Textured wall tile aren't anything new, but it is always nice to see some new options. While Inhabits Wall Flats are made of bamboo pulp, the WallArt tiles are made from sugarcane stalks that are left over after raw sugar is extracted. The end result is the same, a durable, sustainable, and biodegradable wall tile. Pricing is not announced yet for WallArt tiles, but I would expect it to be similar to others on the market. Check out WallArt's website to see all 12 patterns.
GENIUS. That's all I'm going to say.
About:
The CableCup is an innovative solution to the problem of cleanly attaching hanging ceiling lamps. The rubber cup cleverly attaches to the cable and is then reversed to conceal the excess cable. Designers Jonas Forsman and Lars Wettre have received great praise for the CableCup in the form of the Red Dot Design Award as well as the Swedish Design S award.
Available in black or white.
CableCup available from the Finnish Design Shop: $21
I usually reserve Friday's for my "Way Back When" posts, a look at fantastic design from the golden years of modern. Today I'm introducing a new theme I hope to cover more consistently, modern american studio design. There is so much great furniture design going on here in the states and internationally but I have been hesitant to cover it as it is not "affordable". You can see some of my conflicted musings here and here. While lamenting about another great furniture maker today that I would not be covering I remembered a part of GRM's original mission statement. "We hope to be able to connect passionate designers with the masses and become a catalyst for change in the modern contemporary world." I realized that by not covering boutique furniture makers like Standard Made, I was perhaps denying my readers the chance to connect with some of the most innovative, passionate designers out there. So affordability be dammed. Let's support the little guy trying to make it in this big corporate modern world. With that may I introduce you to Adam Rogers of Standard Made.
About Adam...
Adam Rogers is a furniture designer / maker.
Adam is devoted to the pursuit of harmony between modern design and quality craftsmanship. His work showcases a clean aesthetic inspired by classic modern design, with an emphasis on amplifying subtlety through details, executed by a maker trained in the traditions of furniture making.
Prior to committing himself to the design and production of objects and returning to graduate school for a masters degree in furniture design and woodworking, Adam spent years in corporate architecture following his undergraduate studies in architecture and interior architecture, serving as a designer on projects ranging from residential to university buildings. Seeking a more personal relationship to his work, his focus has shifted scale. With an understanding of the impact an object can have on an environment, the context of a piece is never without consideration.
Adam is exactly the kind of guy I want to see succeed in this world. He has a beautiful line of furniture, all of which has clean lines and subtle but beautiful joinery. All of it is designed and hand made by himself. Photo's and pricing are below.
Table A - Walnut and Marble $1,250.
Cabinet A - Walnut and Copper $3,500.
Cabinet B - Walnut $3,750.
Chair A - Walnut and Leather $1,350.
Chair B - Walnut and Leather $1,350.
When it comes to home decor, I love texture and pattern used in unexpected ways, which is probably why I'm so attracted to these new bedroom pieces from West Elm. The Stria Collection is made from reclaimed Saal wood which was previously used as railway ties in India. While it's definitely rustic, I think this bedroom set would look gorgeous in any modern home. What do you think?
Stria Collection from West Elm: $299 - $899
UK based Cushlab is doing some fantastically creative pillows out of felt. The texture and colors that Becca puts together really take things to the next level. All pillows are made out of wool/felt viscose and 100% wool. Sizing is standard so it should be easy to find a nice down insert. Pricing starts around £70.00 for the smaller sizes. Custom orders are accepted.
Tom Dixon is a fairly household name in the design world, but I honestly haven't paid much attention to his work. That is until a couple weeks ago when a local Salt Lake modern lighting store Light Spot had an open house to show off their latest Tom Dixon lighting. I was quite impressed, and pleasantly surprised to find most of it was much more affordable than I thought it was. To sweeten the deal, I just noticed that Light Spot is having a 20% off sale on all Tom Dixon lighting. Locals go check it out.
I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to tell you how much I love Neutra's work. Above is a short little video that begins with and excerpt of a video titled "Neutra's VDL Research House" and ends with a short documentation about the Los Altos Neutra House.
About the Los Altos Neutra House project.
In 2005, the City of Los Altos, the Los Altos Community Foundation, and a group of citizens interested in preserving architectural history joined together to save a small Los Altos house designed in 1935 by this renowned California architect and completed in 1939.
Between 1930 and 1940 Neutra did about a dozen projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1935, he began designing three houses for two poets, Jacqueline Johnson and Clayton Stafford. Two small houses with identical floor plans were the residences of Stafford and his wife, and of Jacqueline Johnson. The house that was saved was Johnson's home. A third and smaller house was also built for Johnson. These residences defined a small commune in a prune orchard.
The Johnson house was moved to City-owned land and for the past three years has been carefully renovated for reuse as a community center for meetings, off-sites, and other similar activities. The completed facility has a large conference room, kitchen, bathroom, integrated landscape, and an HDTV audio/video system that on whick visitors can see videos on the history of modern architecture in Los Altos and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. This system will also serve the audio/visual needs of those using the conference room for meetings. Combining preservation and reuse has been at the essence of the Los Altos Neutra House Project.
