Modern Furniture
The Tree is a coffee table by Norwegian young designer Siv Lier is where two-dimensional elements merge with the three-dimensional object. The table is a prototype made from plywood and the tree decor is silke screened onto the surface.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 16 May, 2013
The Netherlands based industrial designer, Merel Karhof has created Windworks, a collection of upholstered furniture pieces, of which the wood, upholstery, dyeing and knitting of the yarn are all made with a free and inexhaustible energy source; the wind.
In 2010 Karhof made a ‘Wind Knitting Factory’, which is a wind-powered knitting machine. The blades embrace more than a meter in diameter, and the wind caught by them powers the ‘mill’. In this way it is possible to knit a long scarf. When it is windy the machine knits fast and with less wind, the machine knits slowly. Occasionally the knitwear gets ‘harvested’ and transformed into, amongst other things, scarves. Every scarf gets a label that tells the time and date on which the wind knitted the scarf. This mobile wind factory illustrates a production process and it visualizes what you can produce with the present urban wind.
Ever since she made her first knitting factory Karhof had the wish to use the harvest of her factory to upholster chairs and stools. And what better place to do this than in the world famous windmill area, the Zaanse Schans in The Netherlands. To create a collection of furniture, ‘Wind Knitting factory’ designer Merel Karhof initiated a collaboration between three millers: a saw miller, a colour miller and a knitting miller (Karhof herself). The Zaanse Schans is an area located on the river ‘Zaan’ in the province of Noord Holland and is home to a collection of well-preserved historic windmills. Each one of these produces a different kind of raw material. There is a colour mill called ‘De Kat’ (the Cat), which has been fitted out to grind colouring materials, as well as a sawmill called ‘Het Jonge Schaap’ (the Young Sheep), that saws planks from trees to old Dutch measurements.
For the occasion of this collaboration, Karhof designed a series of furniture pieces. The wood will be sawn by the wind and assembled at the sawmill; from there it will be transported by water to the pigment mill. Here yarn will be dyed with natural dyes, grounded by the colour mill. After the dyeing process, the ‘Wind Knitting Factory’ knits the yarns, and with each harvest, the wood structures will be upholstered.
Finally, the upholstery will be constructed from little pillows, each representing the amount of time needed by the wind to make it. The result will thus give an insight into how much time is needed to produce the upholstery.
For this special event, Karhof built a new ‘Wind Knitting Factory’ that incorporates a new feature; a pennon, that gives the machine the facility to turn away from the wind when the speed gets too high, therefore allowing it to operate independently.
The machine and the furniture will be on show at colour mill ‘De Kat’ for one week during National Windmill Day in the Netherlands. A small wooden house will be constructed to display the furniture and other wind-made products.
Windworks shows a production triptych between three windmills and it makes visible what can be produced with wind power. It shows how windmills working together can become a complete and holistic industry.
Windworks by Merel Karhof from Merel Karhof on Vimeo.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 15 May, 2013
This year at the Milan Design Week 2013, Italian design brand Kartell introduces a surprising new furniture collection designed by Philippe Starck. The “Aunts and Uncles” is a family of indoor and outdoor furniture pieces which is comprised of five designs: the ‘Uncle Jack’ sofa, ‘Uncle Jim’ armchair, ‘Uncle Jo’ chair, ‘Aunt Jamy’ dining table’ and ‘Aunt Maggy’ console
“My family of Kartell “uncles and aunts” is the minimalist technological version of the armchairs and sofas where my uncles and aunts used to sit smoking their pipes or knitting by the fireplace in total peace and serenity. Times have changed and so has furniture … but our dreams are always the same”. (via)
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 10 May, 2013
The modern Curytiba chair by Brazilian designers Alessandro Toricelli & Ralph Voigt is beautiful and extremely comfortable. The chair seat and back are divided into two parts, each part was carefully bowed to the center , relieving pressure areas on the back and tailbone.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 9 May, 2013
Cable by British designer Anthony Hartley is a collection of furniture that is simple, colourful, beautiful, affordable. It’s playtime for grown-ups.
“I wanted to create an affordable range of British designed and produced furniture which is truly flexible to a modern living and working environment. Cable does this – you can choose your own colour sequences, you can easily assemble and reassemble it at will, and it takes up minimal space when not in use “
CABLE encourages people to engage with colour and design: you get to choose your own colour combination of legs, seats, table-tops and chair backs. And you can swap them around anytime you like – just like SWATCH watches and SMART cars. There’s no excuse for throwaway furniture any more.
The secret to this versatility is the unique cable-tie joint which Anthony has designed. Just poke a coloured cable-tie through the pre-drilled holes, tighten up, and done! And if you want to flatten it again, just cut through the cable ties. No tools, no DIY skills, no problem.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 8 May, 2013
An elegant leather-topped, solid wood table featuring intricate wax-thread stitched brogue detailing.
Traditionally used in shoe production, brogueing is an instantly recognisable detail that resonates with our passion for intricate craft-based techniques. The tables are produced using high-quality top grain leather, which has been treated to give a durable finish. As with the best upholstery, the table will age with use creating a piece of furniture that develops its own individual personality, thus becoming a future heirloom. Brogue is available in a range of size and base options and can work as a side, coffee, bedside or lamp table. Finishes include white or tan leather with oak or walnut bases.
About the designers :
G&T is a furniture collection and collaboration between award-winning British designer Bethan Gray and industry recognised furniture developer Thomas Turner.
G&T focuses on the design and manufacture of contemporary yet timeless families of elegant products using intriguing and seductive combinations of natural materials, adding exciting and elegant detail.
The design and development process nurtures highly-skilled and motivated manufacturers, who are passionate about their work and take personal pride in their craftsmanship.
Working in collaboration with carefully selected, like-minded retailers with similar values and vision, G&T provides products to a discerning international consumer.
G&T also offers the flexibility to meet the requirements of the interior design and contract market, through both tailoring the standard products with bespoke material options and sizes, together with designing and developing new products to specification.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 7 May, 2013
Hover by Danish design studio Linde&Linde is a seriously smart coffee table of sharp and intelligent design, which appears to gently hover over its support. The combination of surface glass with a bended aluminium frame, creates a sublime smooth and light atmosphere.
About the designers: One might say that Linde&Linde furniture is like Linde and Linde themselves – A perfect example of sleek, classic and beautiful Danish design – but with an unforgettable twist that’s impossible to resist. Linde&Linde furniture is practical elegance par excellence – stunning, sustainable pieces of high quality design, which allow you to create your own unique and personal combination of colours and textures. Mix a little Linde magic with your own for the sublime, stylish home.
Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 3 May, 2013
