Berlin (not Cleveland)
What a beautiful office in the Berlin home of film director and producer Jan Schmidt-Garre. Chief Wahoo approves.
More at Freunde von Freunden
High Contrast
Striking image by photographer Richard Powers, taken in the New York home of designers George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. The strong perspective and bright light draw you in, but the high contrasts of light/heavy, smooth/rough, and shiny/dull in the furnishings are what bring it to life. Divine.
Soft Focus
Close-up of an early coffee table design in walnut. The soft focus was accidental, but I love how it gives it a heavenly glow.
Worlds Collide
These wonderful images are a not so subtle reminder of the importance that context plays in design. A Swan Sofa by Arne Jacobsen and Air-Chairs by Jasper Morrison in fuchsia and orange brighten up a Gothic Cathedral and a drab canteen. Cleverly conceived by Suzy Hoodless for Selfridges.
Inside Out or Outside In?
Now here’s a fresh take on indoor/outdoor living. In the Venice, California, home of artist Doug Aitken, silkscreened walls mimic the hedges growing outside the windows. Love it, especially with the contrasting orange pendant lamp and upholstery.
The sectional sofa with built-in end tables and storage below is great too. It’s exactly the type of custom design we specialize in. If you’re interested in something like it, just give us a shout.
Next Stop Hollywood
A custom wall mount Backdrop TV Console ready to head off to it’s new home in Hollywood.
Mad Men of Design
When I see this photo I can’t help but think of Mad Men. I’m super excited that the long awaited fifth season is finally here (there’s a great article about it in the San Francisco Chronicle by David Wiegand). From the July 1961 issue of Playboy, it shows the “dream team” of mid-twentieth century American furniture designers (George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames and Jens Risom) and captures a watershed moment in modern American design still full of optimism and endless possibility that would soon change as the upheaval and uncertainty of the sixties unfolded.
Black Hoodie
This fireplace is very cool and a bit sinister looking (just like Darth Vader). In the all white Spanish living room, the striking black metal hood is the focal point. The elevated wall-to-wall horizontal hearth with firewood storage below is a clever and practical detail. Unfinished brick and terracotta tile floors add warmth and texture to the stark black and white palette, and the sculptural Eames chair and Miguel Mila lantern soften the rectilinear space.
Mini Wallscape
A custom mini Wallscape shelf panel in our workshop prior to being shipped off to it’s new home on Puget Sound in Seattle.
Size Matters
Now that’s what I call a big, full-bodied wine! We had a great time this weekend wine tasting in Napa with our pal Janet, who works for Caymus Vineyards. If you haven’t tried their wines you should. I’m no wine connoisseur, but I know a good wine when I taste it. Their award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are out of this world.
This enormous bottle of wine in their warehouse got me thinking about size in art and design. Why is it that familiar objects become more fascinating when oversized or miniaturized? Claes Oldenburg utilizes this to great effect with his gigantic sculptures of everyday items. In my showroom I display 1/8 scale models of my furniture designs and I’m pleasantly surprised by how many people respond to them. Vitra sells miniature replicas of modern classic chairs for hundreds of dollars. Size does seem to matter, although bigger isn’t necessarily better.
