World Design Capital for 2012: Helsinki

All Modern

Irwin Weiner ASID - The International Design Alliance puts together World Design Capital designations each year, and they've announced Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as the World Design Capital for 2012 (click the link to read all about it). The 600,000 population city is compact and beautifully designed, with a core shopping district famed for its innovative Scandinavian design leadership - see Eero Aarnio's Formula chair (above), architect Seppo Koho's trademark lighting (below), and Ilkka Supponen's Flying Carpet Sofa (bottom). Check out today's featured video

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2011 Contemporary Furniture Favorites from Vancouver

Gandia Blasco

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's impossible to keep track of every single furniture and lighting resource available for high-end interior design. But one good way to get a sense of what experts love is to see what contemporary furniture retailers are carrying in your community. Today's featured video is an interview of Livingspace Vancouver owner Ross Bonetti, and he gave us some resources that are worth looking into further:

• Gandia Blasco (see photo above) for hand-tufted wool rugs, poufs, and furnishings - and many are designed by one of our favorites, Patricia Urquiola

• Moooi, the whimsical Dutch design firm - look to them, in particular, for dramatic lighting

• Minotti, an Italian line that's both classic and spare (see photo above) - I appreciate their strong, minimalistic lines and the fact that most pieces will fit well into any interior; you should accessorize around them so your space doesn't look like you've reproduced a furniture showroom, however

• e15, manufacturer of the wonderfully sculptural ECO3 Eugene lounge chair (in above photo)

• Diesel Foscarini, a blend of Diesel's industrial take on fashion and Foscarini's masterful production of lighting (see photo above)

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Update on April 23, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Kids Design from Charles and Ray Eames

Vitra

Irwin Weiner ASID - Once upon a time, there was a king and queen and they ruled the Land of Design. His name was Charles and hers was Ray (really Bernice Alexandra), and Charles and Ray Eames made the land beautiful with their artistic design and imaginative use of new materials.

Of course this is not a fairy tale, but Charles and Ray Eames had a profound effect on design and had a great marriage in more ways than one - Ray's art background and Charles training as an architect blended beautifully in many products. Little known is their Colouring Toy, a nifty art and coloring set that wedding their mid-century sensibilities for bold line, pattern, and shape. Watch this quick video and you'll see how the rulers of design - they even showed off new chairs to the masses on the Today Show, and who's doing that in furniture making these days! - conquered little tykes, too.

While we're dwelling on the kiddies, here are some Eames children's furniture and accessories that endure. Click on each photo for more information.

 

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Is Furniture Art?

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Irwin Weiner ASID - Plato talked about the ideal "form" behind the reality of things - and without wigging out on philosophical theory, he talked about how no two tables are alike, but that they each shared a quality which he called "tableness." This Plum TV video goes to the DesignMiami show and asked artists and furniture designers if furniture is art or not. This is the same argument that Plato made. If you have a sofa, but it looks cutting edge and "artistic," is it art or is it furniture? The video says there's a degree of "artness" about some furniture as well as a degree of "sofaness" or utility as a piece of furniture. Dali once made a polished brass chair (see photo above of his Leda Chair). Is it art or furniture? You can definitely sit in it, but an artist made it - so there's a conundrum to mull over!

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