I Like It, I Actually Like It

This is the first coffee table I've seen in ages that I actually like. Pretty cool, though not cheap at $3,500.

Via Inspire Me, Now!

Thank You Design Public!

I just wanted to take a minute to share a little furniture shopping experience I had this week. I have two small children, Owen (5) and Parker Jane (3). P.J is way overdue on getting out of her crib, and Owen needs a bed frame to spruce up his room. We've been putting off a lot of other furniture purchases in order to save up and buy some nice beds for the kids. The time had finally come.

We wanted something modern and cool, and a little more substantial than a regular "kids bed." There are a lot of neat beds on the market but the modern offerings tend to be really pricey and are too often the kind of thing that will look silly in your kids' rooms by the time they're ten. My wife and I finally settled on a pair of these great-looking platform beds from TrueModern. They cost more than we wanted to pay, but were priced reasonably compared to a lot of other modern offerings on the market (many not as nice), and I think they look great, look well made, and will last the kids a long while.



Now, you can get these from a lot of places but for whatever reason we ordered ours from Design Public. I'd never bought anything from them before, but I'm one of those people who shops online a lot and it's not a really big deal for me to try a place completely new, even for a big purchase - throw caution to the wind, reckless abandon, all that jazz. I really don't recall why I picked them for my order.

So anyway, the beds get ordered, it takes about two weeks for them to ship, and then I get the call from the freight company who will deliver them. Long story short, there is a problem, possibly some confusion, and I am concerned about it. The problem was the freight company, not Design Public or TrueModern, but rather than tackle it solo I decide to call Design Public for help.

I must say, I was absolutely impressed by the extremely friendly and helpful response. I won't get into the details, but I thought that the Design Public staff went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me. I spoke to Jonathan, who was unfailingly courteous and diligent in his follow-up on my issue. I felt like they really cared, that I was valued as a customer, and that Design Public genuinely wanted to take care of me. It was really nice!

Like I said, I shop online a lot without giving it much thought. And I guess I've learned not to expect too much. But really, I thought Design Public were wonderful to deal with. If you want some really cool modern stuff, check out their site. It is loaded with amazing furniture, accessories, lighting, gifts, etc. - you name it. Very nice. It's a small company that's really living up to its mission. I was totally impressed.

Bravo and thanks!

Image credit - Design Public site

A Brilliant and Wonderful Story on the rolu Blog - CITYDESKSTUDIO Turns Minneapolis Skyways Into Modern Homes

I was really delighted this afternoon to find a new rolu post waiting for me in my feed reader. I clicked on over (because rolu posts are best enjoyed on their own page) and was absolutely blown away. With all due respect to the many other fine blogs I enjoy reading, to me rolu|dsgn has the most original, interesting, and brilliantly told architecture and design related posts on the web. This latest piece is something special, and I cannot recommend strongly enough that you give it a look.

The post describes an almost daydream of a vision, one of Minneapolis skyways converted to chic modern cabins, that was actually turned into reality by the firm CITYDESKSTUDIO. It's a great story of people connecting through common love of design, of seeing interesting things in unusual objects, and turning inspiration into reality.

Here's a quick look at the project. Read the rolu post for the details.





First sea container homes, now this. Wonderful!

I enjoyed browsing CITYDESKSTUDIO's work on their site. They've done a lot of nice projects. For some reason their kitchens really appeal to me. They're bright and cheerful and clean. I'm a morning person, and kitchens are morning person places. I can easily see myself in any one of them, having banana pancakes and hot tea, and reading rolu posts on my laptop (though I very seriously caution you against mixing maple syrup with keyboards). Take a look at a couple of examples:






Did you see the blue Eames chair? It's like they're reading my mind.

By the way, Matt was incredibly kind to mention Future House Now in his post. I'm not writing this gushing praise as a reciprocal gesture, but I must admit it pleases me endlessly to be included in such a good story in any way.

The rolu blog is my favorite site on the web. I say that in all honesty. If you haven't given it a look yet click on over and say hi. You will not be disappointed.

Image credits - CITYDESKSTUDIO site

More Case Study Love - Rapson Greenbelt by Wieler

As I've said in recent posts, I've fallen really hard for the Case Study Houses. I like the Eames' CSH#8 a lot, yes, but I'm probably most drawn to the simplicity of the never-built CSH#4 by Ralph Rapson. It's just two simple rectangles, one for public spaces and one for private spaces, simultaneously separated and connected by an atrium. Every room is offered a view of nature, and the flow of the occupants is affected by its extreme proximity to the otherwise totally man made industrial space. Rapson named the house "The Greenbelt" after the organic space formed between the two structural boxes.

Look at this illustration of the home, featured on a cover from Architecture magazine (March '05):




I love the commuter chopper. Even in the early post-WWII days, sprawl and the disconnectedness of suburbia were on the architect's mind. I guess back then the answer seemed obvious. A Jeep, the original fashion/lifestyle vehicle, first SUV, toy of new wealth in a prospering nation, resides in the driveway ready for fun weekends. Despite modern trappings, Wifey is hanging clothes to dry on a line outside. I still remember when my grandparents, people of that generation, hung their clothes out. The last time I saw that anywhere was probably over twenty years ago. I bet it would come back into fashion today as a green alternative to the energy consumed by clothes dryers, except that subdivision association bylaws wouldn't stand for it for a minute. Carports should come back in style too. I hate garages.

As I said, the Greenbelt was never built. Was it too weird? I can't believe it was. I wonder what the story was, why it wasn't built, even when so many Case Study Homes were. I like it. It's the kind of simple yet fascinating house I go for.