We love a good clock here at GRM and this solid-wood number from Off Cut Studio has us sitting up in our seats! According to designer and craftsman Cameron MacLean, this minimal time piece is based off a vintage design from Russia. Though we have a soft spot for Walnut, it's also available in Cherry, Maple, and White Oak.
Wood Clock by Off Cut Studio: $55
It's no secret that I love bent plywood. There is just something about the graceful organic lines that gets me every time. Throw some felt in the mix, and I get weak in the knees. The Dansk Stole chair by James Killinger is one of the better looking bentwood chairs I have seen for a while. What is even more fascinating is seeing the entire process that went into designing and building it. Jaime over at Design Milk did absolutely fantastic job of sharing the whole process. Check out her "Deconstruction" post for all the juicy details and pictures
Dansk Stole Deconstruction on Design Milk
More Deconstruction post from Design Milk here
It's no secret that we have a huge crush on Pigeon Toe Ceramics here at GRM, so when we received word about their new Spring/Summer collection let's just say we were INSANELY EXCITED. The new collection consists of solid walnut coasters, ink blot tea towels, faceted drawer pulls, and many, many more rockin' pieces. Check out their shop to see the whole collection and let us know which piece is your favorite!
Spring/Summer 2011 Collection from Pigeon Toe Ceramics: $20 - $116
I keep on forgetting to post about this one. Little Nest, makers of fabulous MCM "inspired" furniture for kids is having a sample sale. Prices were already pretty reasonable, but now they are very good. For example you can get a walnut woody chair (LCW) for a mere $75 plus shipping. Apparently the sale is only good for 14 days, so I'd act quick if you are interested.
I spotted this clock in the most recent issue of Dwell... and then I spotted the price. Only $26? Sold!
Made from bent powder-coated steel and available in yellow, red, or blue.
Half-Time Clock from GOODD: $26
Julius Shulman is a sort of legend when it comes to mid century modern photography. The breadth of his work over his 30+ year career is astounding, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to find out that he even photographed a building a few short block away from my loft. The Prudential Federal Savings and Loan building was designed 1 of 4 buildings in Utah designed by William L. Pereira. It was photographed by Shulman in 1964 a year and a half after construction was finished.
To learn more about the building, as well as it's imminent demolition, visit the fabulously thorough saltlakearchitecture.blogspot.com.
It's thursday, the week is almost over and I've decided you all need a little eye candy to get you through the day. Introducing the Plooop Chair. Yes, it's not the best name, but it is one good looking chair. I admittedly have a thing for anything involving bent plywood, and this is one of the most unique and well executed examples I have seen for a long time.
Designed by Timothy Schreiber
For all my love of mobiles, I never knew there was such a thing as a "stabile". This new knowledge might be dangerous, folks. If I start posting about stabiles constantly, please stop me. My obsessions tend to run away from me.
About:
"Alexander" is truly a small piece of art! This colorful tabletop mobile creates hanging structures inspired by the famous Alexander Calder mobiles. Measures 8" x 12". Made entirely out of light weight sheet metal in the USA.
The Alexander Stabile from Nova68: $75
This shiz is epic; I mean we're talking about the motherload of 50s-inspired wallpaper here, folks. I recently put up (well, hired someone) some Orla Kiely wallpaper in my guestroom, but I'm kind of wishing now that I'd seen these wallpapers from Sanderson first! I'm really, really digging the Miro pattern, though they're all equally fantastic.
See More: www.sanderson-uk.com
Click here to find a retailer near you.
[via Design Sponge]
More pics after the jump!
Jan Skácelík is a graphic designer / photographer / composer from the Czech Republic whose MCM-style prints caught my eye. (He also has a fantastic apartment that I posted about here. Oh, and an awesome blog, too!) I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite, but I figured the Star Wars fans among us would get a kick out of the prints above. Check out more of his work on Etsy or Flickr.
Prints by Jan Skácelík: $15 - $36
More pics after the jump!
It's nearly Spring and this melamine dining collection from Living Factory would make a fine picnic basket staple, if I do say so. The Retro Collection includes a set of forks, spoons, or tumblers in four mod colors: pistachio, burnt orange, cream, and grey-black. What it lacks, strangely, is a set of plates.
Retro Collection by Living Factory available from Collection of Cool: $9.95 - $33
[via Design Crush]
These solid acacia bookends from Umbra are something of an optical illusion: the three bottles are actually attached to each other! Sneaky pants, I say. With the tallest bottle measuring in at just over 10 inches tall, these bookends definitely make a statement.
Botella Bookends by Umbra available from Velocity Art and Design: $100
Ah, the power of triangles! These cardboard stools hold up to 1720 lbs thanks to the famously strong shape. With those kind of abilities, this is one occasional seating option to definitely consider! Available in white or multicolor and in two heights: 13" or 16.5".
CFS Stool by Metrocs available from Emmo: $60 - $70