2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

The Ex

Coming from the design studio of Raffaele Ianello Italian product designer and jokingly called The Ex, part of Rafaele’s Voodoo collection knife holders which comes in red, chrome, and even pink. 

Not only a conversation piece it is indeed a practical.   The super-sharp, Molybdenum and Vanadium stainless steel knives are high quality and keep their edge.

Fixed plastic sleeves protect the knives, held in place by magnets to avoid unintended ejection. Small plastic suckers on the base of the holder provide an added layer of safety. The Ex comes with five knives: bread, carver/slicer, chef, utility and paring.  

Or alternatively try the Five Finger Fillet.   Seems perfect for carving that Turkey dinner.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Ex can be found at A+R

Have an infinitely modern day!

New from Judy Ross!

New scarves from Judy Ross! These scarves are hand-embroidered on 100% New Zealand Wool and come in four different designs--the Rosette Scarf, the Ivy Scarf, the Glitter Scarf, and the Pinwheel Scarf.

Think Inside

This woodworking studio combines a modern aesthetic with traditional woodworking skills to think actually outside the box.  Think Inside, new on the scene since April 2009, brings years of experience to the table.  The duo of Cal Kelly and Luke Cacciapaglia have old school attention to detail shown in their innovative designs that solve spatial challenges.   One of my favorite concepts is the murphy bed, which Think Inside interprets with a nod to the past and a whimsical look to the future. The warm colors and combination of woods, which they clearly love, create an inviting room. 

I love the wall unit that separates the space and hides a staircase creating interest and functionality.

Debut of their furniture line with coffee or side tables, is just the beginning.   Inspired by an old French car, the Citroen DS, we call this line the DS Collection.  These two tables are called Dip with two more in the collection, Split and Dive in prototype stage.

Walnut top with beech legs;

and  zebra wood with wenge legs.

They are surely ones to watch. Visit http://www.thinkinside.com

Have an infinitely modern day!

VIPP treatment

If there is one thing everyone knows it is that green is the new black!

I recently attended an event at DWR where creative personalties had re-imagined a garbage bin - but not just any bin - this was the Danish national treasure VIPP.

John Baldessari: "I'm always unsure about throwing things away, because by nature I'm a recycler and pac rat". 

An Americans take on Danish Design

Last week was my first blog and I used an Americans perspective on Danish Lifestyle. This week I will share thoughts with you from an American so Danish he has been appointed Creative Director of Georg Jensen.

American designer Todd Bracher's own favorite among his design for Georg Jensen is the FLora collection of vases. They capture the essence and spirit of Georg Jensen with their mixture of symmetry and asymmetry. They were inspired by the magnolia bud that Georg Jensen himself found inspiration from. The scale and surface of the pieces sit well within the collection and feel they will stand the test of time as some of the now classic pieces as this was the goal, the idea of contributing at that level to the brand.

FLORA - a polished stainless steel vase with sculptural contours.

The national flower of Denmark inspired this Marguerite Daisy brooch. Launched in 1940 in celebration of the birth of Danish Queen Margrethe II, Georg Jensen’s brooch is a favorite of mine because I remember my grandmother wearing it growing up. My name Mette is the Danish diminutive of Margaret, so I was the lucky one to inherit my grandmothers Marguerite brooch.

The Georg Jensen Marguerite collection used to be really popular among older (much older, like in their 80s) Danish women. After a marked fade in popularity and years of style hibernation, it was re-launched under the name Daisy and is currently experiencing resurgence among women of all ages. It is huge in Denmark once again.

 
The Daisy is crafted in sterling silver, gilded with 23K gold and hand painted with white enamel.

It so happens my favorite Georg Jensen tableware is also inspired by flowers. The BLOOM serving bowls are perfect to use as part of the dinner table setting but can also be used as decorative bowls. The matt stainless steel is soft to the touch. It is modern without feeling industrial.

The Bloom bowls consist of languid high-tensile steel.

Mustachio Shakers

Facial hair themed salt and pepper shakers! What a great way to kick off MO-vember.

Grab them off Etsy.

via

--sdotg--

Best Seat In The House

The Stick Chair comes to us from the award winning Danish industrial designer Carlo Volf of the design firm Volf Design, The elegant lines and minimal aesthetic are appealing indeed.  Yet not inviting to rest ones weary bones from the looks of it.  Perhaps something straight out of an animated film where the hero or heroine does not necessarily need be comfortable nor cross their legs.  For in real life though they be thing of beauty, these look dangerous and to be admired from a far.  An interesting design or sculptural feature in the corner of a room or it can double as a coat hanger.  Not necessarily the best seat in the house.   Ouch.   Beware: cushion required!

            

The Net chair also needs padding if you wish to linger.  

       

To see more of Volf's creations visit  www.volfdesign.dk

Have an infinitely modern day!

The happiest people on earth

In my first blog I wanted to capture the essence of Scandinavian Lifestyle. Being Danish a lot of things are taken for granted – including health care – so I got help from an American to take a look at our way of living.

During her first trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, Oprah is invited inside the Holscher family's home. Watch as she tours the organized kitchen, bright living space and small kids' bedroom. Why Danish people prefer to live simply in small spaces. 

http://www.oprah.com/media/20091021-tows-stine-home-tour

So what makes the Danes so happy? Maybe it all just comes down to simple Danish Design…

 

The only accessory in the house is the Kubus candleholder and even though it was designed in 1962 it is displayed in most Danish homes today. Mogens Lassen was a pioneer of Danish functionalism - the architectural expression "Form follows function" - where simplicity and functionality is highly prioritized. Mogens Lassen was ahead of his time when he designed the Kubus as a reaction to all the over-ornate and convoluted types prevalent at the time. 

A Glimmer of Hope

Most likely...if you are reading, this you are a designer of one sort or another...if not, you are at least design-minded. I can not tell you how many conversations I have had with designers who are frustrated, burnt out, weary, tired, uninspired and otherwise on the verge of giving up in this economy. Resources are limited, clients are overly conscious of budgets, jobs are scarce and... 

"It's tough out there. So many huge problems in the world, so much noise, so hard to know what to do and where to begin. All of which means—it's a great time to be a designer."

In comes the Glimmer Manifesto. Think of it as your first sip from the fountain of designer-immortality. The fire under your feet. As designers (and, honestly, just as contributing members of society...) it is our job to create transformation within the world, to improve it...for everyone. This holds true in the toughest conditions even more so. I stumbled across Creativity's write up on the book earlier this morning and I am definitely adding this to my next Amazon shipment! Click here to read the write up.

 

Warren Berger is the author of Glimmer and the editor of the blog GlimmerSite.com

Its another awesome source of inspiration and I highly recommend checking it out!

Sculpture By James Hill

      


California native James Hill earned his degree in Fine Art from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1987. For over 20 years James Hill has masterfully fashioned and fused metal in service to his artistic vision, transforming the coolness of these materials into “living” dynamic forms. His sculptures have been described as “a celebration of optimism that unite the elegance of the organic form with the structure of the modern world.”

    

His work reveals the essence of the figure and relationship between forms using positive and negative space in a minimal expression.  Somewhat reminiscent of Picasso's minimalistic line drawings.  Shapes are subtle curves and strong angles speaking to both male and female characteristics.  His love of steel, stainless steel and bronze are apparent.  The materials are enduring.  His work contemporary and timeless.

      

 

His creations range from public works and private commissions to wall art, to tabletop centerpieces, to functional art furnishings.   See Hill's work at www.jameshill.com.

Have an infinitely modern day!