African Influence at Salone Internazionale del Mobile, not only on the Runways

This year with the 'M'afrique' exhibition Moroso shows the creativity of a few of the great artists
and exponents of contemporary african culture, but I am impressed with another African influence - the ERMANNO SCERVINO launch of the company’s first furniture and linens collection inspired by the designer’s African vacations. Sofas, chairs and a canopy bed covered with crocheted raffia in black or natural. And especially interesting raffia armchair with legs aand arms made of horns of zebu cow. The furniture is produced under license by Nicoletti.
source: The Selvedge Yard



It appears that African influence is a fashion trend, too - have a look at NewYork Times Fashion and Style.
Again fashion and interior design trends share a common source of inspiration.

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Crafts are in Fashion at Milan Furniture Fair 2009

I have posted several examples already about the crafts trend at this year's Milan Design Week, but this one seems to be my favourite:

GAN, Gandia Blasco’s carpet and textile brand, presents at the Salone in Milan the second collection designed by Patricia Urquiola - MANGAS.
MANGAS (engl. SLEEVES) is based on a patchwork of different wool knits, to create a collection of various typologies with different shapes, going from Manga corta (short sleeve) to Manga de campana (bell-shaped sleeve).
The result is a series of eight very special carpets, full of nuances, due to their variety of textures and colours
Another one: KAIRO, a chair in solid fragrant cedar-wood.
Reflecting on the experience of designing KAIRO, Karim Rashid says: “When I designed the KAIRO chair for RIVA 1920 I was guided by the woodworking process itself used to produce a piece of furniture from a simple block of wood, with the ’objective of removing the least quantity of wood possible from the trunk.
The unusual double-arc form cut into the chair draws its inspiration from my recent trip to Egypt where I was particularly struck by these lines that seem to conjure up an eye. A line that I found again and again in furniture, in the shape of certain boats carved by hand into the wood and in the symbolism of hieroglyphic writing of the ancient Egyptians”. (source Architonic)

But probably one of the most popular events during thie design week is the Craft Punk event organized by Fendi and Design Miami "In response to new currents in design practice and the present state of the world, Craft Punk is a celebration of tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and brilliantly low-tech design processes."A selection of young designers working onsite with traditional handcraft methods to create nonconformist, cutting-edge objects, installations, and encounters.

The meaning of the word punk here (according to designboom) "the drive and inspiration to make something from nothing; finding beauty in things that are imperfect and asserting one’s voice despite restricted opportunities."


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My Pecha Kucha Presentation

Pecha Kucha Sofia
My theme: Design in RECESSION and
many other re-wordsWith examples from the latest in Milan Furniture Fair 2009.

Във времето на многото Rе-та

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A Dancing Table at Milan Design Week

Have you seen another dancing table?
Milan based designer Emmanuel Babled presents at the officially starting today Milan Design Week a marble table with the most suitable name 'Paso Doble', produced by Tor Art.

What would you say - can marble look lighter and more mobile than this?

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Birzi Table Lamps are Interactive

These Birzi Table Lamps by Luceplan by Carlo Forcolini and Giancarlo Fassina are not only elegant and interesting, but they also are designed to be interactive. Get playful and have fun twisting and bending their malleable shapes according to whim. "For those times you can't escape task drudgery with a zen weekend, there's Luceplan. Tranquil lighting design in hip sake colors." You can receive a FREE Birzi Table Lamp in Green finish with a Luceplan order of $400 or more. Use Promo code "Birzi" during checkout.

If you want more inspiration, go see below what is the new fascinating design that Luceplan is going to launch next week in Milan.

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Kilt and norwegian pullover for the terrace

That is the Stylepark's original title of the story behind the new special edition D.D.C. (Dedon Dress Code):
"the Dedon Dress Code takes its inspiration from specific ideas and styles in the fashion business. Here, traditional Scottish tartan "Edinburgh" not only stands for the culture of the highlands but also for the type of genre-crossing elevated to a principle in the London of the punk era by such icons as the Sex Pistols and Vivienne Westwood. "Cambon", on the other hand, transfers the 1950s New Look with its characteristic hound's tooth checks to large-format furniture decors. In fashion and interior design (in the Vorwerk collection "Inspiration") and even in automobile design (for example, in the Kia Soul) ironically enlarged hound's tooth patterns are currently in evidence relatively often. "Marseille" - a textile with brilliant blue stripes references the sailor look so often in vogue on the French Riviera and thus, simultaneously, articulates the kind of landscapes of longing where the idea of an "outdoor living room" seems particularly plausible. "Oslo", a somewhat smaller-scale design, is meant, so the press release would have us believe, to personify "the untamed wilderness and harshness" of the Scandinavian landscape. The idea for this came from the Norwegian pullover."

- you see, another evidence of the connection between interior design and fashion! These new outdoor collections are going to be launched next week at the Milan Furniture Fair.
Previews and more news for iSaloni are available here.

