Starck collaborated with Eugeni Quitllet to create the entirely natural Zartan chair. Made of a new technology using “liquid wood” the chair is molded much like polycarbonate but fuses only with other natural materials such as fibers, wax and fish oil to create a “strong, non-toxic alternative to petroleum-based plastics”. The chair is envisioned in 5 varying finishes: bamboo, flax, hemp, jute and rattan.
SPAZIO ROSSANA Flat Table Peeled by Jo Nagasaka
Balloon Bowls by Marteen de Ceulaer
Belgian designer Marteen de Ceulaer came up with an innovative method of creating bowls by pouring dyed plaster into a balloon then placing another balloon inside it, blowing it up and allowing the plaster to dry. The result is organic as the bowls have an array of varying color, sizes and shapes in a smooth finish and irregular edges.
CASAMANIA Rememberme chairs by Tobia Juretzek
Another response towards sustainability was brought by designer Tobia Juretzek with his Rememberme chair made of old garments that would otherwise have been discarded and unused.
FUTURE TRADITIONS Paper Chairs by Lei+Christoph+Jovana
FUTURE TRADITIONS Xuan Lamp
FENDI Installation by Rowan Mersh
Watson Table by Paul Loebach
* Photos of objects in Other Highlights are (c) of Design Boom
THE SHOP: Matter Matters
April 13th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
December 2010 I went to Design Miami and met some of the very nice people behind an awesome showroom from NYC called Matter Matters. They carry truly unique and well-constructed pieces by some of the most influential and innovative designers around.
Check out some of my favorites of their many treasures below:
Ball Light Large by Michael Anastassiades $800
Tall Tank by Alexander Taylor in pea green $1,800
Superordinate Antler Sconce by Jason Miller $360
Crochet Table by Marcel Wanders $1,563
Periodic Table by One and Co. (pure silver over reclaimed timber) $42,000
Aqua Table by Zaha Hadid $40,000
Crate Series No. 8 Chair by Jasper Morrison for Established & Sons $1,440
Quilt Armchair by the Bouroullec Brothers $6,060
Tank Chair by Alvar Aalto (1937) $5,528
Circus 3 Shelves by Steven Burkes for Matter Made
Blue Faceted Vase by Thaddeus Wolfe $600
GIO PONTI: The 20th Century’s Renaissance Man
March 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Designer Feature, vol. 4
When you think renaissance man in the world of design Gio Ponti is your guy. This man was a painter, an industrial and furniture designer, an architect and the editor and founder of the quintessential Domus (1928) and Stile magazines.Born and raised in Milan, Ponti was an advent propagandist for the love of architecture and design which he wrote of in his 1957 collection of essays Amate l’Architettura (published in english as In Praise of Architecture).
Ponti utilized Domus to openly explore diverse topics of his concern and express his personal views all the while maintaining a clever openness that established the magazine as Europe’s most influential architecture and design magazine.
Gio Ponti was in Milan around the same time as the avant garde Futurists and Group 7 were exploring their ideas for radical change. Though he was around the key figures of these movements Ponti remained focused on finding the “finite form” in design rather than revolutionizing existing dogmas. He had his own ideals of design that bloomed from Modernism but were more particularly concerned with context, comfort, function, lightness and elegance. He was an admirer of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus but was certainly not one of those “glass box boys”, as Frank Lloyd Wright once clarified.
Villa Planchart, Caracas 1955
Villa Planchart, Caracas 1955
Villa Planchart, Caracas - This classic Modernist house was designed in 1955. Here Ponti created almost every aspect of the project from the architecture and interiors to most of the furniture and objects as well.
Villa Planchart, Caracas 1955
Villa Planchart, Caracas 1955
Villa Planchart, Caracas 1955
Villa Planchart, Caracas - The garden from this house was designed by infamous Brazilian landscape architect who often worked with Niemeyer and was responsible for the original plans of Miami Beach's Lincoln Road and the cobblestone boardwalks of Rio de Janeiro, Burle Marx.
Model for Villa Planchart in Domus 1955
His daughter summarized Ponti’s career with the following remarks, “Sixty years of work, buildings in thirteen countries, lectures in twenty-four, twenty-five years of teaching, fifty years of editing, articles in every one of the five hundred and sixty issues of his magazines, two thousand five hundred letters dictated, two thousand letters drawn, designs for a hundred and twenty enterprises, one thousand architectural sketches. It was a great deal, and all from one man”.
