2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

ESQUE : Contemporary Glassworks

I stumbled across a really interesting, cool and different kind of design group recently. ESQUE is a design shop that specializes in glass-blown home accessories and lighting. Justin Parker and Andi Kovel are considered top gaffers in the country (head glass blowers).

They have been featured in Western Exteriors, W Magazine, Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. If you view their site, you can see why. They have quite a selection of contemporary modern lighting and accessories.

ROAD RAGE

STUMP VOTIVE

FISHLIGHT

Modern Art Radio

Have you listened to your daily dose of Modern Art on the radio waves? No!!! Well, listen no further, you can now dial into a live broadcast streamed online of the latest and greatest in the world of modern contemporary art. Tune into P.S.1 and get your fill.

P.S.1 Contemporary  Art  Center, an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art, is the oldest and second largest non-profit arts center in the United  States solely devoted to contemporary art. Recognized as a defining force of the alternative space movement, P.S.1 stands out from major arts institutions through its cutting-edge approach to exhibitions and direct involvement of artists within a scholarly framework.  It acts as an intermediary between the artist and its audience.  Functioning as a living and active meeting place for the general public, P.S.1 is a catalyst for ideas, discourses and new trends in contemporary art and its practices.

P.S.1 was founded in 1971 by Alanna Heiss as The Institute of Art and Urban Resources Inc., and was primarily dedicated to the transformation of abandoned and underutilized buildings in New  York City into exhibition, performance, and studio spaces for artists.  Today, P.S.1 operates two internationally acclaimed spaces for contemporary art: P.S.1 Contemporary  Art  Center in Long Island  City and the Clocktower Gallery in Lower  Manhattan, both of which contain museum- quality galleries and extensive studio facilities.

ZIETRAUM : Modern German Design

I was introduced a while ago to ZIETRAUM. A contemporary furniture design firm based in Germany. They have beautiful designs, use solid woods and are extremely well crafted. They have a definitive style. I could seriously decorate my entire house with their collection and be content.

DOZE : A simple, sleek, comfortable bed with storage space at one end and made from solid wood.

SILENCE : Solid wood. Brilliant Shape.

SIDE : Sideboard series based on the ‘Modulor’ proportions system developed by Le Corbusier. Beautiful modern storage.

Meticulous. Exact. German.

Architects For Humanity

2Modern helped sponsor an event with Dwell Magazine last night, a silent auction for Architects for Humanity.

Designers, architects and press from the Bay Area community flocked to the W Hotel for cocktails, hoers d'oeuvres and a little bidding on modern furniture, lighting and accessories. Everyone had a very nice time and the proceeds went to a wonderful cause.

Architects for Humanity charitable organization founded in 1999 to promote architectural and design solutions to global, social and humanitarian crises. Through competitions, workshops, educational forums, partnerships with aid organizations and other activities, Architecture for Humanity creates opportunities for architects and designers from around the world to help communities in need. They are helping communities rebuild across the globe.

They are already in action with major world catastrophes:

- South Asia Earthquake
- Hurricane Katrina
- Tsunami Reconstruction

This is an organization that is nimble, talented, caring and get the job done! You can donate here.

Modern Architecture : NYC

I think urban planning and modern architecture is fascinating. How do you deal with the construction, expansion, deconstruction and reconstruction of space? Especially in a dense, picky, environment like New York City?

I walk everywhere, so I appreciate the good, bad, old and ugly. All have their unique traits. Not many people go through the effort of documenting these gems. Here is a little exhibit called Friends of the Upper East Side.

They have a slide-show with credits and building descriptions from East 59th St. to East 96th St. This is a unique environment within the city, since historically it has had a lot of cash, so the tastes, architects and construction are formed to cater to that environment. Funny how modern architecture has changed (e.g. what the Modern look was 50 years ago vs 25 years ago vs now).

Islamic Cultural Center NY : 201 East 96th St.

Cinema I, II & II Third Avenue : Interior View : 1001 Third Avenue

Now playing: Good Night and Good Luck

Modern Cutlery

If you really look at it, high-quality, modern cutlery with good design is HARD TO FIND. There is no shortage of your Williams Sonoma or Macys stuff. That is everywhere. But where is the unique. The beautiful?

Well, here is one! David Mellor Cutlery : Based in London.

LONDON SERIES

PROVENCAL SERIES

David has been described as the 'cutlery king' and is a 'Royal Designer for Industry'...I love it! Only in England.

Andy Warhol Time Capsules

Oh, what a find! I am a scavenger, a glutton for sentiment and memories. I have a box that holds all of my little treasures of the past...pictures, yearbooks, letters and assorted craziness that I only really look at when I move and wonder why I keep it. But I can't get rid of it. Every few years, when I peer into these boxes, I get a better sense of who I am, where I came from and memories crop up that would have otherwise been forever lost. My little time capsule...Likely useless to anyone else and quickly discarded after my demise.

There are really only a few people's remnant cardboard boxes I would actually be interested in perusing. One would be Andy Warhol's. After reading the Andy Warhol Diaries, I really felt that I understood him better as a person behind the art that impacted the world.

I recently stumbled across the Andy Warhol Time Capsule site. TC21 lets people rummage through 50 of the items found in the box, including an unopened copy of the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers...

newspaper photo of Cambodia's Prince Norodom Sihanouk standing beneath the official portrait of Mao that Warhol used to make his famous series...

...and little sentimental memoirs that allows visitors to peer into a fascinating life. Take a look, zoom around, read and get lost in a wonderful little treasure chest.

MEBEL Furniture

Sometimes furniture contemporary furniture designers don't get their fair due. Sure, MEBEL FURNITURE has been featured in Dwell, Metropolis, Modernism and Metropolitan Home here and there. But they are still a pretty small outfit, with very well crafted designs, and I think their attention to detail goes unnoticed.

From the overall design, the meticulous craftsmanship, the solid woods and to the fabrics chosen, these guys are as pure as it gets. They really care about their pieces. I imagine they cry when they actually sell them and have to let them go.

Founded by Jacek Ostoya (architect) and Peter Brayshaw (craftsman), the 2 found each other as perfect compliments. New York and Los Angeles, craftsman and architect, woodworking and art. And brothers-in-law! Quite the family affair. Other family members work in various positions at MEBEL and it creates a very dynamic and close-knit environment.

A few samples:

  Lublin Bench: Solid Maple Wood. Orange Kvadrat Fabric.

Lublin Day Bed: Solid Dark Walnut Grey Kvadrat Fabric.

The LEM Barstool

I was at a dinner party on Friday night in the Upper West Side. It was a recently redocorated Brownstone and I was blown away. The kitchen and bar area was comfortable and spacious, and thoroughly modern. All appliances were from the new Viking series...really cool colors that I didn't think Viking Range even made.

But the coolest part were these barstools Shina Azumi and manufactured by Lapalma.

Dark Walnut veneered plywood

Upholstered in leather

Base is steel tube stain Chrome plated.

You can find barstools, but not ones that make guests go "WOW!" very often. These did.

Blu Dot

BMW started (at least in the biggest way), the while short-movie/advertising thing and it seemed to work. Enough at least for others to try their hand at it.

Blu Dot Furniture, a Minneappolis designer of Modern Furniture and Accessories, created a short along with a little recurring marketing incentive to go along with it.

Follow the Blu Dot link to 'Fims' in the navigation. Quicktime required.

I think it works. Hey, I'm writing about it, aren't I? All it takes is a few friends (who doesn't want to star in a movie?), a camera and an idea. If it catches on then it just gets posted and forwarded.

Plus, they make pretty good furniture...which helps.

The new STRUT TABLE