Modern Design - Articles - Zimbio

Italian Bathtub Faucets by Zucchetti

Tue, 21 May 2008 02:55:09 GMT

posted by furniture27

Founded in 1929, Zucchetti has been manufacturing bathtub faucets, shower heads, and other related bathroom fixtures for over 80 years. Zucchetti's reputation precedes itself drawing upon Italian design to create beautiful chrome fixtures. Featured here are four pieces from their collection. My favorite is the bathtub faucet where the water is dispensed as a sheet of water. Shapes are an important element in bathroom design. Here not only is there a unique shape to the fixture, but the water flowing out produces a shape different than what we are used to seeing. More information at: Zucchetti.

Post from Home Decor, Interior Design, Furniture, Decorating Blog

Paul McCobb Mid Century Modern Minimalist Nightstands

Thu, 9 May 2008 10:00:22 GMT

posted by furniture27
As many of you readers know, I am a fan of mid century modern. I think a lot can be learned from the past as a lens to the future. Many new furniture designs are interpretations and tweaks from past furniture designers. Paul McCobb was a mid century modern master that brought many creations to the public during his career. The Paul McCobb nightstands here detail the quality and artisanship of his work. The first descriptive term that comes to mind for me is minimalist. There is very little wasted space. But when you think about this piece, it has very basic elements that are quite common today. I saw some retail pieces a few weeks ago that featured one drawer with a space atop it for tucking away a book or other items. The difference between the two items was that these were made 40 years ago in the 1960s. A pair of Paul McCobb nightstands such as these would cost around $1,400 from a dealer. Post from Home Decor, Interior Design, Furniture, Decorating Blog

Ten at the Wire

Thu, 21 Dec 2007 08:16:33 GMT

posted by kittyw

Okay, people. We are definitely down to, and maybe even smooshed into, the wire at this point.

Here are 10 design deal daily ideas for last minute gifts. Please note - pretty much all of these options guarantee shipping by 12/24 if you place your order pronto. So get on it. And if nothing else, you can a) deliver a day late or b) get some ideas for when you rush around madly trying to get those last items checked off the gift list this weekend...

This is a lovely gift for just about anyone; a set of beautifully designed, 100% organically-grown bamboo, natural food-safe wood oiled utensils. Each piece is 12". I'd want to display them just as shown - far too cool to shove in a drawer.

Bambu Utensils, set of six, $24, branchhome.com. Order as late as 12/22 for delivery 12/24.

West Elm really does come through some times. I figured they'd have last-minute shipping options, and of course, they do. They also have some cool gift ideas. I really like these gallery frames, that come in black and silver. Unusual sizes, and cool pre-matted options, like an 18" square frame (silver only) that holds a 4" x 6" photo ($34). Everyone can use picture frames, especially streamlined, stylish ones that are really reasonably priced.

West Elm Gallery Frames, $12-$44, westelm.com. Order as late as 9 am PDT 12/22 for delivery 12/24.

I think this should be obvious. Anyone, I mean anyone, would enjoy receiving a real lacquer bunny. In brown. Or white. Or maybe a pair of bunnies - they like to multiply, I hear.

Wetter Indochine lacquer bunny, $28. RoseandRadish.com. Order by 10 am PDT 12/21 for 12/24 delivery.

I'm biased on this one because I love my Chuck T. slip-ons so much. But I think a gift certificate to create your own version would be a damn cool gift. You get to choose every detail, right down to the stitching, racing stripe color and typeface for your identity. That's my next pair over there.) Best of all? It's an electronic gift certificate, so you can buy it pretty much whenever you want, as long as it's before they start opening presents Tuesday morning...

Converse One "Create Your Own" Shoes email gift certificate, $60, converse.com

De Kooning bio, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 1) You have a gorgeous cover, even for a paperback (you should see the sexy spine). 2) Your writing is compelling, novel-like - and incredibly deep. 3) You explain the mysteries of an oft-misunderstood, frequently harshly-labeled artist. 4) You make anyone who receives you as a gift instantly feel erudite and dashing. 5) You're reasonably priced and available for fast shipping.

de Kooning: An American Master, by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan, $17.13, Amazon.com

Have you tasted Vosges Haut chocolates? They are up to some wild stuff over there in this high-falutin' Windy City chocolate factory. Chocolate isn't about design until you give the gift of the Vosges mini flight case, with 9 of their exotic bars in a chic Vosges-purple case.

Vosges Mini-Flight, $24, UnicaHome.com. Overnight shipping available.

