Tag Archives: furniture

Wishbone Chair

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This weekend marks the annual holiday of Thanksgiving Day in Canada.  Celebrated on the second Monday of October since 1957, Thanksgiving is a time for people to give thanks for a good harvest and also to be thankful for the good fortunes that have occurred in the past year.  Thanksgiving is often celebrated with family and friends sharing a large meal together with a roasted turkey being the traditional centerpiece.  Afterwards the turkey wishbone (bone overlying the breastbone) is saved, dried and then 2 people get a chance to break the bone and make a wish.  While on the topic of the wishbone I thought it an appropriate time to talk about the Wishbone Chair. Designed in 1950 by Hans Wegner, a Danish furniture designer, the Y-chair or the Wishbone Chair as it is often called due to the shape of the back resembling that of a wishbone is a classic piece of Danish mid-century furniture design.  Inspired by the Ming Dynasty chairs, Wegner designed the Wishbone chair with curved back legs and a semicircular top rail creating an ergonomically comfortable chair.  Since 1950, Carl Hansen & Sons have been manufacturing the Wishbone Chair that requires over 100 production steps to be done by hand creating a masterpiece of craftsmanship.  The hand-woven seat is made from over 100 meters of paper cord that is durable enough to last throughout many decades.  To those celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, I wish you a happy holiday and may all your wishbones be a Wegner!

          

                                  Image via Gabriel Ross

Crooked Trees, Bent Plywood

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I recently came across this interesting photo of the bent, crooked trees that grow in a forest in Poland. 

      

The photo reminded me of Alvar Aalto’s laminated bent-plywood High Stool.  Aalto, born in Finland in 1898 was a Finnish architect and designer whose work included architecture, interior design, furniture design, glassware design and painting.  Throughout his entire career Aalto designed approximately 300 buildings which were built mostly in Finland with a few in the United States, Germany, Italy and France.  The High Stool was designed in the early 1930’s resulting from the process of experimenting with wood while creating small-scale architectural details and forms which were later to be used in his architectural designs.  Aalto, in a speech given in London 1957 stated, “We should work for simple, good, undecorated things, but things which are in harmony with the human being and organically suited to the little man in the street”.  Alvar Aalto was definitely a person with great insight and a forward thinker. 

                      

                       Image 1: viewshound.com    Image 2: Modmissy

Dauphin – Perillo

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The photo above was sent to me attached to an invitation.  Any guesses as to what the photo is??  Last week I attended IIDEX/Neocon Canada which is Canada’s national design exposition and conference and Dauphin Human Design www.dauphin.com, one of the many exhibitors present, sent me this invitation to visit their booth to view their new products.  The above photo is showcasing Dauphin’s Perillo, an eye-catching contemporary lounge chair.  Designed by German designer Martin Ballendat, Perillo is created from one continuous, uninterrupted sheet of thermo plastic that forms the back, seat and armrest.  The chair has a high gloss finish available in a ‘rainbow’ of colours.  Perillo’s futuristic design and simple sculpted appearance had me wondering if this chair would be comfortable so I made a point of checking out their booth at the event.  I sat in the chair and discovered that this chair was indeed quite comfortable.  I immediately loved the look of the chair too.  With its whimsical and unique space-age shape the chair appeared to be smiling at me and it made me want to smile too.   I was reminded of the song by Louis Armstrong, “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you”.  Such a ‘happy chair’, perfect for conference rooms and lobbies to keep everyone smiling! 

              

               Image via MODMISSY

Los Muebles Amorosos

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I believe inspiration can come from anywhere.

         

Alessandra black and white upholstered armchair, Los Muebles Amorosos, (Spanish for loving furniture) designed by Javier Mariscal for Moroso of Italy.

          

               Image via Birdman

     Where do you get your inspiration from???????????

Shelter Furniture

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I recently visited Shelter, www.shelterfurniture.ca  a shop in Toronto’s west end.  Shelter sells Mid-Century, Bauhaus, Danish and Italian modern furniture.  So often one can be intimidated by this ‘design-type’ shop, feeling nothing in the store is attainable, too expensive or for ‘designers only’.  But as I strolled through the store looking at all the fabulous vignettes admiring the sofas, sectionals, chairs, tables and accessories what I found really interesting were all the ‘writings’ on the walls.  Shelter is housed in a warehouse lending the shop a relaxed casual atmosphere and the first thing you see as you walk through the doors: LIVE WITH THE THINGS YOU LOVE painted on an entire wall in huge, fun letters.  I liked that; sometimes we just need the obvious pointed out.  Another wall sign stated that: ‘Compelling designs are a right rather than a privilege. Where an ordinary space becomes an expression of who you are’.  Good design is attainable!  And written on the wall behind the counter: ‘We recognize your individuality and are sensitive to the space you envision for yourself’.  Shelters motto surely seems to be that they sell to ‘you’ not to who they think ‘you should be’.   Webster’s Dictionary defines shelter as: a refuge, a haven, something that provides protection.  Shelter just wants you to put a      Mid-Century piece in that haven.

