furniture – Page 10 – DesignApplause

mirra 2 herman miller. milan 2013.

May 6, 2013

We’re in the Milan Herman Miller showroom with designer Clauda Plikat and engineer Roland Zwick, two of the four-person team with Studio 7.5 who designed Mirra.

mirra 2 | studio 7.5 | 2013

Created in 2003, ten years (and 1.5M sold) later, Mirra 2 is yes, smaller, lighter, stronger and greener than the original At first glance you can see a more svelte profile but it takes a bit more to see the new details. Sitting in Mirra 2 you can feel a difference and if fine-tuning while sitting in the chair is an important criteria the new chair is more intuitive.

mirra | studio 7.5 | 2003

[Claudia Plikat] Herman Miller had called us and said they were thinking about when Mirra would be ten years old in 2013. They asked if we would be willing to revisit the project and see if the concept as a whole is still valid, or are there elements we would like to rethink. We were eager to look at Mirra again though it’s quite a challenge to reinvent your work because as a designer and an engineer, you already the gave blood, sweat and tears the first time.

Mirra was designed as a one-size fits all chair which means it’s adjustable. From the beginning we wanted to have both active and passive adjustments. So when you sit in the chair for the first time it begins to adjust to your body on it’s own. Mirra 2 soul and essential DNA remain intact.

[Roland Zwick] On the new chair we aimed for a more adaptive chair back. We created a patented new system of support: a refined shell with larger holes; a new ‘butterfly back’ structure with controls to vary the tension of a new membrane surface.

[CP] The membrane is much like nature and it’s structure of the leaf, the veins providing rigidity and the skin completes the support, very adaptive to the shape of your body. The seat itself is new. The foam pad from under the seat is gone and uses the new membrane to create a very breathable chair. The new ‘dial-up’ controls give you immediate feedback.The chair’s name “Mirra is a synonym for ‘mirroring your body’ and Mirra 2 advances this idea.

[RZ] We are most proud of the new ‘engine’ which is an assemblage that holds all the parts in place: the chair easily assembles or disassembles without the need for tools and is now produced and assembled in-house at Herman Miller. The new chair is 25% lighter because aluminum was substituted for steel and plastic, aluminum is corrosion-proof and only needs a blast of ceramic paint. Aluminum is 90% recyclable.

[DA] Tell us about the actual design thru production process.
[RZ] We may be unusual in that we don’t sketch. We immediately start building prototypes ourselves. We may start with foam then move to a 3-D computer rendering and use the print to make aluminum parts for testing. These studies are only for our own nosiness and see how the parts go together. To test we eventually need the real part and eventually make very accurate one-off parts. We make a few prototype chairs that lack detailing, but these unfinished chairs will go through boot camp designed to mimic 10,000 sittings, or movements to see what if anything shows unusually quick wear-and-tear, or breaks.

[DA] How do you determine what material to use?
[RZ] Actually most of the solutions are about geometry and not materials. Once we have the geometry and the function determined we can determine the material. As a designer you want to have this honesty of the material. We usually use polypropylene for it’s strength/weight, ease of use, and it recycles well and we now use more aluminum.

[CP] Of interest, the fancy materials are difficult to recycle because they are not well-known enough. A well-known material, the recipe is well-known and the industry knows how to handle it. You really don’t know what’s in many new materials and that’s a risky environmental problem.

[DA] Tell us about the designer / engineer relationship.
[CP] A designer is not an expert, whereas an engineer is an expert in their specialty. To arrive at something new you have to forget conventional methods. An experienced designer knows enough to operate in between specialties. Engineers working with designers are more comfortable experimenting and taking some risks. Roland and I are always talking. Can we take out material here, can we make this side wider and this thinner: form and function at the ground level.

[DA] Which comes first, form or function?
[CP] We don’t start with the form. From our perspective it doesn’t make sense. If you observe how the object functions, how it is used, the form is always the expression of the performance. When we work on objects, we wind up giving parts names. Like ‘fly-back’ which is pretty much the function we are trying to achieve. That’s our inspiration, the bionic universe. Maybe you look at nature very close and see how nature does things.

