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Architecture & Food
Architecture & FoodYou have read this article Color /
Flickr Features /
Mid-Century
with the title Mid-Century. You can bookmark this page URL http://roomdesign-interior.blogspot.com/2009/11/flickr-features-colors-of-mid-century.html. Thanks!
Showing posts with label Mid-Century. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mid-Century. Show all posts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Flickr Features: The Colors of Mid Century Modernism!
We show you plenty of great examples of Mid-Century Modern furniture, interiors and architecture here on the Swank Lighting blog, but something we often don't pay a lot of attention to is color. The Mid-Century era had its very own color scheme, and incorporating or finding inspiration from these colors can help bring a super retro-feel to your spaces--whether you bring them in on Mid-Century furniture or not. Perfect for paint colors, accessories and yes, even furniture, the colors found in these fun Flickr finds would look great in an interior meant to embody a Mid-Century Modern feel.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Accessible and Cool Furniture of Edward Wormley!
Last week we focused nearly all of our posts on the colorful design inspirations of Verner Panton. While we thought his design ideas were amazing, we also know that not everyone is as interested in such bold, bright colors as he was. That’s why today we bring you a design influence who’s work carefully and skillfully straddles the line between 70s psychedelic color and Mid-Century Modern cool.
Edward Wormley’s work is stylish, no doubt about it, but it’s also very accessible, as it can be used in a number of different interior styles and enjoyed by homeowner’s of varied tastes. Because his work is so varied, it’s hard to pin down specific characteristics that all his pieces have in common, but you can expect to see a mixture of clean, straight lines with the occasional interesting angle. Some of his pieces feature bright colored upholstery; others more demure neutral fabrics---but all his pieces seem to both blend with their surroundings and stand out from the crowd. Not even sticking to only one type of furniture piece, you can see in the portfolio of his career a number of side and lounge chairs, sofas, credenzas, shelves, tables, desks and other wooden case goods. While no one piece really gained the sort of popularity as other Mid-Century designers of his era, as a whole his body of work is quite impressive.
Born in Illinois in 1907, Wormley was actually afflicted with childhood polio and unable to walk until he was five years old. Overcoming this temporary disability he graduated from high school and became a student at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1926 for two years. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish due to a lack of finances. He worked a few years at Marshall Field and Co and later for Berkey and Gay and eventually took a trip to Paris in 1930, where he met the influential Emile Jacques Ruhlmann. Inspired and excited Wormley returned to the US and began work at the Dunbar Furniture Corporation in Illinois, which would eventually become one of the most important steps of his career!
At first only hired to work on Dunbar’s furniture line that was the lowest priced, Wormley’s talent quickly shined through, and he began designing furniture that respected the past but looked forward to the future. His work became so popular that Dunbar itself became one of the top modern furniture companies in the country. Credited for creating almost 150 new furniture pieces for Dunbar each year, Wormley also lent his talents to rugs, lighting, and fabric and textile designs.
Eventually going on to win awards and get featured in museum exhibitions of modern furniture, Wormley’s biggest contribution is his dedication to both style and design. His work was gorgeous, but it was also comfortable to use, easy to incorporate into décor and reasonably priced compared to other designers.
Edward Wormley’s work is stylish, no doubt about it, but it’s also very accessible, as it can be used in a number of different interior styles and enjoyed by homeowner’s of varied tastes. Because his work is so varied, it’s hard to pin down specific characteristics that all his pieces have in common, but you can expect to see a mixture of clean, straight lines with the occasional interesting angle. Some of his pieces feature bright colored upholstery; others more demure neutral fabrics---but all his pieces seem to both blend with their surroundings and stand out from the crowd. Not even sticking to only one type of furniture piece, you can see in the portfolio of his career a number of side and lounge chairs, sofas, credenzas, shelves, tables, desks and other wooden case goods. While no one piece really gained the sort of popularity as other Mid-Century designers of his era, as a whole his body of work is quite impressive.
Born in Illinois in 1907, Wormley was actually afflicted with childhood polio and unable to walk until he was five years old. Overcoming this temporary disability he graduated from high school and became a student at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1926 for two years. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish due to a lack of finances. He worked a few years at Marshall Field and Co and later for Berkey and Gay and eventually took a trip to Paris in 1930, where he met the influential Emile Jacques Ruhlmann. Inspired and excited Wormley returned to the US and began work at the Dunbar Furniture Corporation in Illinois, which would eventually become one of the most important steps of his career!
