Result Chair

Having long been an admirer of the Result Chair by Friso Kramer and Wim Rietveld (see here, here ... and here) I was extremely interested to learn that HAY and furniture manufacturer Ahrend are collaborating with one another to reproduce this Dutch classic. The all new Result chair will stay true to its original construction and use of materials - thin steel-sheet bases with oak seat and backrest. 

Sounds good, really good, but give me an original any day.  Perhaps this green one which I spotted over on 1st Dibs ... please and thank you.

Photos via Casey Godrie, via 1st Dibs

Geometry

photos via The Modern House

Geometry (noun) the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties and relations of points, lines, surfaces, solids and higher dimensional analogues.  Hmmmm, not too sure about higher dimensional analogues, but see above for some wonderful examples of mid-century modern geometry.

To find out more about this timber-clad house designed by architect John Floyd, head over to The Modern House.

enlightened

photos via Galerie Kreo

There's just a few days left to savour the delights of Galerie Kreo's latest exhibition - Enlightened 50s: Iconic French Lighting from a Modern Decade - before it comes to an end this Thursday.  The exhibition blurb makes for an interesting read ... and allows one to brush up on the names of those all important French mid-twentieth century lighting designers to boot!

It's all in the detail

Photo via Eames Office

This wonderful picture of an aluminum group chair upholstered in Alexander Girard hopsack requires little introduction and no actual words, except perhaps this equally wonderful quote written by Charles and Ray Eames …

"The details are not the details;  they make the product."

The Home of Fritz Hansen

photos via Republic of Fritz Hansen 

Old news admittedly, but I simply adore these images from Fritz Hansen of their showroom in Milan which was transformed during Salone del Mobile into an apartment known as The House of Fritz Hansen.  Admittedly a showcase for the discerning customer to discover the Series 7 in new colours by Danish artist Tal R and the latest designs by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, the styling and set design by Christine Rudolph is second to none.

For more images of The House of Fritz Hansen, click here.

Modern Living

photos via The Modern House

I'm always trawling through The Modern House - an independent estate agency which specialises in modern architecture - on the off chance they'll have some ramshackle house in need of attention that might bring a little bit of modernism within my financial grasp.  I know that ain't ever going to happen, but it doesn't stop me looking.  It was on one such trawl that I spotted this place.  One of a group of three architect-designed houses designed in the late 1960s by architects Peter Foggo and David Thomas, its steel frame, glass and wood construction is reminiscent of the famous Californian 'Case Study' houses.  And if the architecture isn't enough … designer classics, HELLO.

To buy or not to buy?

photo by Sharon Radisch for Cereal Magazine

If I had a dedicated work space at home I'd like it to look something like this picture perfect set up à la Justin Chung.  Simple and uncluttered with a black and white colour palette and THAT chair.  Things don't change much around here … see chair, find chair, buy chair.  I narrow down potential candidates based on cost until I find something in the 'cheap as chips' department.  No mean feat when the starting point for one's search contains words like 'Danish' and 'rosewood' but then I like a good challenge.

Unable to find anything by Niels Møller with those arms - let's just take a few moments to admire those arms please - I tried the sans arms approach.  Nothing.  But then a pair of 're-upholstered' chairs by Arne Hovmand-Olsen popped up.  Nothing wrong with 're-upholstered' per se, but beige linen with rasperberry-coloured velvety stripes just doesn't cut the mustard when it's an original woven seat I was after.

Not. To. Worry.  Buy chairs, remove offending upholstery, get weaving.  Sounds like a plan, except I'm no weaver.  But then Modern Chair Restoration.  Ever since reading this post on how to tackle a CH23 chair by Hans Wegner I've wanted to give this weaving thing a go.  I mean, how hard can it be?  Hard.  Do I have the time to start another restoration project?  No.  To buy or not to buy?  Buy.  When will I learn?  Never.

An Armchair

This.  An 'armchair' that is currently not on public view at the Los Angles County Museum of Art.  When it first popped up in my Pinterest feed I thought 'no, no, no, it's all wrong' … my default position being strictly DCW.  No deviations please.  And that means no arms.  I wasn't sure if I liked the look of a DCW with arms.  But it's since grown on me.  It's difficult not to fall for all those curves.  Come to think of it, it's difficult not to fall for this one full stop.  Why it never made the cut is worthy of some research … someone?

Found via Obsessilicious on Pinterest … his Eamesilicious board is definitely worth following!

Yvonne Koné

photos Yvonne Koné / Line Thit Klein

Forever dreaming of having my own workshop, forever looking at pictures of other people's workshops … hence these inspirational images from Yvonne Koné, a Danish footwear and bag designer.  I'll let the fashion bloggers do the necessary when it comes to showcasing Koné's designs, suffice to say that Yvonne Koné the brand encompasses traditional craftsmanship inspired by raw, natural leather with an industrial non-colour feel … what's not to love?  As for me, I definitely don't have the skill set to design bags or make shoes, but a workshop full of interesting tools, a space to tinker and experiment … yes please.

