DesignStory: Eero Aarnio's New Soap Chair

October 28, 2010, 9:30 pm

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SPONSORED POST

DesignStory, a new entry in the online retail community, offers members-only pricing on home and design products from around the world. This week and next, DesignStory celebrates the worldwide launch of the Soap Chair from renowned Finnish designer Eero Aarnio with a product giveaway.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Modern design lovers have an early chance to win one of ten limited edition signature series chairs signed by Aarnio, a true collector's item. Visit DesignStory to enter; existing members can log in and go to Soap Chair Promotion to enter (the promotion runs through November 8, 2010). The retail value of the chair is $2,500; DesignStory's limited-time introductory price is $1,850. The winner will be selected on November 9, the day the Soap Chair goes on sale.

Above: The Soap Chair represents a natural evolution in Aarnio's sculptural chair designs—it features a niche for a remote control or mobile phone. A bit of background: in the 1960s, Eero Aarnio began experimenting with plastics, vivid colors, and organic forms, breaking away from traditional design conventions.

Above: "The chair shape is based on a bar of soap that fits in the palm of your hand," Aario says. "It has soft corners and is surprisingly comfortable. It's manufactured in the same factory in Finland that has made all of my fiberglass products over the past 40 years, including the Ball Chair, the Tomato, and the Pastil."

Above: Aarnio with the portable Soap Chair, at his own home in Helsinki, Finland.

ENTER NOW: Register to win a signed, one-of-a-kind collector's item; go to Soap Chair Promotion to enter.

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Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Sleep in the City in Antwerp

October 29, 2010, 3:30 am

≫ Next: Lighting: Dunlop Lights from Trainspotters in Birmingham

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Situated in the Antwerp fashion district, just a street away from the Mode Museum, Sleep in the City is a trio of "shopping apartments" available for short term rentals. Owners Bert Verschueren and Vincent Defontainers have created stylish interiors using a collection of vintage furniture painted matte black against a backdrop of pure white walls and floors for an airy feel. Go to Sleep in the City for more information.

Lighting: Dunlop Lights from Trainspotters in Birmingham

October 29, 2010, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Tabletop: Ceramics by Virginia Graham

≪ Previous: Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Sleep in the City in Antwerp

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New at Trainspotting in the UK: a remake of the Dunlop factory pendant, based on originals the company salvaged from Fort Dunlop in Birmingham a few years ago. Made in Birmingham of heavy spun steel, vitreous enamel, and cast aluminum, the Dunlop Lights are £180 directly from Trainspotters.

Above: The Dunlop Factory Pendants are available in white, gray, or black.

Above: The Dunlop Lights feature a nickel ceiling hook and comes with a 2-meter-long polished chain for hanging.

Above: Braided flex cord is available in an array of colors.

Above: The lights are exceptionally weighty, with a thick vitreous enamel glaze.

Tabletop: Ceramics by Virginia Graham

October 29, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Accessories: Belljars and Cloches as Decor

≪ Previous: Lighting: Dunlop Lights from Trainspotters in Birmingham

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British ceramicist Virginia Graham's eclectic tabletop pieces have a distinct Queen-Victoria-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland air. Graham works from Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff and is inspired by "teapots and tea services, because they are the ultimate in collectible ceramics; I am fascinated by the way in which these objects, which were originally intended for use, are often collected and displayed behind glass, never to be used." Her work—which has been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum and featured in Vogue and Elle Decoration—is available at Mint in London; for other stockists, go to Virginia Graham.

Accessories: Belljars and Cloches as Decor

October 29, 2010, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Shopper's Diary: Cire Trudon Opens in New York

≪ Previous: Tabletop: Ceramics by Virginia Graham

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Huge right now: belljars and cloches as interior decoration, ideal for displaying all sorts of collections.

Above: A trio of 1920s French Glass Cloches; ranging in price from $89 to $129 at Restoration Hardware.

Above: Budgie Under Glass, from Australian artist Anna-Wili Highfield.

Above: A collection of vintage horse postcards under glass, at Alex MacArthur Antiques in Brighton.

