Interior Design Video: Designer Jeffrey Bernett for B&B Italia

Irwin Weiner ASID - You've seen my focus this week on outdoor furniture, and earlier we covered some beautiful new lounger designs, perfect shapes and elegant functionality and materials for pool, patio, deck, and lanai.

I was attracted to the following video interview of designer Jeffrey Bernett because he has taken the Landscape chaise lounge concept he developed for B&B Italia and been allowed to creatively tweak the designs by making design changes that add slight twists to the original: a headrest that stays put where you want it thanks to magnetism, a rolled arm for reading the newspaper, a gentle curve in the legs for rocking, a colorful mattress pad to give the piece more comfort and a quick chameleon-like appearance change.

Bonus

Click here to watch the video on Jeffrey Bernett's Tulip Chair for B&B Italia: B&B Italia's 2000 Tulip Chair Swings Into the Future.

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Rory Dobner Gifts at Maison 24

Irwin Weiner ASID - At the end of the recent New York Home Observer reception, we were all given the usual swag bags to take with us, and one of the complimentary gifts was a Rory Dobner Notable Notebook - a quirky moleskin-type notebook featuring a fish smoking an elegant cigarette. The notebook was compliments of Rory and Maison 24, a wonderful gift shop located in Manhattan at 470 Park Avenue. As you can see from the photo below, they have a complete Rory Dobner store-within-a-store boasting a complete line of home accessories featuring Rory's quirky artwork. They have an online store, too, and you can click here to peruse your way through their fascinating online shop.

Bonus

Click here to read about another quirky New York shopping experience: Beautiful Jewelry and Decorative Objects from De Vera.

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6 Modern Bookshelves that Tweek the Imagination

Irwin Weiner ASID - Physical books are beautiful. They deserve to be displayed well in a home. As an interior designer, I'm often asked to come up with storage solutions for books and small accessories - sometimes collections, sometimes mementos from my clients' travels - so I'll come up with custom library built-in solutions in a dining room, family room, media room, or traditonal den.

What I'm always amazed at, however, are the innovative designs for stand-alone or wall-mounted bookshelves. So unusual - and sometimes downright goofy! It's not enough to have flat shelves supported by end and back pieces; modern bookshelves have to "do something" or "say something."

It's all a bit silly, but some clever new bookshelves can add a touch of fun and whimsy into a too-serious room, and I'm all for lightening-up a design scheme. Click on each photo for more information.

Bonus

Click here to see more Bookshelves That Break Out of the Box.

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"California Dreaming" Video - Residential Architect Harry Gesner

Irwin Weiner ASID - We're coming back to NYC today from a long weekend in California, and the following video perfectly captures the California Dreaming that I love so much. As a native South Africa, California coastlines are so much like my home in Cape Town, and when I discovered this video feature (beautifully produced, by the way) on architectect, environmentalist, and visionary Harry Gesner, it distilled the beautiful architecture and soaring modernism that I love in coastal home design. Beautiful windows framing outdoor seaside views. Natural wood. Fascinating house shapes that have personality and fit difficult lots like a glove. Enjoy this visit with an iconic designer. 

Bonus

Click here to read more about Cliff May, another famous California residential architect: Sunny California Ranch House Restoration Magic.

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