In 1956, Finn Juhl, the Danish furniture designer, designed the TurningTray. Sophisticated and debonair, Finn Juhl was known for his elegant furniture designs that challenged, both technically and in form language, the design movement of the time.These simplistic, yet modern additions of classic Scandinavian wares are ideal for any contemporary home.
The TurningTray encompasses many of Finn Juhls characteristic features such as the curved teak frame as well as the corner joints the Finn Juhl trademarks. The TurningTrays are handmade in Denmark from teak and laminate, and are available in three sizes and several colour combinations.
The TurningTray's dimensions are:
TurningTray 1 - 23 X 45 cm
TurningTray 2 - 30 x 48 cm
TurningTray 3 - 38 x 51 cm.
The TurningTray's colour combinations are:
Black desert/Alaska white
Black desert/Kimono red
Black desert/Husky green
Black desert/Angel blue.
The TurningTray is available at Great Dane Furniture in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
TAGS: Modern Contemporary Furniture
If you're in Milan and notice that the streets are ablaze with well-groomed people wearing fancy sunglasses and ergonomic shoes and lugging designer bags loaded with media kits, it's because the city's most anticipated annual event -- the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, a k a the Milan Furniture Fair -- has once again descended.
Held from April 18 to 23, it is a design marathon of exhibitions, installations, and cocktail parties scattered across the city. The center of the action is the official fair in the New Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, about 40 minutes northwest of the city by metro. (Last year, 223,138 people attended.) Built two years ago, the fairgrounds is a massive, futuristic glass-and-steel complex designed by Massimiliano Fuksas. Clusters of pavilion pods are strung along an open-air walkway, with a lot of places to stop for espresso, panini and, this being Italy, cigarette breaks.
The grounds are expertly laid out, and with numerous maps posted, it is easy to check out the latest offerings from Vitra, Kartell, Zanotta and more than a thousand other design firms. To spy on emerging talent, head to Salone Satellite, a special pavilion where 500 designers and 200 students from 22 of the most prestigious international design schools show off their wares. Unfortunately, the fair is open only to people in the trade, except on Sunday, April 22 (9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.). Tickets for two are 30 euros, about $41 at $1.36 to the euro. For details, see www.cosmit.it.
Luckily, the furniture fair also spawns hundreds of outside exhibitions -- many free and open to the public -- in design showrooms, stores and temporary spaces throughout Milan. So it's possible to bask in the fair's glow without actually trekking out to the trade fair.
The largest concentration is in Zona Tortona (nearest metro stop: Porto Genova), where you'll find the little storefronts of Via Tortona, the main street, taken over by well-known companies and independent designers.
Don't miss Superstudio Più (Via Tortona, 27), a large warehouse with a grassy lawn, cafes and trend-setting design firms like Moooi, Tom Dixon and Bisazza. Admission is free, and it's open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. At Via Tortona, 54, you'll find exhibitions by Marcel Wanders, Fritz Hansen (10 a.m. to 8 a.m.) and Moss (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.). And around the corner, at Via Savona, 56, is the Swarovski Crystal Palace with imaginative crystal chandeliers designed by Yves Behar, Patricia Urquiola and Ronan & Erwan Bourroullec (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
For more information, the pocket-size Interni guide is mandatory. It has day-by-day listings of exhibitions and events, along with detailed maps. You can find it at most corner newsstands in Milan in April. Published in Italian and English (www.internimagazine.it).
Source: JULIA CHAPLIN - NY Times
The last thing a visitor to Geneva -- city of luxury watches and United Nations pronouncements -- expects to find is a tucked-away shop with an eccentric collection of vintage industrial-design furnishings and midcentury modern gems.
But that's exactly what Jackie Occelli-Oberli has created at Collection Privée. Just blocks from the commercial area around Cornavin, the city's main train station, is the almost-secret Place Grenus, and there, for the last four years, Ms. Occelli-Oberli has sold the sought-after work of the Scandinavian designers Arne Jacobsen and Alvar Aalto -- like Mr. Jacobsen's chair, below -- alongside Danish sideboards and desks.
Recent items included a 1960s Danish teak dining table with six chairs for 1,500 Swiss francs ($1,200 at 1.27 Swiss francs to $1) and a beautifully restored Art Deco leather armchair for 2,500 francs ($2,000). Her stock is increasingly devoted to "mobilier industriel" --work tables, shelving units and safes rescued from closing factories (some items date from the '70s and '80s but already look like objects from a bygone era).
Like an obsessive cat lady rehabilitating strays found on the street, Ms. Occelli-Oberli, spry and plain-spoken, combs through cast-off industrial detritus, looking for the likely specimens that can be cleaned up and patinated. The pieces come from Holland, Germany, Belgium, Spain -- but not Switzerland. "This is a little country, and the industry -- watchmaking -- was little, so there was not much of this sort of thing," she explains.
