bold chair by big-game for malo. felt-covered.
Let’s start with the premise that design is off to a good start in 2011. The Guardian reports the Milan Furniture Fair, in its 50th year has 2,700 companies exhibiting although attendance might not reach that of record year 2008. An interesting sidenote is this “furniture fair” has inspired the city to host hundreds of related events in showrooms, fashion stores, galleries and vacant warehouses. The fringe events are so numerous now that they take over entire districts.
no evidence this year to date of similar sentiments sketched out in 2010.
Design’s good start in 2011 might have been predicted based on what happened in Miami Basel & Design/Miami in December 2010. Last year for the first time, Design/Miami built a pavilion right across the street from the main draw, the art show, rather than their historic venue in the Miami Design District. And just like Milan, a similar pattern of creative multi-disciplined fringe events popped-up outside of South Beach and spread throughout the Design District and elsewhere. The Art Basel attendance was down but not so for Design/Miami ( in essence, this year a furniture show ) which experienced a best in their ten-year run.
Another thought, The Guardian, if they chose their words carefully, says design plays an important role in urban economies. Here we assume furniture and urban are co-dependent. What about the non-urban economies? Maybe the 2011 International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago in March, which is not urban-centric, gives hints to this question. This year for the first time the show introduces Discover Design, a juried event, with design awards for design-driven home products. This year’s houseware’s show was a very good show.
Below, a few 2011 offerings…
[ milan 2011 furniture fair hosts record numbers ] [ 2011 housewares discover design product winners ]
The Brazilian design duo, Fernando and Humberto Campana collaborate with South African leather supplier Klein Karoo company to realize the Dots collection as well as Leatherworks and Sushi for Italian furniture company Edra. The aim, to make ostrich leather spectacular and appreciated in a new and unexpected way.
The Campana Brothers, known for their interest in experimenting with new materials, introduce ostrich leather into every day pieces like stools, table and necklaces. The objects underline the diverse applications of this material by combining technology with craftsmanship. The collaboration with Klein Karoo works well in cementing their philosophy.
All pieces will be sold in the Charity Auction on 12th April. Design measures up to new economies. Triennale, viale Alemagna 6
designer: fernando & humberto campana
producer: edra & klein karoo
British manufacturer, Established & Sons products are for all intents and purposes divided into two categories. One is the collaboration with independent designer(s), the other their in-house more cost-conscious label, Estd. Here are new tabletop offerings from Estd.
Above: “Pour” where its sliced off nose becomes its spout. “Potto” incorporates a soft lid for non-slip stacking. Made of Japanese Tokoname ceramic (black in color) but feels like rubber. “Loaf” is simple in its bent wood structure. Bowlers love the lid. “Takeaway,” is a folded sheet metal container for one’s small things. “Cuboid” is a door stop, or whatever, with a forced perspective. Be on the alert for the 2011 principal collection.
Exhibition venue at the Versace Theatre, Piazza Vetra 7. April 12 – 17, hours 10a – 8p.
producer: established & sons
The Bouroullec brothers working with Mattiazzi will present ‘Osso’ (engl.: ‘Bone’), a new solid wooden chair for the small, family-owned company that has been manufacturing chairs for others since about forty years. The chair’s processing is based on highly skillful handcraft combined with a sophisticated CNC set of tools.
“We were particularly interested by the fact that all the equipment is powered by solar energy and that the wood is coming from the surrounding areas to be carefully selected without the use of any chemical treatments. They came back to the basics and this is precisely what piqued our interest and our fascination for the Mattiazzi family’s endeavor”, the Bouroullec’s explain.
“As designers, we feel involved in supporting such valiant micro-structures that are always on the edge as they try to adjust to a constantly changing market.”
MATTIAZZI Salone del Mobile Hall 6 Booth F32B + Fuorisalone Kaleidoscope, Gallery Corso Buenos Aires 10, entrance Via Giovanni Masera
Osso collection 2011
Osso chair
500 x 450 x 750 mm
Osso armchair
500 x 500 x 750 mm
Osso stool
450 x 450 x 450 mm
Osso small stool
450 x 450 x 350 mm
oak, mapple, ash plain wood
designer: ronan & erwan bouroullec
producer: mattiazzi
Collective Paper Aesthetics will present Confusions a series of fold/ unfold candle holders at Salone del Mobile 2011. The candle holders customized in three variations: Cradle 2 Cradle made from aluminum printing plates, Bling ding made from soft stainless steel and Blush made from painted metal.
