"For men who have to write a lot, and over prolonged periods, a desk at which they can work standing up is an indispensable piece of furniture for altering their posture and for maintaining their health", opined Journal der Moden in May 1786. An age when, famously, only men wrote. Yet advantageous and positive as standing to write was, prolonged standing could, as Journal der Moden notes, lead to tiredness. A solution was however at hand for all who preferred working at a standing height desk
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Bouroullec A Ronan; An Erwan; An unassuming, poetic, connection. The contemporary Bouroullec can be traced back to the Old Breton boureller, a saddler, an upholsterer, and largely owes its contemporary definition to the work of the brothers Ronan le Renard and Erwan le Porc-épic who greatly expanded and developed not only the crafts of saddling and upholstering but also popular understandings of the role and function of saddlery and upholstery in both private and public spaces, so much so
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According to the Greek philosopher Anaximenes of Miletus, air is the source of everything. And whereas in the intervening 2500 years we have come to better understand the true nature, character and properties of air, as the exhibtion Design on Air at the Centre d'innovation et de design Grand-Hornu illustrates, air remains a very potent, stimulating, and protean creative force. Design on Air, Centre d'innovation et de design au Grand-Hornu Omnipresent yet absent, perceptible yet
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German designer Klaus Hackl's understanding of design is one based on the principle of evolution not revolution, of understanding the context in which a project arises, and of the value, and logic, of craft processes and craft scale production. And of the value, and logic, of craft processes and craft scale production augmented by digital technology. Keen to learn more, we met up wit Klaus Hackl in Munich.... Flare by Klaus Hackl for Hausgenossen (Foto Eva Jünger, courtesy Klaus Hackl) A
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Backrests appeared to be a major feature of those new products Konstantin Grcic presented at Milan Furniture Fair 2017. Or perhaps better put, from those new product we saw by Konstantin Grcic, we interpreted the backrest as being central components. But it wasn't all about backrests, a few thoughts on new products for Magis, Plank, Flos and Mattiazzi. Noctambule by Konstantin Grcic for Flos, as seen at Milan Furniture Fair 2017 Monza Bistro Chair for Plank Although an addition to the Monza
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Much as we moan, moan, and moan about Milan Furniture Fair, it is a rare opportunity to get a snapshot of where individual designers are currently at: differing products for differing manufacturers being displayed in relatively proximity allowing for a nice overview. A few considerations on the latest projects by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra, Magis, Flos and Mattiazzi. Verticale by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Flos, as seen at Milan Furniture Fair 2017 Softshell Side Chair for Vitra
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To the casual observer selecting five outstanding products from the Milan Furniture Fair is a neigh on impossible task, so great is the number of potential candidates. "How", asks our casual observer, "are you going to select just five?!?!" For the seasoned attendee selecting five outstanding products from the Milan Furniture Fair is a neigh on impossible task, because the vast majority of articles on show are anything but outstanding. And those which are are invariably older, established
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2016 sees the 20th anniversary of German architecture and design magazine A&W's "Designer of the Year Award." Following on from previous recipients including Achille Castiglioni in 1997, Paola Navone in 2000, Gaetano Pesce in 2006 and more recently Werner Aisslinger in 2014 and Michele De Lucchi in 2015 the 20th recipient is Jasper Morrison. And that, joyously, means a Jasper Morrison exhibition during the 2016 Passagen Cologne interior design week. A&W Designer of the Year 2016 - Jasper
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On March 10th 2015 a jury at the Central District Court of California in Los Angeles concluded that Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke had relied a little too heavily on Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up" when composing their track "Blurred Lines". For infringement of Gaye's copyright the court ordered Williams and Thicke to pay Marvin Gaye's estate $7.4 million dollars. Responding to the judgement Pharrell Williams mused in the Financial Times that "the verdict handicaps any creator
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It was invariably more through good fortune than good planning; however, at Milan Furniture Fair 2015 Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's principle manufacturers were all sited next to one another. Good for Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec as it meant they didn't have so far to walk to get to their numerous appointments. And good for everyone else as it allowed for a very easy overview of the brothers' latest works. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's highest profile new launch at Milan Furniture Fair 2015 was
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One of the first telephone calls Mateo Kries and Marc Zehntner made upon assuming leadership of the Vitra Design Museum in 2011 was to Konstantin Grcic to discuss the possibility of an exhibition. Grcic was, in principle, open to the idea, but, "I didn't want a static exhibition, something that froze my work in time, rather I wanted something dynamic" That "something dynamic" is the exhibition Konstantin Grcic - Panorama which opened at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein on Friday March
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It being January, IMM Cologne once again provided the backdrop for the presentation of the A&W Designer of the Year Award. Following on from Tokujin Yoshioka in 2011 and Patrica Urquiola in 2012 the 2013 accolade went to everyone's favourite Bretons Ronan And Erwan Bouroullec In addition to the undoubted kudos of winning, as part of the award the Brothers Bouroullec are also being honoured in an exhibition at the Kölnischer Kunstverein. Featuring an overview of their more recent works the
