Piet Hein Eek is a prolific Dutch designer who clearly enjoys working with and combining different materials, textures and finishes. Visual dissonance is his signature, as he is perhaps best known for using scrapwood to create contemporary furniture. Above: dining tables, beds and sofa all feature a wild patchwork of recycled wood, somewhat similar to what you would find at a seaside shanty.
Not content with scrapwood, Piet also loves to mix and match vintage patterns. Floral and striped upholstery nearly half a century past its prime is fair game — all of this again wrapped around the tight, clean lines of modern design. I particularly love his eponymous Eek dresser, which is actually powder-coated metal covered with Baroque-style vinyl.
If you love his designs but aren’t too fond of his eclectic finishes, there’s no need to despair - Piet bares it all with his steel and aluminum furniture. His trademark patterns are absent - these pieces are all about showing off their clean, efficient lines. Utilitarian grey steel and rivets are only tempered with tapered legs and padding - in other words, everything you need and nothing you don’t.
pietheineek.nl
Popularity: 10% [?]
Chaise lounges (or, with respect to the French, chaise longue) have always struck me as a bit of a luxury. Nobody will argue with the necessity of sofas and the occasional accent chair, but chaises seem to be pure and simple indulgence–not that there’s anything wrong with that! Above: the richly textured Antibodi chair by Patricia Urquiola draws inspiration from both immunology and botany. Each reversible petal is two-sided combination of either felt/wool or wool/leather. Antibodi can change its appearance to suit a masculine or feminine decor: when the petals are pushed down en masse, the chair resembles a slice of a geodesic dome. When the petals are folded upwards, the chaise lounge blooms just like a real flower.
The Antibodi is clearly three-dimensional on a textural level, whereas the Lofty Chaise Longue applies geometry on an architectural scale. Looking somewhat like a stealth fighter, this geometrically elegant chair can be found in either polyurethane or stunning stainless steel. Although seemingly unstable, Lofty manages to balance its entire frame on a single point at the base of the stainless steel stand. The stand is mirror-polished to further enhance its floating appearance.
The ear-like Eames La Chaise takes an a-geometric approach, opting for a playfully organic design. Its very shape is a testament to advances made in fiberglass molding as well as the amazing creative energies issuing forth during the 50s and 60s. Much like Antibodi this is another “floating” design; the lightly colored seat and thin chromed legs are geared towards minimizing its visual footprint.
Perhaps more traditional but still quite contemporary are the Granada and Metropolitan Chaise Lounges. The Granada has a sleek, two-toned silhouette and tastefully employs curves without going overboard. Its dark, espresso finished wood frame is minimally topped with a cream microfiber pad. The Metropolitan, however manages to be comfortable without sacrificing its lithe figure. Supple leather upholstery, headrest and button-tufted accents make this an inviting chair - at only $699, it’s fairly affordable too.
For maximum comfort, the LC4 Chaise Longue is worthy of consideration. Its zigzag frame mimics the natural curves of the body, while an arced rail underneath makes it easy to adjust the chair from an upright to a fully reclined position. By default the LC4 is upholstered in full-grained black leather. Those of you who desire a warmer, more rustic appearance can opt for a cowhide version, complete with cow spots.
Popularity: 6% [?]
You can think of the Patrick Norguet’s Boson Chair as a 21st century version of the iconic Eames Lounge chair, both of which share a similar bucket-seat design. Of course, while Herman Miller’s chair was about plush, button-tufted luxury, the Boson (2005) is more about utilitarian elegance. Its bowl-like form is as much about sleek lines as it is about minimizing the use of material - in this case, a fiberglass shell tightly wrapped in wool/synthetic fabric.
Norguet’s What’s Up sofa looks like what you’d get if you cut a bath tub into quarters. Looking beyond the flat armrests and the shallow seats, it’s actually great for creating furniture on the fly. Available in two chiral forms (left and right), you can combine two along the short edges to form an 11 foot sofa; doing the same thing lengthwise creates an impromptu sofa bed.
Paris has historically been divided geographically, with Rive Droite (right bank) referring to the area north of the Seine river. Norguet chose this region (home to the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysèe) as inspiration for his own Rive Droite series, featuring foam padded seats with a stainless steel base. Available as a two-person sofa or swiveling armchair, each piece has an opening in the back near the base of the seat, and can be upholstered in either cotton or velvet. Patrick also offers wild, art deco-inspired patterns with overtones of Picasso which are surprisingly attractive.
Popularity: 5% [?]