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PREVIEW iSaloni: Luceplan

The suspension lamp Hope is one of Luceplan key products that are to be launched next week at iSaloni.
It refers to Bohemian crystal chandeliers interpreting them with sophisticated technologies and contemporary materials.

Designed by Francisco Gomez Paz and Paolo Rizzatto as “a plastic chandelier, light, unbreakable, with low environmental impact, not very cumbersome, easy to assemble and disassemble, with a lower cost than its more illustrious forebears, but still capable of lighting, furnishing and astonishing” it "reveals that it is possible to update the typology of the traditional chandelier, adding something to its aura".
More about this interesting design project on the site of INTERNI magazine.


source: design-italia

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New at Milan Salone: Mosaic Shoe Bathtub

This is not only the most unusual idea of a bath tub, but it also seems to be very comfortable! And probably the first one intended for women - or not?
This new bathtub model will be unveiled at the Milan showroom of SICIS, April 22 to 27, 2009.
The mosaic detail on this shoe is made from very tiny glass tiles, less than a tenth of an inch each.







source
More news for Milan Furniture Fair 2009

Art Furniture in Office Design and for Your Home

In times of economic crisis design tends to solve problems rather than create unique art that requires considerable investments. But exactly in such gloomy time we need the inspiration of art in order to go through it and see the 'silver lining'.
This is a unique sculptural table that I came across today, suitable for the most artistic office in the world! Great work! The fusion of glass with the elm wood is so natural and elegant! I have posted about great office design products, but this is the most impressive one!

Its name is Ulmus Impudicus by the artist Danny Lane and was created in 2007 from Booked burr elm, aluminium, Colour glass — China Red
H72 x L500 x W188cm















For my home I would choose his Nv Wa Forged, flame cut steel, Colour glass tables (above) - aren't they the best focal point for any room?

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ZOO - Marc Sadler's New Table at Milan

Designer Marc Sadler has created an elegant table for the Italian company Caimi that will be launched at the coming Milan Design Week this month. The new rectangular table ZOO has toughened glass top with rounded edges and is distinguished by its unique sculptural legs. Made in a composite of steel and carbon, they are characterized by their innovative and three-dimensional textural finish. The fixings at the top and the feet are in satined stainless steel.

Source: Products | DOMUS

More about Milan Furniture Fair 2009

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How Cool Is Your House Quiz

A little amusement for my visitors: I just found this quiz on channel4 and got assured how good designer I am:)
I am using quotation marks to enclose the original text from the quiz results.

"We bow to your home...

Unbelievable level of hip. You're not just on top of all the latest trends - you're out there creating your own and you're copied relentlessly by everyone you know. Tom Dixon's got you on speed dial and Posh Spice wants to you design her Milan pad (which you'd never deign to do, obviously)."

Here is the link:

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/play-win/quizzes/how-cool-is-your-house.html

Although I like the illustration they used to show how cool my home is, I would have chosen something much better - like one of my favourit cupboards that are going to be part of this year's Milan Design Week

You can take the quiz here yourself and are all welcome to comment. I am curious to see what you think.

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Designer Soap

Even soaps can impress you with an imaginative design:


Just in time to celebrate spring I came accross these
Robin's Egg Soaps







And these are not real gems, but glycerin soap gems fool the eye in perfect shades of amber and green. Hand-sculpted to perfection, these luxe soaps are just the thing to have on hand for last-minute gifts.




















Soap Stones
You can bring the tranquility of nature and Zen into your home by adding Soap Stones to your bathroom decor. These purifying pebbles are mixed according to an honored Thai formula. Each piece will last for two or more washings.

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Dining in the Company of a Frog

or working in the company of a frog? This table is part of a project that continues the limited edition trend that emerged in the last couple of years.

Hella Jongerius celebrates the sculptural quality of design in her latest products, artificial flowers and animal tables, which will be shown in Gallery Kreo in Paris, April 2009.

Jongerius has become known for the way she explores the possibilities and boundaries of both handicraft and industrial techniques and subsequently stretches them beyond the already known.

In this project she has taken yet another experimental step within her career: the celebration of the sculptural quality of furniture - a table has become frog.


left: frog table by hella jongerius, 2009 (limited edition of 8 numbered and signed pieces)
walnut wood and blue transparent enamel

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Масата се казва frog и е създадена в ограничена бройка - 8 номерирани и подписани маси - от орех и прозрачно емайлово покритие в синьо. Тя е част от изложбата на Hella Jongerius в парижката галерия Крео този месец. И продължава тенденцията за създаване на ограничени серии от предмети на дизайна, която започна в последните години.

Milan Design Week 2009 Preview

Milan's Salone Internazionale del Mobile event is considered by many to be the most important international design event of the year. Why? - the answer is in my article published in the latest issue of PLiNTH & CHiNTZ.
I have many posts here about what is coming in the 2009 Milan Furniture Fair this month. The article has collected most of these previews. But we still are going to see more exciting news from Milan this month. Visit regularly for updates.
And comments are welcome, too.

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home furnishings