It's rare that a web site catches my attention almost as much as a company's products do. Giorgetti’s site is one of the most stylish I've seen in ages (take a peek at the opening illustration by David Downton represented by Serlin Associates) The ease with which the site's pdf's download is a bonus. Two new products released by the company in April are standouts: the Ean console and the Ite Table (shown), both designed by Chi Wing Lo. The Asian influences are obvious and the pieces are so aesthetically quiet it would seem one would need to whisper while in the same room with them. The beautiful woodwork harkens to a bygone era of quality that is missing in so many furniture lines today. You can download the pdf's by going to collections, then clicking on the April 2010 tab in the drop-down menu and clicking on the name of the product.

by Saxon Henry For those who claim there’s nothing new under the sun, a perusal of the youngest participants in this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) proves that a new generation brings with it fresh ideas. In this particular case, it was college sophomores from Philadelphia University who took to material experimentation, and an emotionalization of materials and design like experienced pros.

 The project began when Grace Jeffers, the corporate muse for Wilsonart®, approached professor Josh Owen, whose students would be required to create artifacts reflecting the culture of the corporation using the company’s laminate. After Jeffers lectured the students about the history of laminate, Owen and teaching partner Jason Lempieri guided over twenty students through a month of material experimentation. Once they understood the peculiarities of the laminate—after heating it, bending it, twisting it, freezing it and painting it, they made maquettes of designs they wanted to explore, continuing to fine tune their ideas until they were satisfied that what they’d created was structurally sound (each chair had to support a 400-pound person) and aesthetically on-point. The chairs also had to reflect the student’s perceptions of Wilsonart’s place in American history and his or her aesthetic bent. “Our job as teachers was to help them find consistency in their thinking,” says Lempieri. “A good design professor’s task is to ask the right questions that inspire students to reach into themselves and discover what’s innately theirs.” The students were also charged with constructing the chairs themselves. Wilsonart normally brings one product from each year’s competition to the fair, but the designs were so outstanding this year that the company brought the winner and five runners up to ICFF. “The breadth of creativity, depth of context and high caliber of craft were among the top I’ve seen,” explains Jeffers. “Remember, these are sophomores in college and the results were stunning!”  Aodh O’Donnell, who was the winner of the competition with his Armadillo Chair, used the company’s sample chips to clad a buxom seat. “I wanted to use the shingle effect of the chip to achieve texture,” he says. “You usually only see the product on a flat surface and I wanted to draw attention to it in a different way.” His “celebration” of the chip struck me as important in one other aspect: he used something that most people would toss into the trash once they’ve finished with it. Jeffrey Steel took the chip to task as well, creating his Array Chair, which glorifies the chip chain. “I have always been drawn to math in my education,” he says. “I played with the chip chain, tossing it to see what patterns emerged, and created a chair that reads like an accidental pattern but is really very well studied.”  As Steel points out, it appears that the chips are floating, but they are anchored strongly in order to achieve the strength that was required. “Watching the progress of the chair emerging as I built it was an amazing experience,” says Steel. “When it was finished, I just sat and stared at it for a while because it was the manifestation of all I had hoped it would be and more.”  Julianne Magliaro was in attendance with her Imperial Chair, the inspiration for which came from two sources—one ancient and one modern. “I was inspired by the Qing Dynasty’s Imperial Rector’s Chair for its proportions and I created the lattice work by mapping all of the distributors of Wilsonart products. Margliaro’s original maquette was an interplay of colors celebrating stained glass, but Owen and Lempieri encouraged her to dig deeper to make her design more dynamic. Their advice was dead-on, as the resulting white/black interplay, interrupted by only one solid shape in red, stands up to the most sophisticated designs to come out of the most prestigious design houses.     Geoff Quinter’s Diner Chair exemplifies 50’s era Americana. “I love the aesthetics of the simple Formica table of that period and the streamline appeal of the diner stool,” he says. “I took those visceral images and bent them into a chair that recalls both, which are iconic pieces of Americana.”            Dan Worthers created the Xpress Chair to represent Wilsonart’s dynamic manufacturing process. “It’s a very big chair because I wanted to illustrate how much they’ve grown,” he says. “I considered the colors carefully, selecting the three that the company first produced.” Worthers was inspired to embrace every facet of this process of experimentation equally: “My heart is in being the generalist in industrial design—it’s all about the exploration!” Alyward Omoding was not in attendance, but his Makuu “Pride” Chair was, which Lempieri explained was a celebration of the student’s African heritage. “It pushes the limits of the material and uses it to create an intricate surface of woven construction,” Omoding wrote in his statement about his product. “The chair creates a carpet-like texture that transforms into a chair.”   Seeing young college students taking this project so seriously is a heartening forecast for the future of design. What struck me about the chairs in person is that I could envision  each one of them ensconced in the home of a limited edition or one-off furniture collector or in a furniture gallery—fully at ease among experimental pieces by Marc Newson, Ron Arad and the Campana Brothers. This article was originally written for The Curated Object. Students from Virginia Tech were sporting their prototypical designs at the show. More on DesignCommotion.