Location: Via Maroncelli 14, Milan
Metro: Garibaldi
Opening hours:
12/4 10.00-18.00 pm
13/4 10.00-20.00 pm
14/4 10.00-18.00 pm Party 19.00
15/4 10.00-18.00 pm
16/4 10.00-20.00 pm
17/4 10.00-18.00 p
The presentation in Milan is supported by Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.
designer: noa haim
producer: collective paper aesthetics
retailer: felt and wire shop
Ferry Porsche developed the first Roadster prototype to create an alloy coupe in 1948. In contrast to the Porsche Number 1, the engine was now moved behind the rear axle similar to the Volkswagen. Around 50 356 aluminum coupes were produced between 1949 and 1951.
In 1951 the aluminum coupe’s manufactured in Gmund, Austria, became the basis for Porsche’s entry into the world of automotive racing. On its very first outing at the Le Mans 24 Hour race, the Porsche importer in France Auguste Veuillet, with Edmonde Mouche as co-pilot, drove the aluminum coupe straight to a class victory at an average speed of 140 km/h.
Engine: Four-cylinder twin-valve induction engine as mid-engine, central camshaft with push rods, air-cooled.
Power: 70 HP at 5.000 RPM.
Displacement: 1488 cc.
Fuel system: Two downdraft carburetors.
Transmission: Four-speed gearbox.
Chassis: Self-supporting steel body with aluminium outer panelling, independent wheel suspension, torsion-bar suspension, hydraulic drum brakes.
Dimensions & Weight: Wheel base 2.100 mm.
Length: 3.860 mm.
Weight: 640 kg.
Performance: Top speed 162 km/h.
Chassis No. of the Porsche museum car: 356/2-055.
[ porsche ] [ cartype ]
top: vipp kitchen tools consists of a breadbox, a salt and pepper mill and a dishwashing set. bottom: storebound laundry pod, a very green salad-spinner for small loads of laundry.
The 2011 International Housewares Show in Chicago discovers product design formally for the first time. Under the theme “Discover Design” the invitation-only competition design criteria is based on inspired design, quality, brand positioning, outstanding craftsmanship, exclusive market focus, retailer and consumer favorites, and design-focused sustainable product. Discover Design was developed based on attendee feedback regarding the type of companies they would like to see at the show.
the 2011 winning products are…
best collection
elevate collection – joseph joseph
taste the world gravity mills – adhoc
pure black – stelton
kor water black collection – kor water
vipp kitchen tools – vipp
best product
lunch pot – black-blum
callista lemon squeezser – blomus
the laundry pod – storebound
bottlesup glass water bottle – bottlesup
citrange – royalvkb
box cutter – slice
bird feeder – born in sweden
bq-10 tour foldable bbq set – legnoart
magisso cake server – magisso
zebag – zebag
“Pro Forma,” the first solo exhibition of the work of Rich Brilliant Willing, the New York design studio, opens tomorrow at the Volume Gallery in Chicago. The show features five pieces inspired by airplane shipping containers. Each piece, made in editions of 12 to 16, is being sold with two bases, one vertical and one horizontal, to allow for dual uses of each design.
“The materials we’re using refer to a lost era of luxury travel,” said Alex Williams of RBW. “While actual containers are made of rough industrial materials, like raw aluminum or plastic parts, we’re taking the luxury approach to them by using leather, brass and beautiful hardwoods.” The firm’s partners, Williams, Charles Brill and Theo Richardson.
Prices start at $4,500 (the nightstand, above, starts at $4,500). Through April 3 at 328 South Jefferson Street, Chicago, 414 841 3003 or volume gallery
100% recyclable PET plastic bottle.
PepsiCo announces it has found ways to create a molecular structure identical to petroleum-based PET for a bottle that looks, feels and protects products just like existing PET containers. The bottle is made from plant-based, renewable resources that is fully recyclable.
The company’s new “green” bottle is currently being made from materials such as switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. In the future, components for the bottle may include orange and potato peels, oat hulls and other byproducts left over from the company’s food business.
It’s a very meaningful step in the right direction when it comes to food packaging. Petroleum is much too valuable for it to end up in a landfill.
PepsiCo initially will outsource for biowaste but their goal is a closed-loop system with their own waste. Expect a pilot production of the new bottle in 2012 and then a full-scale commercialization if it’s successful.
Though these bottles are not biodegradable they encourage recycling. Most importantly people can try to reduce their consumption and drink liquids from a reusable container. Susan Collins, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute says, “It’s reduce, reduce, reduce, then reuse and recycle.”
Rival Coca-Cola Co already produces a “plant bottle,” which is 30 percent made with sugar cane. It is expanding use of that packaging and efforts to convert the remaining 70 percent of its bottle to a plant-based material.
A much different outcome was recently experienced by Frito-Lay’s SunChips, who scrapped a biodegradable bag after consumers complained that the bags were too loud when handled. Seriously.
bold chair by big-game for malo. felt-covered.
