News And Updates
I was bouncing around online last night, looking for some sort of design inspiration, when I came across this video that I’m sure mod*mom would love.
More a long form Cadillac commercial than Objectified, The American Look is a look at all the forms of modern design from a half-century ago.
In appreciation of the stylists of America, who work in lines, forms and textures and colors to give us beauty, charm, and elegance in the conveniences, comforts, and necessities of our daily living, as a tribute to men and women, who design.
The video showcases great examples of mid-century modern design for the house, office, and even the farm. Throughout the video, I was playing a subconscious game of recognize-the-icons. Watch the video, I’m sure you will, too.
This year at ICFF, I had the privelege of meeting many talented designers like Tom Dixon and seeing pieces from established companies like Vitra and Artemide. However, those that impressed me the most were the younger designers, particularly those of the Pratt Institute and of smaller firms. These forward-thinking creative talents showcased their use of materials and their understanding of practicality. There is no doubt that each of these individuals will go far and do good work. These are the designers to watch out for.
Joerg Student/Frank Shum
Luximo LED Lamp
Winner of the 2008 Lighting of Tomorrow Competition
At a glance this piece looks sturdy and efficient and it is. When you dig beneath the surface you find that California based designers Joerg Student and Frank Shum have put real thought into this piece.
- -Full range of motion.
- -Fully dimmable
- -The aluminum body and base are 100% recyclable.
- -9 LEDs make this piece 6 times more effecient than a 75w halogen bulb and just as bright. The LEDs produce a warm even light.
- -LEED certified and exceeds Energy Star requirements
- -Ease of use
Evan Dewhirst
Buoy Chair
I’ll admit it’s hard to create a chair that offers movement, stability, and comfort. Not to mention it has to look good. Designer Evan Dewhirst has done just that. Said to have been inspired by designers who work at tall drafting tables, Dewhirst came up with a surprsing solution. The Buoy Chair as seen in the BKLYN DESIGNS installation at ICFF 2009.
The chair requires the user to balance using both legs while seated. What this does is it allows for quick and easy movement. It increases the user’s reach and flexibility. The piece is also quite ergonomic and allows for amazing circulation in the lower extremeties. Above all, it provides relief for the weary. The piece is simple and yet by studying the piece one can tell that a lot work went into it. The Buoy Chair uses green manufacturing techniques and recycles products and materials that may otherwise be discarded.
It’s quite the balancing act to create a piece of furniture that offers constant interaction between the user and product in a practical way. Some have tried and failed in either design or execution. Dewhirst has succeeded admirably.
Read the rest of this entry »
DWR Boston June Design Event has been posted.
Design from the Inside Out
Wednesday, June 3, 6:30-9pm
DWR Boston welcomes William Spear, a renowned feng shiu expert, for a lecture tailored to builders, architects, designers and homeowners who wish to create harmonious environments that incorporate practicality, common sense and timeless principles of this ancient art. Spear will be available for questions about how to proactively apply the principles of feng shui in your space. Refreshments will be served.
Come and join the Design Boston team as we learn about the fine art of feng shiu.
RSVP to boston@dwr.com by June 1.
Now that I’ve had a chance to review all of the materials from ICFF 2009, here are a few pieces that I was particularly impressed with from Blu Dot,
Ever the darling of the design community, Blu Dot has always maintained a particular playfulness to their designs and honesty. If you’ve not seen a squirrel assemble their Real Good Chair then you’re missing out.
Limited Edition Real Good Chair, Copper
Blu Dot has given their most popular chair a facelift in this copper version. A limited edition of 100 have been produced so act fast. The copper finish for this piece effectively distinguishes it from its progenitor and dare I say it gives the piece a vintage feel.
In conjuction with the 400th anniversary of the founding of New Amsterdam by the Dutch East India Company- 400 Years Later-Cite Goes Dutch presented objects from 23 emerging Dutch designers, 1 Photographer, and 6 manufacturers. With products ranging from handbag to carpets, it was a tactile feast. The mood was casual and everyone was having a good time. Designers mingled with designtypes answering questions, offering demonstrations, and giving their thoughts on ICFF. After grabbing a quick drink at the bar the DesignBoston team got to work.
Good news for all those in the trade. Boston’s very own Vessel is now offering discounts to the trade. So whether you’re buying for a project or buying for yourself, a trade discount can be used. You can shop online at vessel.com or at their Kingston St location.
Volume discounts are also available to everyone.
For more details head to vessel.com
vessel
125 kingston street, ground level
boston, ma 02111 usa
tel 617.292.0982 fax 617.292.0983
What’s my favorite part of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Like most men, it’s when Ferris and Cameron take Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari out for the day. And, like most men, I nearly cried when said Ferrari jumped back, smashed through the windows of that imaculate garage, and crashed down into the ravine below.
Ben Rose Home
Now’s your chance to recreate that scene (although I’d rather you not, thankyouverymuch). The Ben Rose Home, site of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is for sale in suburban Chicago.