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At the end of March the V&A Museum London opened the exhibition "British Design 1948-2012. Innovation in the Modern Age", their major summer exhibition and a central pillar of their celebration of all things British throughout 2012. Documenting the story of design in the UK since the last London Olympics, "British Design 1948-2012" begins in an era when Britain as a nation was recovering from the trauma of the Second World War, yet understood that in the rubble of the war lay the chance to
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For all in our near Copenhagen, and who aren't planning travelling to Weil am Rhein in the coming months, the Designmuseum Danmark is also currently offering the chance to view an exhibition that highlights the role of art in the design process. But featuring works from Finn Juhl. Not Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. One of the most important, if not so universally well known, Danish furniture architects of the mid 20th century Finn Juhl would have celebrated his 100th bithday in 2012. And as
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London based design studio Barber Osgerby stands as a testament to the fact that high quality work will always win through, with or without the media status "star designer" While its fair to say that many of their contemporaries have been placed on international glossy magazine pedestals, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have remained largely in the shadows, quietly producing consistently high quality work for both international producers and private customers. That is however slowly changing
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Luddites! Not a phrase normally associated with (smow) To the best of our knowledge no (smow)employee has ever smashed an iPad or capped a WiFi service in protest at the creeping and increasingly obsessive proliferation of technology into our lives. Despite that, the early summer weeks in the (smow)HQ were dominated by the preparation and production of the very first (smow)catalogue. That's print catalogue. So on paper. With ink. Luddites? Au contraire nos amis! Not only is the
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Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are without doubt two of the brightest stars in the international designer furniture heaven. And two of the most omnipotent. Something which however may slowly change. Ronan Bouroullec in the VitaHaus, Weil am Rhein Following their initial breakthrough with Cuisine désintégrée ( Disintegrated kitchen ), an concept piece by Ronan Bouroullec that was taken on by Italian producer Capellini in 1998, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec went on to develop projects with companies
read moreFor 26 years James Irvine has been quietly and unassumingly influencing European industrial design. Immediately after graduating from the London Royal College of Art in 1984 James Irvine moved to Milan to take up a position with the Olivetti design studio. And has pretty much been in the north Italian metropolis ever since. In 1992 James Irvine left Olivetti and since then has worked with companies as varied as Artemide, B&B Italia, Whirlpool, Magis and WMF. Among his most public projects is
read moreWorking as a furniture designer is a lot like working as a musician or an author. You establish a reputation and then hope to attract someone to publish/produce your work. However, whereas authors and musicians tend to work exclusively with one publisher/label for prolonged periods, furniture designers generally develop products for numerous producers simultaneously. Or at least the leading ones do. In Milan we caught up with Ronan Bouroullec and here he briefly decribes what he enjoys about
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Having sold everything, including our kidneys and the neighbours cat, we can finally afford to pay for a hotel in Milan. "Is it really worth it?" ask the pensioners, students and lawyers who gather in front of the (smow)blog flat every March to buy our possessions and so help us finance the life of luxury enjoyed by that special class of bloodsucker that is the Milanese hotelier. "No" answer we. "But what are we to do?" And indeed what are we to do. One need only look at the press photos
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With our recent design hotels post still simmering on the back-burner of critical acclaim the first photos reach of us perennial (smow)blog favourites Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's design for the new restaurant at the Casa Camper Hotel in Berlin. The Boys from the Bretagne took their inspiration from the desire to celebrate the work of Head Chef Albert Rauric, the former Chef du Cuisine at elBulli and founding Head Chef at Dos Palillos, Barcelona To this end the restaurant features one table,
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The NYC Post Police - tailed our every move and word Your (smow)blog team didn't become the internationally feared and monitored crew we are simply because we travel the world fearlessly attending opening night parties. Oh no! We achieved our notoriety on account of our excellent network of contacts among designers, producers, critics and delivery drivers. Nothing but nothing passes us by. As observant readers may have noticed, during our visit to the ICFF we did spend quite a lot of time
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Good news for all of you in Copenhagen, or who are planning visiting the Danish capital. Perpetual smow favourites Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec were recently commissioned to design the new Kvadrat showroom in Copenhagen, and the result of the work has now been unveiled. It may not look like they have done very much for their opulent fee; but ain't that the secret in good design ;) But what they undoubtedly have created, is a space that allows the wonderful Kvadrat fabrics to shine and take
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For us one of the discoveries of the ICFF was Brooklyn based designer Jason Miller. Miller's design contains undeniable elements of contemporary European design, albeit effortlessly combined with, for our opinion, classic European stereotypes of retro-NYC style. We promised a text on post-colonialism in US design ... and like all at smow we always keep our promises. Miller's Duct Tape Chair, for example, is more than a wonderfully comfortable armchair. Reminiscent in many ways of Easy
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