At first only hired to work on Dunbar’s furniture line that was the lowest priced, Wormley’s talent quickly shined through, and he began designing furniture that respected the past but looked forward to the future. His work became so popular that Dunbar itself became one of the top modern furniture companies in the country. Credited for creating almost 150 new furniture pieces for Dunbar each year, Wormley also lent his talents to rugs, lighting, and fabric and textile designs.
Eventually going on to win awards and get featured in museum exhibitions of modern furniture, Wormley’s biggest contribution is his dedication to both style and design. His work was gorgeous, but it was also comfortable to use, easy to incorporate into décor and reasonably priced compared to other designers. You have read this article Design influences /
Mid-Century
with the title Mid-Century. You can bookmark this page URL http://roomdesign-interior.blogspot.com/2009/11/accessible-and-cool-furniture-of-edward.html. Thanks!
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Colorful and Psychedelic Designs of Verner Panton!
If you love 1960’s style design and are a big fan of color, then you’ll definitely want to check out today’s designer influence: Verner Panton. Considered by many to be one of Denmark's most important interior and furniture designers of the 20th-century, Panton’s use of shape and color not only summed up an entire generation of design, it continues to wow design enthusiasts today.
You probably are familiar with Panton’s work in terms of bright colors and distinctive chairs. His most famous furniture works were the Cone Chair (1958), the Peacock Chair, The Panton Chair of 1960 and the S Chair, but you may also recognize his other popular pieces like the Bachelor Chair, Trumpet Chair, Heart Cone Chair, Relaxer Chair, and his confusing Phantom Chair/Table.
As mentioned, Panton was also a huge proponent of color, often times blending hues in dizzying palettes. While his furniture was available in an array of bright and bold colors, it was in his experimental interior environments that his talent with colors was most evident, often crafting futuristic spaces with the uses of color and undulating wall, floor and furniture elements. He was also known for his lighting pieces (which also featured bold, bright, “1960s” styled elements) and his fabric ideas. He was often lauded for his innovative use of plastic materials in his work, also adding to the futuristic-feel of his projects.
Panton started his design training in the field of architectural engineering in the city Odense, Denmark, then moved on to study architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Art Copenhagen. He worked under Arne Jacobsen right after college from 1950-1952, but quickly moved on to opening his own office soon after. Along with impressive interior, lighting, furniture and color design work, he also wowed experts and audiences alike with his incredible architectural ideas, like a collapsible house, the Cardboard House and the Plastic House. It was the year 1960 that saw Panton creating the most important design of his career, the world’s first single-form injection-molded plastic chair, The “Stacking chair” or “S chair”, which is still produced by companies like Vitra today.
The last years of his career saw his most work in interior environments, notably a German boat interior that is now a museum. Though it would be hard to imagine anyone actually living in any of his psychedelic interiors, it did pave the way for encouraging brighter and bolder ideas in home designs. Popular in the 1950s-1970s, Panton’s work had a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, and has taken its place alongside other design luminaries in the popular use of Mid-Century Modern style seen in homes and commercial spaces today.
You probably are familiar with Panton’s work in terms of bright colors and distinctive chairs. His most famous furniture works were the Cone Chair (1958), the Peacock Chair, The Panton Chair of 1960 and the S Chair, but you may also recognize his other popular pieces like the Bachelor Chair, Trumpet Chair, Heart Cone Chair, Relaxer Chair, and his confusing Phantom Chair/Table.
As mentioned, Panton was also a huge proponent of color, often times blending hues in dizzying palettes. While his furniture was available in an array of bright and bold colors, it was in his experimental interior environments that his talent with colors was most evident, often crafting futuristic spaces with the uses of color and undulating wall, floor and furniture elements. He was also known for his lighting pieces (which also featured bold, bright, “1960s” styled elements) and his fabric ideas. He was often lauded for his innovative use of plastic materials in his work, also adding to the futuristic-feel of his projects.
Panton started his design training in the field of architectural engineering in the city Odense, Denmark, then moved on to study architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Art Copenhagen. He worked under Arne Jacobsen right after college from 1950-1952, but quickly moved on to opening his own office soon after. Along with impressive interior, lighting, furniture and color design work, he also wowed experts and audiences alike with his incredible architectural ideas, like a collapsible house, the Cardboard House and the Plastic House. It was the year 1960 that saw Panton creating the most important design of his career, the world’s first single-form injection-molded plastic chair, The “Stacking chair” or “S chair”, which is still produced by companies like Vitra today.