8>13 brian rea illustrations
14>17 studio 7.5
16> Claudia Plikat, Burkhard Schmitz, Carola Zwick, Roland Zwick

[ herman miller ] [ studio 7.5 ] [ illustrations > brian rea ]

Snarkitecture. Now & then 5.13.

May 2, 2013

[ New Museum’s IDEAS CITY StreetFest ] Snarkitecture will premiere Stack, a free, public installation and performance as part of New Museum’s IDEAS CITY StreetFest. saturday 4 may 2013 | 8:30 > 10P | mulberry and jersey streets nyc

[ Snarkitecture at Collective Design Fair ] Snarkitecture is debuting two new pieces with Grey Area at Collective Design Fair in New York next week. The new works include Slice, an all black ping-pong table and Trunk, an all white cabinet commissioned by Grey Area.

Volume Gallery will present a new version of Bend, a series of upholstered seating, along with select pieces from the Funiture series.

Snarkitecture will also take part in “Predicting the Future“, a panel discussion moderated by Sight Unseen 8 May at 5p. wednesday 8 > 11 may 2013 | pier 57 west side highway at 15th street nyc

[ Architizer A+ Awards Gala ] The Snarkitecture-designed statuette for the Architizer A+ Awards will premiere at the first annual A+ Awards Gala. 16 may 2013 | nyc

photo by noah kalina

[ New Museum Spring Gala ] Lift was a performance and installation for the New Museum Spring Gala that took place on 10 April 2013 in New York. An array of forty-five inflatable spheres transformed over the course of the evening, slowly manipulating the qualities of the existing architecture in a series of choreographed movements.

[ Felt Light at Wallpaper* Handmade ] Felt Light is a new series of light fixtures commissioned by Wallpaper* in collaboration with Woolmark. Made from wool felt, the exterior of the fixtures recall familiar forms while the interiors reveal stacked topographic landscapes. Felt Light was on view with Wallpaper Handmade during Milan Design Week and will tour internationally with Wool Lab Design Fair tour.

[ Snarkitecture Shop ] Snarkitecture’s online shop is open for business.

[ now & then ] snarkitecture’s latest news to DesignApplause arrived in a format that inspired a possibly new category ‘Now & then‘. if you’re unashamed of self-promotion, alert us to your current and recent latest & greatest. you just never know.

Car companies at milan 2013.

Apr 25, 2013

mazda kodo chair

maserati lounge chair | zanotta
click > enlarge

Car companies were at Milan’s furniture fair—Salon del Mobile— en masse this year. Mazda showed a chair inspired by its new Kodo design language while Maserati’s chair was covered in the same Poltrona Frau leather as its seats.

bmw quiet motion installation

BMW hired the hot design team, the Bouroullec brothers, Ronan and Erwan, to design a carousel shaped installation for its electric cars.

Mini’s display was a multimedia wall called Kapooow.

lexus inaho interactive robotic light

Lexus pulled in Pritzker prize winning architect Toyo Ito for its display.

ford bespoke chair

Ford’s “Futuring Team” of designers came up with a chair and table lamp that embody current trends, the company said. “The Ford Design team has for years attended events such as Salone del Mobile as creative observers, and now we are showing products designed by automotive designers,” said a Ford designer. “Many companies have access to technology, but it is design and innovation that elevates one product above another.”

ford 021c

renault twin z

Car companies have used Milan as a showcase before. Ford famously (world’s first automaker to showcase a car) introduced Marc Newson’s O21C car there in 2000. That strategy was echoed in Renault’s partnership this year with Ross Lovegrove on an actual vehicle.

audi r18 chair

Two years ago, Audi showed off a chair said to embody its design values.

But never before has there been such a rush of automakers to show talents beyond car building, to latch on to name designers and to turn up the lights and sound at Mobile.

