Blown Away by Unusual Objects from Il Segno del Tempo

Irwin Weiner ASID - Still so many memories from the invitation-only opening night preview of the latest Antiques, Art & Design at the Armory show this past September 21 at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC, co-hosted by Ellie Cullman, Jamie Drake, and Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin.

One of the show's absolute standouts was a collection of unusual technical and industrial antiques from Il Segno del Tempo, the collaboration of two gentlemen (Pier Luigi Carboni and Pierangelo Marengo) and their operation online and in Milan, New York, and Miami Beach. Yes, I'd like to possess most everything they were exhibiting. Examples of their amazing inventory: a rare thin stainless steel rug (top photo); a beautiful compound lever and compass - a scientific instrument that would add conversational interest to a coffee table tablescape (below, top photo); an industrial iron cart with wheels and a rotating glass tabletop (below, middle photo); and contemporary art from their "Are You Prepared?" series (below, bottom photo).

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World's Largest Trade Fair + Clocks That Knit

Irwin Weiner ASID - The Salone del Mobile in Milan is the largest trade show in the world and, of course, its focus is on design. I smugly say "of course" because design impacts the most important elements of our life. We take for granted how we sit, how we use tools, what shelters us from the elements, how we see things in a dark space, how we sleep, how we prepare and serve food, and basically the shape and substance and utility and beauty of everything made by humans.

I love TheDesignVlog.com for covering important trade shows like Il Salone and coming back with their curated looks at what they love, what's hot, and totally unique in design. I think you'd have to go pretty far to find a more interesting designer working today than Berlin-based Siren Elise Wilhelmsen, and I was blown away by her 365 Knitting Clock which tells time by the length of a scarf that it keeps on knitting. How fantastic, tactile, and surprising! Watch the video for more Wilhelmsen surprises and a wonderful overview of Il Salone.

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Classics in Contemporary Bedroom Furniture

Neville Johnson

Irwin Weiner ASID - Many visitors come to Design2Share looking for design help with the bedroom. We spend a good percentage of our lives in this single room, and nowadays it's become the new living room and an adult retreat center. Contemporary bedroom furnishings add sleek, modern elements to the bedroom, whether it be a guest room or a master suite - or as one frustrated wife labeled in the architect's plans for a new, separate room designed for her husband, the "Snoratorium."

With contemporary furniture of any kind, good designs rarely date. I like fresh, clean lines and sculptural forms on any piece, and they don't have to be hot and of-the-moment to catch my attention and merit a recommendation to clients. So here are a few random modern bedroom classics you'll want to look into further.

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Iconic House: Il Girasole

Irwin Weiner ASID - Let's celebrate all the innovation that has gone into residential architecture! It's astounding how, back in the 1930s, architects Angelo Invernizzi and Ettore Fagiuoli created a house with a mechanism that kept the house moving so that it always faced the sun. Called Il Girasole, The Sunflower, it functions beautifully and takes advantage of breathtaking natural views outside of Verona. While not all historic homes around the world are available for public tours, it's often possible to contact local museums to see if there are institutional tours of these homes and soak up the essence of beautiful design. This award-winning video is a good tour substitute.

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