How about that Google – featuring the work of Swedish Designer Josef Frank. Almost 50 years old when he fled Nazism in Austria for Sweden, where he became one of that nation’s most important designers. As a young man he was part of the modernism movement in Vienna. However, his brand of modernism was not in line with the likes of Le Corbusier. He favored a freer artistic aesthetic. Frank began working at Svenskt Tenn in 1934 and went on to produce over 2,000 furniture sketches and 160 textile designs.
This sale is only through March 18th 2010, so visit Amenity Home now!
Amenity Home’s Willow pattern is no longer in production – so get it while you can! Through March 11 2010, the duvet cover is being offered at $150. At this point, only Queen sizes are left.
While you are there, check out Amenity’s Muir Collection which includes the Muir Bed (shown here), side table, dresser and Mirror in natural or walnut.
Decorative Pillows that have broken the mold – designs with themes that are edgey. Mean Street by Lovegrove & Repucchi is more of an artwork, an observation. While Green Octopus Boudoir Pillow by Ige Design features a nature-inspired theme, the execution in materials that are in stark contrast to the subject give it that extra edge – after all, who expects an octopus to be rendered in rich velvet and gold embossing? Jonathan Adler also hits us with the unexpected by pairing buttons and tassels with a handgun in Collage 22 Pillow – that one caught me a little off guard. I love the idea of using these pillows with their more traditional cousins. Check out a great selection of pillows from many designers and showrooms.
Not the bright graphic usually associated with marimekko, but Samovaari is an elegant twist on the theme. I was curious about the design inspiration for Samovaari – the translation from Finnish to English is Samovar.
A Samovar is a Russian container used to heat water. But they are no tea kettle, they are quite elegant. Following is a detail from a Samovar.
Sample Sale at the Amenity Studio:
453 S. Spring Street – Studio 918
Downtown Los Angeles
November 13th 10am-5pm
November 14th 10am-6pm (4pm-6pm Studio Party)
November 15th 10am-2pm
Can’t Make the Sale?
Visit us at www.amenityhome.com and enjoy sample sale pricing on selected organic cotton duvet covers. Special pricing available for 3 days only November 13th – 15th.
Queen Duvet Cover: Retail Price $325 Sale Price $169
King Duvet Cover: Retail Price $385 Sale Price $234
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.
Sometimes when we search for the latest and greatest, we forget about designers that have been churning out great products for years. Right off the bat you can associate the bright and bold red flowers with the Finnish textile company, Marimekko. Founded in 1951, the company harmoniously infuses nature into its modern designs. What you may not realize, is that they have kept it coming in a wide range of designs and products. I was particularly struck by the wide range of bedding offered a reasonable price – many of their twin duvet and pillow cover sets start at about $100. We have selected a few of the 36 patterns in the collection. Our selections demonstrate the diversity of the Marimekko collection – from bold graphic to soft nature-inspired imagery. Kevatjuhla (Spring Festival) celebrates the season with Cows and their calfs in the field. Tuuli (Wind) depicts windblown trees. Kaivo (wells) is a high contrast bold print. Keisarinna (Empress) is a bold yet regal floral pattern. Finally, the classic Uniko (poppy), almost synomous with Marimekko is as powerful as ever. See them all at Marimekko. FYI the Finnish to English is via Google Translate, hope its accurate!
Finishing strong is not easy. Sometimes it comes down to that last pillow… today I was on a hunt for black and white pillows. There are alot of options, but I thought this group was a nice mix of inspired by nature, graphic pattern and art. First off is Flower Power, sort of a 1960’s thing made from felted wool. Next is Monach Sails from Hable Construction, handprinted graphic on cotton canvas. Hable Construction makes limited quantities of many of its pieces, including this one. So if you like it, better act fast. Daisy Pillow by Paper Cloud is a simple, nature inspired graphic hand printed on a 16″ linen pillow cover. Ok, its not really black, its chocolate, but I liked it so much, I included it anyway. If you aren’t feeling the Black(Chocolate) and White, it comes in a ton of color combinations. Kabuki Pillow by Thomas Paul is a 22″ square pillow of 100% linen. I love the Asian-nature inspired modern graphic. Pillow as art, art as pillow, not surprising coming from HZL by Henzel. Awakening Pillow is a 20″ square cotton blend pillow cover. You may know HZL Henzel by its X Module Rug collection that was introduced a few years back. Pienet Kivet Pillow cover from Marimekko is made from heavyweight upholstery cotton and is pretty well priced at $52.00. Onion Pillow by Wallter Fold is 20″ square and made from wool flannel and boucle. Tuuli, also by Marimekko (they have a boutique in NYC), is heavyweight upholstery cotton and is also available in black on grey. Last but not least is the little Zebra Pillow by Areaware, he’s so cute in a photorealistic kind of way and only $25.
H&M has slowly and quietly launched its line of home soft goods: pillows, sheets, curtains, towels and the like. According to the Wall Street Journal, the launch has been unusually subdued for the Stockholm based fashion house that more often makes alot of noise with the introduction of a new line. The hope is that the line will bolster sales for the company, who, like everyone else, is feeling the squeeze in its mainline clothing business. For now, sales are being conducted online in Europe only. Love ‘em or hate ‘em – you’ve got to admit, they are pretty good at what they do: flashy, not-so-high quailty with a price to match.