Wish List: Practical Pieces from Arco Contemporary Furniture

Irwin Weiner ASID - Here's the recipe for what makes the best furniture: a piece must be functional, well constructed of fine materials, and beautifully designed. Period.

So applying these three simple, but hard-to-come-by rules, I'd like to turn your attention to Arco Contemporary Furniture. Their practical furniture line exhibits exceptional utility, the finest materials and construction techniques, and innovative design. Here are some of my favorite pieces from their impressive lineup; click on each photo for more information.

Jolly Jubilee Chair with carved leaf pattern designed by Ineke Hans

FAT Table, made from sustainable materials in super-chunk simplicity by designer Bertjan Pot

Shay Alkalay's fab Pivot Console (also available in desk and vanity form)

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Chair Love: 10 of Our New Faves

Jackson Crazy Armchair from Marie's Corner

Irwin Weiner ASID - So many chair, so little time. Here are a few of our favorite chairs. Click on each photo for more information. And enjoy watching the video on Thomas Heatherwick exciting interactive Spun chair! Our goal: to have every one of our clients sitting pretty.

Bubble Chair with LED Lights by RousseauPixel Chair by Vivian ChiuWoofer Chair by Saporiti Italia

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Prototype Daybed from Top Ergonomic Designer

Irwin Weiner ASID - Comfort isn't always about thick cushions. The science of ergonomics is starting to dictate furniture styles that conform to how the body can do work yet remain relaxed, supported, and harm free. Repetitive actions like sitting at a workstation all day and typing at a computer can lead to injury, and Humanscale comes to the rescue with workstation peripherals and accessories - including their Daybed prototype (see photo above and video below). The Daybed - from master designer Manuel Saez - would help homeowners spend a couple of hours comfortably watching television and/or typing at a laptop computer. The lower back, head, and feet are comfortably supported and the swing-arm table adjusts to the best angle for typing. Thanks to LX TV - Lifestyle Television - for this look behind the scenes at Humanscale as they work on this special lounger. 

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B&B Italia's 2000 Tulip Chair Swings Into the Future

Irwin Weiner ASID - While many furniture vendors are seeing sales slump during the recession, B&B Italia has thrived. Why? I feel that they've captured the look of the moment: contemporary, but not boringly classic and clean. Their pieces all have a sense of style and quirky humor. There are splashes of color, elements of surprise, giant prints - and they avoid giving furniture a square, beige mid-century boxy look. Kudos to designer Jeffrey Bernett for designing the reengineered Tulip Chair from the Sixties for B&B. As you'll see in this video, a new classic was created in 2000, with wonderful twists on the ordinary and expected. 

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