A blog about chairs and nothing else.
I’m a chair whore. I love chairs. Especially modern one with clean lines and classic, mid-century ones made of bent plywood or other unique materials. And now there’s a blog entirely dedicated to chairs, chairs, and more chairs. And nothing else.
I came across the woodwork of Chadhaus this morning and I’m pretty in love with their Vollen Series. A small shop based in Seattle, Chadhaus works with locally sourced materials to create modern renditions of classic pieces. here’s how they describe their work:
Chadhaus is part laboratory, part production shop; researching the finest materials and using fine-tuned craftsmanship. From first idea to finished product, quality and functionality are the focus.
Chadhaus uses locally milled steel and hardwoods, as well as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified plywood with formaldahyde-free adhesives. Woodwork features non-toxic finishes derived from natural materials, like beeswax.
The Vollen Series looks to me like the perfect dining setup for a small NY apartment. I love the fact the communal feel that the bench brings and the warmth of the wood offers a throwback to the older days of sitting around a family table. At the same time, the clean lines of the pieces bring a decidedly contemporary air to an otherwise classic design.
Sometime long ago, on a wander through Moss in Soho, I (like many before me) fell in love with the Vitsoe 606 Universal Shelving System. Obviously, it appealed to the modular modernist in me like no other shelving system I’ve seen. First produced in the 1960’s, and only tweaked since, the system is a classic in its own right. And, unfortunately, it carries the price tag to prove it (hey, it’s from Moss, what’d you expect?). This prompted the beginning of a search to find a more affordable variation.
The best I’d come up with was the Stolmen System from our Swedish friends at Ikea. Obviously, being from Ikea, this soved the affordability issue perfectly. On the other hand, the Stolmen lacks some of the options - not to mention finish - offered by the classic 606 system.
Then, recently, I came across ISS Designs. While clearly marketed (based on their website) more toward the professional market (ie. architects), ISS Designs seems to fall squarely between the 606 system and the Stolmen solution as far as adaptability and affordability - it’s arguably just as adaptable as the original Vitsoe system. Shortly after stumbling onto the ISS Designs site, I came across this post at Apartment Therapy featuring architect Koray Duman’s Alphabet City apartment renovation featuring the modular shelving system. Check out the ISS video featuring Duman’s apartment.
Their site is hard to navigate, but ISS Designs does appear to have an NYC showroom if you’re interested in more info. I’ll be checking it out sometime soon!
Despite the argument that Design Within Reach has lost touch with the “Within Reach” part of their moniker, it’s tough to challenge their ability to make some really iconic pieces readily available (to those who can afford the prices). And to cement their standing, the crew over at DWR recently started an item-per-day sale of some very limited edition piece.
According to a post over on Apartment Therapy, Chris and Kari (the brains behind the DWR Tools For Living idea) recently returned from a trip around the world where they spent their days gathering up as many rare, vintage, and one-off pieces as they could find. Those pieces are now being sold on DWR’s site in a limited edition run of awesomeness. Some pieces are available for purchase on the DWR site, while others are being auctioned off - like an original Eames designed leg splint, or #1 of 500 of the new Gehry Superlight chair. Of course, I’ve got a pretty serious hankering for the Venti Fan they’re showing off (ironically, one of the more “reasonably” priced items at a modest $600).
They’re revealing a piece per day for about another two weeks. You can keep track of the items on their Limited Edition Page, or sign up for their mailing list to get the info via email.
A few weeks ago Danny wrote about Wall Blank, the get cheap art and fill your walls website. And this made me remember another site. Jen Bekman’s 20×200.
The idea is simple:
(limited editions × low prices) + the internet
= art for everyone
Each week the site posts two new pieces, a photograph and a work on paper:
Each image is available in three sizes.
* A small size – an edition of 200 for $20.
* A medium - sized edition of 20 for $200.
* A large - sized edition of 2 generally for $2000
Every piece of art is delivered with certificate of authenticity and numbered by the artist. There is even the opportunity to purchase the original from the artist.
So how did this all get started?
Jen Bekman opened an apparently tiny gallery 5 years ago on the Lower East Side. Her mission was to support emerging artists and collectors. 20×200 takes her mission further and redefines what it means to be an art collector. And of course, like any good art lover, all profits are donated — in this case to the Public Design Center.