Above: West Elm offers a 12-inch-high Cloche for $69 with a solid wood base.

Above: Coral on display at Dosa 818 in Los Angeles.

 

Above: Small branches function as jewelry display in the Paris Bonpoint store.

Above: A stack of stones, displayed under a belljar, in the home of Nina of Dwell Design, via Design Sponge.

Above: A garden pot by Todd Carr of Cornwallville Pottery in upstate New York.

Shopper's Diary: Cire Trudon Opens in New York

October 29, 2010, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Kitchen: Tiny Kitchen Roundup

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Modelled after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, the first US outpost of venerable Paris-based candle makers Cire Trudon is located belowground at 54 Bond Street (within the landmark Bouwerie Lane Theater building), in an atmospheric lair done up with a mix of aged French-made mirrors, vintage finds from Brimfield, and furniture made by Amish craftspeople. The impossible-to-resist fragrances include Roi Soleil (featuring "vapors of wax, candelabras, and palace"), La Marquise ("powdered air of a delicious boudoir"), and Carmelite ("perfume of mossy old stonewalls"). Go to Cire Trudon to view the range.

N.B. The candles are available online through Barney's New York.

Above: Cire Trudon's candles are made from vegetal wax (a mix of palm, rice, soy, and copra oils) with pure cotton wicks.

Above images via Cool Hunting and Selectism.

Kitchen: Tiny Kitchen Roundup

November 4, 2010, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Required Reading: Living Well in Small Homes

≪ Previous: Shopper's Diary: Cire Trudon Opens in New York

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A roundup of ingenious kitchen spaces—some no larger than a closet—that are minuscule yet functional.

Above: An art dealer studio kitchen by MESH Architectures.

Above: Brooklyn design firm Workstead integrated a tiny kitchen corner into living area of a small one-bedroom apartment; for more photos and information, go to Dwell.

Above: A compact kitchen tucked under a stairwell in the Broome Street loft project by Loading Dock 5 Architecture in New York. Photo by Sophie Munro.

Above: A tiny kitchen in a revamped carriage house in Oakland by SF architect Christi Azevedo.

Above: A tiny apartment kitchen via Brickabrack (originally from Domino).

Above: A minimal kitchen space made with reclaimed wood in a West Broadway loft by Ryall Porter Sheridan Architect.

Required Reading: Living Well in Small Homes

November 4, 2010, 6:00 am

≫ Next: DIY: Wood Door Pull

≪ Previous: Kitchen: Tiny Kitchen Roundup

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Architect James Gauer showcases a wide range of small homes from around the country with inspiring small space design solutions in The New American Dream, Living Well in Small Spaces; $31.54 at Amazon.

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DIY: Wood Door Pull

November 4, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Design Sleuth: Liebherr Cabinet-Depth Refrigerator

≪ Previous: Required Reading: Living Well in Small Homes

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An idea to file away, via photographer Graham Atkins Hughes: an easy-to-recreate, modernist push strip for a glass door (we can also imagine this on a summer screen door).

Above: Spotted on Graham Atkins Hughes

Design Sleuth: Liebherr Cabinet-Depth Refrigerator

November 4, 2010, 11:30 am

≫ Next: Shopper's Diary: Pasanella & Son Vintners in New York

≪ Previous: DIY: Wood Door Pull

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Admired on DIY with ADD (via AT): the cabinet-depth refrigerator from Swiss company Liebherr, concealed behind custom panels. The highly rated Liebherr line of counter-depth refrigerators features several models that can be slotted into small-space kitchens with ease; they're only 24 inches in depth (same as a kitchen cabinet) and come in a range of sizes. Go to AJ Madison to see the full Liebherr line; prices start at $2,249 for the Liebherr HC1001, which measures approximately 70 inches high and 21.25 inches in width.

