Social Awareness + Environmentally Friendly Design
Last week I featured Studio Ubico founded by Ori Ben Zvi who creates furniture series out of recycled materials with a very fresh look. Ori uses reclaimed wood, mimicking ready made objects. Yesterday morning I got an email from Ori that a fresh design has come out and I simply had to share it with you.
This new line is called “Stortz” which apparently means “stump” in German. I couldn’t find anything on it on the net, it may be an old German word. Ori tells me that almost all the words to do with carpentry in Israel are in German since the very first carpenters in Israel were originally from Germany.
Falling for Autumn Hues
Despite it being sunny and positively spring-like in Central Arkansas this week (which I prefer over last week’s Flash Flood from Hell Spectacular), it’s still fall and the leaves are changing beautifully. The rich, warm palette of reds, oranges, purples, browns and golds can be found inside as well, on everything from rustic furniture to luxe accessories and mod accents.
If I’m traveling and there’s an Anthropologie where I’m going, you can be certain I’ll be stopping by to ogle their fantastic and unique wares. They should really let me open one here in Little Rock. (Call me!)
Anyway, I’m loving the funky pattern on their Dancing Paisley flocked window panel. It’s available in several lengths, and is fully lined and 100-percent cotton.
Store Review: Aron Design in Budapest
I happened to be in the city during Budapest Design Week – October 2nd -11th which ran for the sixth consecutive year.
It consisted of design fairs, exhibitions, open studios and programs for children. This year’s theme focused on artists’ creativity and innovations. As well as drawing the public closer to the Hungarian and international design world.
I managed to visit the Aron Design Store which turns into a kind of ‘ museum’ for the week.
Designer review: Shine Home
Shine is the creative outlet for Susan Hornbeak Ortiz, the co-owner and designer. The style of Shine is very Southern Califiornia slick. Like Palm Springs during the rat pack years when Courrèges was king.
And the furniture reminds me a lot of movies from that era as well – with a twist. The fabric of the piece above with the traditional fabric tacked edges is very mid-60’s – but the cut out from the top of the back is something different. An Asian influence in shape.
Shira Abel is the CEO and founder of Hunter & Bard, an award-winning public relations and design agency that works with scale-ups and enterprises on building their brand, awareness and thought leadership.
As CEO of Hunter & Bard, Shira oversees a team that manages public relations, marketing, design, and brand development for clients across multiple industries. She develops strategies for organically growing companies through sincere digital engagement and the application of behavioral marketing.
Clients include JELD-WEN, Benchling, Sixth Continent, Totango, Folloze, Radix DLT, Axa Tech, Allianz, and many more. Shira is also a sought after corporate speaker and marketing mentor, and has spoken at events such as Confluence and Content Marketing World, and taught at institutions such as Kellogg School of Management and S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai.
Read more about Shira’s company Hunter & Bard at https://www.hunterandbard.com
Furniture show review: High Point
Here she is again, Hermine Mariaux, every designers best blogger…
Aïssa Logerot’s ‘Instable’ Table
Aïssa Logerot of Paris has created an interesting table which reacts to the volume and weight placed upon it. Besides this unique feature, I think it is quite beautiful. I like the simple lines and the random pattern the wooden pieces create on the surface.
The London Design Festival 2009
Last month there was a very special design event in London, the London Design Festival of 2009. Although I didn’t attend (hopefully next year) I have been looking at all sorts of interesting photos on the web of some strange and wonderful furniture that was exhibited there. Here are a few pieces that caught my eye.
Firstly the chair arch, built by Wallpaper magazine in association with Ercol (a company that makes handmade furniture) at the V&A garden. Apparently in Victorian Britain it was common practice for unusual arches to be constructed from local commodities in order to celebrate the local industry. The chair arch installation by Wallpaper Magazine was inspired by the first Chair Arch which was built in 1877 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s visit to High Wycombe. Here is a photo of the modern day chair arch at night (courtesy of Susan Smart Photography).
Instant furniture update, paint it!
Paint is a small miracle waiting to happen, one coat makes it cleaner, two coats give it personality and three coats do the trick for a full update to old furniture.
Bench, Please!
As far as multipurpose furniture goes, you can never go wrong with a bench or two. The location possibilities are almost endless—put one at the foot of the bed or in front of a window, create communal-style seating at the dining table or group a few together for a modular conversation pit. Today’s offerings are more stylish than ever, with clever storage, unexpected materials and silhouettes to fit every decor.
Quite possibly the most brilliant piece of furniture ever, the Cognita bench designed by BluDot for Herman Miller is equally at home in the office or in the bedroom. The upholstered seat lifts to reveal ample space for files or extra linens, while the hard section (which is the perfect spot to place a cocktail, by the way) opens to a removable tray with organizing compartments for smaller bits. A pair of drawers completes this smart instant classic.
Used indoors or out, Arktura’s laser-cut Coral table is bound to leave a lasting impression. Made from bent steel, the bench has soft lines, and is eco-friendly thanks to its no-VOC powder-coated finish. And the mesmerizing pattern is “algorithmically-generated,” which involves math.
Store review: Junktion
Junktion is another store in Jaffa that left me in awe of what can be done with all sorts of stuff instead of throwing it out. Their philosophy that there is enough stuff in the world and that you can create with what already exists is one that I share. The designers at Junktion take what you thought of as JUNK and create something completely out of the ordinary. They like to take things out of context and I am seriously wowed by their designs.
One of the first things that fascinated me was this bar stool made out of bicycle parts. They make several variations of it:
