Comfee Chair was designed by Anna Hrecka for Noti, Poland. THe line comes upholstered in white or black mesh, premium aniline leathers or upholstery. The leathers and fabrics are topstitched in one of three patterns – one of which was inspired by a dandelion. Priced from about $700.
Designed by Anna Hrecka
Its National Dog Day! Didn’t actually know there was one, but since there is, let’s celebrate with some crazy canine design.
The creative people at Pillow Pillow Pillow have teamed up with Blik to create these wall graphics inspired by real life pets. And get this, you can submit your pet’s photo via the company’s ”Pet Casting Call“. Maybe your little pet can make the big time. Wouldn’t this be the best gift for your dog-loving friends? $28.
Milan is not a fictional pet. The French Bulldog lives in NYC with designer Wenlan Chia of Twinkle Design. Chia gained attention for her innovative, chunky knit sweaters in 2000. The designer, also a contemporary furniture collector, introduced Twinkle Living at the 2006 International Contemporary Furniture Fair. The simple graphic depiction on Milan Pillow is really endearing. $58
My Pet Lamp provides soft lighting in the sihouette of man’s best friend. Unlike the real thing, this Doxie is available in soft white, mellow yellow, sky blue, sunset orange, hot pink and misty green. The light is about 20″ long and 13″ high. Its body is plastic and takes a 12v bulb. $59.
Andre Balazs’ The Standard in New York’s meatpacking district straddles the city’s celebrated High Line Park. Balazs’ forte has been in renovating existing buildings into magnets for hip travelers. The Standard New York, however, is something different. This was the first ground up construction for the hotelier. Working with Polshek Parntership, Balazs has created a true gem. Celebrating a context that wasn’t really even there when the property was purchased – this is a guy with some vision. Both the hotel and the High Line were recently completed and the dialogue between them is loud and clear. The hotels floor to ceiling windows (in every room) create stunning views of major NYC landmarks but have also provided a stage for those seeking attention, but that’s a whole other story, it is, after all, New York.
Nambu Tekki Cookware designed by Sori Yanagi in 1999 won the Good Design Award in 2001. What makes this line special, besides its simple good looks, is the thicker iron which helps distribute heat more evenly and the gently curved edges which make pouring from the pan easy.
Inform Interiors Summer Outdoor Sale – up to 70% off in-stock modern outdoor furniture. This includes pieces from Magis, Arper, Coro, Moooi, Serralunga, Royal Botania, Porro and Droog. Take a look at the slide show -
MKS Knives are serious knives that have been precisely tuned for weight, balance and control. The blades are made to facilitate quick and precise cutting. But these knives are pretty fun too with their bicycle grip handles in blue, red or green. MKS Knives are a favorite of executive chefs Patrick Connolly at Bobo in the West Village and Russel Moss at the 92nd St. Y TriBeCa. According to Connolly “A knife is very personal. Its weight and balance should never obstruct what your brain is trying to do to the thing on the board. For me, it’s something that I have in my hand several hours a day, so it has to fit me perfectly. I also like the fact that this knife has some character.”
Adam Simha is the man behind the knives. Impressed at an early age by his uncle-Harvey-the-Butcher’s knife collection, Simha’s knives were a long time in the making. After several jobs in the food business, a physic’s degree from MIT, a welding class that fired him up and studying under master bladesmith, JD Smith – MKS Knives were born. His knives were to be a pleasure to use and “compelling objects to have around.” Mission accomplished.
You can find MKS Knives in NYC at Brooklyn Kitchen and Bowery Kitchen or at MKS online.
What makes Thai Table so appealing for me, is where it came from and how it came to be. Most of the wood is salvaged logs from Oregon – Western Walnut from the Willamette Valley, White Oak and Oregon Ash from Roseburg and Myrtle from the Southern Oregon Coast. Having grown up in Oregon, that goes straight to the heart.
Sharon Khosla of 16th Workshop explains how she and her husband Chris go about selecting that perfect piece of table top wood: “The selection of the table top wood starts with trying to get two pieces that are book matched. Other than that, we look for wood that is pretty simple and clean so that it does not grab too much attention away from the base and the overall proportion of the elements. We avoid the use of live edge because it has a tendency to do just this. Telling the story that this indeed is a singular piece of wood from a tree is still very important but we try to balance this with the proportioning.”
So now that we know where the wood came from, how does Thai Table come to be? I think a detailed explanation of what goes into making something makes you appreciate it even more. Sharon was nice enough to provide that explanation. Although I have heard most of these woodworking terms before, I wasn’t sure I could actually visualize what they truly meant. So I have included links for terms that might require a visual.
The solid pieces of carefully selected wood are connected on the top via the familiar (and beautiful) butterfly splines. The joinery of the table starts with dowelled brindle joints at the top of the legs then wedged through tenons just below where the stretchers come through the legs. The shelf stretchers are also wedged through tenons and the small member bracking between the legs is a dowelled mortise and tenon. The shelf spindles are hand shaved.
To see more work from Chris Armes and Sharon Khosla, visit 16th Workshop.
Velvet Hammerschmidt Design is a Santa Monica, California based interior design firm. Their work incorporates many styles but is characterized by clean lines, warmth and sophistication.
Creating a warm inviting home in a space that feels architectural, yet cold was the challenge for V-H Design. The homeowners, a producer and fine art collection manager were interested in incorporating artistic, unique, interesting and comfortable furnishings and finishes. The homeowners were looking for authentic original design with an eye towards detail and quality.
Hammerschmidt elected to use a neutral palate to highlight the owner’s photography collection. Particular attention was paid to properly lighting the photographs. The furniture selections included fabulous classics such as the Platner Chair and Side Table, Saarienen’s Womb Chair and Ottoman, the Eames Lounge and Saarienen Side Table and Wegner Wing Chair along with the Hella Jongerius Polder Sofa designed in 2005.
The rich wood floor, neutral rug with a subtle pattern and the Platner Chair with a punch of color combine to support the art collection in a very accessible manner. The result is a warm, personal connection with the art. For more on this project, please visit Velvet Hammerschmidt Design.
