2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

Organic Couture: When Urban Organic Goes Glam!

{organic couture lifestyle photo: log bench by chista ~ Vogue Italia September, 08}

Organic Glam: the beauty and dichotomy of Haute Nature + Organic Couture. And yes, free-form slabs of unfinished wood is ~ sexy. Featured at Urban Lifestyle Decor, this nature inspired lifestyle of modern decor offers the ultimate in Eco-Luxury by combining the strength of rustic design with the beauty of feminine form. Deep earthy tones and heavy scale are balanced beautifully with metallic legs + plexi-glass bases. Everyone needs to covet at least one showpiece of Organic Art: a perfect addition to any urban dweller, or art lover's ~ open space.

CHISTA ~ knows Urban Organic Glam. Founded in 1990, this design company "explores the roots of primitivism" and creates some of the most impressive primitive-modern forms on the planet. {the goods: *1. Meteor Coffee Table at 55" wide demands attention and is sculptured by nature in pure Teak Root, also available in glam bronze or glam aluminum. *2. "Suar" Free-Form Dining Table}.

To find more beauty in organic art, visit "The Forms" at www.chista.net

The sexy side of organic comes with metallic legs + glossy finishes. The Cast Slab Dining Table from blankblank exemplifies the Organic Couture Lifestyle. Designed by Rob Zinn, the solid cast bronze legs, combined with a salvaged wood slab top, offers a fabulous balance of Eco-Luxury. What makes it green? "The wood is selected from sources of diseased or storm-felled trees and the fabrication is closely overseen to capture a unique spirit in each piece which comes Signed and dated." Make sure to visit this design + build company: they have one of the most eclectic product assortments on the market.


One of the leaders in the Urban Organic Lifestyle is Hudson Furniture Inc. Designed by Barlas Baylar, this collection of live edge case goods + glam lighting is the perfect accessory for the Organic Couture Lifestyle. {the organic goods above: new glam: Squares Base Dining Table with Claro Walnut top and glam bronze square base}.

Want to make a Glam-Grand statement ~ look at the Acacia Table with a Solid Acacia Slab Top + a Super-Glam Polished I-Base by Hudson Furniture.

"Sexy Plexy" with a Solid Walnut Top by Hudson.

Of course, as you may already know, I must include: "My favorite Organic Glam Dining Table ~ ever." ~ The Knight Base Table with handmade cast bronze base and claro walnut top by Hudson Furniture Inc. Want more fabulous Urban Organic + Urban Glam finds, check out the "Urban Organic Lifestyle."

Modern Bohemian + The Eclectic Lounge

In the Eclectic Lounge, anything goes: from Twig Chairs to Pig Tables to Horse & Boot lamps.  From Urban Lifestyle Decor, comes an eclectic modern style with the motto, "When you fall in love with a piece, whether it be vintage or mod or glam, bring it home and find a place for it in The Eclectic Lounge." {lifestyle photo: phillip starck designs}

Of course, what would a lounge be without the coolest lighting ~ ever. Go crazy and search for the avant-garde & whimsical. One of my all time favorites for crazy: Moooi, where designers create: "Furniture to fall in love with at first sight or hate forever ~ moooi."

Love it or hate it, you gotta admit, it's pretty crazy-fab. {the lighting goods: light-shade-shade, a one-way mirror chandelier from moooi. *2: antique antler chandelier from jayson home & garden. *3: klemm cast resin chandelier by oly. *4: horse lamp by moooi, also available in silver. *5: boot lamp by mochino lamp collection}.

Accent with reclaimed teak, organic twig furniture, horn tables, chic urban glam or vintage mirrors and make sure to mix-and-don't-match your lifestyles of home decor. When it comes to accents, search out the art driven crazy designers and paint up the lounge. {the goods: *1: reclaimed teak meg chair from oly. *2: vintage astrid mirror from oly. *3: lars horn table by jayson home & garden}.

