Clever and simple design solution

It is so good to see that libraries and bookcases are still in the mind of designers and furniture producers! And not only that - designers change successfully our notion about what they should be! I think that designers nowadays begin finally to get their roles as problem-solvers properly. I saw today Jonathan Olivares’s new Factor shelves, designed for Driade at metropolismag.com and was fascinated by this simple and clever solution of centuries old problem - with his design now we don't have to strain to reach the top shelf and bend over to see the titles near the floor. The wood units curve to put books within easy reach, while a ridge at the front and back of the shelves keeps them in place - great!

REMNANT CHAIR - for a remnant life?

I do not want to be rude, but isn't this REMNANT CHAIR an abuse for the elegant lines of Mies van der Rohe's famous chair? Although the author Bo Reudler says that

"The Remnant Chair pays homage to its predecessors, the Barcelona Chair and the
PK22 but has its own distinct personality.",

I can see only some very depressing form of similarity.

"The cushions are upholstered with remnant fabrics salvaged from local
furniture upholsterers."

- didn't we depreciate sustainability and eco-awareness into a flag for gaining
popularuty? Couldn't we design and produce furniture without the feeling of
going backwards? I do not accept this trend in contemporary design - it has nothing to do with the role of design to make our lives better.

Just compare:

Can the chair at the beginning of my post be a homage to this one?


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More on Home Decor Fall 2008 TRENDS

According to pointclickhome "Sometimes words speak louder than pattern (or so it seems this season)" - a confirmation of the typography trend I wrote about last month.

Forbidden Fruit Lamp by Dan Yeffet (above) for Materialise.MGX.is created through a prototyping technique: Stereolithography (SLA) made out of epoxy. Size: 395 x 271 x 50 mm

The reign of purple is
supplemented by the Fabulous Fuchsia trend combined with the classically romantic rose motif, but in a modern translation - in this Elba sofa fabric by William Yeoward for Designers Guild.



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Purple Reigns in Interior Design

According to Decorati 'this fall purple - the colour of royalty is ready to rule'. I would agree with them - having in mind the connection between fashion and interior design. According to the latest fashion reviews this season's color du jour is berry and its many shades, from deep purple to bright magenta. Also, as we remember, at the beginning of this year Panton's choice of colour was the Blue Iris -

so the trends forecasts seem to be quite true.

I like this elegant Arabesque Cocktail Table by Dakota Jackson that they offer (right).

Purple is great as an accent colour even in otherwise calm and soft interiors - a good example is this Corona Decor Purple Dahlia Pillow



Here are some more practical suggestions in purple and berry colours for your home renovation or new design search:

Children's Daisy Pastel Pink & Purple Wood Stacking Bookshelf

Magic-Lite Purple Finish Adjustable Gooseneck Table Desk Lamp w/Bulb

Chelsea Table Lamp in Purple - LumiSource -





Kids Ottoman - Heart Mini Ottoman in Purple - LumiSource -
Premium Plus Flokati Vivid Purple ?5' X 3' Area Rug

'Purple Planet' Wall Clock by Mandy Collins at Purple 13 Photo-Art









Soft Folding Chair With Pillow - Light Purple - a unique seating solution. Perfect for reading, watching tv, or playing video games! This chair is ratcheted, so it can stay in different positions, as well as folding and unfolding.

Violet Rose Floral Cotton Quilt Set
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The Feeling of Luxury in Interior Design

Continuing on the theme of luxury. The trend 'Understated Luxe - 2008' is all about “whispering” luxury and elegance in home decor, furnishings and accessories. To "Live Highly" (quote from an ad for luxurious hotels) does not necessarily always mean to spend fortunes of money. How do you create the feeling of luxury in interior design? One of the most often used approaches is with the help of precious materials (or their immitations) - glittering gold or sparcling crystal. But one of my favourates is the tufting pattern. Designer Jacques Garcia's Cristobal chest uses both of them. Its pillowy, tufted pattern is carved from a solid and maple veneer body, while its lustrous finish is achieved by hand-rubbing silver leaf layered over gold leaf. The chest's black lacquer interior houses two adjustable shelves.
"Originally employed to secure cushioning to the
backs and seats of upholstered furniture, tufting today is also more for visual
interest than practicality. Tufting adds dimension and drama to
upholstery..." - TheHome blog has a video about tufting and its re-emerging.

