In collaboration with the Guggenheim Foundation, Designtex has debuted a line of cutting edge textiles that tap into the Guggenheim’s history, renowned collection, and celebrated architecture for inspiration. The line includes upholstery, drapery, and wall coverings and could bring an artful touch to any living space. The new line is called Material Matters and pushes design boundaries, fusing art and fabric technology. Audrey Smith visits with Designtex’s executive creative director, Richard Morrow, to preview the new line which includes woven upholstery made from recycled audio tape. You must see it to believe it.
Audrey Smith illuminates the genius of Dror Benshetrit, an award-winning Israeli-born designer who explores fluidity and movement with products that push the boundaries of physics and design. Known for such beautiful objects as the sexy Lily Lace chair and the Vase of Phases for Rosenthal, Studio Dror’s latest creation — a floor chandelier for Swarovski — was lauded at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. The romantic chandelier features over 6,000 crystals woven together around a square frame and four light sources that reflect to create the stunning effect of moonlight. Dror Benshetrit is one of contemporary design’s greatest working talents— tune in to find out what inspires his work and tour his gorgeous New York studio.
Gorgeous takes a close look at the talented group of professionals who make up Humanscale— furniture designers with a unique focus and an inventive approach to ergonomic office furniture and technology. With an eye towards style as well as comfort, Humanscale creates furniture as chic and streamlined as your Apple computer. Humanscale’s latest creation is a modern take on Al Bundy’s recliner— simple and elegant, this day-glow orange Day Bed features lumbar support, a computer tray, and a headrest with built in speakers. Get comfortable at the Humanscale design studios and learn from design director Manuel Saez about the latest and greatest from these design super stars.
Old-school wooden surfboards get the modern treatment from Evolution Surf to create some of the coolest, most regal boards on the beach. These Olo-style surfboards are truly works of art, handcrafted out of golden balsa wood and shaped and treated for as long as 9 months until they reach owner Clark Riedel’s standard of perfection. But as beautiful as these boards may be, they are not meant to hang on the wall— they offer some of the fastest and most ergonomic rides around. Fins are festooned with pink mother of pearl, and layers of fiberglass promise Kelly Slater and Occy-like moves. Score one of these boards and you will definitely get your Gidget.
Lowell Pettit explores Design Life Now, Cooper-Hewitt’s innovative design triennial that features the best in American design. Curatorial Deputy Director Matilda McQuaid guides us through the stylish galleries and talks about what’s hot in American design right now. Technology has found its way into many of this year’s exhibits, but a handmade quality is equally as important, as exhibited by four featured designers. A LED memory catcher by James Carpenter Design Associates turns traditional photography into a digital affair. Philadelphia artist Hitoshi Ujiie pioneers the art of digital ink jet printing, with delicate botanical images printed on fine silk panels that are favored by the world’s top interior designers. Chuck Hoberman’s Deployable Tent for Johnson Outdoors is a clever design that can be assembled in minutes and Natalie Jeremijenko’s Robot Sniffer Dogs can be programmed to “sniff out” environmental pollutants. Tune in for a exclusive guided tour of Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Life Now.
If you think prefab is just an abbreviation for Pretty Fabulous — it’s really time you tune in for a serious design crash course. While most people living in 2007 already know that prefab (pre-fabricated) houses, also known as modular houses, are one of the hottest architecture trends, what actually goes into making these pop-up style homes so desirable is less obvious. In a stroke of genius and fabulosity our very own Caryn Greenhut goes inside LAMOCA’s current exhibit, Some Assembly Required, for a crash course in this conservationist building style. She also visits with architect Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner, who is at the forefront of bringing modernist modular homes to new, luxurious standards. Modular prefab homes can be customized to fit the owner’s lifestyle, location, and aesthetics, all without forsaking the green benefits of mass production. Tune in to preview some the chicest modular homes in California. What’s their biggest advantage in a town where real estate is a such precious commodity? These homes can be set up just about anywhere.
Sleek and sophisticated architecture is no longer limited to the design of skyscrapers. Alessi has brought architectural innovation and invention to your kitchen and office space. In this video, Audrey Smith shows us how something as mundane as your desk space can be transformed with Alessi’s creations into a space age work of art. At Alessi’s new flagship store, designer and architect, Hani Rashid has helped to design and create products that are intelligent in design and pleasing to the eye. Winner of the 2007 Travel and Leisure award for best retail space, Alessi’s shelves are stocked with over 3,000 items to make your home Jetson-like. At Alessi you can find items that function as magnificently as they look. Who said a toaster can’t be beautiful?