Finally, who wouldn't want to impress their guests with a pig to serve the drinks. Again, from moooi. If you choose to add this little piggy to your Eclectic Lounge decor, your pig table arrives with the moooi smiley logo, life-like fur, and beauty spots ~ what more could you want?

Euro Eclectic: the glam of modern wares

{ Euro Posh ~ by James Merrell Photography }

For the European Eclectic Lifestyle, add just a touch of Vintage and mix in some Urban Glam to bring out the beauty of { black+white } interiors. There's something magical + dreamy about pure white modern upholstery, avant-garde designed accents, and flirtatious chairs: all fabulous finds found at Urban Lifestyle Decor: modern decor + wares.

European Eclectic is an attitude ~ not a location. It's a true passion for Home Couture and fabulous interiors with a gift of mix-n-match. For the true-blooded urban dweller, choose modern-tufting in white leather with touches of polished nickel and add avant-garde handcrafted twig furniture in pure white for the perfect Modern-Vintage Lifestyle. {the white goods: *1. sofa: designed by the fabulous jonathan Adler. *2. racine console: handmade in france by thomas boog ~ both available at www.piecesinc.com}.

Whimsical Chairs that flirt with your guests + "the Attraction of Opposites" ~ choose Black or White players from the Checkerboard Collection by crazy cool design house josh & louis.

Glam up your lighting with Urban Cool Design House ~ Hudson Furniture. Inc. Add the "Flower Power" hanging lamp: powder coated in your choice of fabulous black or white.

Euro Eclectic + the Organic Glam Lifestyle. With just the right touch of glam + organic sensibility, the Camouflage 22 Meteor Table in solid teak root by Chista is the perfect accent for any artist's loft or city brownstone. For more urban organic finds, check out Chista at www.chista.net.

The Urban Industrial LifeStyle

Strength + beauty. For the love of Urban Industrial, comes a dichotomous blend of utilitarian metal designs and the beauty of raw steel & iron finishes. For the hard-core industrial vibe, choose vintage medicine cabinets, adjustable industrial cast iron tables with glass or marble tops, and for the true industrialist ~ concrete seating. What more could you want for your urban cool, Urban Industrial Lifestyle?  [photo above by gary heller photography].

[photo by Régis Cariou].

1940's strafor medicine cabinet, by Les Nouveaux Brocanteurs brings utility + beauty + industrial design to any urban decor dwelling or big city loft. [photo by Régis Cariou].

Design Collection from French Design House ~ Les Nouveaux Brocanteurs, titled "Indus & Métiers," is an urban industrial dream find and I have to thank the very talented + creative, photographer Régis Cariou for introducing me to such urban industrial coolness. Find Régis and the other talented design team members at Les Nouveaux Brocanteurs or visit www.lesnouveauxbrocanteurs.com for more fabulous industrial wares.

 

For the true vintage urban industrial enthusiast: a must see urban cool loft filled with one-of-a-kind antique industrial wares + lighting. "It has always been our goal at Get Back, Inc. to find the best in unique industrial design. Started in 2000 by Irish cabinet/furniture makers, experienced in "Old World" craftsmanship, our ability to transform our finds into functional exciting furniture has attracted many top architects, designers, and decorators." ~ GB, Inc. [the goods on the tables] *1. adjustable industrial cast iron & glass table base, *2. vintage industrial marble & cast iron table. For pricing + additional information, visit the urban cool crew at Get Back, Inc.

[Genius ~ this is one urban cool industrial chair]

Designed by Stefan Zwicky + is titled "Grand Confort, Sans Confort."

[the sleek beauty of industrial design: a 1970's prototype]
from Phillipe Starck.

Rugs That Rock!