Shopper's Diary: Pasanella & Son Vintners in New York

November 4, 2010, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Architect Visit: Ryall Porter Sheridan in New York

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Located in the historic Seaport district of New York City, Pasanella & Son Vintners is a neighborhood wine shop (with an enoteca tasting room tucked at the back) housed in a onetime ship's chandlery built in the mid-1800s. At various times, the premises also housed a seaside bar and rooming house for sailors and served as headquarters for a fish wholesaler who supplied the old Fulton Market. For the design of the interior, owners Marco Pasanella and his wife, Rebecca Robertson, stayed true to the roots of the neighborhood: "We tried to respect the past without slavishly recreating it," Pasanella says. "The shelves in the front of the shop are inspired by Dutch shelves we saw in a house in Holland, we thought they were pretty and seemed appropriate for this old part of New Amsterdam. Likewise, the enoteca floor is local bluestone, the original New York sidewalk material." To peruse the offerings, including an array of gift items, go to Pasanella & Son Vintners.

N.B. Gilt City is currently offering a couple of specials from Pasanella & Son Vintners; go to Gilt City to investigate.

Above: "The custom high-gloss green-gray paint on the cabinetry and the storefront is from Fine Paints of Europe (we sourced it through Janovic)," Pasanella says.

Above: Pasenella & Son sells an appealing selection of corkscrews and wine accessories sourced by Robertson (a Martha Stewart Living editor).

Above: A 1964 Fiat Giardiniera station wagon serves as a display case for a selection of wine from Burgundy and Italy.

Above: "Because wine and food go together naturally, we organized the selections according to complementary recipes in addition to the standard, geographically organized bottles around the store perimeter," Pasanella says.

Above: "My favorite part of the shop is the tasting enoteca room in the back," Pasanella says. "It's the secret hideaway that New Yorkers dream about (at least I do)."

Above: Robertson spotted the lyrical entry bench on a SoHo street; "We rescued it from the sidewalk, painted it a custom high-gloss mossy green shade, and reupholstered it in Swedish linen," she says.

Above: Photos by Zak Profera.

Architect Visit: Ryall Porter Sheridan in New York

November 5, 2010, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Storage: Handy Magazine Rack from Crate and Barrel

≪ Previous: Shopper's Diary: Pasanella & Son Vintners in New York

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Located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, Ryall Porter Sheridan Architects has an idealistic mission: the firm specializes in green projects and offers associates "an architectural/travel research stipend as a means for encouraging future professional education." Projects range from a sound recording studio in rural Brattleboro, Vermont, to a loft in SoHo, spanning the architectural spectrum. Below are a few of our favorites from the firm's portfolio; photos via Ryall Porter Sheridan (many by photographer Ty Cole, whose site is well worth a visit).

Above: This Greenwich Village townhouse renovation explores the "idea of domestic circulation as a public street, in which family members encounter one other on the landings as they go about their daily routines."

 

Above: A house on Long Island Sound designed to maximize the views.

 

  

Above: Details from Ryall Porter Sheridan's portfolio.

Above: The architects merged a pair of Soho lofts into a three-level penthouse with a rooftop deck, incorporating reclaimed wood, steel, concrete board, and glass into the project.

Storage: Handy Magazine Rack from Crate and Barrel

November 5, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Furniture: New Nelson Bench with Metal Legs

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A riff on the workman's toolbox, the Handy Magazine Rack is designed for the stashing of magazines and catalogs; $44.95 at Crate & Barrel.  

Furniture: New Nelson Bench with Metal Legs

November 5, 2010, 9:30 am

≫ Next: DIY: Hanging Kitchen Herb Garden

≪ Previous: Storage: Handy Magazine Rack from Crate and Barrel

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Herman Miller reintroduced its iconic Nelson Bench with a metal leg option at ICFF in May, and it's just become available for purchase. The new iteration features chrome-plated metal legs, a more delicate profile, and is available in three lengths (48, 60, and 72 inches). Have a preference (new vs. old)? Weigh in.

 

 

 

Above: The Nelson Bench with Chrome-Plated Metal Legs; $1,000 for the 48-inch length at All Modern.

 

 

 

 

 

Above: The classic Nelson Bench with Ebonized Wooden Legs; $865 for the 48-inch length at All Modern.

