Phil Smith of The Art Office felt honored to be tapped by fashion designer Trina Turk to create a space to house her new home accessories and furnishings line. “Considering the designers Trina’s used before on her projects, this was, indeed an honor.” Those designers have included Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler.
But Smith brought his own brand of cool to the space. He elected to reinterpret her other stores in a gallery-like way – showcasing the Trina Turk designed objects. Each move highlights the Turk designs, from the lighted niches for the smaller pillows and accessories, to the vignettes for furnishings upholstered in Turk fabrics to the cash register-as-stage. Everything is set against a white relief of a Trina Turk pattern and a white epoxy floor framed in a bright lemon yellow. Lighting below and from above provides a heightened sense of drama.
The Art Office is a multidisciplinary studio for art, architecture and design located in Indio, California.
If this doesn’t scream summer nights, I don’t know what does. The power of the sun is captured in this mason jar and lights up like a firefly when night falls. The Sunjar is the perfect way to create some ambience for your evening picnic. Designed by Suck UK and Tobais Wong. About $42.
Glass Globe Tealight Holders by Sagaform. Two handblown glass halves are joined to form a glass ball. Maybe its the times, but I am so taken by simplicity right now. I love that this is just a vessel to hold a light, uncomplicated, but still so pretty. I also like that I can get a pair for under $50 at A+R. My list of great gifts is growing because of designs like these.
Dwell on Design 09 is a three day event running Friday June 26th through Sunday June 28th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to the exhibit hall, Dwell is hosting a number of live panel discussions and interviews with design practioners and media focusing primarily on the topics of modern design and sustainability.
Dwell has also organized self-drive home tours. On Saturday, the tour route will include six homes on the Eastside and on Sunday, six homes on the Westside of Los Angeles.
The exhibtor list has grown since last year’s show and includes some that we love: Semigood, A+R, Boom, Handmade, Heath Ceramics, IQMatics, Jesse, Ligne Roset, Vitra, Gus Modern, and Blomus.
Over the past few years, Poland has unleashed some really intriguing design. The likes of Moho, Com 40, Iker and Noti have gained recognition via design awards from Red Dot, Elle Decoration and Wallpaper. So what sparked this creative burst?
In the 1980’s recession paired with political crisis resulted in a melt-down of the of national design institutions in Poland. Designer’s were in a “survival of the fittest” mode which was clearly failing. Then after 2000, a resurgence of the design community came in the form of a quarterly publication 2+3D and the establishment of The Adam Mickiewicz Institute for the promotion of Polish culture abroad. In 2005 The Siliesian Castle of Art and Enterprise was established by the local government as a regional design center and the state-owned Institute of Industrial Design was revived to promote design via research and development, promotion and consultation.
A group of Polish designers including Tomasz Augustyniak, Piotr Kuchcinski, Jerzy Langier and Renata Kalarus have risen to the challenge, and then some. Their works are inspired by traditional Polish motifs and techniques such as the Moho Dia Felt Rug or by contemporary industrial themes as in Augustyniak’s Mono Chaise for com 40. Puff Buff lamps by Anna Siedlecka and Radek Archamowicz explore materiality and scale.
Many of these companies are very young – 5 to 8 years in existence. As a group, these pieces feel genuine, uncalculated. Maybe there is a silver lining to every cloud – the failure of an old system gives rise to highly charged creativity and innovation. Something to think about.
Urquiola’s Log Collection is an interesting mix of Danish and rustic. I definitely feel some Hans Wegner in the simple curved low slung forms. But these pieces have more girth and the application of the upholsterey loosly wrapped around the back gives them an edge. The optional long haired mongolian fur takes it even a step further. Urquiola’s work always seems infused with a little wit, Log is no exception.
Nancy Batlin has long harbored a dream of having a small boutique full of beautiful things. Her path has been filled with twists and turns she could not have predicted. Nancy established herself inthe graphic design industry as a creative director and brand manager, spending a good deal of time in London – but she never let go of the dream.
In 2004 she started her own company consulting for luxury brands. During this transition, she was inspired to design her own dinnerware collection and Five Zero was born.
Five Zero / Table Conversations is a tableware line ultimately designed to provoke dialogue around the table. Each pattern series can stand alone or be mixed and matched . The intriguing pieces reinterpret old world decorative arts motifs with the use of unexpected colors, patterns and scale juxtaposed with modern imagery. Nancy creates the patterns using original photography and digitized historical motifs that are then manipulated. Case in point, the Horse was inspired by a black stone horse head that she photographed and converted to a negative to create a cameo effect.
Most recently, Batlin has collaborated with Liliana Casabel, fashion designer for Morgane Le Fay on a shared inspiration: the lotus blossom. The joint vision of fashion and art are realized in Casabel’s Spring Collection and Batlin’s Sophia Dinnerware. Casabel’s fabric has been transformed into wearable art while Batlin’s search for the perfect lotus blossom has become table art. Future collaborations are in the works.
Five / Zero Table Conversations are available through several retailers.
Tonight at Property Furniture, 14 Wooster between Grand and Canal, a reception featuring Design House Stockholm, new lighting and furniture from SCHILSAN and Roger Borge’s neon lighting collection.
Monday May 18th from 6 until 9pm.
The Mesa Table by Phase Design is being debuted at ICFF this week. There is also a “potted” version of Mesa which is a planter. Besides the Mesas, Phase will be showing pieces from the Wired Collection including Wired Lounge and Ottoman and Wired Lights. Phase Design will be located in booth 1044.