MARITAL GENIUS

The American designers and husband and wife duo, Charles and Ray Eames created more than a "look" with their bent plywood chairs or molded fiberglass seating. They had ideas about making a better world, one in which things were designed to fulfill the practical needs of ordinary people and bring greater simplicity and pleasure to our lives. The Eameses adventurously pursued new ideas and forms with a sense of "serious fun." Yet, it was rigorous discipline that allowed them to achieve perfection of form and mastery over materials. As the most important exponents of organic design, Charles and Ray Eames demonstrated how good design can improve quality of life and human understanding and knowledge. Depending on the world region, licensing for Eames products is either through the Herman Miller Company or through Vitra. For example here in the U.S. the licensing is through HM whereas in Europe it is through Vitra. 20th century Eames furnishings can be sourced on 1stdibs.

related links:
www.hermanmiller.com
www.vitra.com
www.1stdibs.com
www.eamescollector.com
www.eamesfoundation.org

images: (click on images to enlarge)
La Chaise (top)
Aluminum Group lounge & ottoman (2nd)
RAR rocker & LCW-cowprint (3rd)
Eames Lounge & ottoman (4th)
Eames desks & bookcase/storage units (bottom)

ING-ENIOUS

Certainly one of the most “prolific and respected artist/designers today” is German born Ingo Maurer. Maurer’s modern lighting collection reflects his fascination with what he calls “the magical and mystical properties of light”. Since the mid 1960’s Maurer has created light forms for diverse international venues including public events and exhibitions, private commissions and fashion runways. His use of unexpected materials and objects combined with new lighting technologies is his trademark. As a result his designs are typically unmistakable. Even from his humble beginnings as a one man work shop in a cellar in Germany, Maurer’s designs received favorable reception ultimately finding their way in certain cases into the design collection at the Museum of Modern Art.

related links:
www.ingo-maurer.com

images:(click on images to enlarge)
Bulb by Ingo Maurer (top)
Campari by Raffaele Celentano (2nd)
Floatation by Ingo Maurer (3rd)
MaxMover by Ingo Maurer (4th)
Zettle’z 6 by Ingo Maurer (bottom)

DENMARK'S VP

It seems as though much of the modern design aesthetic that I seem to write about has Danish & Italian origin; case in point Denmark’s 20th century furniture and interior designer, Verner Panton (1926-1998). Unconventional seating forms were in part his signature; chairs without legs and with distinguishing backs. Panton actually was the first designer of a single piece injection molded plastic chair. It is probably his most famous and mass produced design, commonly known either as the Panton chair, the Stacking chair or the S chair. . Panton’s fascination with geometric patterns and bright colors manifested itself in an extensive range of textile designs. In the 60’s and 70’s Panton experimented designing “radical and psychedelic” environments featuring curved furniture, wall coverings, textiles and lighting. Panton’s legendary designs are still produced today by such companies Vitra, Louis Poulsen and Verpan.

related links:
www.verner-panton.com
www.vitra.com
www.louispoulsen.com
www.verpan.dk

images:(click on images to enlarge)
Panton Classic for Vitra (top)
Heart Cone chair for Vitra (2nd)
Panthella for Louis Poulsen (3rd)
Cone chair for Vitra (4th)
VP Globe for Verpan (bottom)

IMBOTTITI BELLA

The Nov/Dec 2002 issue of Metropolitan Home is a memorable one for me. I was attracted to the pastel imagery on the cover: a yellow Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, Panton classic chairs by Verner Panton in high gloss orange contrasted by a white armless sofa by Flexform with sky blue pillows … no wonder, it was an interior by architect Lee Mindel of Manhattan’s powerhouse firm Shelton Mindel & Associates. As if that wasn’t enough an added bonus was the issue’s Met Home of the Month which opened by saying “two maestri of Milanese modern team up to bring a little bit of England to the hills of Northern Italy”. The two maestri happened to be Giorgio Busnelli and Antonio Citterio, life long friends and respectively principal and chief architect for B&B Italia. The country style home with its Tuscan sensibility was renovated and furnished by Citterio for Busnelli and his family. Needless to say the interior was spectacular and the experience was a bit of an eye opener to Milanese Modernism. Clearly a reference point for upholstered furnishing is Busnelli’s family business, B&B Italia. The blatant creativity, innovation and technology behind their upholstered sofa, lounge and seating forms is the brand’s trademark. Collaborations with top international luminaries have positioned B&B as a leader in the contemporary furnishing sector. Aside from Citterio some of the other illustrious designers for B&B include: Nicole Aebischer with Atelier OI, Roberto Barbieri, Mario Bellini, Jeffrey Bernett, Uwe Fischer, Carsten Gerhards & Andreas Glucker, Chris Howker, James Irvine, Jean Marie Massaud, Gaetano Pesce, Paola Piva, Studio Kairos, Monica Armani, Patricia Urquiola, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Naoto Fukasawa, Richard Schultz, and Zaha Hadid.

