Love less

I wonder if these stickers by Gianfranco Setzu celebrating minimalist German industrial designer Dieter Rams are still circulating. I'd love to have one.

Dieter Rams sticker
playfast.exblog.jp

Viggo Boesen

Viggo Boesen (1907-1985) was a Danish architect and designer. He worked in a period known as the Danish Golden Age. Along with notables such as Finn Juhl and Gunnar Asplund, he helped popularize "funkis style."

The word "funkis" is an abbreviation of the Swedish word "funktionalism," which  referred to the Functionalist style of the 20th century. The goal of the movement was to change all of society, from town planning, lifestyle, architecture and furniture.

Boesen is best known for his rattan VB 163 "Fox" chair and upholstered Little Petra chairs. Sika-Design has reintroduced the Fox chair in natural rattan and in a matte black rattan version.

From sika-design.com and alexander-rose-france.com

Armchair
1stdibs.com

Easy chair
1stdibs.com

Little Petra chairs
phillips.com

VB 136 chair
quittenbaum.de

Tufted sofa
pba-auctions.com

In the store: Areaware dovetail alligator

Three beautifully polished wooden shapes

whose dovetail joints converge to form an animal

Less

posterheroes.org

Now that we've all spent a fortune on holiday gift-buying, it might be time to do a little purging in our closets and cabinets...and maybe even donate a few things to those in need as we prepare for the new year.  Henry David Thoreau said it best: The rule is to carry as little as possible. (Journal, 22 July 1857)

Happy holidays

artflakes.com

Happy holidays

althomedecor.tk

My wish for you

christmas-kid.com

Have a ball this Christmas.

Happy holidays

schoolclipart.biz

Happy holidays

patiohomedecor.tk

In the store: Shelving

Shelving may not be the most exciting item in the store, but sometimes it can make for the most dramatic display when combined with your vintage collectibles. Take a look of some of the ones we carry.

Studio Dunn Richmond shelving

Dash shelves by ubancase

Dash Thinline by urbancase

Edge shelf by urbancase

Randi wall table by urbancase

Snap wall shelf by urbancase

Bones, heart and soul

aptdeco.com

Fifty years from now: Heather Rosenman

Heather Rosenman is a native New Yorker now residing in California. She graduated from The Cooper Union in 1984 and received a post-graduate level degree from The Basel School of Design in Switzerland.

She first worked as a designer at Total Design, LTD. She moved on to be design director at Anspach Grossman Portugal and then design director at Cross + Associates. Following that position, she was creative director at Siegel & Gale. For the past 12 years she has owned h* design.

She exhibits her sculptural work in galleries and shows nationally. Inspired by  mid-century design, she emphasizes minimalism "by simplifying forms to their organic essence."

Her ceramic work is so striking and elegant that I feel she deserves a place in this blog series among other designers and artists I've likened to mid-century icons. Just as they are still celebrated fifty years after their era, she I predict she will be remembered fifty years from now.

From heatherrosenmanceramics.com

WonderPortal, Terra Verge
heatherrosenmanceramics.com

Curry series
heatherrosenmanceramics.com

Petrichor
heatherrosenmanceramics.com

Hero vessel
1stdibs.com

latimes.com

Scribe platter
1stdibs.com

Mod Pod birdhouses
heatherrosenmanceramics.com

Contraption White
facebook.com/heatherrosenmanceramics

More distractions

I stayed with a sick friend last night, so again I didn't get a post done, but I thought I'd share with you the results of my beading binge. I only have enough materials left for a couple more, so I promise to return to our regularly scheduled program soon.

Wooden pendant inlaid with silver, tigereye
with silver beads and findings

Green marble and silver beads and findings

Canyon marble, pink lepidolite, silver beads
and Thai Hill Tribe silver focal bead

Noreena jasper, red sesame jasper, red rainbow jasper,
 goldstone, carnelian, Hill Tribe silver

Yellow marble, faceted glass, bone focal, silver findings

Now it's off to bed to get some much-needed sleep!

In the store: Infinite Christmas tree

One of my favorite things in the store right now is a spiral tabletop Infinite Christmas Tree by Areaware. Created by Swedish designer and mathematician Johannes Molin, the tree can be swivelled into a multitude of shapes.

Infinite Christmas Tree by Johannes Molin
areaware.com

My favorite...black and white
areaware.com

In the store: Cool things, large and small

We're having so much fun at the new store. Not only do we have some great new pieces of furniture, we have great stocking stuffers for the holiday season for the little kids in your life...and even the big ones.

Great Adrian Pearsall chairs is cool original fabric

Ninja Cubebots
areaware.com

Areaware Balancing Blocks
fortstandard.com

Easily distracted

OK, I admit it. When I was supposed to be researching a post for today, I got distracted. I ordered the materials to make 6 or 8 new necklaces, and all the beautiful gemstones and silver findings have been coming in for the last few days, so I spent my time making chunky, asymmetrical modern jewelry instead of writing.

This has been a hobby of mine for several years, but I do it in fits and starts. And when I start, I tend to get just a bit obsessive and string beads for hours at a time. I don't need a Magic 8 Ball to see that in my immediate future.

30" necklace made from Picasso marble and Thai Hill Tribe silver

Put a little fun in meal planning

Is meal-planning stressful? Do you sometimes draw a complete blank when trying to plan a menu?

If so, we have an item in the store that's just right for you...and maybe for others you know. Take a look at Foodie Dice, one of the best stocking stuffers I've seen in a long time. Foodie Dice encourage you to toss the birch cubes and play with your food.

These dice can come up with 186,000 dinner combinations. Simply place the five primary dice in the recycled wine bottle tumbler, add a seasonal veggie die and roll. Here's what you might be having for dinner if you rolled the dice: 

sauté / pork OR eggs / potato / carrots / dill / bacon

grill / beef OR tempeh / rice / corn / cilantro / onions

Stress over!

Best design

fengshuidana.com

This is a nice thing to remember all year 'round...but especially this time of  year when we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of holiday decorating and buying. 

Pierre Guariche

Pierre Guariche (1926-1995) was a French designer and architect. He studied under René Gabriel at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

In 1948 he started showing his work at the Salon des Arts Ménagers , and shortly thereafter he began designing for Galerie Mai. In 1954 he founded the Atelier des Recherches Plastiques (Plastics Research Workshop) with Joseph-Andre Motte and Michel Mortier. At the same time, he worked with design firms such as Airborne, Meubles TV, Huchers-Minvielle, Disderot, and Steiner.

In the late 1950s he became the head designer for the Belgian firm Meurop. There he primarily designed high quality, affordable chairs and multidirectional lighting.

He is probably best known for the laminated plywood Tonneau chair he designed for Steiner, along with the lighting he designed for Disderot.

Later in his career, he worked mainly as an architect, which is primarily how he viewed himself. He designed private homes, public buildings, and commercial structures, including ski stations.

In 1965 he received the René Gabriel prize.

From demischdamant.com and artsy.net

Tonneau chair for Steiner
mdbarchitects.com

G10 lounge chair
demischdamant.com

641 armchairs
demischdamant.com

Sideboard
artsy.net

Fireside chair
carreplein.com

Desk lamp
modernarium.com

Equilibrium double-branch floor lamp for Disderot
design-byproxy.com

Wooden armchairs
demischdamant.com

Steel-frame armchairs
demischdamant.com