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INTERIOR DESIGN:
Villa Arreaza, Caracas 1956
Villa Arreaza, Caracas 1956
Villa Arreaza, Caracas 1956
Gio Ponti Hotel in Sorrento, IT
Gio Ponti Hotel in Sorrento, IT
Gio Ponti Hotel in Sorrento, IT
Gio Ponti Hotel in Sorrento, IT
1970 Il Manifesto della Casa Adatta by Gio Ponti
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FURNITURE & INDUSTRIAL DESIGN:
Bilia Table Lamp designed 1931 by Ponti is currently under production by Fontana Arte
0024 Lighting Pendant designed in 1931 by Ponti is also currently in production by Fontana Arte
Diamond Lounge Chairs by Gio Ponti
Designed in 1953 by Gio Ponti and made in Italy for Singer & Sons this table is available on 1st Dibs for $9,750
Flatware set designed in 1960 available for purchase on 1st Dibs
Superleggera Chairs in black and white from 1957 available on 1st Dibs
Italian walnut chest by Gio Ponti from 1950's on 1st Dibs
Rocker from the 1950's designed by Ponti produced by Cassina
Gio Ponti in Caracas, 1954
THRIFT STORE FINDS 2
February 23rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’m big on treasure hunts. I’ve been that way since the age of 3 when I first discovered the concept. Two decades later the treasures have changed but the idea remains the same. To me, being the design junkie that I am, the most exhilarating types of finds are cool furniture and accessories at very affordable prices. In this state of mind I recently visited my local thrift store to see what treasures I could dig up.
The following are images of my favorite items from the visit to Out of the Closet on Alton Road:
Coasters with architectural prints of monuments from German town
Small porcelain vessels with metal latch
Classic white porcelain candlesticks
Pair of red modern faux suede chairs
Polished chrome chair: Needs to be re-upholstered but has a great frame!
Bamboo and wicker chair: I would paint this glossy white or black and call it a day!
This could come in handy for Bonnaroo (Nashville is very close to Manchester)!
Hmm I never read Under The Tuscan Sun but just seeing this made me imagine being in Tuscany so it made it on here!
This was a cool little book with nice old school illustrations
1ST DIBS ON VINTAGE FINDS
September 12th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Some of my top picks from 1ST DIBS!
1ST DIBS is a website that consolidates the listings of the best antique dealers all around the States. I don’t mean just the Baroque or Neo-classical pieces that come straight to mind when hearing “antiques”. Though 1st dibs does carry beautiful pre-20th Century designs, I’m mostly excited by the Art Deco, Hollywood Glam, and Mid century – Modern finds.
Each object on 1st dibs is a design relic – they’re the real deal. I love to browse through the listings simply to observe the beauty of the details and finishes of each piece. This has brought me better familiarization with the elements of each era of furniture design (such as materials, forms, colors, ornamentation, etc) and has totally changed the way I look at contemporary design.
Now when I peruse the pages of catalogs I have the “classics” in mind so I know where the recent designs are evolving from!
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[Images above from top left: Florence Knoll credenza $8,500, Swedish gondola arm chair 1940, Art Deco iron door and transom,"Gerosa" by Joe Richards realist oil painting, Continental brass lamp 1970, Geometric brass wall sculpture from 1970's $750, Dorothy Draper chest from 1950's, Papa Bear chair by Hans Wegner $14,500, Angelo Donghia low table from 1970's, Org table by Fabio Novembre 2001, Mark Shaw portrait of Coco Chanel #7, Paris, 1957 $800]
More of my top picks from 1ST DIBS
[Images above from top left: French 1950s metal chairs, Modeline 1960's white table lamp, Italian 1950's white ceramic & gilt jars $550, Nude sculpture from 1960's $1,800, John Vesey's Maximilian chair 1959, Convex mirror wall sculpture 1972 $8,500, Jackie Carson "Desert Dawn" acrylic on canvas, Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte 16 light pendant, Tiffany & Co. antique 18K gold letter opener, WWII US naval telescope, Dining table by J. C. Moreux, Beijing bedside chest, Vintage nickel chair by Warren Platner for Knoll 1980, Plexiglass vase fish tank by Nicola L. $2,800]
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To preview these designs and so many more, VISIT: www.1stdibs.com
P.S. Don’t miss Introspective Magazine (the online mag on designers, their inspirations, styles and favorites) !!!
UH… THE “BLUE” ROOM GOES WHITE
August 23rd, 2010 § 1 Comment
The White "Blue" Room
Ok, ok so the entire past week I was going back and forth between paint samples of the Marie Antoinette blues. The night before painting this room I had this VISION.
