BLOG : INDUSTRIAL & FURNITURE DESIGN

Herman Miller Collection

By Tom Ran

Published: April 24, 2012 under Industrial & Furniture Design

Left: Eames LCW with padding Right: Mattiazzi Branca Chair

Photo: Herman Miller

For years, Herman Miller chose to focus much of their attention on their business furniture, innovating in that department rather than on their heritage home line. It was left alone for the most part except for the Herman Miller Select, which only sprung up one new product annually. But all that’s about to change. Rooted in its history as well as looking to the future, Herman Miller is finally giving more attention to what they were known for, their home collection. Classic designs will be updated with new materials with sustainability in mind, and similar to Vitra, they will be working with contemporary designers that share similar sensibilities to Herman Miller. The Herman Miller Collection will work with designers like Ronana & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa, Jasper Morrison and will be sharing the spotlight with design icons like George Nelson, Charles and Ray Eames, and Isamu Noguchi. For two months, overlapping ICFF, the Herman Miller Collection will set up shop in Soho at 68 Wooster Street, from May 9th to July 1st.

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Børge Mogensen & House Industries

By Tom Ran

Published: April 16, 2012 under Industrial & Furniture Design

House Industries applying their designs to a Børge Mogensen cabinet.

Photo: House Industries

We said it before and we’ll say it again, House Industries is more than a type foundry. They recently teamed up with Stellar Works, a Shanghai based company focused on “bridging cultures and revisiting traditional crafts” to produce a series of cabinets designed by Børge Mogensen. Mogensen is the famed Danish furniture designer most known for his Spanish and Hunting Chair designs. However, Mogensen was trained as a cabinetmaker before venturing into furniture. Working with Stella Works, House gave Mogensen’s cabinets a fresh reinterpretation by creating a slash-o pattern in their Neutraface Slab. The cabinets are made of oak and inlaid with sapelli and are available in two sizes. The cabinets will debut tomorrow at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

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Beller

By Tom Ran

Published: March 1, 2012 under Industrial & Furniture Design

Beller's Drifted stool

Photo: Beller

Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland’s Re-Turned wooden birds have been making the rounds lately, and for good reasons. The preciously designed birds are made from reclaimed Norwegian wood, reminiscent of the classic Danish Birds by Kristian Vedel. But that’s not all he’s know for. The recent grad launched his eponymous line Beller with a small collection of furniture and objects. Including the Drifted stool, inspired by the wood and objects washed ashore from the ocean. The soft cork seat contrasts the hard ash wood for the legs, an intelligent use of combining the two materials. The stool was recently picked up by Discipline, a new Italian design company set to launch this spring at Salone del Mobile. With this much attention on a young career, this designer is poised to make a mark in a crowded industry.

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MoMA Fall Preview

By Tom Ran

Published: June 23, 2011 under Industrial & Furniture Design

MoMA Fall 2011 Preview

Photo: Staff

Previewing their latest selection of design wares for this fall we couldn’t help but think how influential and instrumental MoMA has been in showcasing great design to the world. The museum has always been known to feature exciting and new products ever since they helped propel the Eames into a household name. Season after season the team at MoMA scour the world for items that serve more than their function but are also playful, well designed, and environmentally conscious. While over a hundred items were on view, a few outstanding items stood out for us. Take Emeco’s Navy chair, a popular design that dates back to 1944. Coca-Cola approached Emeco with an idea to incorporate their recycling program. The result is the 111 Navy Chair, made up of 111 recycled Coca-Cola bottles based on the Navy design. MoMA’s PS1 will be working with Uniqlo. A curator for the museum will be introducing a line of t-shirt that will feature artists all incorporating text into their designs. The line will be available just in time for Uniqlo’s second mega store opening in midtown. And finally, one of our favorite brands, Braun. Braun is reintroducing a series of clocks and watches designed by Dietrich Lubs and MoMA has picked up an updated version of its iconic black and white alarm clock. This newer version is voice activated, so you don’t even have to move to put the alarm on snooze. All the items mentioned will arrive in September. If you’re nowhere near Manhattan, you can always purchase these items online. A redesign of the store will relaunch on July 11th.

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Good Wood

By Sarah Williams

Published: March 31, 2011 under Industrial & Furniture Design

Haven Sideboard and May Lounge Chair

Photo: Miles and May

Tucked away in the Finger Lakes region of New York, is the small and sustainable-minded furniture company, Miles & May. Brandon and Amy Philips have been designing and crafting furniture for 14 years, beginning in Brooklyn, and then relocating their studio to a converted cracker factory in Geneva, New York. The beauty of their work lies in contrast. Solid and sturdy forms seem to levitate on delicate legs. Deep, dark Wenge wood is laid seamlessly into buttery Walnut. Old and discarded wood is reclaimed with a new, contemporary life. While each piece has a distinctive sculptural quality, it is inviting and begs to be lived-in.

Miles & May furniture is produced with a minimal environmental impact, re-using building timbers and felled trees from local farmland. They stay true to form, by making minimal cuts to preserve the original size and texture of each piece, using the tiniest scraps to heat their workshop. Waste not, but we definitely want.

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Carl Aubock

By Tom Ran

Published: March 30, 2011 under Industrial & Furniture Design

Carl Aubock III designs

Photo: Carl Auboeck Architekt

Carl Aubock, the Viennese designer amassed an enormous body of work throughout his career and was recognized by many as an important figure in Mid-Century Modern design. However, not much of his work is seen by the masses. A collection of his brass pieces have been reissued but so much more is waiting to be discovered. For the design enthusiasts, there is a site that documents his achievements. Carl Auboeck Architekt takes us through his work through archival photographs, magazine ads, and personal accounts. A post celebrating his birthday back in January shows a prolific amount of work that goes far beyond what he is known for. We can only hope that a manufacturer is willing to reissue some of his lesser known work and to expose his talents to a newer generation.

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FEATURES

What’s In Store? - 3x1

By Tom Ran
Scott Morrison, founding partner of 3x1.

Photo: Daniel Bernauer

Scott Morrison is the Sean Parker of denim. Though not as ubiquitous as facebook, Morrison has had a string of successes with the launch of Paper Denim & Cloth and…

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What’s In Store? - Saturdays Surf

By Tom Ran
The Saturdays Surf crew, left to right: Morgan Collett, Josh Rosen, and Colin Tunstall

Photo: Tuukka Koski

For years surfing in NYC was reserved for the die hards. Even though the Atlantic Ocean is minutes away, the urban density didn’t make transporting a surfboard an easy task….

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Behind the Bar - Karlsson’s Batch 2008

By Craig Cavallo
A family affair, Bertil Gunnarsson with his son Bo Gunnarsson.

Photo: Stefan Andersson

Potatoes are a significant part of Swedish culture. On Cape Bjare, in the south of Sweden, the soil they grow in is referred to as farmer’s gold. The country grows…

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