Ceracasa’s Emotile line shows the visual texture of tufted fabric in the Capitone series:


You can use these to create the feeling of luxury in your bathrooms. Cleaning would be a little difficult, but one has always to make choices:)

Jaime Hayon uses this pattern not only in hiss Latest Project - A Satellite Champagne Bar , but also in his Showtime collection for Bd Ediciones de Diseño.

Used in bed design tufting creates feeling of cosiness:

Tufted High Arch Bed

And if you like the idea, it is not a difficult DIY task.

But what about a tufted bed for babies?

Hand tufted Italian leather Sandra baby crib is supposed to be the ultimate in luxury. Also available in Crypton Fabric that is stain, bacteria and odor resistant. The patent pending locking mechanism is encased entirely in the top crib rail for a visually uncluttered design. What is very substantial about it - converts to toddler and youth bed.

More about the luxury trend will follow soon.

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Luxury in Kitchens

Subdued luxury is the trend for this year in interior design. What is luxury when we are talking about kitchens? For me it is not exactly glitter and precious materials. It can be this gorgeous minimalist look with curved elegant forms - we are not made to work at straight lines. At a time when the kitchen is the new entertainment room where preparing food is a communal activity, it is ultimate luxury to have a well designed ergonomic workspace like this one (left) wich the Pedini Kitchen offers you.

Space can be luxury, too.

In a Greenwhich Village apartment, designer Thomas Britt melded comfort and exoticism.

The kitchen and dining area were made less “raw and open” to the adjacent living
area

says architectural designer Peter Napolitano. The elongated custom cabinetry plays off the large windows. And the paint of the cupboards bleds with the walls -as a result the room looks much more spacious.

Here is a rule for best kitchen design, by Madonna's brother, who designed not only her kitchen, but also the majority of her New York apartment:

“You get the best appliances and work around them. But the only reason there’s a microwave is that Madonna likes to make popcorn.”

The kitchen is in direct contrast to the main living areas (below), a combination of white tile and stainless steel. The space is useful but small, made for intimate gatherings. “I don’t like rooms you never use or that are wasted space,” says Madonna, “but I also like a sparseness and a cleanness.” But, Ciccone adds, “Madonna doesn't cook much. I think she has a couple of cookbooks, and now and then she makes Rice Krispies treats, but I wanted to give her the option if she wanted to,” he jokes.

via Hooked on Houses

and Architectural Digest

Луксът в кухнята - какво означава това? Не толкова блясък и показност, колкото удобство и качествени материали, приложени умело от добър дизайнер, за да се постигне ефективност и уют в едно от най-използваните (обикновено) помещения у дома. В кухнята по-горе няма да забележите ярка демонстрация на лукс, независимо, че това е кухната на Мадона. Проектирана е от нейния брат с мисълта, че въпреки че тя готви рядко, ако случайно реши да го прави да има стимулираща среда за това. Правилото му за успех в кухненския дизайн: "Осигурявате си най-добрите електроуреди и разработвате останалото според тях". Тук, в контраст на останалата част от апартамента, са използвани обикновени бели плочки и неръждаема стомана в малко, но удобно пространство - самата Мадона казва, че не обича "стаи, които нокога не използваш или са загуба на пространство", докато навсякъде другаде се забелязват мебели от известни дизайнери и богатата й колекция от картини на художници като Пикасо, например в офиса й. Ето още снимки от апартамента й - един доста типичен, струва ми се, стил за Ню Йорк:

Луксозна изглежда и кухнята, направена по индивидуален проект така, че да съответства максимално на стила и пространството на останалата част от жилището - както в синята кухня в Манхатън по-горе. Тук на огромните прозорци подхождат издължени шкафове, които нарочно са боядисани в цвета на стените на цялата дневна - така чувството за простор се усилва още повече.

