Luxurious Lace!

Valentino Catwalk Show, '07

Now, I'm a big fan of lace.. it's delicate, beautiful and feminine. And these days it seems it's walked off Grandma's table and right into modern design and high fashion, and I can happily say, its done well!

So, without further ado, here's a few designs I find interesting, and some of my favorites....

Above and Below, Brocade Design comes through beautifully once again! White Lace Storage Unit and a Laser Cut Wool Blend Flax Rug.

Marcel Wanders designed the above Crochet Table in 2002 (shown here in large), manufactured through Moooi. Below he added to his lace trend with the Crochet Chair, both of these are made of hand-sewn crochet flowers sewn together, placed over a mould and stiffened with resin. I love that these are made from real crocheted pieces... beautiful!

Below is the Nebula Table, designed by Chris Kabatsi for Arktura. Laser cut and powder coated in glass white, the piece is available in multiple sizes with glass tops, all of Arktura's steel and aluminum pieces are made using 35-100% recycled content.

The Random Suspension Light, designed by Bertjan Pot in 2001. Manufactured by Moooi, its made with epoxy and fiberglass, chromed with steel and plastic.

The Fiberglass Hanging Lamps below are designed by Niels Van Eijk & Miriam Van Der Lubbe, they provide light without the use of bulbs! Instead, the light is produced in a hidden box at the top, and is transported by the strands of fiberglass to the bottom. Therefore, the woven strands become the source of light in their own right.

Denmark's Gamfratesi gives us beautiful lace in fiberglass chairs,  "This project is the result of an intense study that embraces tradition as well as advanced technology; an idea that emerged from reflections on contrasts. A fascination of a fusion between high performance composite materials, as glasfiber, and the aesthetics from the antique art of lace. With inspiration from working methods in the textile industry, we have been experimenting with various techniques applicable to the glasfiber. This project is a dialog between many specialized sectors, and different historical references.

And did you ever think your regular paperclip could look this good?!

Drew Leshko designed the above and below light fixtures using 2,018 and 2,280 paperclips respectively. Amazing.... and one of those, 'I wish I thought of that' moments!

I am in love with Jethro Macey's work! Above, his Textile Side Unit, made in collaboration with Decode London. It's a stunning simple piece, and with it's subtle lace detailing on the front, I fell in love with it the second I saw it!!

Below, are his award winning (Elle Decoration British Design Awards - Best in Flooring) Lace Tiles, these are just stunning!! High technology surface design techniques turn an otherwise plain stone tile into a three dimensional piece of functional art. These will be in my future dream house I swear it!!!!

And just one more addition on how the purely functional can be decorative, the Lace Fence, created by the Dutch Design House, Demakersvan. Each fence is unique in it's design, and the patterns come in a variety of themes. Each application is created according to it's function, for example, to hide or enhance it's surroundings.

I think it's beautiful, and definitely one of the best fences I've seen, ever!!

Light, Glorious Light!

So I've been pretty busy recently! I'm undergoing the drastic redecoration of my apartment! Of course, my big problem is, I don't want to show it off until its all done and perfect! - but then you can't have fun watching it all change!!!! So for now, while I gather the photos ready for you, I'll start by dreaming with you a little instead!

Ohh, Hello Moooi! How much do I love Jurgen Bey's Lights?!! How much would I love to have this beautiful lamp in my apartment right now?!!! I'm sure you would recognize his stunning "Shade Shade" lamp below - one which I have admired for as long as I can remember! I love how he mixes the old and traditional with a sharp twist of modern, he does it seamlessly... But when I saw the above Light Shade, I was in Love! Capturing my heart with my passion for traditional art on the shade inside... perfection!!!

Although my heart I leave with the Light Shade above, I do have a soft spot or two for the following lights! Appealing to my more abstract side, these are pretty intense - and in the right place in a home, would look a dream!

Pink! I just painted my walls in my room this gorgeous, hardly there, soft pink (I'm truly embracing my femininity here and loving it!! You'll see what I mean with photos soon!!!)