[ milan 2013 ] [ r18 ] [ twin z ]

about phil patton

The ro chair by jaime hayón. Milan 2013.

Apr 24, 2013

milan chair | click > enlarge

< With extremely tight schedules our talk with Spanish artist-designer Jaime Hayón transpires amidst the Fritz Hansen open house filled with his fans. >

[DesignApplause] Jaime, why are you here tonight?
[Jaime Hayón] I’m here because I wanted to meet you. Also, I’m here because of the chair I designed and it’s a party and I’m here enjoying it. The new chair for Fritz Hansen is named ‘Ro’ which means tranquility in Danish. The size of the chair is a one-and-a-half seater, spacious enough to share with a book, laptop or a big fat cat. The concept is the inspiration from seven cities I’ve selected as well as to remind everyone how busy and hectic urban living is. The chair is meant to be some sort of form of peace and tranquility. We’ve also created a special exhibition which is now here in this showroom for the Salone del Mobile and then it will become a worldwide traveling show.

[DA] Fritz Hansen gave you a brief to design this new chair. You mix-up art, decoration and design ever so nicely. Does a brief affect your style, your aesthetics in any way and did you try something new on this project?
[JH] Well there’s a lot of exercises here in terms of trying to make a very comfortable seat first of all. In fact, I also tried to keep the price very low. Shape-wise there’s an effort to try and make it very human and almost soft.

[DA] It looks great. And I sat in it. It’s more comfortable than it looks which I like.
[JH] Thank you. Even though when you look at the side and edges which are very thin there’s a lot of weight to it. I’m happy about.

[DA] Tell us about the seven cities and the aesthetics and construction.
[JH] The seven cities are Copenhagen which reflects Scandinavia, Milan, Berlin, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo. The fabric colors and material selection for the legs are an expression of my sensibilities for each of the cities. The chair is sculpted to be beautiful from all angles. There are three pieces, head, body and seat. The upholstery comes in a range of fabrics, each with contrasting textures for the interior cushions. The shell and material and seam detail is very similar to the Egg chair, so it’s a polyurethane shell with a steel frame. The legs are very special and require three different moulds. The back legs have one mould and the front have a right and a left.

what about here?

[DA] The bracket is very unique and something we wouldn’t notice without the mirror base.
[JH] Yes, the mirror concept in the exhibit shows you the bracket detail under the seat plus you also see a map of each respective city which is tacked on the ceiling.

[DA] Are these chairs residential or contract.
[JH] They are both. The construction of contract furniture must pass stiff commercial requirements and be durable. The chair is comfortable while it has the firmness of a contract piece.

[DA] Did you approach Fritz Hansen with this concept?
[JH] No, they called me in expressly to create a chair that would have the potential to become the next classic, something to add to their collection, so 50 years from now Ro would be a classic like the Egg. They called me in a little over two years ago. I worked with their design team to make a chair both comfortable and beautiful.

[DA] What’s your design philosophy?
[JH] At this time of the day? Chilling. But normally have fun, enjoy. Look at things. Live on details. Make quality. Work with the people you like.

[DA] Did you get a chance to look at anything else at Salone?
[JH] Not a chance. I am working. I came here with the chairs to present and I’m going back home with my family, my wife and two young kids.

[DA] Ro will go on sale in nine colors selected by Jaime: violet, blue, yellow, sage green, light pink, sand, taupe, light grey and black. Of interest is each color has a hint of grey in it because he feels if the chair resides in a hotel lobby or one’s home, grey ties into that space. They goes to market September 2013. The chairs for the cities are just part of an exhibition and will not be available for purchase. [ hayón studio ] [ fritz hansen ]

Designs of the year 2013 winners. Design museum.