Given the programmatic needs of the space (ART STUDIO) I had been playing with the idea of white. However, I desperately wanted some color since I’ve been so blinded by minimalism for the past 5 years. In the end though, needs must prevail and aesthetic choices must follow.
F O R M < F U N C T I O N
THRIFT STORE FINDS
August 12th, 2010 § 1 Comment
Brass Wall Mounted Candle Holder from India - 99 cents
Besides the stinkiness of it all, your local thrift store provides you with the bare bones of great household goods waiting to be re-found and transformed into design gems. What’s the trick? Recognizing the potential behind the items by learning to look at the core of the items instead of their current finished state.
Questions to recognize the existing pros:
1. Is it an interesting design (the form, proportions, size) ?
2. Is it built in a sturdy way?
3. Is it made out of good material (real wood or metal, authentic paintings, etc.)?
White Melamine Dresser with Brass Detail $59.99
Questions to consider changes that could make the item what you want and need:
1. Could it be more interesting if you painted it a different color?
2.What if you upholster with different fabric?
3. What if you just polished the metal?
4. What if you changed the hardware or other pieces (for example: lamp shade, handles, frame)?
Dining Chair from Set of 6 Chairs + Table $220
Be creative and play with different techniques. Visit your local Home Depot to explore the materials offered that allow for infinite possibilities of changes you can make.
Too much information??? Pick up a design magazine for inspiration and current trends. Try Interior Design Magazine, Elle Decor, or House Beautiful.
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DESIGNER feature vol. 2
July 28th, 2010 § 2 Comments
KNOLL: A History of Modern Design
In 1938 Hans Knoll founded the company hoping to bring together a roster of respected designers and innovative products. In 1943 he married Florence Schust, a young and talented designer who had studied at Cranbrook under Saarinen and worked with the likes of Walter Groupius (Bauhaus). Together they would establish a fruitful partnership that would accelerate the growth of Knoll through an expansive list of collaborating designers, imaginative layout concepts and excellent quality products.
Since then, Knoll has been responsible for “inspiring, creating, manufacturing and popularizing some of the greatest pieces of furniture ever made”.
TIMELINE OF DESIGN CLASSICS BY KNOLL:
1925 WASSILY CHAIR, Marcel Breuer
1929 MR LOUNGE SEATING, Mies van der Rohe
1930 BRNO CHAIRS, Mies van der Rohe
1938 HARDOY CHAIR, Hardoy & Bonet & Kurchan
1940, MOMA FURNITURE COMPETITION 1ST PRIZE, Eames & Saarinen
1945 1ST KNOLL SHOWROOM IN NYC, Florence Schust
1946 GRASSHOPPER CHAIR, Eero Saarinen
1947 SCISSOR CHAIR, Pierre Jeanneret
1948 WOMB CHAIR, Eero Saarinen
1950 STACKING CHAIR, Ilmari Tapiovaara
1952 WIRE MESH CHAIR, Harry Bertoia
1954 LOUNGE SEATING, Florence Knoll
1954 END TABLE, Florence Knoll
1955 HANS KNOLL DIES & FLORENCE ASSUMES PRESIDENCY
1955 TABLES, Isamu Noguchi
1957 TULIP COLLECTION, Eero Saarinen
1958 SEATING, Vincent Cafiero
1960 PETAL TABLE, Richard Schultz
1961 EXECUTIVE COLLECTION, Florence Knoll
1963 SUZANNE LOUNGE SEATING, Kazuhide Takahama
1965 EXECUTIVE SEATING, Charles Pollock
1966 WARREN PLATNER COLLECTION
1966 OUTDOOR COLLECTION, Richard Schultz
1970 LUNARIO TABLE, Cini Boeri
1971 SPOLETO CHAIR, Ufficio Tecnico
1975 LOUNGE SEATING, Gae Aulenti
1984 ROBERT VENTURI & DENISE SCOTT BROWN COLLECTION
1985 HANDKERCHIEF CHAIR, Vignelli design
1988 TOLEDO CHAIR, Jorge Pensi
1992 FRANK GEHRY WOOD COLLECTION
1993 CACTUS TABLE, Lawrence Laske
1997 KNOLL MUSEUM OPENED
1997 JENS RISOM COLLECTION
1999 FOG CHAIR, Frank Gehry
2003 CECELIA CHAIR, Emanuela Frattini Magnusson
2004 DIVINA, Piero Lissoni
2005 X3, Marco Maran
2006 SM1 LOUNGE COLLECTION, Shelton Mindel & Associates
2007 THE ROSS LOVEGROVE COLLECTION
Since 1938
