Maybe it’s because we already have our eye on spring. Maybe we can just sense a bright idea. Whatever the reason, at 2Modern, we definitely see things moving in a sunny direction. We detect a distinct pattern: delicate repeating lines, perfectly symmetrical, radiating from a central axis, like a burst — Continue reading
Nostalgia for the way things used to be—or at the very least, the way things used to look—can fairly be explained in one word: quality. Prior to the advent of mass production, the thinking goes, stuff was made to last a good while, and, thus, made with a great deal more care. — Continue reading
If the concept of love—across cultures and continents—had to be translated into a basic geometric shape, there’d be little debate as to which shape. As a symbol of interconnectedness or infinity, wholeness or unity, protection or balance, there’s simply nothing to match the circle. And with Valentine’s Day around the — Continue reading
All the qualities that made lucite a beguiling material in the 1960s and 70s—lightness, both visual and literal, a touch of glamour—remain true today. The California-born glass artist Dorothy Thorpe was something of a pioneer in the use of lucite (the material is, more accurately, acrylic; lucite is the trademark name coined by DuPont), — Continue reading
Yes, we admit to having been overtaken by a spot of wanderlust lately, here at 2Modern, and our discriminating eye for design naturally lead us to LUXE City Guides. To say that LUXE guides aren’t for most traveleers is to state the obvious, given their lavishly decorative, photo-less covers. Aimed at — Continue reading
For the next 7 days, 2Modern will be talking about love. We’re counting down to Valentine’s Day with a review of some of the more romantic, playful, and just plain heart-stoppingly beautiful examples of modern furniture and modern gift ideas from our collection. And there’s simply no better starting point than — Continue reading
As if we need further confirmation of Marilyn Monroe’s age-defying star power, consider the case of Peter Mangone. In 1955, Mangone was a 15 year-old schoolboy with a crush on Marilyn. Hoping for a glimpse of the 29 year-old star, newly divorced from Joe DiMaggio, Mangone waited outside New York’s Gladstone — Continue reading
Anyone under the impression that black-and-white is a strictly modern color concept may want to have a look at this vintage fan, manufactured presumably sometime in the 1940s by Fresh’nd Aire. Aside from the obviously stellar construction (note the weighty base and delicate metal chain), what’s striking is the geometric — Continue reading
The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi may extoll the virtues of imperfection, but the New York-based interior designer Jennifer Post is having none of it. Her stock and trade is unapologetic, awe-inspiring flawlessness, which may explain why she can blithely declare, “I’m not for everyone.” Maybe so, but everyone would do well to — Continue reading
With our ardor for Mid-Century Modern furnishings in no imminent danger of subsiding, these three-color letterpress notecards from Digby & Rose, featuring illustrations of George Nelson’s clock and pendant lamps, and Harry Bertoia’s Diamond wire chair, are a worthwhile indulgence. The debossed brick wall is a particularly nice touch, and — Continue reading
Neon wasn’t invented specifically for Las Vegas, but we might be forgiven for assuming it was. No city on any continent has ever flourished as brightly in the glow (or, in Vegas’ case, glare) of neon signage as has America’s gambling capitol. And now, thanks to the recently-opened Neon Museum, — Continue reading
Optical illusions were invented, one presumes, to toy with our perceptions; but when they occur beneath our feet, they’re that much more discomfiting. Flooring comprised of tiles that produce the illusion of three dimensions—like those found at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome or the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas—are — Continue reading
If you’re looking for inspiration, you might as well start at the loftiest place, as Ikea no doubt did when designing their playfully pleasing Krokig child’s coat stand. Cleverly taking a cue from Fritz Hansen’s richly lacquered (and luxuriously priced) Coat Tree, they seem to have hit all the right notes — Continue reading
Among the more familiar brands showing off their new collections last week at the New York International Gift Fair, was Artek, the venerable Finnish furniture company, which has, for the first time, entered the home accessories market. Called abc Collection (“the alphabet of living),” this new product line features textiles and everyday — Continue reading
The artist Louise Bourgeois spent a lot of time looking at spiders. “I came from a family of repairers. The spider is a repairer. If you bash into the web of a spider, she doesn’t get mad. She weaves and repairs it.” Thankfully, these graphic cork coasters, translated from her intricate — Continue reading
It’s finally Friday, and a good reason to get a bit less serious about design. And what better place to start than with C. Wonder, the relentlessly upbeat retailer whose penchant for bright colors and dizzying graphic patterns has white-only advocates running for cover. New to their inventory (and turning a — Continue reading
The Mexican-American architectural photographer Pedro E. Guerrero, might not have been as famous as his contemporary, Julius Schulman, but he, too, photographed masterworks by 20th Century giants like Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, and, most famously, Frank Lloyd Wright. Guerrero, who died last year, also created indelible images of lesser known — Continue reading
If you’re looking for a reason to go to Barcelona—and let’s face it, who isn’t?—I’m pleased to offer you four: a suite of visually compelling, primary-colored guides and fold-out maps designed by Astrid Stavro Studio for Barcelona’s Tourism Office. The series focuses on the city’s shopping districts and the retail streets — Continue reading
If it’s true, as some claim, that the words minimalism and grace are synonymous, then the work of the British architect John Pawson may be the ultimate embodiment of the term. Pawson, whose 2003 design for the Nový Dvůr monastery in the Czech Republic solidified his status as the only — Continue reading
What is with all the weather indoors? First I saw Berndnaut Smilde’s Nimbus pieces; now I see Tomas Saraceno’s Cloudy House installation at Andersen’s Contemporary Berlin. Saraceno’s exhibition includes a cloud installation, sculpture, video and photographs. The clouds are constructed of matte, white paper which are suspended individually by nylon — Continue reading
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