Apr 18, 2013

Design Museum’s [ Designs of the Year ] competition recognizes seven design categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Transport and Product, one of which will include an overall winner. An exhibition of all entries at the museum open to the public from 20 March > 7 July 2013.
[ digital ] Design of the Year 2013 Winner | GOV.UK website | Designed by Government Digital Service

[ architecture ] Tour Bois-le-Prétre, Paris | Designed by Frédéric Druot, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal

[ fashion ] Diana Vreeland: The eye has to travel | Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland

[ Furniture ] Medici Chair | Designed by Konstantin Grcic for Mattiazzi

[ Graphics ] Venice Architecture Bienalle Identity | Designed by John Morgan Studio

[ products ] Kit Yamoyo | Designed by ColaLife and PI Global

[ transport ] Morph Folding Wheel | Designed by Vitamins for Maddak Inc.

[ 2013 Jury ]
Johanna Agerman Ross (Editor of Disegno)
Ilse Crawford (Designer, Chair of the jury)
Amanda Levete (Architect)
Olga Polizzi (Director of Design for Rocco Forte Hotels)
Sarah Raven (Garden designer)
Griff Rhys Jones (Actor and presenter)
Nicolas Roope (Designer)

[ Designs of the Year 2013 ] [ shortlist candidates ]

interview with designer francisco gomez paz and guiseppe butti of luceplan. design miami 2012.

Mar 14, 2013

above> synapse

DesignApplause is talking to Argentinian designer Francisco Gomez Paz and US CEO of Luceplan, Giuseppe Butti, in the Miami Luminaire Design Lab Showroom. We’re all here for Design Miami 2012 and these men are here to introduce Francisco’s new light ‘Synapse’ to the US. It’s all part of Luminaire’s annual presentation of new production introductions during DesignMiami.

[DesignApplause] What brings the both of you here here?
[Francisco Gomez Paz] We’re here because Luminaire wishes to introduce a new product that I designed for Luceplan, the Synapse light. A system that works with LED light. It’s basically a divider of spaces. You can join it in different ways to create different configurations. Energy dividers for the space.

[DA] Is this a new product for 2012?
[FGP] We’re ready to put it on the market and we’re showing it here for the first time in America.

[DA] Francisco, tell us a little about you and where’s your design office located and what’s your office like?
[FGP] I’m Argentinian, born in Argentina. I studied in Argentina, but moved to Italy 14 years ago to study the Master in Design at Domus Academy. After a bit of working experience, I opened my office. Now I’m working with several companies.

[DA] The LED technology is causing quite a stir in the U.S. We’re starting to do away with the incandescent light bulb. In Europe, you have a bit of a head start on this.
[Giuseppe Butti] Yes. Europe banned the incandescent bulbs a year ago. The move is coming to the U.S. as well. The prime mover is the West coast with all their energy codes. The LED really started nudging out the halogen and incandescent bulb a few years ago with Title 20 or Title 24. This past year we saw a big trend toward the new light sources, like LEDs for commercial spaces, replacing florescent light sources. At residential levels, incandescent is still the most popular light source that people prefer.

[DA] People are hoarding incandescent light bulbs now.
[GB] I know. But the residential sector is starting to understand the LED a little bit better. The more it evolves toward a warmer light, away from the blue LED lights we used to see in the beginning, the more people are getting comfortable with adding new light sources in their homes.

[DA] I know the earlier LEDs were very unpredictable and unreliable. How long ago were you able to begin to invest in making quality lights?
[GB] I think that Luceplan, was one of the first companies to start experimenting in 2003-2004 with LED lights. We came out with the first LED product in 2006 called “Mix.” Since then, the entire industry has seen a big evolution. And our company now belongs to Philips which is one of the key producers of LED in the world. All our designers, like Francisco, take advantage of the R&D Development that we have. Every year we the LED technology allows us to do more than before. This is the big thing. It’s very important.
[Francisco Gomez Paz] In terms of design, I think it’s a big opportunity to try to find new languages. Then we can change all the earlier rules concerning sources of light. In my opinion, it’s a very nice opportunity to find new types of lights.