You can have one now, sort of. Wieler makes prefab "Rapson Greenbelts," in many different versions, inspired by the original CSH#4, and actually designed by the man himself, and his firm, Rapson Architects. Rapson, a native Michigander like me, is alive and active as ever at age ninety-three.

Here are a couple of looks at Wieler's Rapsons:








They're not quite as groovy as the original. The greenspace is toned down considerably, turned into a regular room in the house, and the simplicity of the original is kind of gone. Still, I like them. They look very bright and clean. My favorite is the split level version, though I'd still rather live in the original CSH#4 design.

I suggest that if you build one you also invest in a very appropriate Rapson Rocker. It's almost as cool as my beloved Eames.




And definitely get yourself a "Ralph" model modern birdhouse to place outside your kitchen window. No Wieler Greenbelt would be complete without one. Even a humble sparrow deserves to live in stylish modern digs.




It's great to see the Case Study legacy live on, in any form. It's even better to see the original architect still involved in bringing great design to life. Ralph Rapson does rule!!!!

Image credits - all images from Wieler site

Thinking of Eames ... Retro Modern Groove In Newer Designs

I'm really in to the Case Study Houses right now. My favorites are the simple ones like CSH#4 (which never got built) and CSH#21. But the more I think about what I want in a place for my family though, the more I start leaning toward something roomier like the the Eames House, CSH#8. I'm also inspired by the sort of retro vibe at DO Research, which always makes me think of the Eames. And I always really dug the Eames furniture, all of it, in a big way.

This documentary short by the Charles and Ray Eames gives you the spirit of the house:





A lot of recent designs evoke the Eames' groove:

Flatpak House from Lazor Office (images from the Flickr set)







EcoContempo 6030 and 6040 by Lavardera (images from LamiDesign Blog) - Greg, leave us a comment - were you inspired by Eames?





Royal Homes Muskoka Modern (images from Royal Homes site). By the way, nice mudroom. My chief gripe about most modern homes - no good entry for muddy feet. Come to Detroit in February and see what I mean.







I'd have said, "build me a house around this ..."

Image credit - Design Within Reach

... but Eames already did. And any one of these three new designs would do the trick too.

Modern Furniture Sunday - Meyer|Wells Tables

Meyer|Wells is the firm of craftsman Seth Meyer and designer John Wells, who teamed up last year in Seattle to "combine a modern design sensibility and high level of furniture craft with an ecological ethic for sourcing our materials." Bravo. The duo works with mills to find high quality timber that might otherwise be discarded, or partners with arborists to claim beautiful mature urban trees at the end of their lives and ready to come down. Each tree is carefully cut into slabs that enhance the unique character of the wood and reveal its natural beauty.

The results are spectacular. Meyer|Wells produces catalog as well as custom pieces for both residential and commercial settings. Their pieces, in various tables and benches, have a rugged modernity that express very honestly the beauty of wood.




The pieces also count toward LEED credits, and Meyer|Wells has the noble goal of getting at least one piece of furniture in every LEED building project in their local Seattle.

Image credit - Meyer|Wells site

Modern Furniture Sunday - Case Study Beds and Bedside Tables

I've been reading a lot about the Case Study Homes (more on those in a future post) and I've taken a real liking to the Case Study line of furniture from Modernica. My favorites of the line are the bedroom furniture. I like the platform beds and the wire legs. It's the kind of furniture I go for - simple and casual, yet not unrefined or slouchy.




You can buy direct from Modernica, or at Design Within Reach, an authorized retailer.

The Modernica lines are great. They make everything from bedroom furnishings to shelving to dining tables to side tables and coffee tables. Lots of great chairs too. This is the hardcore modernist line.

The furniture is iconic, the real deal, and as such not particularly cheap. But if you're handy with tools you can go the DIY route and build your own - check out this post from materialicio.us.

Image credit - Design Within Reach

Modern Furniture Sunday - Eco-friendly by inmodern

How about this: Rainforest Alliance certification, FSC certified real wood, 100% formaldehyde free, eco-friendly finishes, water-based stains, no tools assembly, no hardware required, designed and manufactured in the USA? Not bad. This is brought to you by inmodern, a new brand that popped on the scene a few months ago and that has some really fresh products.

Take a look at a few examples of their pieces:




The company currently has four collections: rekindle, surfin, intown and linear. They started with just a few simple tables, but keep expanding their catalog. The website shows a lot more great products coming soon. So far they have tables, shelving, desks, media centers and accessories (like magazine holders) in the product portfolio. Prices aren't too bad either. I usually get sticker shock when I'm shopping for good modern furniture, but these struck me as being relatively reasonable, especially considering the green practices inmodern follows.

My wife and I desperately need some new end tables. We're giving inmodern a serious look.

Image credits - inmodern site

Modern Furniture Sunday - Eames Shell Rocker

I want to start talking about furniture. This is probably because I'm tired of all the lame Pottery Barn stuff my wife and I have. Tastes change, y'know. Time has come to redecorate. So I thought on Sundays, since I spend most of the day lounging on the sofa anyway, it would be okay to talk less about houses and give a little time to what you put in them.

For our first Furniture Sunday I have to give the nod to my all time favorite modernist piece: the Eames Shell Rocker from Herman Miller. Part of a large line of molded chairs, the rocker is my fave, though I like all the versions. I like the colors. I like that they are recyclable. I like that they were designed to be mass produced and to be affordable. Introduced in 1948, they're now iconic. They're versatile, casual, and as Herman Miller says, the materials are "expressed honestly and unselfconsciously."




You can buy them just about anywhere online. Try these places:

hive
retromodern
Design Within Reach

About $399. Not too bad for an all time classic.

Image credit - Herman Miller site