The last years of his career saw his most work in interior environments, notably a German boat interior that is now a museum. Though it would be hard to imagine anyone actually living in any of his psychedelic interiors, it did pave the way for encouraging brighter and bolder ideas in home designs. Popular in the 1950s-1970s, Panton’s work had a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, and has taken its place alongside other design luminaries in the popular use of Mid-Century Modern style seen in homes and commercial spaces today. Photos taken from 1stdibs.
You have read this article Color /
Design Blog /
Mid-Century
with the title Mid-Century. You can bookmark this page URL http://roomdesign-interior.blogspot.com/2009/11/colorful-and-psychedelic-designs-of.html. Thanks!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Perfect Pair: Bertoia's Diamond Chair and Amy Grigg's Turned Wood Lamps!
Yesterday we brought you the fresh and modern designs of Mid-Century furniture maker, sculptor and artist Harry Bertoia. We loved the Diamond Chair as much yesterday as we have for years, and thought it was high time we featured it in a Perfect Pair!
We think Bertoia said it the best when he described his Diamond Chair (or any of his grid-like, steel welded furniture) “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them." We love the description of a chair made of air, one of our earth’s elements. It makes something otherwise completely industrial looking have a more natural-feel to it. Not that the undulating curve of the back of the chair doesn’t give off a natural feeling itself. Altogether, the piece is a stunning example of furniture standing for something other than just a piece of furniture. It's good-looking, and if you’re worried about the comfort of sitting on a metal grid, know that many upholstered cushions are available for this style chair.
We’ve yet to feature an Amy Grigg hand turned wood lamp in a Perfect Pair yet, and that’s a shame! Her wood lamps are at once nature-inspired and completely Mid-Century Modern-esque. This particular pair is sleek, thin and tall, with a lovely glossy sheen. Made of stacked walnut pieces in a reversed grain pattern, the piece comes with lovely and subtle horizontal stripes. These lamps are also signed by the artist herself.
Though it might seem like we’re trying to pair two completely different styles by suggesting the Diamond Chair and the Amy Grigg turned lamps go together, at closer inspection the two have more in common than not. On the outside, sure, the Diamond Chair is a lot of metal giving off a modern and industrial-feel, but remember that it also represents one of Earth’s elements: air. In the same vein, the Grigg lamps seem sleek and Mid-Century Modern, but they are made of another one of Earth’s elements: wood. Together, these two pieces represent a powerful natural combination---and they look good together to boot!
We think Bertoia said it the best when he described his Diamond Chair (or any of his grid-like, steel welded furniture) “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them." We love the description of a chair made of air, one of our earth’s elements. It makes something otherwise completely industrial looking have a more natural-feel to it. Not that the undulating curve of the back of the chair doesn’t give off a natural feeling itself. Altogether, the piece is a stunning example of furniture standing for something other than just a piece of furniture. It's good-looking, and if you’re worried about the comfort of sitting on a metal grid, know that many upholstered cushions are available for this style chair.
We’ve yet to feature an Amy Grigg hand turned wood lamp in a Perfect Pair yet, and that’s a shame! Her wood lamps are at once nature-inspired and completely Mid-Century Modern-esque. This particular pair is sleek, thin and tall, with a lovely glossy sheen. Made of stacked walnut pieces in a reversed grain pattern, the piece comes with lovely and subtle horizontal stripes. These lamps are also signed by the artist herself.
Though it might seem like we’re trying to pair two completely different styles by suggesting the Diamond Chair and the Amy Grigg turned lamps go together, at closer inspection the two have more in common than not. On the outside, sure, the Diamond Chair is a lot of metal giving off a modern and industrial-feel, but remember that it also represents one of Earth’s elements: air. In the same vein, the Grigg lamps seem sleek and Mid-Century Modern, but they are made of another one of Earth’s elements: wood. Together, these two pieces represent a powerful natural combination---and they look good together to boot! You have read this article A Perfect Pair /
Mid-Century /
Swank Lighting Lamps /
Turned wood lamps
with the title Mid-Century. You can bookmark this page URL http://roomdesign-interior.blogspot.com/2009/10/perfect-pair-bertoia-diamond-chair-and.html. Thanks!
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