Craving Mid-century Modern, We Search for T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

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Irwin Weiner ASID - Our Pennsylvania realtor friend told me recently that many of his buyers are craving mid-century modern homes. Intrigued, I asked for more specifics.

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He told me that mid-century design is hip and stylish, and a house filled with cleanly designed furnishings sells better than his homes that are filled with traditional or antique furnishings.

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Interesting tidbit, eh? It's true that you can go all Danish modern or Scandinavian barebones in your room makeovers to get that mid-century look for your home, but adding a stylish piece of good quality, well designed furniture can also do the trick.

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I suggest you start with a search for furnishings designed by Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings. He sought to design non-fussy American furniture, and was inspired by ancient Greek lines.

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Great combination. Below is a guide to the pieces shown in the photographs (look for the number underneath each image; click on either the link or the photo for more product information.

1. Constellation Table for Widdicomb
2. Brass Floor Lamp for Hansen
3. Walnut Mesa Table for Widdicomb
4. Sofa/Daybed for Widdicomb
5. Chaise Longue for Baker
6. Floor Lamp for Hansen
7. Cerused oak and brown leather webbing Klismos Chaise Longue
8. Webbed Chair with brass legs
9. Leather Lounge Chair for Widdicomb

Click to read more ...

Modern Furniture Design with Fashion Vision from STUA

Irwin Weiner ASID - I was very taken by STUA's founder Jesus Gasca and the story he relates about his mother working for Balenciaga - "The most important element of the design is in the back." Hence, Gasca makes certain that the back of furniture items are importantly designed, particularly with chairs that are meant to be seen from all angles, as when dining or desk chairs are pushed in and viewed completely from the back.

I also like their unique take on design, being Scandinavian furniture with a Mediterranean twist, evoked by the company's headquarters in the Spanish resort town of San Sebastían. Today's video showcases STUA and Gasca's vision for the company, the thought that goes into individual furniture designs, his manufacturing process, and the all-important details that are part of successful design - part function, part beautiful sculpture. Click on each image for further product information.

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Design Video: Brad Ford Demonstrates the Importance of Handhelds

Irwin Weiner ASID - Bravo to interior designer Brad Ford. In an Architectural Digest video promoting the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 tablet (click here to view the video), Brad shows how today's apps and handheld features are a crucial part of the interior design industry.

I use my iPad in the same way Brad uses his Galaxy: track schedules and appointments, make notes on everything from client billing hours to design inspirations, sketch and draw, take photographs of client spaces and proposed resources, and use presentation tools to show clients aspects of their projects. We use handhelds to organize our thoughts, remember resources we've just found in showrooms, and store on-the-job sketches and notes; they've become a key extension of our staff and an important tool. Watch today's video to see Brad Ford in typical designer scenarios and to hear him talk about his contemporary spaces "with soul." 

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San Diego Designer Rebecca Robeson's Christmas Video House Tour

Jay Johnson - Irwin officially "passed" on doing this particular post. It's not that he's bah-humbug about holiday decorating, but he's very critical of being too kitsch and decorating everything. I'm just the opposite. Maybe it's my Midwestern upbringing, but I love turning a home into a magical wonderland that tells either a Christmas, Chanukkah, or Winter story. Rebecca Robeson, an interior designer in San Diego, CA, mentions in today's featured video that being in her perpetually warm and sunny part of the world requires special decorating to make it feel like a festive time of year.

But even if there's a foot of snow on the ground outside, one still can use some merry decking of the halls to make special family memories. Enjoy Rebecca's video (she shops at HomeGoods - don't we all!), and definitely check out her other holiday how-to videos for more decorating advice. (I love the way this interior designer has taken to the communication-friendly video medium; she's way ahead of the industry curve on that one!)

And speaking of a California Christmas, here's a video from sunny CA to put you into right spirit, with a rousing Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree from the artists performing in A Christmas Together.

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