Thank you Details for bringing these stunning Roeland Otten alphabet chairs to my attention. Oh the fun I will have…these will be great for the studio. I love the unity of typography and furniture design. Pricing is by request which means expensive.
Images from Dezeen
Uhuru Design
Founded RISD graduates, Bill Hilgendorf and Jason Horvath, Uhuru Design, started in 2004 and is certainly a young company on the move. This New York based, design/build furniture company is making waves by creating sustainable yet stunning hand crafted pieces of furniture. Uhuru’s standard chair (pictured above) is now on display at The Brooklyn Museum of Art in the Luce Center for American Art on the 5th floor along with iconic chairs by Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Frank Gehry, George Nelson, and Charles Eames. All of their pieces possess a certain simplicity and cleverly use materials that might otherwise be overlooked. Here a few of my favorite pieces.
Fenced In Table Ohana Bar
Bilge Lounge (this piece would be great in the apartment…hmm)
Moo Bench (love that name) Stoolen
Canopy Bed
Click here to check out the Uhuru for more info on the company and their work.
Images from Uhuru Design
Car of the Future
Flipping through an issue of Dwell at the airport, I came across a fascinating article on the design of the ATNMBL or Autonomobile, a concept for driving in the year 2040. Why is this fascinating? For ages, driving hasn’t really changed. Cars even look the same year after year. I am hard pressed to tell if a car I am admiring is the latest model or was released ten years ago.
San Francisco designers Mike Simonian and Maaike Evers took their cues from how we use technology in creating the ATNMBL. GPS devices and social networking sites were considered as they developed a driving experience centered around not driving. You provide the ATNMBL with coordinates and it takes you where you want to go. The cool part is what happens while you get there. The computer in the car acts as chauffeur while you relax in an interior that resembles a Zaha Hadid living room, freeing up time to work or catch up with friends. And the size of the car is comparable to those on the road today. Imagine being able to actually tell your car where to go and have it not only take you there but also retain directions like we store contacts on our phones. And you can create a network of trusted friends and family that can use your car when you’ve been dropped off.
The design concept reminds me of the cars from Minority Report, driving along a computerized MAG-LEV system developed by Lexis which uses electrical/magnetic energy. Haven’t seen the movie? Rent it! By the far the closest we’ve come to envisioning the future. There is something very realistic about the approach of this new ATNMBL concept as well. I can see similar cars on the road in the near future and how cool with that be? Check out the Dwell article for more information on the design of the ATNMBL.
Images from core77
Sweet Ride: Bugatti Galibier 16C
Not really a car person but when I laid eyes on the Bugatti Galibier 16C 4-door concept my jaw dropped. This concept is intended to be the most exclusive and elegant sedan on the market. Equipped with a front mounted W16 engine and the capability to go up to 217 MPH. So not only is it functionally sick, the sporty vehicle is aesthetically stunning. 
Simultaneously new and old are juxtaposed in a way that is seamless. I am sure at this level of luxury that elements will be customizable but I wouldn’t change a thing about the design.
An homage to cars of the 1930s, the car boosts a long hood which used to be for large engines. Perhaps the most prominent element of the design is the silver along the sides as if the black exterior has been peeled away. This sophistication continues on the car’s interior. The inside is perfectly crafted with the integration of plush leather, rich wood, and sparkling metals. I love the simplicity - no buttons, knobs, slides, or unneccesary clutter.
The Galibier is slated for production release in 2012 at merely $1.6 million. Excellence comes at a cost. I am hoping by then that I’ll be able to afford one.
Images from Sub5zero
Halcyon and On and On
Halcyon is located in New York’s chic Dumbo area. My friend, Collin, New York DJ Curbmerchant informed me that this was the place to go in the city to grab records. I trust his taste as he has turned me on to some pretty awesome music over the years. First of all, I love the name as Halcyon by Orbital is one of my favorite songs, particularly the live version featuring Bon Jovi & Belinda Carlisle. (Yes that is a plug – check it out!) The design is best described as an urban forest. The shotgun lofty space features faux rubber bark clad walls and surfaces, custom wood cases and cases and shelves, and Astroturf floors with recessed areas filled with river rock pebbles. [....more]
A Grown Up Home on a Budget
I was checking out one of favorite sites, Apartment Therapy for some inspiration for a project and what do I see? My roommate Emmy and I’s condo as an example for an article titled, “10 Tips: A Grown Up Home (for Less)” There are some of the same helpful hints I included in my article Small Space, Big Style including eliminating clutter and transforming the room with paint. I enjoyed other cost saving tips as well including shopping sales and creating decorative vignettes. And the tips on mixing it up were dead on - I detest spaces that resemble West Elm or IKEA catalogs. While their catalogs and showrooms can provide great inspiration, it is important to ensure that your space has an identity and reflects you and your sense of style. And never buy “sets” of furniture for the same reason. One of my clients is on a very strict budget and we purchased several things from IKEA but we are mixing it up with custom furniture and vintage finds. And my other favorite tip, is patience, I must admit that I am impatient myself – I have often caught myself saying, “I want it now!” However with home furnishings, I have learned that waiting can make a huge difference in grabbing a knock-off modern chair from Crate and Barrel to finding the real thing on craigslist, a yard sale, or at a antiques market. So, be patient with your space and make it reflect you. To see the full article on Apartment Therapy, click here.
I Love the D.C. Metro
The next several articles will be on my recent trip to America’s capital, Washington, D.C. Of course, I must begin with one of my favorite parts of the city, you guessed it, the Metro. The dark tunnels illuminated mainly by the lights embedded in the platforms seduce me more and more each time I visit.
The Metro was created by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) in 1967. The first phase of opertaion began in 1976. And according to the Metro website, “Today, Metrorail serves 86 stations and has 106 miles of track. Metrobus serves the nation’s capital 24 hours a day, seven days a week with 1,500 buses.” The Metro services the Washington, DC metropolitan area along with neighboring counties in Maryland and Virginia. While the history and growth of the Metro is fascinating, I craved more information on the design of this transit system.
Architect, Harry Weese, was charged in 1967 with the design of the 100-mile metro system. He was applauded for the iconic vaulted coffered concrete ceilings which are uninterrupted by columns. In his article about the designer, Herbert Muschamp mentions that the stations evokes the feeling of a church narthex and perhaps this religious connection is why these stations have such a profound impact on people. (Click here to view the New York Times article) The design of the Metro system is just a small part of the impact Weese’s architecture has had on the world. He was known for his contribution to 20th century modern architecture and historic preservation. Other buildings designed by Weese prior to his death in 1998 include the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and the Time Life Building in Chicago, IL.
Visiting DC ? Go to the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority website for more information on the Metro.
