British designer Tom Dixon's Milan 2009 show is taking place under the motto "Back to Basics - Utility". A title that refers less to a return to minimalistic design - Dixon never was one for the overly ornate - and more to the materials used in the design; in the designers words "the collection uses some of the most basic and primitive of materials, re-thought for the modern age" Among the new items that caught our attention was "Screw Table". Constructed from "one bomb proof heavy cast
read more
Taking photographs in a moving underground train is not as easy as it looks :) But we think we just about managed it... The text on the sign says "C'e la crisi? No, c'e il Salone!" Which roughly translated means: "Is it a crisis? -- no its Salone!" ; the main PR angle of the exhibition organisers being "Crisis...what crisis?" For us in the (smow)blog team the only crisis at the moment is the length of time we have to que to get coffee here in the press
read more
Whereas the main Salone exhibition opened today, Wednesday; a lot of those producers and designers who are exhibiting "off-Salone" opened their doors on Tuesday evening. Among them dutch producer Moooi who launched their forthcoming selection in the Superstudio Pia on the Supertrendy Via Tortona And we must admit to being more than little impressed by many - though not all - of the designs. In particular the Eurolantern, Raimond and Tree Lamp ranges caught our imagintion. We'll let the
read more
During the Salone exhibition a parallel "Public Design Festival" is taking place; an event which includes many such installations. This is public nap facility on the Via
read more
Firstly apologies for the small delay... the internet connections in Milan aren't all they could be :) A couple of months ago we mentioned the Terminal trade fair and introduced Vitra's range of public seating solutions. And so it was with a particular joy to experience the chairs in action this morning at both Munich and Leipzig airports. Wheres in Munich we just saw Sir Norman Foster's "Airline" system, in Leipzig we saw both the "Airline" and .03 from Maartin Van Severen. Both airports
read more
Leipzig is famous for many things: Bach, Neo Rauch, Bach .... and Graffiti. We may not have as much as our neighbours in Halle, but ours has the superior quality and a higher degree of originality. Much like our designer furniture. And so when a delegation from smow paid a visit to Vitra this week it was natural that they shared this particular element of Leipzig's cultural identity with their hosts. Aside from defacing Vitra's walls, the (smow)team also visited the Vitra offices, and
read more
"Most people spend their lives living in dreary, beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colours. The main purpose of my work is to provoke people into using their imagination and make their surroundings more exciting." Verner Panton No one who knows the work of Verner Panton could or would argue that his work successfully achieved it's purpose. But for all his interior design projects, such as the canteen at the Spiegel headquarters in Hamburg emphasis exactly what Panton always hoped to
read more
We at (smow)blog make no secret of our admiration for the work of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and so were especially delighted to receive confirmation of the "new" projects they will be displaying at the Salone Mobile in Milan. In addition to their Vegetal Chair for Vitra and Clouds for Kvadrat, both of which we have already mentioned, les frères Bouroullec will also be premiering their Quilt sofa for Established & Sons and Steelwood coat hanger for Magis. For us the real charm of the four
read more
Its a few days old, but what with Easter, planning for Milan and the sunny weather we are little hinterher. Over the Easter weekend US based online magazine Yanko Design announced the winners of its "Relax" contest. First prize went to Nick Trincia for his/her "Fluid Rocker". Resembling the bizarre love child from an Eames plastic series A shell and a Panton Chair, "Fluid Rocker"is felt lined for both added comfort and to protect floor surfaces from the rocking action. For us a worthy
read more
Among the more interesting events taking place in Milan next week is a design forum on the subject of repairing designer furniture. Taking Platform 21s "Repair Manifesto" as its starting point the forum sets out to ask if one should repair designer furniture, where are the pros, where are the cons and in how far repairing a piece of furniture alters the owners relationship with the piece. There is of course repairing and repairing. As the Manifesto correctly points out designers should
read more
Only a week to go and then Europe's most prestigious furniture trade fair opens it doors. The Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan is the meeting point for designers, producers and those who aspire to such. And for the first time (smow) will also be in the Lombardy capital. While the (smow)bosses peruse the fair and negotiate with suppliers the (smow)blog team will be scouring the city for the best, the worst, the most curious and the most entertaining stories and photos. In addition
read more
Over Easter we had hoped to hoped to get to Karlsruhe to have a look at the exhibition: Interface Desk, or against Thinking in Categories. Billed - quite rightly - as possibly the first exhibition in history solely devoted to desks, the exhibition examines the role and function of the "desk" and in doing so possess the question "what is a desk?" But we didn't. Instead we were in Bad Muskau- which was also fantastic. And now we are back at our desks.... and still thinking "what is a desk?"