In my daily searches for stylish decor and furnishings, I occasionally run into furniture that lacks proper descriptions. Owing to a long Thanksgiving weekend I haven’t had time to properly follow up on these pieces (they’re all from Palo Alto-based contemporary retailer Temple). Think of them as my Monday Mysteries:
Titled “Ark Tableâ€, this unique coffee table has a single sheet of clear glass perched atop a bentwood frame, somewhat like a bridge crossing a wide, U-shaped valley. Supported by chrome legs, this table has a bit of asian architecture thrown in with its upward arcing top.
You’d think with a name like “Fergustable†it’d be pretty easy to search for information on this rippled table. It is, however, a word that has not yet made it into Google. Any ideas on whether that’s a glass or plastic top?
Titled “Ludwigadâ€, this gorgeous buffet table can easily hold your entire tableware collection inside its cavernous chrome/metallic body. Dual shelves and interior lighting definitely make this a piece to remember. My only question - is the single downward swiveling door manually or electronically opened?
“LibrerÃa†is Italian for bookcase so it’s not too hard to guess what this piece of furniture is used for. I really love the earthy wood finish and the contemporary design.
Perhaps least descriptive of all is the “BD 09†- clearly a retro-inspired piece, the red, yellow and orange drawers definitely give this side table a playful presence. This is, of course, assuming they are drawers and not merely decorations.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Zanotta is a storied Italian industrial design company with collections in over 60 museums around the world. With an R&D-friendly corporate philosophy and undisputed manufacturing expertise, they’ve been able to develop both original, handmade pieces as well as provide faithful reproductions of classics. Above: the Ross Lovegrove’s Brasilia lounge lhair has a beautiful 60s scifi aesthetic to it, with an embossed polyurethane frame and curvaceous silhouette. Others have taken notice: it’s part of the Chicago Athenaeum collection, and is the winner of the 2003 Good Design Award.
Like the Brasilia, the Maggiolina lounge chair also has modern roots but with a more classical appeal. A graceful stainless steel tubular frame wraps around a cowhide sling, which is in turn backed with a plush goose down cushion. Leather strips on the armests and a leather seat cushion finish this restrained, yet stylish chair.
The Cavour writing desk is regarded as one of the most desired pieces in the Zanotta collection, and rightly so. Its streamlined, aerodynamic legs harken back to the dawning of the jet age, and a clear glass top helps to further accentuate its sleek profile. The oak frame can be finished bleached or wenge-stained. This table is absolutely stunning and definitely something I would love to own if I had $9k to spare.
The playful Dora chair really comes to life when finished with floral patterns. Combined with a glossy lacquered finish, the chair takes on the look of silky fabric that is impossibly smooth and taut. A polyethylene frame makes this a viable option for both indoor and outdoor seating.
While the Cavour spoke to mankind’s triumphant entry into the jet age, the Arabesco coffee table is perhaps a fusion of both organic and alien/space-age influences. The gorgeous bent ply frame with irregular, oblong cutouts is clearly inspired by cell biology, while the tempered plate glass top and shelf have a remarkably leaf-like appearance. An homage to Carlo Mollino (who designed the Cavour), this table and the other items featured in this post are an excellent example of Zanotta’s ongoing love for high quality, beautifully-designed furnishings.
zanotta.it
Popularity: 9% [?]
As the last part of our special series of Thanksgiving-themed posts, we’ll focus on serveware and food prep. Above: Piacenza’s handmade trays and serving bowls are made from glossy thermoplastic and are stain, heat and warp resistant. Each item comes with your choice of inside and outside colors, and are primarily available in the US via Home Depot’s online site or at Sprout Home.
The Ripple Bowl Set is part of a collection of architecturally-inspired ceramic pieces by Shayla Su. As with Piacenza, consumers can choose from a wide variety of colors and finishes for both the exterior and interior surfaces. Available at both Iluren.com and Shayla Su’s homepage.
PID stands for Personal Interior Design and is based in Sweden. They do however offer worldwide shipping of their products, many of which carry a distinctive European flair. Mirror polished stainless steel is a common theme, as are sleekly organic curves combined with continental ingenuity. Shown above: Cocoon Fruit Bowl, Garlic Press, Mezzaluna Herb Chopper and Salad Cutlery.
Also based in Europe is Royal Shopping, which carries products from Illums Bolighus, Royal Copenhagen and Holmegaard. Arne Jacobsen’s salad utensils are sculpted to reduce features to an absolute minimum, while the playful Twist salt & pepper grinders are “mixed with a twist of Scandinavian humour.†Perhaps most interesting is the Forma Cheese concept, whose fluid-like curves and simple tools have a somewhat neolithic aesthetic. For more information, visit the Royal Shopping homepage.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Dining tables are usually a fairly straightforward affair; four legs, perhaps a pedestal base, and your choice of a round or rectangular top. There are however quite a few stylish and unusual options to be had. Above: Dr. Peter Draenart’s Adler II table boasts both minimalist design and functionality. A lifting mechanism automatically swivels out a leaf in the middle of the table when the two sides are pulled apart. A smoothly finished stainless steel base helps to round out an already sleek profile.
