At IMM Cologne Finnish producer Artek continued their 75th Anniversary celebrations with a small show at Droom/Design Your Room in Cologne's Belgian Quarter. We'll write more on the Artek story from the Stockholm Design Week; but for now a few impressions from Cologne.
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Richard Lampert is no newcomer to the world of kids designer furniture: products such as the Eiermann Children's desk - a reduced, child friendly version of the Egon Eiermann table frame - or the Turtle kids swivel chair by Peter Horn having become established family favourites. However, irritated by the general lack of high quality, designer furniture available for children, Richard Lampert decided to initiate his own range - with the help of a wonderful array of young international design
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One of the things that separates the world of independent product designers from the commercial giants is the level of cooperation and community that exists. Whereas one can't really imagine, for example, Vitra and Fritz Hansen jointly presenting Verner Panton re-issues at a trade fair; among young and independent designers there are fewer such hang-ups. And even a few "cooperatives" - for want of a better phrase - who regularly put on collective shows during design weeks and on the fringe
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One of the unfortunate weaknesses of IMM Cologne is the general lack of new products on show - either at the fair itself or out and about at the fringe events. That's not 100% IMM's fault rather the collective failing of a furniture industry that continues to focus, almost paranoid, on the Milan Design Week. Fortunately there are one or two producers who are prepared to use IMM to launch new products - including Augsburg based Müller Möbelfabrikation. Perhaps most eye catching of Müller
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As with all furniture trade fairs IMM annually gives part of the floor space over to young, up and coming, designers. In three themed sections "d3 Design Talents" offers space for design colleges - d3 Schools - those further on the way to establishing themselves - d3 Professionals - and a competition - d3 Contest. "Space" is however not only a relative term - but one that cannot be defined by physical measurements. As we learned on the journey to Congress-Centrum Ost! d3 Design Talents : d3
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Name: Christian Lessing Alma mater: Kommunikations Design und Illustration, Düsseldorf Products: Balcony 08 Leichtgewicht Nachtflug Window Garden Grip Shelving (smow)blog: How did you arrive at product design? Christian Lessing: After leaving school I initially trained as a carpenter, then after a couple of years overseas I started studying graphic design in Düsseldorf. My specialization at college was Illustration, but I also built 3D objects. After finishing college I then worked
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PANTON in the wonderful Felleshus, Berlin This past Friday the Danish Embassy in Berlin opened an exhibition devoted to the work of Verner Panton - from his early works up to his influence of today's young Danish designers. The first exhibition of Verner Panton's work in Germany for 10 years, PANTON is largely based around the collection of André Barss - a young Berlin Panton collector. A few years ago André was at an exhibition, saw a Panton Chair - and was so irritated by the fact that he
read moreBack in October 2010 the design blog pixelgangster.de ran a competition with a Richard Lampert Egon Eiermann desk - supplied naturally by (smow) - as the first prize. Entrants were asked to say why they deserved the desk. In his winning entry Benjamin asked his friends why he deserved the desk - would your friends be so generous? Ours probably wouldn't. But then we already have an Eiermann Desk! Benjamin's winning video (in German with English
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While critics denounce such as an easy and obvious way to generate content - for us reviewing the past year is an important step in planning our activities for the coming year: where to go, who to talk to, what to sit on and, just as importantly, what to ignore or give up. The only real problem for us is that in preparing such we realise just how much material we haven't had the chance to use - and so receive an impression of how much more material we will acquire in the coming year. Heck!
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We're taking a couple of days off - but will be back shortly with a review of our 2010 highlights. And a look forward to 2011.
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Although Alexander Girard worked closely with Herman Miller and designers such as George Nelson or Charles and Ray Eames; Alexander Girard's speciality was not furniture but fabrics, folk art and colour. Born in America and raised in Italy Alexander Girard studied architecture in London before a lack of architectural openings saw him spend several years working as an exhibition and interior designer; most notably in Sweden where he worked in the design department of the Nordiska department
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As you all know for us design must not only have a function: everything must have a purpose and reason. And so it follows that cutting down a perfectly healthy tree and letting it stand in the corner of our flat for a couple of weeks before throwing it away, just isn't an option for us. Which is why the (smow) Christmas Tree is made from Algue by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Although intended as a room divider, Algue is versatile enough to perform a range of functions - including that of a
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We first saw Becherlicht by Martin Neuhaus at Designers Fair 2010 in Cologne. And are still in awe. Our interview with Martin Neuhaus from Designers' Open will be published soon; but for now a few images.