And so in that breath, I fell over myself when I found these lights in the pictures above and below! Andromeda flawlessly creates these stunning handmade glass lights, I am still in awe of the detail and precision in these pieces... Andromeda was founded in 1972 in Murano, Italy - a glassmaker's heaven since 1291, where else could these beauties originate from?! 

Wood, Beautiful Wood! Crispy clean, warm and inviting... How amazing would this light below look in the perfect den? Or lounge? Or Hallway? Or pretty much anywhere?!!

Through the wonders of the designers Guillermo Capdevila and Jorge Pensi for B.Lux, and one of my favorite little stores, 2Modern, I bring you the Helios Wood Pendant Lamp!...with 18 panels of clear varnished wood, and a core of 7 sockets, this perfectly constructed and gorgeous light certainly would not dim any room!!

ICFF part Three! - and last!

Now, although the ICFF is officially over (it was on tuesday!) and I completely forgot about how they sell their goods which have been on show all weekend on that very tuesday ...(I could have picked up some aaaammazing deals!!!! gr...) I still have one more post of pictures to show you all....Enjoy!!

Baaa! Pink sheep anyone? Now who said it was only a horse that was lucky enough to rock away for kids?!! Adore this little pink lady!! One of the many designs, from one of the many designers from Crafts Collection, a company focused on Danish design which offers amazing alternatives to the average mass produced product - and boy do they do it well!! The pink sheep is designed by Povl Kjer, made with varnished pine, cushioned and upholstered in lambskin...For more information and other amazing Crafts Collection designs check out their website- Here!!!

And talking of animals....who else in the world of design and interiors would possibly have the idea of making a pig - this one with a bandaged ear!! - into a coffee table?? Hm, are you thinking of horses as lampshades yet?! Oh yes, Moooi strikes again! Crazy and classic, every time..of course - the website here! And I do like the funny banging noise on the link page when you go over the Moooi logo!!!! ha!

I am just loving the variety of lights shown at the ICFF! Every one stirs the senses which such a great mix of textures....Above, Josh Urso Design, with puffs of fabric, soft and warm - website here! (also check out his chairs, tables and bowls on his site!!)

From Furry, to shiny!!! I aaadddooorrreeee these mirror ball pendant lights!! And this is only one kind of light from Tom Dixon's Designs! He also has chairs and tables too - for more - here!!!

And now to wood, glorious wood!! From close to home, Brooklyn - I bring you, Dform! Founded in 2001 by James Dieter, the Dform lights are a manipulation of wood veneers or plastics...website!! - here!

Now this was an impressive booth! Molo - a company dedicated to materials research and the exploration of space making. Their designs are a growth from the designers, Forsythe and MacAllen's architectural exhibitions. Above is their "Soft" Line, made of paper! Which has received numerous international awards, and their "Soft Wall" and "Soft Seating" Lines are in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art, here in New York. For more, website!

Iannonne, above, is a firm dedicated to eco-friendly modern design, and I'm all over it like hippie into tree hugging!!!!! In my photo, the top sideboard has a cork front, and the texture is amazing - even just to see, let alone feel! Website!!

Well, That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed my trip to the 2008 ICFF as much as I did!!

International Contemporary Furniture Fair NYC!!!

As some of you may know, this weekend is the start of the ICFF (the International Contemporary Furniture Fair)!!! And due to the wonders of my job at De-Spec, I have a lovely little pass to get me in all weekend!! My pass, my guide book and invitations to parties are in the photo above!!

Every furniture company you could possibly dream of will be there, each with a stall in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center... Everything new and cool in the world of furniture will be shown - and I can tell you now - I'll be right up there documenting the event!

Some of my favorite companies will be there - which I'll hunt down!! Such as Blu Dot, and the classics like Missoni Home, Moooi, and Ingo Maurer!! And of course, from my British home land, some of my particular favorites, Noodle, Miss Print and Miranda Meilleur - beautiful samples of their work is below!

Im so excited!! And I'll have tons to show you after my visit! So more later!!

Absolutely stunning metalwork by Miranda Meilleur

Funky wallpapers and furniture stickers by Miss Print

Peaceful and gorgeous cushion covers by Noodle