DIY: Hanging Kitchen Herb Garden

November 5, 2010, 11:30 am

≫ Next: Hotel, Lodgings & Restaurants: Danhostel in Copenhagen

≪ Previous: Furniture: New Nelson Bench with Metal Legs

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When counterspace is limited: a DIY hanging herb garden. For instructions on making a similar box, go to EHow.

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Hotel, Lodgings & Restaurants: Danhostel in Copenhagen

November 5, 2010, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Architect Visit: Spa-Like Bath Roundup

≪ Previous: DIY: Hanging Kitchen Herb Garden

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The Danhostel in Copenhagen is Europe's largest hostel, with more than a thousand rooms and interiors designed by Danish firm GUBI (hence the extensive use of Bestlite light fixtures and GUBI-designed furniture). For an account of a Danhostel stay, go to the New York Times. For booking information, go to Danhostel.

Architect Visit: Spa-Like Bath Roundup

November 7, 2010, 10:33 am

≫ Next: Architect Visit: Albertsson Hansen Architects in Minnesota

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A roundup of spa-like baths we've admired recently, culled from the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: A bath in Louisiana by Lang Architecture.

Above: A bath in San Francisco by Cary Bernstein Architect has a spa-like feel thanks to the wood shower tray.

Above: A bath in San Francisco by Malcolm Davis Architects opens directly onto the deck area. Photo by Joe Fletcher.

Above: A bath in Croatia by Steven Harris Architects.

Above: A bath in Los Angeles by Michaela Scherrer Interior Design.

Above: A concrete bath niche by Michaela Scherrer Interior Design.

Above: A seed pod as soap holder; via Michaela Scherrer Interior Design.

Architect Visit: Albertsson Hansen Architects in Minnesota

November 8, 2010, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Tabletop: Front for Höganas Keramiks in Sweden

≪ Previous: Architect Visit: Spa-Like Bath Roundup

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Christine Albertsson and Todd Hansen met at the University of Pennsylvania while studying for their Masters of Architecture degrees; they have "engaged in a 20-year conversation about their shared passion—architecture—ever since," as they say. Albertsson (a Scandi by heritage who grew up in Vermont) and Hansen (a Minnesota native who attended Hampshire College in Massachusetts) work and live in Minneapolis, land of Nordic immigrants; together, they create buildings with a strong Scandinavian influence, merged with the simple lines of Shaker furniture and New England Colonial forms. Go to Albertsson & Hansen to see more of the firm's work.

Above: A trio of storage barns and outbuildings for the storage of farm equipment in rural Minnesota, located in a meadow.

Above: The barns feature wood-paneled work spaces.

Above: A detail from a kitchen remodel in Linden Hills.

Above: A tiny boathouse by Albertsson Hansen is reminiscent of classic Scandinavian summer cottages.

Above: A selection of images from various Albertsson Hansen projects.

Above: A screened-in porch with a Scandinavian palette (note the gray-painted window frames).

Tabletop: Front for Höganas Keramiks in Sweden

November 8, 2010, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Required Reading: Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design

≪ Previous: Architect Visit: Albertsson Hansen Architects in Minnesota

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Founded in 1909 in Höganäs, a small town located on the Kullen peninsula, Swedish ceramics company Höganäs Keramik recently launched a new line of modern everyday tableware by Scandinavian design collective Front. The line includes teapots and teacups and a range of dinnerware, all available in seven colors (ranging from black to red to royal blue). Go to Höganäs Keramik to locate a retailer; the line is available online through Scandinavian Brands Online.

Required Reading: Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design

November 8, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Shopper's Diary: Byggfabriken in Sweden

≪ Previous: Tabletop: Front for Höganas Keramiks in Sweden

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New from veteran design writer Heather Smith MacIsaac: Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design, a must-read for anyone interested in Nordic style (it tells the story of Scandinavian design according to Bolander, the much-lauded Swedish designer). Projects profiled range from Gustavian interiors to modern summer houses; although he's now mainly based in Palm Beach, Bolander's two sons continue his interior design practice in New York (including the Lars Bolander Showroom in the Fine Arts Building on 59th Street). Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design is $26.40 at Amazon.

Above: A house on the Swedish archipelago designed by architect Gert and Karin Wingardh of Wingardh Arkitektkontor.