             

              

             

                Images via Modmissy

Keilhauer Sign

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We decorate our homes and dress ourselves each day in a style that reveals who we are.  Whether it is classic, casual or contemporary – our décor or our   attire indicates our personality and how we are perceived.  The ‘sign posts’ to our character.   Our personal advertisement.  Similarly in the commercial world, a company’s advertisement is key.  A company’s signage not only reveals the product or service but identifies the personality of the company.  A company who I have always admired is Keilhauer  www.keilhauer.com a manufacturer of high quality commercial seating.  Well regarded in the design industry, Keilhauer’s signage encompasses their identity – subtlety and sophistication; an insight to their values of respect and integrity, the cornerstone of their business.  Located in Toronto’s east end, Keilhauer head office is advertised by 9 identical vertical signposts evenly spaced in a perfectly straight line with each letter,           K-E-I-L-H-A-U-E-R, individually written in white on a black background.  Very unobtrusive, not garish or competing. The sign was designed by Michael Vanderbyl, an internationally acclaimed ‘practitioner, educator, critic and advocate of design’ with expertise in graphics, signage, interiors, furniture, textiles and fashion apparel.  In today’s society companies compete for your attention with so much intensity that we become bombarded with signs causing some serious visual overload.  To Keilhauer’s advertisement style of less is more, I say well done and thank you!

         

         Image via Modmissy

Back to School

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I am heading back to school!  Actually I’m not really going back but just thinking about the possibility is so exciting.  What excites me is all the wonderful stuff now available to set up a dorm room or residence; to make your space your very own.  Living out of Rubbermaid® boxes may be good for some but for those students heading back in style there are so many great ideas out there.  Of course top marks go out to IKEA www.ikea.com because they have everything for the back-to-college student; Dream Dorms, Made by Students, Designed by IKEA is their motto.  IKEA has affordable multi-purpose futons, bedding, desks, task lights, storage units etc. etc.  Just check out the photo below and imagine yourself spending semesters in this space.  IKEA believes that any study space can be beautiful and that an organized, functional, and efficient work space leads to an uncluttered mind.  Definitely top of the class thinking here! 

                (Image via IKEA Canada)     There is also Crate and Barrel www.cb2.com who have taken the bean bag chair to a whole new dimension for the style-savvy mobile student.  CB2 has the Tie-1-On over-scaled bean bag chair that can be tied together for an ever-changing social arrangement.  Tie 2 chairs together for a loveseat; tie 3 chairs for a sofa.  Makes moving the student back to college a cinch.  The chair is covered in heavy-gauge polyester so spills can be wiped up.  Plus, it’s pretty cool looking.   (Image via CB2)  So whatever your requirements for heading back to school are, do it in style.

         

My Rustic Wood Table

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Last weekend while lounging dockside at the cottage, I had the chance to catch up on some reading, specifically my design magazines.  Something that caught my eye was a DIY photo in Canadian House and Home July 2011 issue.  A weathered barn board table left uncovered was set for alfresco dining with crisp white linens and dinnerware.  It was the rustic feeling of the table that inspired me; the contrast of the weathered with the new.  I envisioned myself entertaining friends and family at a similar table in my own backyard so I decided to build one. (Actually I had hubby build one – see below)  My table is built from white pine boards that are over 100 years old.  Originally occupying a Pharmacist shop in Port Hope, Ontario, where the boards served as shelving in the stock room to hold bottles of potions, tinctures and salves.  When the shop was closed many decades later the boards somehow made their way to our cottage where they were then used as dock boards for over 30 years.  When a new dock was built the boards were no longer needed and thus relegated to the wood pile.  Fortunately for me the boards were never thrown into the bonfire and burnt!  So in the 100 year journey from Pharmacist shelving, to lakeside dock, to woodpile, to rustic alfresco dining my ‘new’ wood table certainly has weathered all. 

         

                My Inspiration – Canadian House and Home, July 2011

         

                  My ‘new’ weathered wood table.

IKEA Catalogue

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Well it’s that time of year again…….when the new IKEA catalogue comes out!  IKEA’s first catalogue was published in Swedish in 1951 and is now published in 55 editions, in 27 languages for 36 countries.  Full of anticipation, I open the catalogue and start leafing through the pages looking at all the new items and am reminded of similar feelings I had as a child when opening the new Sear’s Christmas Wish Book.  Remember?!!  Although now on my Wish List there would no longer be an Easy Bake Oven but probably a fabulous new IKEA kitchen!  This year’s catalogue focuses on IKEA’s love of creating smart spaces and their clever solutions to making life at home better for their customers.  Something I found interesting in this year’ catalogue is IKEA’s descriptive headings of ‘Timeless and Simple’, ‘Natural and Graphic’, ‘Earthy and Industrial’, ‘Bold and Minimal’.  The master of flat packing is now speaking to the customer as ‘designer’, who makes purchases based on knowledge of style and beauty and then of course low price.  The IKEA catalogue is always full of inspirational room settings and interpretation of their products multi uses.  IKEA  helps the customer think outside of their proverbial box and find their way home with a flat pack box!  Pick a catalogue up or visit IKEA at www.ikea.com. 

       

My Plastic-Molded Chairs

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For the past few weeks I have displayed on Modmissy’s Wish List a red Panton S Chair.   The futuristic-looking plastic molded chair was designed in the 1960’s and its sculptural design makes it as much a piece of art as a functional piece of furniture.  Very mod!  I have not yet acquired one of these chairs but not all wish list ‘wants’ are fulfilled.  But what I have recently acquired are 2 orange plastic molded chairs with chrome legs that resemble the Eames Eiffel Chair.  (see post June 2 – Eiffel Chair).   My chairs are vintage and in great condition.  They were made in Canada by Jayden as indicated on the bottom of the chair and came from the office of the Law Society of Upper Canada.   (If only chairs could talk!!)  I originally thought the chairs would be fabulous as extras at the dining table but once I got them home I realized I could place them anywhere in the house and they looked great.  In my guest bedroom for a pop of colour and to hold an overnight bag, in my home office to serve as a desk chair or in front of my white credenza as the colour contrast is really fab.  So contrary to their previous location, my ‘Law Society’ chairs are no longer bound by rules or regulations as to where I can place them as they are now free to move about my home!