The Urban Lifestyle's ultimate accessory: a bold modern rug. For any urban dweller with concrete or hard-wood floors, a rug is a must have designer showpiece that is both functional and beautiful. From whimsical lines, to modern glam, to bold abstracts, I turn to one of the coolest hand-made rug manufacturers on the planet ~ The Rug Company. Not only do they have avant-garde designs created by some of the most innovative designers in "the biz," their photo styling is a dream find for any decor enthusiast. {pictured above: the rockin' "Star Red" designed by Paul Smith}.

Fabulous "Kimono" ~ designed by Marni

The Ultra Modern Cool "Puzzle Blue" ~ designed by Edward Barber + Jay Osgerby.

For the Modern Glam Lifestyle, love "Glamour Girl" ~ designed by Lulu Guinness

 
For the Avant-garde Urban Lifestyle: nothing beats "Shag" ~ designed by Ron Arad.

 

I love this modern + vintage {blue heaven} wool rug. "Maze" ~ designed by the fabulous Kelly Wearstler.

There's nothing like punches of yellow to spice up dark wood floors or cold concrete and don't be afraid to mix in classic designs with your ultra modern decor. {above: "Overleaf Yellow" ~ designed by Marni.}

"Swirl" ~ designed by Paul Smith.

For the Modern Bohemian Lifestyle: Go Pink. Play + flirt with your modern decor and add some floral to ultra stark white rooms + white leather upholstery.

The Metropolitan Modern Lifestyle: laid-back + ultra cool. "CityScape Brown" designed by Sam Turner is perfect for the menswear-modern-man.

 

Dharma Initiative Food... for you

If you are fan of Lost, like me, you probably know well these labels.   These are not very cute, sure we will find best packaging examples in the supermarket, but something we can not deny is that, these labels are mysterious, just like the TV serial.

So... how to get all this Dharma food products? Easy.  You don't have to buy it.   Just need to download the labels on this site, and put on your own food.  You will notice that they are many alternatives avaliable.

I can't wait to invite my friends to dinner and say: Oh, do you know these packaging too? I always thought that only Dharma members knew about it.  I have recently returned to the island, just to share with you a sample of our food.  Hahahaa... Enjoy this design's joke at home!

Via Compradiccion.

Gothic Grunge + Modern Bohemian ~ Home Fashion

When it comes to street fashion of home decor ~ Love Anna James.

For the Eclectic Modern Lifestyle, you can't forego ~ Grunge: the dark side of bohemian life. After posting her "grunge wares" on Urban LifeStyle Decor, a fan frenzy began and people now know why I "Love Anna James." From London street fashion to Romeo + Juliet, Anna James receives her inspiration from the graffiti found on the archway entrance of Juliet's home in Verona, Italy. Working out of a studio in South East London, she transforms 20th century antiques into art-filled, one-of-a-kind, hand-painted ~ treasures.

Like the Verona Boudoir Chest from Love Anna James {pictured above} each piece is fully restored and etched with random declarations of love + other unrequited scribblings from around the world. Like her art, Anna remains a mystery, but her urban inspired graffiti paints a picture of a true avant-garde furniture + decor designer.

Anna goes Modern Bohemian with this ultra fab Genoa Table.

Modern Parallel Lines ~ A feast for the modern eye.

Imperfection 6 ~ Graffiti Grunge Meets the Modern of Black-&-White by Jimmie Martin.

Living in London ~ home decor fashion takes on the grunge goodness of chic design and avant-garde textiles. Let your inner bohemian free to re-cover existing frames with artist canvas and express an eclectic nature of decor by painting your own designs, or purchase custom hand-painted chairs & settees. Either way, you bring new life to any city dweller's loft or London pad.

 

Haunting Modern Glam by Jimmie Martin

"There is a rare consistency of sophisticated pieces combined with a sexy, modern design element." ~ about Jimmie Martin Designs.

Gothic Grunge Modern with a Touch of Glam: starts with black painted case pieces adorned with haunted chandeliers, and French ornate, white painted boudoir armories with splashes of grunge graffiti.