What I like most about this site is the art. Its’ gorgeous — thought was obviously put in selecting the pieces. I will admit I get super frustrated when I see something I need-want-and-can’t-live-without and then click to find out the only print left is at the $2000 level — but hey, all the reason to visit 20×200 more often.
So I’m going to try something a little new here. For the last few months, I’ve been populating a bookmark folder simply titled “Wants”. It’s the dumping ground of bookmarks for things that I stumble across that I…well, want. Those things - little and big - that I stumble upon in my journies across the webiverse and for one reason or another would love to add to my consumption collection. Since most of it will never actually find its way into my home, I figure it should at least find its way onto the blog.
The first in this ongoing collection is this Enamel First Aid Storage Box from Urchin. I originally saw it over on SwissMiss, and I believe it was the first item to encourage the creation of the “Wants” folder.
For the last four years, I’ve been using a standard travel kit for my bathroom accountrements. Figuring it was about time to find a more permanent storage container, I was all set to order this box to toss my toothbrush, etc. in while it was on the shelf. Unfortunately, a quick email to Urchin revealed that the shipping costs from the UK to NYC would run at least as much as the box itself. Somehow I wasn’t quite willing to shell out $60+ for a toothbrush/soap box.
Of course, if anyone happens across a similar storage container - even without the emblazoned cross - please give me a shout. Adding the decoration after-the-fact would be easy enough! And please, drop us a comment with some of your personal “Wants”. If this takes off, it would be a great way to continue sharing those little design bits that have caught your eye (and ours).
Ever heard of Charlie Kratzer? Neither had I until someone send me this article. He’s not the newest undiscovered fashion talent. He’s not the next up-and-coming artist on the NY gallery circuit. In fact, he’s not a NY’er at all. Charlie is, however an artist. And his chosen medium? How about Sharpie on basement wall…
Kratzer, a lawyer who works for Lexmark, decided one day that a wall in his basement was just a little too boring painted a plain off-white color. So he did what any four year old would do and grabbed the nearest Sharpie marker. Of course, instead of scribbling randomly, Charlie ended up with a mural that spanned the entire room, recalling settings and characters from a variety of inspiring sources. Through his basement walls, he’s channeled the Marx Brothers, William Shakespeare, his father, Winston Churchill, and a slew of other characters. He’s got his own Monet on the wall (self-drawn, of course), as well as rooms from his days at Cornell Law School.
All that for a whopping $10 worth of magic marker! Not too shabby for a lawyer who makes no mention of attending art school. If Sharpie were smart, they’d bring Charlie out to decorate some rooms in their office or something.
So I recently went through the hassle of growing up a little bit (isn’t that a pain?). Since moving into my first non-subletted apartment in NYC, I’d been suffering the indecency – along with the space-saving wonders – of a loft bed. Not the built-in, part of your apartment, well-designed loft bed, but the free-standing type that looks like a bunk bed without the bottom bunk. Needless to say, I felt like I was about ten every time I climbed the ladder at night. So that’s been replaced with a respectable, minimalist platform adorned by new bedding and squeezed in next to a smaller desk to make the room work.
Now I’m onto the next problem to solve: blank white walls. I have absolutely no decoration on the walls of my room which are stark white and about 12 feet high. I need something to spice the place up! Of course, being an avid wanderer of design sites and the like, I come across all sorts of goodies that fit the bill. The problem is culling down the choices to a reasonable collection. That’s where I’m hoping you all will give me a hand.
A few things that have caught my attention so far (feel free to make fun of the unoriginal pieces or suggest more original replacements):
-Ork Poster - I’m a fan of the Brooklyn print, though the newly released New York print is quite nice too
-Jordan Crane’s Poster Prints - His 26×40 prints might be a bit overwhelming, but a 13×20 could fit nicely. Question is which one?
-Blik’s Prose Wall Decals - Custom printed vinyl that says anything you want? Sounds spot on!
-Dylan Sisson Poster - His creepy, crazy characters are fantastic!
-The Hookmaker - from the Curiosity Shoppe, perfect for mounting behind the desk since I have no desk drawers
-Enamel letters from UrbanOutfitters - yeah, yeah, love ‘em or hate ‘em, Urban’s got a win on this one in my book
-Prints of some of my own photography - I have a ton of shots hidden away on flickr. And none on my walls. None.
That’s my list so far. I’m open to suggestions. I’m open to being completely shot down. What are your thoughts. HELP!