The modern glass box, designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid (obvious fans of Mies van der Rohe), features four bedrooms and four baths; that famous detached, three-car garage; and superb views of the surrounding woods. It’s all available for $2.3M.
For more information, check out the Realtor listing on the property.
ICFF 2009 was smaller than last year, surely due to the economy, but there was no shortage of imaginative, thoughtful designs.
Indeed, the amount of sustainable design at the show was greater than ever, and the pieces showed a great deal of both creativity and maturity. Below, here are 11 green designs, from floors to ceiling lights, that I think are especially noteworthy.
 Scrap Lights from Graypants Scrap Lights, designed by Seattle-based architect/designers Jonathan Junker and Seth Grizzle, aka Graypants, are made from repurposed cardboard boxes. The pieces are handmade, so their slightly irregular pattern creates playful shadows on the walls. When the Scrap Light’s lifecycle is up, it can simply be recycled into something new. |
 MIO Naked Cabinets MIO Naked cabinets are made with Formaldehyde free particleboard made from independently certified 100% pre-consumer recycled wood fibers. It’s then assembled, but not painted, turning what is normally thrown away into an aesthetic statement. |
 Greenplay Greenplay is a modular play system made from “recycled, renewable, and low-impact materials”. They’re painted in low- or no-VOC paints, meaning they’re safe for both your kids and the planet. Which is the point of all this, isn’t it? |
 Izm There are no recycled or recovered materials for Izm’s Visualizm AV unit. Jerad Mack and Shane Pawluk’s idea of sustainability works a bit differently. Working with the knowledge that it takes 100 years for one walnut tree to grow to maturity, they use age-old construction techniques to ensure that their furniture will be passed down from generation to generation. So when it’s ready to be replaced, that tree’s grown back. |
 Pieter VanTuyl There’s no chance of calling Pieter VanTuyl’s Illuminated Shelf cold. This beautifully crafted shelf, made from sustainably-harvested walnut, with it’s illuminated glass shelf, is a striking example of green modernism done right. |
 MissPrint Fireplaces are considered fairly environmentally unfriendly, what with the wood or gas burning. EcoSmart Fires, fueled by clean burning denatured ethanol, don’t need a flue or a connection to a utility, giving you the warmth of a fireplace and the flexibility to install it where you’d like. |
 Anne Kyyrö Quinn Anne Kyyrö Quinn’s striking three-dimensional wall panels, made with 100% renewable wool felt, suggest dramatic movement and help absorb sound in a space. It’s that they are constructed with such a simplicity of design that truly shows Quinn’s talents. |
 Lulan Artisans Eve Blossom, Lulan Artisans‘ founder and CEO, takes a whole-Earth approach to sustainability: She and design partners Laura Guido-Clark and Michael Koch design textiles, which are then woven in Cambodia, India, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam using centuries-old techniques. These techniques help ensure each country’s culture remains intact while providing economic opportunity for them. Their new Diamond Cut line is made of 100% organic cotton, hand-woven, hand-dyed and hand-spun, and is available in six colors. |
 MissPrint UK-based MissPrint, the mother-daughter team of Yvonne and Rebecca Drury, produce their own lines of wallpaper. Each midcentury-inspired design is hand-drawn, touched up in Illustrator, then hand-made from PEFC-certified paper and low- or non-toxic dyes. |
 Iannone Design Michael Iannone uses a variety of sustainable materials, including cork, reclaimed and FSC-certified lumber, bamboo, and Kirei (Soughum board). But the materials aren’t the only thing to take notice of: His innovative styles create eye-catching pieces that would right just about any interior. |
 Lift soap dish by Steph Mantis What if we could make something that would let us use the ordinary, everyday things we buy last a bit longer? That, and how to make if for only a dollar were the questions Steph Mantis of Pratt Institute’s Department of Industrial Design answered with her Lift soap dish. The dish is designed to save soap by lifting the bar up off the surface. Not a huge problem, yet a very real one at the same time. |
No single piece was the furthest reaching or most radical attempt as sustainable design, but taken as a whole, they reflect the wide range of options avaiable for green living.
With the continued push of designers, both large and small, into green design, I look forward to the day when “sustainable” is no longer a feature, but a standard.
Having been a huge fan of Helvetica, I was really looking forward to Objectified. I am somewhat new to the world of typeface, but in the arena of industrial design and mass production I can talk for hours, so this was right up my alley.
The premise of the film is to take a peak into the world of industrial design and how we as consumers consume. This was a film with good intentions but it felt a little like a tease and also felt a little unfocused. To compare Objectified to Hustwit’s previous success Helvetica which dealt with the history, proliferation, and opinion of a typeface, Objectified tried to take on a little too much with just one film.
Jonathan Ive of Apple
The film starts off aptly enough with Apple’s Jonathan Ive saying “When you see an object, you make so many assumptions about that object in seconds. What it does. How well it’s gonna do it. How much you think it should cost.”
Objectified was evaluated in the same manner. Was it well designed? Not necessarily. Was it entertaining, fun, and thought-provoking? Absolutely.