Seventies living

photos via Share Design

This brick-built home belongs to Danish architect and designer Knud Holscher.  Dating from the early 1970s, and no doubt ahead of its time, Holscher's home is unpretentious and understated.  With its clean lines and unassuming interior, I find the combination and use of materials - the exposed brickwork, concrete ceilings and all that glass - extremely pleasing.  And it's not often I say that about anything from the Seventies!

Click here for more images of Holscher's home and to find out more about the designer.

Noden Collective

photos via Noden Collective

Generally speaking I don't like to mix my woods, but today I'm making an exception.  I mean, what better way to tackle my 'mix and match' issues than with these striking images from NODEN, a vintage Scandinavian and European furniture dealer based in Singapore. This compilation I've put together contains pieces in teak, rosewood and oak - all equally delightful, all possessing the grace and good looks one would expect of designs by the likes of Børge Mogensen and Hans Wegner.

The unfussy nature of the styling allows each piece to speak for itself.  Whether it's the organic shapes, tactile curves or angular edges, the rich tones or pleasing patinas, it's the furniture that does the talking.  But if it's words you're after, NODEN is pretty good with these too … I just love this quote from their website:

"Vintage items can have a way of holding you to the ground.  When you think of how long (and how far) a vintage object has travelled … its presence seems all the more significant – its character alluringly full."

edit #4

EDIT : a place for objects that have caught my eye, ideas I'd like to explore, inspiration I'd like to capture …

I love this look by Studio Nicholson - in fact I've been swotting up on Nick Wakeman and her minimalist womenswear label and I'm sold
PCK wire chairs by Eames, yes please and thank you
Ib Kofod-Larsen's Kandidaten sofa - the craftsmanship, shape and materials … what more can I say
My fascination with peeling paint continues unabated … just look at the wonderful texture it creates
For no other reason than just liking this picture of an arrow
I'm smitten with the cherry wood structure of the Cesta table lamp designed by Miguel Mila in 1964

Finnish flair

What better way to kickstart the new year than with a selection of pictures from a girl after my own heart … I mean, look at all those chairs! Carolina's instragram account (@carolinavd) is a treasure trove of mid-century goodness which features, in part, her Finnish apartment.  From the lighting to the seating, the iconic classics sit happily alongside contemporary pieces from the likes of Hay, Muuto and Normann Copenhagen.  Carolina's natural flair for mixing things up is, in my opinion, only outdone by her ability to create a space that doesn't look too curated.

The same goes for Carolina's instagram feed, which also features snapshots of her trips abroad and visits to the family's summer house (think vintage ARTEK … everywhere).  And then there's the pictures of FINN JUHL's home and those taken at the ALVAR AALTO MUSEO.  And with a penchant for highlighting Finnish designers - I've spotted TAPIOVAARA and JUHA LEIVISKÄ as well as AALTO - Carolina's feed keeps the mid-century and Scandinavian modern part of me extremely happy.

And I haven't even mentioned Emma, the West Highland Terrier … for all you dog lovers out there!

Follow @carolinavd HERE

midcentury offerings

Our friends over at MIDCENTURY MAGAZINE are taking their first steps into the world of retail this December by way of a ‘Perfect Present’ advent promotion. They've partnered with mid-century classic brands and individual designer-makers working with mid-century prints and patterns to offer a series of one-day exclusive discounts on a select set of products and design classics. Over the coming weeks the products will be available to buy via their website - solely through links they'll post each day on TWITTER and FACEBOOK, and via an email to those on their mailing list.

Expect to see links to the likes of STELTON, DAVID MELLOR, KAY BOJESEN DENMARK and SHEILA BOWNAS to name but a few.

So what are you waiting for?  Sign up, click the links … have yourself a merry midcentury Christmas!

* This is not a sponsored post.

FISKEBAREN

photos via SPACE Copenhagen

I have a secret list of eateries I'd like to frequent on the off chance I happen to find myself in the right place at the right time. And FISKEBAREN, a gourmet fish restaurant located in the old meat packing district of Copenhagen - I'm thinking SMITHFIELD but with beautiful people - is somewhere I'd quite happily while away an evening should the opportunity ever arise.  I found this snippet in The New York Times giving directions to a nearby art gallery which sets the scene perfectly ... "enter the low-slung industrial complex called Kødbyens (literally, Meat City), stroll down the street called Slagterboderne (Butcher Stalls) … and amble across Flæsketorvet (Pork Square)".  And once you're through the door, well, what a treat.  All that black and white coupled with all that austere stainless steel.  And then there's the utilitarian nature of the tiling, the distressed woodwork, exposed plaster and those old hanging hooks.

I love the look and feel of this place so much I only wish I ate fish!