read more
Probably not - or at least not yet. However, during the NATO summit on 4 and 5th of April 2009 Barack Obama and the other heads of states and military present were treated to some of the high points of the smow designer furniture collection. During their working dinner in the Baden-Baden Kurhaus Obama and colleagues were supported in their discussions by Antonio Citterio's new chair for Vitra - Skape. With it's high backrest in high-grade leather and generous upholstery Skape is a
read more
Two days sun and we at the (smow)blog are already trying to convince the (smow)boss to let us work from the garden for the next six months. Fortunately smow can provide all that we need to both work safety and in comfort out of doors as well as to enjoy our evening. Designer furniture for outdoors: S 1043 outdoor by Thonet With its round stainless steel tubular frame, weather-proof plywood top and height-adjustable feet the S1043 is an excellent choice for all outdoor areas; regardless of
read more
Nice chair...and for free As a general rule we don't pay any attention to our (smow)boss; however, as the news fluttered in that Vitra are giving away 20 Vegetal chairs from Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec even we were forced to listen. The Vegetal chair is the culmination of four years development and follows in the tradition of their Algue room divider by combining synthetic materials with natural forms to create a functional, attractive addition to any home. Weather resistant and specially
read more
We at the (smow)blog aren't above making advertising form others. If we feel that something passes to our remit, we go with it. Crazy as we are. And so it was with great interest that we heard about "Scandinavian Design: Discover form and function" the latest travel guide from Scandline Ferries. We've never actually set foot on a Scandline's ferry ourselves, but the idea of sailing around Denmark and Sweden while learning a little more about the design tradition and future perspectives in
read more
A cult figure among designers, relatively unknown amongst the general public Joe Colombo is without doubt one of the most important designers of the 20th century. The Vitra Design Museum exhibition “Joe Colombo – Design and the invention of the future” is the first international retrospective of the man, his work and his influence. From April 3rd until the end of June the exhibition is on display at the Grassi Museum here in Leipzig and, as one would expect from an official Vitra partner,
read more
One of Europe's most important design institutions today celebrates the 90th anniversary of its establishment. For fans of purist design Bauhaus is the first and last word. Designs such as the B3 "Wassily Chair" by Marcel Breuer, the Nesting Tables from Josef Albers or the WA24 lamp form Wilhelm Wagenfeld defining an approach to the combination of style and form that has lost none of its modernity nor individuality over the decades. Where the furniture and buildings rarely strayed from the
read more
In a recent article wired magazine presented their own take on the evolution of office furnishing. From the introduction of the vast, cattle-shed like offices that characterised early office design through the cubicles and "virtual offices" of the 1980s and 90s and onwards the text makes one thing clear: Too many office workers have suffered through bad office design concepts. But one needn't work from home in order to benefit from the advantages of a convivial and stimulating office
read more
The snow is back in Leipzig and so whereas the weekend was spent enjoying the warm spring air - the evenings are now being spent enjoying the warm living room and a good book. And so it's just as well we were recently at Leipzig book fair. Among the seemingly endless piles of new historical novels, travel guides - each, naturally, with the best insider tips - and Harry Potter wannabes there was also a few title that appealed to us. "Project Vitra" from Rolf Fehlbaum und Cornel Windlin for
read more
smow prides itself on only dealing in new, officially licensed products from internationally renowned producers such as Vitra, Kartell, USM Haller and Moormann, amongst others. As an internationally active retailer, smow, however, also has a regular supply of shop display items and exhibition articles which cannot be sold as "new": For just as a car that has travelled more than 40 kilometres can't be sold as new, so a chair that has been sat on more the twice also can't be sold as new. And
read more
Passenger Terminal Expo is Europe’s largest airport terminal exhibition. And while such is always good to know, why are we at (smow)blog telling you. Because it is a opportune moment once again demonstrate that designer furniture and furniture by top designers can be found everywhere. Even in an airport – an environment that is normally considered as a design desert. Among the exhibitors at Passenger terminal expo is smow partner Vitra. For over 40 years Vitra have been developing and
read more
March in Leipzig means Book Fair. One of the oldest and most important in Europe the 2009 Leipzig Book Fair ran between March 12 and 15. And attracted over 147,000 vistors. The Leipzig Book Fair prides itself on being more than just an industry meeting point, and during the Fair over 500 public readings took place as part of the “Leipzig liest” festival. And we at smow joined the fun. On the evening 14.03.09 our Leipzig (smow)room once again hosted a reading with subsequent discussion. Guest
read more
Shameless self-congratulation – but what the hey! The current German edition of Cosmopolitan (April 2009) contains a wonderful recommendation for the stylish La Bohème -”Vases” by Philippe Starck for Kartell. And we didn’t even pay them. If the Cosmopolitan Germany editors will also recommend the article to their colleagues at Cosmopolitan Denmark, Cosmopolitan Holland or Cosmopolitan UK is not clear, but we at (smow)blog can definitely recommend these humorous and, slightly irritating,
read more