MOCA/MoMA/MASS MoCA Museum Gift Memberships: one of my favorite gifts of the last few years was a one-year membership to MOCA here in LA. Not only did it grant me & mine free museum admission, I also got the coveted members' discount at the MOCA shop. This tends to be true at most museums (the store discount bit), and given that many museum gift shops have become de rigeur design destinations, that's a great gift in itself. I've only done a little research, but it seems museums like to send a new gift membership package via mail rather than email. So what - you print out the membership benefits page from the website of your museum of choice, paste that into a clever holiday card, and voila! Sexy, cultured Xmas gift.

Museum gift memberships, generally between $75-100 for couple/household. Consider MOCA (LA), MoMA (NYC),MASS MoCA (the Berkshires), etc.

Okay, it ain't my most inventive idea, nor is it on sale. But if you get an iPod Shuffle from the Apple Store online, you'll get it by Christmas - and the shipping is free. Too late for engraving, but I bet you could take it to a store post-Xmas and do a little convincing to add it later...

iPod Shuffle, $79, store.apple.com. Order by 12/21 for 12/24 delivery.

These black rocks glasses are definitely not for everyone, but I think they're sort of rad. They'll also arrive on time. I like black on a table - especially if you just use a little of it. It puts food and all your simple, chic white plates in relief. These are great for water or would be very sexy for cocktails...

Black rocks glasses, set of 6, $29.95, hsn.com Order by midnight 12/21 for 12/24 delivery.

Fun for the whole family - a bag o' wishbones. Perfect if you're running really late - these make a great gift to kick off the new year, too. I can see people fidgeting with these around the conference table, making calls, etc. What better message than good luck - which is what I now wish you as you head into holiday mayhem. Good luck, merry Christmas, and may your shipping be blessed...

Bag of Wishbones, $11, RoseandRadish.com. Order by 10 am PDT 12/21 for 12/24 delivery.

Knoll Chip Stacking Chairs

Thu, 18 Apr 2008 02:50:31 GMT

posted by furniture27
Chip side chairs by Knoll offers a stylish solution for modern office settings seeking stacking chairs for break rooms, lunch room, and training rooms. These chairs can also be used in home settings as dining chairs or as extra seating for guests. The Chip side chair is constructed of pressed plywood sheets on a steel frame. Drawing upon mid century inspiration from masters such as Eames and Cherner, the Chip features defined lines and a minimalist look. The Chip can be customized by picking out different shell colors, a seat cushion, and different fabric colors. Created by Finnish Designer, Antti Kotilainen, and available at Allmodern for $329.

Nora House, Sendai, Japan

Sat, 27 Apr 2008 20:48:00 GMT

posted by yudikiting

To the casual observer, Japan may seem slow to fishing at the current environmental trend that has taken the world by storm architectural. But an awareness and appreciation of the environment has been embedded in the construction of his house, for centuries, for example, ventilation and natural lighting, which has become so fashionable these days, has always been practiced in urban and rural Japanese architecture. Faced with a site where single-family homes coexist amiably with small fields of cabbages and carrots, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto de l'Atelier Bow-Wow unsurprisingly turned to the traditional know-how of inspiration.

The aim of the architect and his student employees of the Tokyo Institute of Technology was not simply a new house, but a new house suitable for the types of typical agricultural site suburbs ringing the outskirts of many Japanese cities. Located on the outskirts of Sendai, a city of 1 million located 190 miles north of Tokyo, this 2500-square-foot property belongs to a residential community that has sprouted in the 1960's, when the area was mostly farmland. One by one, homes cropped up, but as in many districts comparable growth has slowed in recent years, as the country's population has decreased the appeal of suburban life diminished, and a young Japanese begun migrating or downtown Tokyo.

Swimming against the tide, Tsukamoto its clients, a couple with a young child, has decided not only to return to the suburbs, but to rely on family farmland directly in front of the Women, Children of the home. Expressive and open to the street, their house is not exactly custom with its mix staid environs. Although it looks like a big grown to many, Nora stands between House-pitched roof homes clad with metal or stucco siding. But it is not totally out of place, either. Comfortably familiar without being nostalgic, Nora House, or "home field," shares many elements with Japan minka traditional farms to a covered porch, fluid interior space, timber, and most importantly, a wonderful roof that hovers over Whole protected building.
Although slightly reduced compared with its historical background (while contemporary townhouses tend to be small, historic minka farms are usually huge), Nora House reads as a single story, barnlike building. Consistent with this outside, the interior is basically a large area. "In Tokyo, we have much to a piece of life, but in a more vertical," says Tsukamoto. "Here, we developed the idea horizontally." Spanning a height of 9 feet differential-up in the storage area marks the lowest point in your house, and the daughter of the playground the highest point of the functional area in this house are on Étalée nine distinct levels. Satisfying customer demand for a house with a continuous interior space without much partitions, short runs of stairs without distinguishing zones that separate them completely. Three independent partitions function as dividers and additional lateral bracing..