When it comes to Danish Modern furniture there is one name comes to mind as the father of the movement, and that's Hans J. Wegner. Hans started his studio in 1943 and enjoyed much success and accolades as one of the worlds most renowned designers specializing in chairs. In 1960 Wegner released his soon to be famous CH445 Wingchair in limited quantities. In 2006 Carl Hansen & Sons dusted off the blue prints and reintroduced the lounge chair to immediate success and awards at the IMM in Cologne, and the Copenhagen International Furniture Fair that same year. Today the wingchair is what Hans Wegner envisioned it to be and then some reaching true furniture icon status and a place in the homes and hearts of modern furniture lovers world wide. According to Carl Hansen & Sons "we have worked with Wegner's original drawings and some of the few pieces that remain from the sixties, when a smaller number of them were produced by hand. And we're proud to say that we have upheld the original construction and materials - including solid beech frames and hand-sewn piping - just the way that Wegner designed it." If you want furniture that will last in not only quality of construction, but style as well, the licensed modern classics are the way to go.
Modern technology and serious vision have enabled designer Sacha Lakic to create the "Speed Up" series of contemporary furniture for French manufacturer Roche Bobois. It may be the perfect combination of Sacha's back ground as a futuristic car and motorcycle designer, and Roch Bobois' cutting edge reputation that allowed such a bold line to be realized. Thermo shaped components and cool features like neon lighting accent the space age shapes you might see in a sci-fi movie or vision of the future. The Meridienne 3 seat sofa / chaise lounge speaks for its self, but if I had to comment I would say this super cool, ultra modern sofa will no doubt stand the test of time. The Speed Up series also includes a dining table and chairs, a sideboard, and several storage units in a variety of vibrant colors.
If you have not been in a Roche Bobois furniture studio then you are really missing out. Roche Bobois, the Paris based European modern / French country furniture collection is top notch in construction, design, and materials. The first thing you will notice is the originality of their design, a look that is definitely not taken from anything but true inspiration. Design greats like Sacha Lakic, Jacques Luzeau, and Hans Hopfer make up just a few of the designers who have contributed to the stunning collection. Hans Hopfer who is best known for his "sofas close to the earth" and Sacha Lakic who's Speed Up collection which makes use of modern technology and 60's inspiration, set this wonderful furniture line apart. Sure there is a lot of difference between modern and French country, however Roche Bobios manages to be on the forefront in both categories.
This week Furniture Fashion had the pleasure of interviewing Kalina Gornicheva, the stylist and store planner for BoConcept, one of the most up and coming modern/ contemporary furniture manufacturers in the business today. We wanted to see what fuels BoConcept's product line, and what significant consumer demands are being catered to. Based on what I have seen and now heard, the future of BoConcept in the modern furniture arena is very bright.
What is the fastest growing category in the BoConcept line of products?
We've seen a good steady and consistent growth in our upholstery line for the past few years. Sofas like Mezzo, Largo, Indivi2 and Quattro are designed with the customer in mind and provide great customization options. They are among the most popular on the market right now. New design icons like Alpha also contribute towards success of the upholstery line today.
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In the constantly changing fashion fueled furniture market, manufactures follow the trends that bring new looks to the public. One of the hottest up and coming trends for the 2008 furniture season is the color white which has really been embraced by the modern sector. This year Elite Modern from California has added white as a option on all of their collection consisting of some awesome original designs. Elite specializes in occasional tables, dining table and chairs, bars, bar stools, sideboards mostly of heavy gauge steel. The Elite Modern line has a very classic look that is quite reasonably priced made right here in the good ole USA.