             by Saxon Henry So many empty condos, so little time! This caveat served as designer Tui Pranich’s cue to opportunity. His business partner Jason Atkins was looking for a furnished apartment to rent and the offerings were so dire that they made haste and founded Tui Lifestyle. “We can furnish a condo in 72 hours,” says Pranich. “Our packages include everything from custom designed furniture to lamps, picture frames and ironing boards.” Packages range from $14,999 to $50,000.   The rampant rise of condos was also Sam Robin’s inspiration for her Ready to Wear line of furniture, created with Francesco Caracciolo di Marano. “We knew that we could combine great style and affordability,” says Robin, who can supply pieces in this line, which cost between $200 and $5,000, in about three months. When the condo market went schizophrenic, trendsetting designer Jorge Rosso of Studio Rosso Ubarri created Home Therapy. “So many people were asking me how to achieve high design on a minimal budget that I started a service for people who have good things that simply need editing or who need design advice,” he says. A full day of therapy will cost you $1,200. See other design stories by Saxon Henry.

 

 by Saxon Henry DesignCommotion wanted to know how Giulio Cappellini, who is in charge of the artistic direction for Cappellini, manages to stay on the leading edge of contemporary Italian design. Here’s what he had to say:

DC: Your very name is synonymous with avant-garde Italian design: what is it about you that you believe has set you apart in the design world?

GC: The continuous desire to innovate, risk and search for new and interesting creative people in the world. I have always had this coherent approach whilst thinking that there are always more new things to do in the design sector.

 

DC: As you scout and nourish new design talent, what do you look for in the beginning that proves there’s a kernel of genius in the person’s designs?

GC: It is important to understand if there are signs of research, of great personal and original innovation in a young designer, and if they are ready to question themselves, as making a product is something serious.

DC: You have said that one of your responsibilities is to make designers dream. How do you foster this level of synergy with the designers with whom you collaborate?

GC: It is important to find a perfect feeling between myself and the designer. You can discuss, try and work for a long period of time on a project with the aim of creating a good product only if you have the right harmony. 

DC: Why do you think Miami has become a U.S. epicenter for Italian design?

GC: I think that Miami is a contemporary city, open to different cultures and therefore completely open to new stimulus in art and design.  

DC: How have you seen Italian design change over the course of your career?

GC: From the 1950s to the 1980s, Italian design has been characterized by strong stylistic and functional innovation. It seems that in the last few years many companies have concentrated more on presenting lifestyle than extraordinary products, something that I think should be the true vocation of a brand.

DC: You have said that you work to nurture long-sellers rather than bestsellers when you work with designers. Who do you think is your newest long seller?

GC: Most definitely the Mr. Bugatti chairs by François Azambourg and the Lotus seating collection by Jasper Morrison because they are complex, innovative and honest products.

DC:  What do you love most about what you do?

GC: What I most like is to think that there is always so much yet to do in design. It is not true that everything has already been done.

 

 

DC: If you could change anything about your profession, what would it be?

GC: I would try and make products that are closer to the public’s requirements, and that can also make them dream.