related links:
www.bebitalia.it
www.antoniocitterioandpartners.it
www.sheltonmindel.com

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Diesis sofa by Antonio Citterio (top)
Tulip by Jeffrey Bernett (2nd)
Series Up 2000 by Gaetano Pesce (3rd)
Mart by Antonio Citterio (4th)
Metropolitan armchair by Jeffrey Bernett

JUDD-ICIOUS

As in the case today modern design fanatic will from time to time also feature wonderful 20th & 21st century artists. Like his art Donald Judd (1928-1994) was direct, forceful, controversial and influential. Considered a minimalist artist Judd stridently renounced the idiom. Using humble materials as metals, plywood, concrete and Plexiglas Judd sought clarity and autonomy in his art work by using repeated forms in some cases to explore the use of space. Refusing to categorize his work as sculpture Judd emphasized they were not sculpted but made by small fabricators using industrial processes. Moreover the lack of categorical identity and comparison to other more conventional forms became part of their value. Judd’s striking use of color is evident in many of these forms as well. He believed art should not represent anything but rather stand on its own. Today the Judd Foundation is dedicated to preserving his legacy, work and installations both in Marfa Texas and at 101 Spring Street in New York City.

related links:
www.juddfoundation.org
http://www.artnet.com/artist/662653/donald-judd.html

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Untitled (in six parts) Steel & Plexiglas c1966-1967
Untitled suite of ten woodcuts printed in ultramarine blue on Okawara paper c1988
Untitled set of four woodcuts in cadmium yellow medium c.1991-1994
Untitled ten units of green anodized aluminum c1989
Untitled painted aluminum c1989

GREAT DANE

Certainly one of the leading exponents of Danish Modernism was Poul Kjaerholm (1929-1980). His ascetic trademark and preoccupation with the use of steel is evidenced in many of his designs. Kjaerholm believed steel if polished and treated correctly given its innate strength and spring-like characteristics was as creditable as its organic wood counterparts. Since the latter two decades of the 20th century Fritz Hansen has been the production operative for the Kjaerholm collection. For the 25 years preceding, his designs were produced by Danish manufacturer Kold Christensen and can sourced from time to time on vintage purveyor 1stdibs. Although Kjaerholm’s seating forms typically employ leather coverings, certain designs share the option of wicker or canvas. The range of materials for that of his tables and certain chairs include steel, aluminum, glass, flint rolled marble, polyester composite and PVC/ABS plastic. Precision and simplicity best describe Kjaerholm’s aesthetic.

related links:
www.fritzhansen.com
www.1stdibs.com

images: (click on images to enlarge)
PK80 leather bench, PK20 leather chairs (top)
PK58 composite table, PK8 plastic chairs (2nd)
PK22 leather chair (3rd)
PK61 glass table featured with Swan chairs by Arne Jacobsen (4th)
PK24 leather lounge, PK9 leather chair background (bottom)

BREWED TO PERFECTION

Some refer to them as coffee tables while others prefer the cocktail classification. I guess it depends on the time of day and activity. For our purposes let us use the coffee nomenclature as metaphorically implied in today’s title. Positioned typically in the living room they are quite versatile: meal tray, cup/bottle holder, floral podium, book/magazine stand or sculptural base. There are so many great ones to choose from, vintage or current. Here are just 30 selections for reference:

Presso for Artifort www.artifort.com
Org by Fabio Novembre for Cappellini www.cappellini.it
Fronzoni 64 by AG Fronzoni for Cappellini www.cappellini.it
LC10 by Le Corbusier for Cassina www.cassinausa.com
Barcelona by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll www.knoll.com
Knoll Collection by Florence Knoll for Knoll www.knoll.com
Cathare by Christian Liaigre thru Holly Hunt www.hollyhunt.com
Illusion by Jean Marie Massaud for Glas Italia www.glasitalia.com
Styx by Alexander Taylor for ClassiCon www.classicon.com
Roger Sprunger for Dunbar, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Tray by Finn Juhl for Hansen & Sorensen www.hansensorensen.com
FK90 by Fabricius Kastholm for Lange Production www.suiteny.com
Tobia Scarpa for Ufficio Technico/Knoll, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Aguapè by Humberto & Fernando Campana for edra www.edra.com
PK61 by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen www.fritzhansen.com
PK65 by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen www.fritzhansen.com
T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Pace Collection, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Milo Baughman, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Edward Wormley, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Karl Springer, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Angelo Mangiarotti, vintage www.1stdibs.com
Metro 2 by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani www.livingdivani.it
Butterfly by Alexander Taylor for Zanotta www.zanotta.it
Paolo Piva, vintage www.1stdibs.com

