2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

Hayon and Wanders at Milan Design Week 2008

With all the Earth Day events and green hype, have we forgotten about the world's largest furniture fair that just occurred last week in Milan? It was amazing. I have to thank Kay from Wallpaper Magazine for providing hundreds of photos of the show for me and all of the readers. Unfortunately, space is at a premium, so I've distilled the photos down to five. Three from Marcel Wander's Poliform show called My House of Dreams and two from Jaime Hayon's Bisazza Home Showroom.

Both Designers, I think, are projecting a much more baroque and fantastical future for contemporary design for years to come. Their work is predominated by white, smooth finishes with punctuations of color and shiny metals like gold. For lack of a better analogy, I would even say their styles, which were the most popular shows of the year, feel like stepping into Alice in Wonderland. Only time will prove if either designer's visions will be fully realized in mass consumer products, already, both designers make a large host of beutiful products that exude similar whimsy. To see  and buy some of these designer's great stuff, check out:

• Hayon Studio
• MarcelWanders.com

New on 2Modern: Droog! Different and fun, Droog's products are wide-ranging; from Doorbells to Swings, Tablecloths to Parasols. Based in Amsterdam, Droog prides itself in "creating innovative concepts that change perspective."

Rethinking the Bedside Table

Tight on space in your bedroom?  Bring your bedside table off the floor and onto the wall with these two new bedside shelves from the Swedish company Maze International.  It is the goal of Maze to "work towards an upgraded view of today's furniture through constant questioning of existing views and solutions."  Maze incorporates ecological materials into all of their designs.

Nite Bedside Table

Kubo Shelf

The Wood Co-Op

While in Vancouver we made daily trips to Granville Island, visiting the great Public Market and exploring numerous shops featuring some of British Columbia's most talented designers.  One of our favorites was The Wood Co-Op.

The Wood Co-Op is Canada's premiere showcase for quality handcrafted contemporary design. The Gallery opened in 2000, showing the work of just 34 artisans. Today the Gallery features the work of over 150 of British Columbia's best woodworkers, earning a reputation as the definitive venue for heirloom quality wooden objects.

Comic Furniture

The Graphic illustration is invading our places with all kind of household products.  First, was the walls stickers, some pictures and posters... but now, take a look to this "comic furniture".  A design of Giuseppe Canevese for Mosso with drawings of Guido Crepax.  What do you think about it? cool, funny, kitsch... leave your thoughts here.

Via Momeld.

MASH Studios

MASH Studios has launched on 2Modern! The LAX series from MASH Studios is unique furniture for the home that was designed to be both beautiful and technically sound. With no visible hardware, each piece remains sleek and modern in any space within your home or office. The Platform Bed has its own hidden storage within the optional headboard, while the powder coated white aluminum sliding doors on the Wall Mounted Shelf and Entertainment Shelf provide clean lined storage as well as contemporary beauty.

Room in the suitcase?

It seems that there’s a trend developing in the modern design world: to reduce living space as efficiently as possible, preferably to a size where it can be transported easily be one person. Two examples of this have recently made headlines in the media. One from Asia and the other European.

In Japan Trunk Station is a trunk on wheels that becomes a home office or even a sewing center when it’s upended and opened. One side is a bookcase and the other has a fold-out desk with pre-drilled holes for wires and cables.

Available in red, black, white or maple melamine,  it still looks like a piece of office furniture even when closed and measuring approximately 36” W x 24”D x 47”H it would be difficult to disguise or store away. 

Still, there is a lot of functional space inside and if you have the necessary 198,000 yen or nearly $1900 you can wheel it home now.

While the Casulo (it’s name is Portugese for cocoon) is as yet just a prototype, it has generated a lot of buzz across Europe. Developed in Germany it packs in even more than the Trunk Station, Casulo is an entire room that fits inside a suitcase.

The trunk measures much the same size but it contains a bed, bookcase, filing cabinets, stools and the suitcase itself becomes a closet thanks to magnetic clothes hangers. Not only ingenious, this room in a suitcase is also aesthetically pleasing with clean, modern lines.

Taking only 7 minutes to change from box to bedroom, the Casulo is completely drama-free; no tools are required for assembly and the storage box will support 440lbs in weight. The room in a box is designed for students or those who move frequently.

As it's not yet in production the designers have no idea of price, but it does take the concept of flat-pack furniture to a whole new level.

via modernemama

Tara Murray Industrial Design

Designed as part of a thesis project on attachment, Tara Murray's Doily Chair seeks out an emotional connection with prospective seat-ers. Located in Calgary, Alberta Tara recently completed her masters in industrial design. Unfortunately, most projects seem to be prototypes at the moment, but I'm excited to see where she goes in the next few years. A joint project with Michael Farrar, Take Note, acts as stylish handbag storage, though I think our crafty minds could come up with other interesting uses in their home.  What are your ideas? Towels...rolled up magazines?

More art, design and craft at andrapandra

Hi-Can: the bed 2.0

This is a new concept of rest.  Hi-Can, is a project of  the Italian designer Edoardo Carlino, who proposes a modern way of integrating a bed, the best quality of sound and a great screen to watch your movies, play games or use Internet, all in one.

The product is not available yet, but it will be soon.  ¿Who will bother to leave bed early in the morning now?
Watch the site of Hi-Can to more information.

Via Cubeme.

MODERN FURNITURE - DEMA ITALY "HOTELLO BED"

Hotello Queen Bed for mattress 60" x 80"
69.66" wide x 92.1" long
headboard: 33.1" high
platform height: 11.8"
Available through SPENCER INTERIORS

One of my favorite upholstered beds out there that makes a statement and speaks quality with its design and timeless modern lines.  "The ultimate luxury bed. Built to the same exacting standards as Dema's sofas which are known for comfort and quality, the Hotello Bed is in a class of its own, and is now available in North American sizes for the first time."

No wood, particle board, or plastic parts are used in the bed frame - the entire structure is made from steel. While most beds use a single density foam - the Hotello bed is padded with different densities of foam and then covered with a matching protective fabric - providing superior comfort and longevity. Bedsprings are also in steel with springing made of Beech slats, which are fully adjustable to 3 different heights, and covered with matching protective linen. For increased strength and stability, the bed slats are assembled as a single piece at the factory and shipped entirely complete. The feet are in brushed steel with neutral coloured anti-slip thermoplastic tips. Available in fabric or leather covers which are fully removable.

To see more of my favorite modern design and what inspires me, visit my personal design blog.