Who is Jimmie? Across Europe and now here in the states, what more could you want in home fashion than UK designer ~ Jimmie Martin. Working with private, commercial and high profile clients, he has definitely made a name for himself in couture home goods. For more bohemian finds + fabulous urban decor, pay JM a visit at www.jimmiemartin.co.uk.

New from LZF

Great new lamps just in from LZF on 2Modern! A wonderful collection of multi-layered veneer hoops make up the new Onion Pendant Lamp. Reminiscent of classic asian paper lanterns, the Farolillo Pendant and Table Lamps are festive and fun for all occasions. And with its compact, oval shape, there's no mystery to where the Pod Pendant Lamp got its name.

Silicone in Second Generation Meets a Well Designed Life.

In a 2004 trend report for a client I identified silicone as one of the most important materials of the future.  Able to withstand temperatures of 600 degrees farenheit, Silicone can be used to bake in, lift hot food or pans from the oven, and just in general protect one from heat....in some cases even cool things. 

Its use in applications has come a long way since 2004 as evidenced in a review at the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago this week of three different companies with 3 different applications and thus ideas on how silicone can be used.  I am not here to say which is best only to say we as consumers are in fact the winners:

.

  BODUM using their French coffee and tea press technology but in a stainless steel mug meant for on the go, has wrapped a section in silicone in place of a handle or a cardboard wrap so you can hold the mug comfortably in spite of the heat from that steaming, delicious hot and fresh cup of coffee or tea.  Just add course coffee or tea, then hot water, secure the lid, wait four minutes, push down on the plunger and you've got a totally  fresh and yummy hot cup of coffee or tea ready to travel with you.  Who needs Starbucks?   The silicone band is available in a range of fun and timely colors where it's easy to choose one that matches your personality.   For more information or even to purchase (available in June) visit Bodum's website at Bodum.com.

 

 

 

Next on the list is ISI North America, the originator of the Orca Mitt introduced in 2004 as a silicone oven mitt.  Able to resist high temperatures, the Orca Mitt let you take hot pans and dishes straight from the oven without feeling a bit of the heat, but it was its flexibility as well as its color intensity that captured the imagination.  With designers on the task, ISI North America introduced at this year's housewares show the Flex It Set.  Using that same flexibility and a thinking man's designer, ISI created  a measuring cup set that can be squeezed so you can pour the ingredients into your mixing bowl or pan.  Simple, huh?  But it's really coming to grips with what silicone is capable of besides withstanding high temperatures.  Haven't we as cooks been humbled more than once by the inability of being able to pour directly from the measuring cup into the other thingy?  Well, here's our answer.

 

They've applied that same thinking to a set of "prep" and mixing bowls.  There is a grip on the bottom of each bowl that holds it steady but when you pick one up you can squeeze it as well to form a spout, easily pouring what you've mixed into that next container.  Coming in intense and fun colors for the kitchen, red, blue, green and white, what's not to love?  For more images and more about how the Flex It Set works visit ISI's website at ISINorthAmerica.com.

 

Last on this list, but far from least, is Fusion Brands.  These items come from two quirky but thoughtful designers, Anna and Kraigh Stewart, who understood the usefulness and creativity of silicone as a material along with the new demands on cooking at home while needing to keep things fun.  Enter the Ice Orb, a vertical ice cube tray that can keep tubs of dip or spread or a bottle of wine chilled while looking pretty cool itself at the same time, the Foodloop and the Foodloop lace...both silicone, the first is a wrapping tool, the second a trussing tool and both withstand high heat.....hey, with this group a video is worth a thousand words.  Time to visit their website, Fusionbrands.com , to get the gist of this creative couple who have only just begun to create.  

      

Periodic Table of Typefaces

This weeks Tuesday type-nerd moment of zen...

Brought to you by Ak, Av, Di, Ag, Bi, Bg, Fg, E, F and always H!

via

--sdotg--