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Gabriella Crespi, vintage www.1stdibs.com (top)
Greta Magnusson Grossman, vintage www.1stdibs.com (2nd)
Willy Rizzo, vintage www.1stdibs.com (3rd)
George Nelson, vintage www.1stdibs.com (4th)
Francois Monnet, vintage www.1stdibs.com (bottom)

STOOL PIGEONS

They are not bar or counter mates. They are their pocket-sized relative … perfect low profile seating forms and in some cases table surfaces. They are accent items for just about any room. They have been a common thread by designers of wide-ranging international origin. They are instantaneous friends to young children given their stature. They are task partners for low or tight spaces. They are functional, architectural and at times whimsical. Given their apparent multiple personalities consider one of these pint sized additions. Once again a good source for starters is Bonluxat.

related links:
www.useche.com.br
www.zanotta.it
www.fritzhansen.com
www.hollyhunt.com
www.vitra.com
www.bonluxat.com

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Flexus by Pedro Usech for Useche (top)
Mezzadro by Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo for Zanotta (2nd)
Negato by Christian Liaigre thru Holly Hunt (3rd)
Hocker by Herzog & de Meuron for Vitra (4th)
Model A, B, C by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra (bottom)

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

I am a firm proponent of family and friends get togethers at the dinner table at home. For those of you from my generation you may recall the expression “may I be excused” (from the table). Typically as a youngster once I had finished eating I was ready to skedaddle. As years passed I came to realize why my folks preferred that I stay at the table during family dinners or house guest dinner parties; it was a time to engage and interact. There was no watching television, cell phones didn’t even exist back then and if the house phone rang it was understood to let it ring and not answer it. Fast forward to today …. cell phones these days are an appendage, gourmet restaurants are more prevalent than ever and hectic schedules make convening sometimes difficult.

Nonetheless make it a point of breaking bread with family or friends at the dinner table at home and do so in an environment that is as pleasing as the libation & victuals. The selected imagery of dining tables and dining chairs in today’s post is intended to cast that graceful synchronization.

relevant links:
www.cassinausa.com
www.fritzhansen.com
www.zographos.com
www.cappellini.it
www.knoll.com
www.ppdk.com
www.1stdibs.com

images: (click on images to enlarge)
Granito table with Terrazzo top by Jean Prouvé, vintage with Borge Mogensen chairs, vintage (top)
Alessandro Albrizzi glass table, vintage with Hi Pad chairs by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini (2nd)
La Basilica table by Mario Bellini for Cassina with BRNO flat bar chairs by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll (3rd)
PK54 table by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen with PK9 chairs by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen (4th)

Table by Zographos Designs with PP503 chairs by Hans Wegner for PP Mobler, vintage (bottom)

KEEPING PACE

When I think of 20th century American contemporary furniture aside from Knoll, Herman Miller or Thayer Coggin one company that comes to mind is the Pace Collection. Founded by Leon and Irving Rosen the company’s history spanned the latter three decades (70’s, 80’s 90’s). The signature trademark for the high end collection of desks, tables and cabinets was their use of exotic wood veneers or glass with polished chrome plated trim. Their compact Madison Avenue showroom which received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) award for best architectural design in New York in 1986 was their visual business card to the trade. Pieces in the collection in many cases cost tens of thousands of dollars in those years needless to say appealing to a rather elite clientele. *

Leon Rosen, chairman of the Collection and the guiding force most responsible for what has come to be called “the Pace look,” described it as ‘drawing elements from the Bauhaus, Art Deco and Art Nouveau, while saluting American and European classicism. *

Remnants of the collection can occasionally be found on www.1stdibs.com.

* Text in part sourced from Pace Collection Archive.

images: (click on images to enlarge)
New York City Madison Avenue showroom (top)
Executive desk, vintage (2nd)
Coffee table, vintage (3rd)
Corset dining chair, vintage (4th)
Étagère shelving, vintage (bottom)