Bernard Vuarnesson’s Hexa and Bellato series of tables feature hidden surfaces that slide out for additional guests. Somewhat similar to the Rotor Coffee table, these are great for maximizing tight spaces. Scratch resistant laminate tops and solid wood construction maximize durability.
The Infinity Table uses a clear glass top to channel all attention to its rattan legs. Each leg is composed of four sheets that twist 90 degrees around a central axis. Rounded chrome frames at the top and bottom keep the rattan anchored in place.
Perhaps most unusual is the fan-shaped Ventaglio table by Charlotte Perriand. Planks of oak wood intersect at different angles to create table tops that are asymmetric individually, while three curved legs help to stabilize the structure. In pairs, complementary symmetry is revealed with seating for at least 4-6.
Popularity: 5% [?]
With Thanksgiving fast approaching in the United States, we’ll be focusing on dining-related decor for our next few posts. First up is the triple-use Chop Chop Cutting Tray. The bamboo planks can initially serve as cutting boards for food prep. Next, nestle them side by side inside a nickel-plated steel frame for an instant serving tray. Finally, present each board to hungry guests, who can use them as an eating surface.
While at the table, choose from a number of stylish and functional tableware options by designer Chaiyut Plypetch. His Dish Up is remarkably simple; ceramic plates with flat ends instantly help to divvy up food, and conveniently store vertically when not in use. The ultra-chic Sushi Time dish has a central depression for soy sauce, while the extra wide brim holds your sushi and sashimi. You can also serve java in his innovative Cupples, with a knob-shaped handle that fits into the base of the saucer.
Lastly we have Tom Dixon’s Eco Ware, composed of biodegradable thermoset plastic with bamboo fiber. These dinnerware sets are made from the byproducts of coconut, rice and bamboo. They can also be composted when no longer needed. Environmentally-conscious blog Treehugger makes an interesting observation regarding this type of tableware, which uses nylon as binder: polyamide (nylon) is not particularly compostable. It therefore remains to be seen whether these are 100% returnable to the earth–important because Eco Ware only lasts about five years with normal use.
Popularity: 4% [?]
The plainly named Shop of the Orient (SOTO for short) carries an intriguing line of decor with an unmistakable eastern influence. Above: The Aladdin and Panarch beds both feature complementary use of materials. The Panarch is a solid teak frame with padded water hyacinth panels on the headboard, while the Aladdin has a tightly packed water hyacinth frame with teak edging. Both beds have sleek bodies with restrained curves. Though an Asian design philosophy is evident, there is nothing “traditional” about these beds: they are contemporary through and through.
Also available are boxed candle and tea-light sets. The first bamboo vessel can also hold potpourri infused water or flowers, while the second set features an inverted bamboo plank that serves as an elegant candle holder.
Lastly, SOTO sells privacy screens with a wholly natural look. The first screen is a mat of bamboo sticks strung vertically inside a square teak frame. Slightly more contemporary is the Sarmart screen which is composed of alternating bamboo bundles and packed water hyacinth blocks. These are by far the most traditional of their products, but like all of SOTO’s products, they maintain a contemporary/minimalist appeal.
SOTO-UK.com
Popularity: 9% [?]
The MC1 Recliner by Olaf Kitzig has an amazingly lightweight visual profile, complimented by organic curves that simultaneously evoke elegance and sensuality. Thick acrylic glass keeps the recliner stable, while simultaneously allowing for different color choices. The MC1 also features segmented leather-felt padding which is entirely optional although highly recommended - this is hard acrylic after all.
Germany-based Mobilia is currently distributing this stunning recliner and although its main retailer in the US is DWR, the recliner has yet to make it over the pond. For the time, the MC1 seems firmly seated on the Continent.
Also designed by Kitzig but still prototypical is his Sessel Arm Chair. The name is a bit odd as this chair has no arms, but it retains many of the same undulating characteristics of its little brother. Sessel is clearly a wider girth version of the MC1 with 20mm acrylic glass and a “Rueckseitige†varnish. Many thanks to Andreas for his help: Rueckseitige means “backside”; in other words, it’s lacquered on the backside.
mobilia-collection.de
kitzig-design.com
Popularity: 5% [?]
I just wanted to take this time to apologize for the lack of posts this Fall. Sometimes life sneaks up on you and takes you way off track. I am happy to say that PadStyle is now back and I will resume regular posting. Thanks to all my readers for your patience!
Popularity: 4% [?]