[DA] What are some of the differences from a design point of view that LED brings to you?
[FGP] There are huge differences. One is the light, the lamp, is a really tiny electronic element, not electric element, and is very small. 4×4 millimeters. It’s allowing us to put it in different types of situations that wasn’t possible before using the E27 lightbulb. It’s really amazing in terms of design. Luceplan encourages me to experiment to find new objects and new technology. Predictably there are many companies simply copying what was done before. That’s a big missed opportunity for many. Our decision is to try to imagine new frontiers of light.

[DA] How was the light conceived? Who approached who?
[FGP] This is an idea that came to me because one of the sources of inspiration a designer and an architect can have is to understand the human being. How you live and change. Of course, in the last 20 years, you have smaller houses and you remove walls because you need bigger spaces, for example it’s really common to mix the kitchen with the living room to share activities. But you still need in some cases sort of divider or filter. Hence the starting point for this idea. I tried to create a new way to divide spaces using light, LED light. I then simplified the idea using just one shape, a module, that could be configured in many interesting ways.

[DA] What are the materials used?
[FGP] Polycarbonate.

synapse

[DA] Looking at what you have on the wall, how many modules are up there?
[FGP] I know this may sound silly, I designed the assembly, but from here I can’t tell. I have to get closer to see a few seams then I can tell you.

[DA] How heavy is a module?
[FGP] They’re really light. We designed it wanting a lightweight solution and we used the minimum amount of plastic possible. Just two very light pieces of plastic that are welded together.

[DA] You had an idea. You go to Luceplan. Then you begin to collaborate with their engineers.
[FGP] Yes. I have a very good six-year relationship with Luceplan. We started with the Hope chandelier and we put to market in 2009 in Europe and 2010 here. It’s now a best seller at Luceplan and has allowed us to have a really good trusting relationship. I work almost in-house with the Luceplan engineers plus it spills over to my studio and workshop. Prototypes can be made at Luceplan or my office. A very open dialogue. That’s something really special of a relationship with Italian companies. That there’s such a close dialogue with a design company. A very open and free one.

[DA] We’re very fortunate having both the designer and the US CEO here. A business question: What percentage of your products are in the US and around the world?
[GB] The U.S. represents about 15% of total sales of Luceplan.

[DA] How long have you been in the U.S.?
[GB] Seven years in the US Before that I worked for 5 years for Luceplan in Milan as a sales and marketing director. We’ve been in the US since 1994, and it’s a long-term commitment. We are based in New York and New Jersey. We have a showroom in Soho. We have warehouses and corporate offices just outside of the city. However, the majority of the markets are the European markets. The most important markets are Germany, Italy, Scandinavia.

[DA] Luceplan is positioned as both contract and residential?
[GB] Yes, absolutely. The Luceplan line is for both markets. I would say that overall, we have about 65-70% is contract and the rest is residential. I must say that this percentage, which is quite unusual for Luceplan, is mainly due to the fact that the distribution of high-end lighting or high-end furniture stores in the US is not so wide. It’s not easy to find retail stores that can sell high-end products. This is a bit of a limit of the U.S. distribution. Certainly in the U.S. we are mainly contract oriented as far as retail.

[DA] Which are some of the U.S. cities you feel have a lot of potential?
[GB] The Northeast certainly. It’s one of our biggest markets. So is Miami. Mainly because there are a lot of South Americans and Europeans here that have bought apartments and houses and are almost residents here. The South American and European culture is very strong in Miami. The Northeast, Miami and then Canada. Southern California is another key market.

[DA] Francisco, do you just design lighting? It seems that there are so many architects doing products and vice versa.
[FGP] I do all kinds of products, not just lighting. My clients are mainly in Italy. I have a new client in America. As a designer, I’m very holistic in using different kinds of materials and means of creation for objects.

[DA] You’re strictly a product designer, not an architect? It seems in Europe there are many architects doing products and vice versa.
[FGP] I’m not an architect, even if I came from a family of them. Sometimes I’ll do some things for myself, but no I’m not. I think the same philosophies share something that is difficult to divide.

[DA] Where did you go to school?
[FGP] At the “Universidad Nacional de Cordoba” in Argentina, that is one of the oldest university of Argentina. After that I achieved a master at Domus Accademy in Milan.