DC: What is the most exciting thing you’ve done in your work during the past several years?

GC: Definitely having had the possibility to meet and collaborate with fantastic people such as Achille Castiglioni, Shiro Kuramata, Jasper Morrison and many others. Exchanging ideas with these people has given me the possibility to really grow from a cultural point of view.

DC: When you were a child, were there signs that you would be involved in some type of design? How did your creativity show itself at an early age?

GC: I have always been curious and I have always liked playing with forms and colors, being attracted most of all by simplicity, in a sophisticated and not banal way. My dream has always been to create fascinating and innovative objects.

                  Saxon Henry is now Miami's Interior Decorating Examiner

  by Saxon Henry

Audrey Hepburn once said, “Some people dream of having a big swimming pool. With me, it’s closets.” Were she still alive, Ornare’s closets would likely make the iconic actress swoon! The Brazilian company that migrated from South America to Miami is known for its exceptional detailing and luxurious appointments. A stroll through the Miami showroom brings great sensory pleasure. There’s something about the sleekly polished woods, which have managed to retain their textural personalities, combined with a peppering of undulant furniture that creates an air of allure.

 

I believe it’s safe to say that the populous of the vibrant country of Brazil can’t help but produce provocative products; and though Rio de Janeiro often gets blamed for Brazil’s tantalizing reputation, it’s not just the cariocas, or natives of Rio, that birth designs exuding sexy charm. São Paulo stakes its own claim here. During a recent trip to the city, Jason Richard Adams, director of Max Strang Architecture in Miami, noticed. “São Paulo was a city of absolute contrasts: lush rolling hillscapes with concrete towers rising up out of the canopy,” he explains. “There was a great vibe about the streets, and my favorite area was the libertage, or Japanese freedom district.”

 

He also noticed the sultry quality of the products being manufactured there. “What makes Brazilian design so inherently sexy is the mentality of the people,” he remarks. “They are in touch with nature, and prefer their designs to follow that path.”

 

Marcos Zucaratto, a Brazilian-born, Miami-based interior designer for Artefacto—a luxury Brazilian brand that has exploded in the U.S. in the past several years, couldn’t agree more. “We have so many natural resources that we work with, all of which link us to the organic,” he says. “We don’t limit our designs to straight edges; we create a balance between the organic, or natural elements, and the sensual.”

 

The designer, who designed the living room in the photo above, believes that Miami is a great place for Brazilians to strut their stuff. “It’s a natural place for us to put our creativity out there,” he explains. “I am a true carioca—was born and raised in Rio, which is an incredible city full of contrasts and beautiful people. This helped me to be who I am, and it is my constant inspiration.”

 

Designer Thomas Bina, the creative director of Los Angeles-based Environment Furniture, is a native Angeleno, but he’s been living in Brazil for the past five years in order to cultivate resources and designer relationships. He spotted a green trend coming out of Brazil, which is why he moved there. As is the case with most other aspects of life there, the environmentally friendly products pouring out of the South American country are far from boring. Case in point is the Giramundo swivel chair, which is covered in yarn scraps that were collected in Rio. And who can forget the playful wares of the Campana Brothers with their knack for envisioning spirited environmentally friendly products?

 

Ornare has also made a commitment to sustainable design. “Their factories were impeccably clean, modern and environmentally green in their re-use programs,” says Adams, who visited the company’s facilities while in Brazil. “As is the case with many of their products, the aspects I loved the most about Brazilian design was the use of reclaimed wood, and the stylistic ways architects and designers utilized this material.”

 

The company has just launched Linah, a new line of kitchen products, in the U.S. Why Miami for its first U.S. outlet? “Miami was a great choice because we felt that the city is home to the perfect combination of design innovation and luxury,” Ornare’s Director Esther Schattan remarks. “The city is filled with cosmopolitan citizens that are open-minded when it comes to embracing new ideas.”

 

Though certainly not a new idea, Adams’ last comment about the Brazilian’s penchant for the provocative is far from an afterthought: “It doesn't hurt that there is an abundance of sexy people in that country!” For other sexy design stories, visit my ezine DesignCommotion.