Born in St.-Tropez, Ms. Occelli-Oberli is the granddaughter of a painter whom she credits with opening her eyes to the visual world. When she moved to staid Geneva, she decided to open a shop and was determined that the location be in a neighborhood where people worked. This way they could stop by and browse on their way to or from lunch at places like the nearby Alliance Gourmande, which serves plates of tortilla (the potato and onion cake that is a tapas mainstay) and more elaborate meals; La Belle Epoque, a great stop for a beer or coffee; and tiny Amaretto, with a selection of bruschetta and salads.
Collection Privée, 8, place de Grenus, Geneva, Switzerland; (41-22) 738-7569.
Source: Christophe Margot New York Times
Features return to traditional furniture
HIGH POINT -- Formal dining had been a slow category for a couple of markets, but new directions in styles and function steered buyers back into some showrooms here.
The casual contemporary trend that dominated much of the past few markets declined as new groups came to the forefront. A return to traditional furniture with carvings and intricate finishes was first seen at Las Vegas and continued here, and modern/contemporary made a strong run as well.
While casual contemporary lends itself readily to smaller dining options, the new styles shone with full-sized formal sets.
Royal Patina was pleased with the market even though traffic was off 4% from a year ago, said Rick Stroud, executive vice president of sales and marketing. Dining and other case goods in the Caspian Way collection performed well, he said -- not quite as well as the Spanish-influenced Andalucia last year, but a nice follow just the same with its traditional European silhouettes, distressing and hand-painted details.
Some companies have moved away from formal dining, saying new homes have smaller dining rooms. But executives at other sources, like AICO President Larry Rinaldi and Ed Tashjian, Century corporate marketing director, said builders are still putting up plenty of big houses, too.
Century showed some pieces that are smaller than the company's usual scale, but also had some big groups because owners of palatial homes are an important part of its demographic, said Tashjian.
A hot piece at Century was a round pedestal table at 54 inches to 60 inches with perimeter leaves that take it to as much as 80 inches. The table has a regal design with turned base or tulip base. The top can feature burl veneers and ebony line inlays and book-matched veneer center.
Other examples of formal dining's resurgence were seen in the new French Evolution for Liz Claiborne Home from Lexington and all three groups for Better Homes and Gardens from Universal.
Counter-height dining continues to grow, but some consumers don't like the plain design of many groups. AICO introduced a 60-inch square gathering-height table with the upscale traditional feel for which the company is known.
Bigger sizes haven't done as well in some groups for Klaussner, said Darren York, vice president of merchandising for case goods. The new 995 Renaissance with heavy carvings and marble accents was a hit in bedroom, but not as popular in dining.
On the other hand, Klaussner's Old World dining set, introduced last fall, has picked up steam thanks to its merging of smaller dining size with a dressier style that feels formal. This inspired the company to introduce three new smaller dining tables, with more planned for the fall High Point Market.
Leda introduced three new dining groups this market, drawing attention with the Uptown transitional/contemporary group inspired by Charles Rennie Macintosh.
Also attracting buyers was Leda's expansion into multiple finishes. Groups can have four finishes, plus fabric options, said President Marco Confalone. About 90% of these goods are available for quick shipping in two weeks, he said.
Speed also was a factor at Magnussen Home, as the company prepares to launch a quick-ship program for case goods May 7. Case goods will be loaded onto a container in one or two days after receiving the purchase order. The container goes onto the next ship leaving the new distribution center in Vietnam.
It takes an average of 31 days for goods to reach the West Coast and 45 days to the East Coast, said Chairman Richard Magnussen.
A strong marketing push before market helped drive traffic to Zocalo, which introduced an Art Nouveau group, Belle Noir. The collection was a hit as buyers liked the fresh look, said Danny Olivas, Zocalo director of marketing.
Source: Furniture Today
When setting out to decorate a living environment so many things come to mind, especially the large things like furniture, color schemes, and flooring. Of coarse if you are like me you want to make a great statement and reveal your personality without breaking the bank. I personally like a modern theme with a minimalist approach for a less cluttered and very clean look. There are a few things that you will need to do from the beginning to ensure your home turns out the way you have envisioned it. One area you must factor into your budget is accessories. Accessorizing your home can be as detailed as you want it from specialty flooring, window treatments, to a designer ceiling fan. With all of the options available I would let the professionals at some of the credible publications give you some basic concept ideas to establish an overall theme. You can use Elle Décor, Metropolitan Home, or Better Homes and Gardens to get some great visuals. Accessories really make a room and the furniture in it come to life. There is nothing more boring than a plain blank wall. Put a great looking picture or mirror on it and see what happens. I can speak from personal experience. In addition to managing a retail facility where detail is very important, I purchased a home two years ago and really brought my place to life with some really great colors and shapes. I had a bathroom for example and for very little money I changed the shower curtain, the rod, pull knobs, towel holder, added tile and some small pictures to make a striking look. I later faux painted and was done for around $500.
Introduce yourself to the many ways to change the look of your room with ease. I am a big believer in the basics like area rugs, and mood lighting for good ambiance. It is very important to choose the correct scale of the accessories and to not over do it, rather compliment you furniture and create focal points with some color and shape. What looks great to you will be obvious when you see the right thing, so don't jump at something that doesn't speak to you. Accessories can be as functional as they are decorative and very revealing of your style and personality.
