2012 PANTONE Color of the Year is 17-1463 Tangerine Tango

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

A vibrant color choice for the year that is predicted to bring economic upturn and global recovery, Tangerine Tango is a reddish orange that is destined to uplift spirits and re-energize its surroundings.  Pantone’s executive director Leatrice Eiseman has summarized the true essence of this color by describing it as “sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it, reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

17-1463 Tangerine Tango - 2012 Pantone Color of the Year

In modern furniture design, we have already seen intricate examples of how orange revives and differentiates one piece of contemporary furniture from another era and it is a matter of months before we see so much more of orange incorporated into designer furniture from leading European manufacturers.

Tangerine Tango

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Best of 2011 – Top 10 Designer Furniture Picks

Friday, December 30th, 2011

2011 ran the gamut as far as modern design goes, from awe-inspiring yet functional elements courtesy of mega talents like Karim Rashid and Marcel Wanders to eccentric show pieces from new-comers like Sophie De Vocht.  Each of these pieces commanded attention in its own way, and without further ado, here goes the time-honored tradition of compressing 365 days of modern design, into 10 best pieces that moved us or made us pause.

1.  Loop Chaise by Sophie De Vocht for Casamania

Loop Chaise by Sophie De Vocht for Casamania

2.  La Fiorita Sofa by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia

La Fiorita Sofa by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia

3.  Inlay Cabinet by Front for Porro

Inlay Cabinet by Front for Porro

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Let’s Get Physical

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Inspired by the human body, designed by brilliant human minds, produced by talented human hands, made to be appreciated by the human sensorial system.

  1. Manomorta Stool by Enzo Berti for Bross Italia
  2. Nemo Armchair by Fabio Novembre for Driade
  3. Mano Dining Table by Alessandro Bosco for BBB Emmebonacina
  4. Fornasetti Plates by Piero Fornasetti
  5. Him & Her by Fabio Novembre for Casamania
  6. Frame Wall Mirror Philippe Starck for Driade
  7. Bronze Stool by Phillippe Starck for XO Design

Remember Me by Tobias Juretzek for Casamania

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Into a design world where innovation and ingenuity are at times, not enough to draw attention and where “green living” and recycling often takes priority above all else, comes to life Remember Me designer dining chairs by Tobias Juretzek for Casamania, a leading Italian furniture manufacturer.

Embedded in the notion of longevity and continuity, Juretzek set out to prolong the life cycle of some very random, yet common clothing by using them as unique exterior identifiers of linearly constructed dining chairs, hence creating one-of-a-kind furniture elements with perhaps a few memories that were attached to each garment.  Items like jeans and t-shirts are reinvented as surfaces in a sporadic, multi-dimensional, quilt-like pattern by being soaked in resin and dried into the shape of a chair that can be mistaken for having a wooden or plastic structure.

Canard Table Collection by Todd Bracher for Horm

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Being a huge fan of all things Horm for many years, the 2011 collection of this talent hub elevated the design giant to new heights, a merit attributed in part to its new collaboration with an American  design prodigy, Todd Bracher.  A New Yorker by birth, Todd Bracher’s design portfolio spans across continents leaving its mark among Europe’s most prestigious brands like Tom Dixon, Zanotta, Cappellini and Frighetto to name a few.  Yet, through his unwavering aesthetic consistency, his contribution to the design world and more specifically, to Horm’s 2011 collection conjures up sensory notions that intensify with deeper understanding of the product.

Canard dining table collection by Todd Bracher for Horm

In his stripped down, bare-minimum creation, Todd Bracher explores beauty that transcends debauchery, that requires more than just a cursory glance to truly and fully appreciate its aesthetic. Possessing deftness that ultimately reveals Canard’s true essentials, the table collection is an unadulterated depiction of vitality and timeless simplicity, celebrating the founding principles of modern design with utmost perfection.

Canard dining table by Todd Bracher for Horm

The Canard tables are defined by pure geometry, substantiality and versatility interpreted through folded metallic leaf legs that act as multi-dimensional borders for its top.  Available in four sizes, the Canard table has a white or black lacquered top, or Canaletto walnut veneer top while its legs are made of white or black varnished metal.