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If Christmas is a time for family, then Christmas is also surely a time to buy your gifts from a family business. Currently being run by the 5th generation, Thonet have not only been responsible for the introduction and development of bent wood and steel tube furniture - two of the most important genres in the history of furniture design - but continue to support and develop young designers and so may just also discover the next big genre..... Thonet S 333 by Holger Lange Back in February
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The Vitra stand at Orgatec 2010 was dominated by the work of two design studios: Antonio Citterio and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. In addition to presenting new variations of their Alcove Sofa and Playns workstation, Vitra also unveiled the Bouroullec's new Communal Cells modular partition/interior architecture system and their High Meeting Table Apart from discussing the brothers forthcoming yacht project, we also talked about, the new Vitra products, what the Bouroullec's own office looks
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Or indeed any side table from Moormann. Based in a remote alpine valley hard on the Germany/Austria border it is hard to imagine a designer furniture producer who better fit into our modern White Christmas romantic than Nils Holger Moormann. Especially given the elven-esque Moormänner who assist Nils Holger with the construction and distribution of his products. And so a few suggestions from Haus Moormann for those of you looking for wood based Christmas presents a la days of yore: Mini
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Although he was not showing any new products at Orgatec 2010 Alberto Meda used the show to catch up a little on what other designers were up to. And when we caught up with Alberto Meda on the Vitra stand we learned something wonderful: Alberto Meda uses the same office chair as the (smow)blog crew... (smow)blog: Unless we've missed something you aren't showing anything at Orgatec 2010? Alberto Meda: No, but I am working on a new product with Vitra, but that is not yet ready and so I am
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Although the public face of Vitra is unquestionably their "Home Collection", for decades the backbone of the company has been their office furniture division. Consequently a central feature of Vitra's daily work involves developing new approaches to office design and attempting to predict what will be important for office workers in the coming years. In 1991 Vitra commissioned the designers Michele de Lucchi, Ettore Sottsass and Andrea Branzi to develop some plans for future office design.
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At Designers' Open 2009 (smow) first discovered Austrian producer Perludi, who were making their first appearance in Leipzig. Since when their wonderful MAXintheBOX has been part of the (smow) kid's collection. And obviously Designers' Open 2009 was generally a good one for Perludi, because they came back to Leipzig for Designers' Open 2010. On the (smow)blog desk we use a mini MAXintheBOX as a visiting card holder. In real-size MAXintheBOX can be more or less whatever your child wants
read moreAt Orgatec 2010 we spoke to USM Haller CEO Alexander Schärer about the company's return to Orgatec after a 12 year absence, their new "Living Essentials" collection and what his own office looks like....
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What would Christmas be without hats? Father Christmas, his elves, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dave Hill.... Even the shepherds and wise men. All bemillinered. And so what could be a more festive gift than a hat rack and/or hooks. Hut Ab by Konstantin Grcic for Moormann Hut Ab is both German for "Hats Off" and a genial space saving coat and hat rack by Konstatin Grcic. When not in use Hut Ab can be folded flat and stored. When in use, Hut Ab offers numerous options for hanging and holding
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Just as the Man in the Corner Shop was famously satisfied with his life until the Boss from the Factory turned up to buy cigars - so too were we content with our life until 00:42 this morning. Because then we received the invitation to Frank and Oliver's next exhibition in Zürich: „Schöne neue Welt - American Mid-century Design“ On their many trips through North and Central America Oliver Müller and Frank Landau have acquired a unique collection of objects. In the exhibition „Schöne neue Welt
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Lazier than a group of sloths who've just been given the day of from slothing and told to "take it easy", the (smow)blog crew have decided to roll out the Christmas 2009 series for Christmas 2010. We're just like BBC 2. Over the next couple of weeks under the "Christmas is coming .... " heading we'll present one or the other festive gift idea beautifully wrapped up in a truly appalling rhyme. The 2009 selection can be found under "Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat...."
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In the history of (smow)blog only two designers have contacted us to comment on our comments. The first was Brooklyn based Jason Miller and the second was SintLucas student Vivienne van den Dungen. Writing about a stool she was exhibiting at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven we commented that : "Our one complaint would be that the current version doesn’t really seem to know what it is: the higher component being to short to be a back rest and to narrow to be used for holding, for example, a
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