[DA] What do you think of Design Miami?
[FGP] You have two different things going on in the city. The art show and the design show. The design show has matured and grown in importance attracting more people to talk about design.
[GB] Luceplan presented ‘Hope’ at Luminaire in 2010 and it was a big success. We’re presenting again tonight, introducing Synops to North America and hoping for the same kind of success.

hope

[DA] Francisco, do you do limited edition pieces for the design galleries? or are you just concentrated on production?
[FGP] For now I concentrate just on production.

[DA] What does that mean ‘now?’
[FGP] My interest in the past was doing high production pieces because of the investment that went into the objects. There was more opportunity to experiment. Today’s technology is making it possible to experiment with small production with very good quality and that will encourage designers to participate because of the allure the freedom to experiment.

[DA] Tell us about your design principles? Do green and sustainable go into it?
[FGP] We can talk a long time about this. I don’t think you can put an eco label to design because I believe that it’s something that has always been in the philosophy of design. It’s impossible not think pollution and energy consumption. My philosophy is best described knowing the shape never starts in the beginning. I always try to start from a white paper free of preconceptions of ideas or shapes. For me, a shape is already an idea that is closed. My process is long, it involves philosophy, technology and the freedom to change the pre-existing. In the end of this process the shape almost magically appears.

[DA] Giuseppe, are you selling online?
[GB] We do online sales because in the US it’s very difficult not to do them. But it’s not the majority of our sales. The majority is the contract business or with architects on projects. Hospitality. Commercial. Residential. We have a network of retail stores like Luminaire and many others, but selective. Online is for us about 10% of our sales.

[DA] Do you have any stand-alone Luceplan retail stores in any city?
[GB] We have one in New York. In the heart of Soho. It’s our flagship store. So far this is the only one. It’s been open since 2007. Prior to that we had another showroom that was less a retail store, but more a showroom still in the Soho neighborhood on Houston Street and then we moved the our current location on Green Street.

giuseppe and francisco

[DA] How successful is it? Everyone I talk to in your business niche, the jury’s out for many. How is it working for you?
[GB] It’s good. It’s working. It’s still our number-one retail store in terms of sales. Certainly, with the New York costs, you have to see it as an overall advertising touchpoint for Luceplan worldwide. A lot of people from all over the world pass through Soho which is great for our brand image.

Another thing, our store in New York is more than a retail store, it’s also a showroom. We use that space to present to architects and designers. We organize events. For us, it works both ways. It’s yes on one side, a retail store so you can come in and buy a fixture. On the other side, it’s a moment that we use to present, in an ideal situation, a light fixture to an architect. You walk into stores where it’s difficult to figure out what that fixture can really give you. In our store, we pretend to say we have ideal vignettes and situations for our fixtures. We are happy with our store.

[DA] What’s Luceplan’s philosophy? Do you have an in-house design group?
[GB] Two of the founders are Paolo Rizzatto and Alberto Meda. They founded the company and are still designing for us. We also go to Francisco and many others from France, Italy, the US and all over the world. The important thing for us is that we receive a lot of proposals for new products and then it goes through a selection. If we think it is in line with the overall general philosophy, we are certainly open to new ideas and new products. We like to always been innovative not only with the materials, but also in the idea.

[DA] What is your background? Are you a businessman or are you a creative?
[GB] I’m strictly a business person. But I love design. I’ll let you alone with Francisco now.

[DA] Francisco, is there anything else you want to say that we have touched?
[FGP] I’d like to emphasize a really good relationship with Luceplan because we share many philosophies, and important ingredient. We like to do innovative things, but not just to do them. Design is an amazing tool to make a little progression to the world. Even in small pieces. Innovation always puts new value into our lives. That’s the role of design. You try to understand everything. Technology. Human beings. You try to do that little innovation step-by-step. That way we continue to innovate. This sharing of philosophy, the beautiful relationship we have with Luceplan…we’ve discussed many times where this world is going and how we can give to this world new objects that solve problems and that improve our lives in little steps.

apero

[DA] Early-on in my interviews I used the label ‘design-driven’ objects. I felt compelled to use this label every time interviewing non-designers. A non-designer response almost always was ‘function-driven’ along with a well-thought out explanation.
[FGP] I would say idea-driven. An idea includes functions, materials and human beings. When philosophy is true to design, it transforms into something that is solid and original. What moves me are the ideas and then everything comes.