Но, както се видя на изложението по време на панира в Милано тази година Eurocicina 2008, заоблените ергономични форми се завръщат. И това е естествено - ние не сме създадени да работим по права линия. Самата природа предпочита заоблените форми, а и много по-удобно е да не заобикаляме ръбове и ъгли в кухнята. Луксът тук е инвестицията в нови технологии и материали, които ни позволяват да постигнем тази лекота и елегантност, демонстрирани от кухнята DUNE на Pendini (най-горе). Но за по-икономичен бюджет подобен ефект би могъл да се постигне и с по-достъпни материали.

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Design Miami/ Basel 2008 - Controversial

"Design-art" is a commercial phenomenon, not a cultural one

writes Alice Rawsthorn in an article published last month in IHT. I will add - a sociological one, too. It is true that commercial interests are behind the strong drive, but they are also a result of the social developments. Design and designers are trying to find their role in a new type of society, and the society is trying to estimate thir influence, too. I think that the term "design-art" and the phenomenon of design auctions has a positive meaning, too - this is a way for the wide audience to value more design and the work of designers and to admit their important role. I agree that

"often uncomfortable chairs don't deserve to be aggrandized by the intellectual
trappings of art"

and that

"there are deeper, more complex areas of design than "design-art"; and that
all
of the hullabaloo about it distorts public perceptions of design, and
distracts
attention from its overriding mission of building a better world,
not
ditzier chairs."

And I like only some of the products of some of the Designers of the Future prize 2008, but I am also convinced that all that attention in the end will bring to the world some really good achievements.

A very true comment on Dezeen about the products of the Designers of the Future prize 2008:

"Cowbench is so disturbing. i think its good to use anatomy of an animal
(sea
lion-like or a headless dog) as a metaphor for design but this one
becomes too
literal to the point that it becomes weird. i would imagine that
it would feel
like sitting on a dead animal ? so bothering"

I like the experiments of Max Lamb. It appears that Brad
Pitt also like s his bronze poly chair’ (above)
A positive comment from Kenny Schachter in Frame of mind - the visual arts blog:

"the quality of the design on offer is better than it has ever been and the strong crowds are full of famous names."

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Design Miami/ Basel 2008 - the place to be now!

Everyone is talking now about it. And obviously there is a lot to see. If you cannot be there the above can be a small substitute.
Impressions from the press preview and the vernissage of the design fair Design Miami/ Basel.
via VernissageTV

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Milan Preview 1

Frame Magazine has published a series of 6 up to now previews of the Milan Furniture Fair 2008. One of the most ionteresting new products seems to be the new chair Her by Fabio Novembre. As they say,

Fabio Novembre once more shows his obsession for the female body. Yet there is a
male version on its way, called Him. Her is made from polyethylene, available in
black and white and suitable for in- and outdoors.

But this is also another project that accents on the trend for a dissipating border between in and out - a number of interesting furniture collections that are equally comfortable and elegant to serve us both - at the veranda and in our living rooms. It was last year's B & B Cansta collection by Urquiola that seems to have started it, although Urquiola made aslo the Maia collection, designed exclusively for Kettal.


Another new product suitable for both in- and outdoors:




This multifunctional stool SOS by Josh Owenis made from polyethylene, available in black, white, blue, light brown and orange. The two elements attached to the seat can be used as cup-holders, handles or hooks. Turned upside-down it becomes a fun and unusual vase or container.



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Limited Edition - the New Trend

With the border line between art and design fast dissipating more and more companies are beginning to produce limited editions of exclusive design furniture and galleries are investing in these as in art. We remember that happened last April in Milan and another good example are the Amanda Levets's fluid forms in her recent exhibition ‘Around the Corner’ . I like this trend - I like the idea of collecting practical art - something that inspires you along with serving you well!

One great example of such 'practical art' are the whimisical, yet luxurious creations from the Portugal furniture company Boca Do Lobo, each limited to a production of only 20 pieces: Forest SideboardMondrian

Trinity

Below are the latest models - they are a new development of the existing model Pearls, but with new finishes and are a pre-view of their new collection "Coolors" - Passion Furniture.

http://www.bocadolobo.com/

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