[DA] Your work is very clean. The architect Jon Ronan who’s work is also clean describes his work as ‘essential’ where he subtracts until he gets to the piece that is essential, that when you take that piece away the idea is broken. Can you describe your aesthetic?
[FGP] I cannot put myself in one aesthetic movement. Ideas can be expressed in completely different ways. There are things that are minimal and things that deserve more complexity.

I mean, it’s not something that I think of when I’m doing a project. If you see some of my designs, you will see lots of complexity but also at the same time, simplicity. My thinking is not so simple. Sometimes I love complexity. Nature is full of complexity. A tree is full of art and intelligence. I enjoy the intelligence of something and work with it. I don’t have any kind of preconception. If you take everything from a tree, what will you have? A tree is really complex. Even when it’s blooming, it’s full of flowers. Not just one. I love the freedom of nature, to be simple or complex. Depends on what you are trying to do.
[ francisco gomez paz ] [ luceplan ] [ luminaire ]

VIPP table.

Feb 7, 2013

click > enlarge

VIPP, is known for its covered pedal bins, a product marginally improved since the first one made in 1939. Today they also make kitchen and bathroom accessories. The ‘table’ is their first foray into furniture. The Vipp table features a table top made of untreated, recycled teak planks, making each table unique. Every table top thus stands out with its own distinctive character.

The table frame is constructed in powder coated aluminum and is assembled with solid corner profiles, a steel wire stabilizer and countersunk screws, giving the table an industrial feel. The table is equipped with set screws making it possible to adapt to uneven floors.

“Now that we have a whole Vipp kitchen concept, it seemed very natural to extend the collection with a table to complete the look. The table frame is the same used for the kitchen modules, ensuring stability and visual coherence. For the table top we chose natural wood that can stand daily wear and tear – it will actually develop a beautiful patina over time and create contrast to the smooth aluminum”, Morten Bo Jensen, Vipp Chief Designer. The table is available with a frame in matte black or gloss white, and is sold in the Vipp flagship store in Copenhagen. [ VIPP ]

alma. Christian reyes.

Feb 3, 2013

Alma, a collection of many interchangeable parts, including a birch table, an ash chair, felt, steel rods, and wing nuts. The collection needs only a dining table and shelves to completely furnish your space. Alma represents two months of work from the recent graduate in order to participate in Feria Habitat Valencia 2012 > Nude he was invited to.

[ christian reyes ] [ feria habitat valencia ]

2012 Good design award winners.

Jan 17, 2013

[above] Lumière Flame (shown) and Lumière Abatjour |Giovanni Alessi Anghini and Gabriele Chiave | GAA Design Farm | Alessi | 2010-11

On 15 December the 2012 Good Design Award winners were announced. Thousands of entries were vetted to highlight the best designs based on innovation, form, materials, construction, concept, function, utility and aesthetic appeal. Select 2012 winners on this page via [ BDE ] The [ complete list ] of winners.

Lento Lounge Chair | Harry Koskinen | Friends of Industry | Artek | 2006-11

[ good design award ] is the oldest Design Awards program organized annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. The awards program covers new consumer products designed and manufactured in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. The trademarked awards were created in Chicago in 1950 by three architects: Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. The logo was designed the same year by the late Chicago graphic designer, Mort Goldsholl.

hybrid furniture from textile designer kata monus.

Jan 4, 2013

textile design and furniture manufacturing re-imagined. [ kata monus ] is a hungarian designer who specializes in textile techniques, patterns, graphic design, furniture, recycling and structures.