Sunday, September 27, 2009

Zinio Personality Test

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Other Industry Insights from High Point Market

Here is a link to the rest of the industry insight posts at High Pint Market

http://www.highpointmarket.org/IndustryInsights_Columns.aspx

Corey


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Home Interior Design Trends - Libby Langdon interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV’s hit show “Small Space, Big Style,”

Interesting insights to home interiors - Corey

http://www.highpointmarket.org/columns/20080319.aspx?IIC=yes

In looking at trends I find it just as helpful to see what's on its way out from the last season as what is on its way in for this next. The exciting thing about the High Point Market is the opportunity to see what trends will be impacting the consumer in the next year and a half. I'll be there this April to get the inside scoop, but here are the trends I see reaching the consumer, as well as retail outlets, right now:

Design Trends on the way out:

Painting Your Trim (baseboard/crown molding) A Color Darker Than Your Walls: This was a trend when people wanted to get creative with color, but were scared of it. They figured a little extra pop on the trim was only a small area to cover so how risky could it be? In actuality, it just grayed-down the room and made the space look a little more tired and older than it really was.  Crisp, clean white trim is back (for some, it never left). White freshens up the look of the oldest, beat-up molding. And now, with fewer people buying new homes, more consumers will want to update what they already have. Tell them white trim is a good place to start!


Formal Living Rooms:  It's still all about the family room and lots of existing "formal" living rooms are being converted into game rooms, family spaces or home offices. With kids having jam-packed schedules and parents working later and longer than ever, people want to connect with family. They are willing to forgo the formal space for a "hangout" space. And some parents realize if they create an area their kids want to spend time in, their kids will have friends over and they can eek out some more quality time, as well as keep tabs
on them.  


Big Bold Patterned Wallpaper: Wallpaper is still hot; it's just not big, bold and bright. Opt for more subtle color ways that are softer, or tone on tone. People are also using wallpaper in more controlled ways, such as an accent on just one wall, or inside door panels.


Aqua and Chocolate Brown: I'm not sure this combo will ever go away completely, once it started to hit college campuses across the country you knew it had played itself out. Chocolate paired with orange is hot, as is gray mixed with cream.  


Collections or Collecting (Anything!): Whether moving to a smaller dwelling or just clearing out old junk, people have discovered that living with less stuff is the ultimate luxury. Unclutter!


Current Design Trends (or trends that will be sticking around)

The Eclectic Mix: Consumers are getting more confident about surrounding themselves with the things they love and by gosh, if they bought that enormous Southwestern dining table while they were on their honeymoon, but now like a 1960's mod dining chair, they are going to mix them together and love it! Designers have done it for years. Now, thanks to all those design shows, everybody else is figuring it out. Expect your customers to trust their own taste a little more


Color is Back: And bright yellow is leading the way. Yellow looks new and modern when it's paired with a soft gray or white or black, and yellow as an accent traditionally looks great when it's paired with rich navy or a soft lime green. It can also be incorporated in accessories for those low commitment color-types. Either way, it's definitely unexpected and will most likely only be around for one season!


Multi-functional Rooms: Whether people are downsizing or wanting to spend more time with each other, most rooms these days are called upon to serve more than one purpose (think kitchen/ office, living room/office and so on…). This is making people get creative about how they lay out their spaces. For some it's a necessity since smaller spaces demand double-duty rooms, while others just find they enjoy the simplicity and ease. The furniture industry has taken notice and I predict you'll see even more small-scale designs and multi-functional pieces at Market.


Sheer Textiles: Gone are the days where you hung a simple polyester sheer panel on your windows. Sheers now are chic and fabulous in colors, laser-cut mod patterns, or soft, see-through linen. Sheer fabrics let the outdoors in, in a stylish way. There are expensive imports, as well as less expensive knock-offs, so these days you can find a fabulous sheer fabric for whatever space or price range you're in. 


The "Green" Movement: Green, as in eco-friendly, was the buzzword in every industry last year and the home furnishings business was no exception. Expect your customers to be more environmentally conscious from here on out, no if's, and's or but's. This is more than a trend, it's a new lifestyle movement! There are so many new products that are being created by people who are passionate about the planet and whether it's bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, or a countertop surface made from recycled beer and wine bottles, the consumer is learning that a "green" interior can be just as beautiful and stylish as any other.

About Libby Langdon:
Libby Langdon (www.libbylangdon.com) is an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV's hit show "Small Space, Big Style," where she offers insights, techniques and tips to help viewers make the most of their own small space. Previously, she hosted and was the lead designer on the FOX makeover TV show, "Design Invasion." Langdon founded "Libby Interiors" in 2003 and has completed numerous commercial and residential design projects across the country. Her designs have been featured in numerous national shelter magazines and on the covers of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens and Decorating Spaces. She is a small space expert for Decorating with Style and Budget Decorating, as well as several other design magazines, and a regular contributor to the nation's top daily papers with design, food and entertaining ideas. Langdon is currently writing her first book, Libby Langdon's Small Space Solutions, to be published by Globe Pequot Press next year. Hear more from Libby Langdon on April 11th at 8 a.m. in the IHFC High Point Room, Green Wing, 11th floor. Reservations not required.


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Important Marketing Messages in Furniture Industry

http://www.highpointmarket.org/columns/20090912.aspx?IIC=yes

In a tough, high-stakes marketplace, you may be eager to improve your marketing, but there's just so much energy expended on everything else: logistics, delivery issues, weekly ads or your participation in markets and trade shows. Unfortunately, none of these excuses matter. Every industry and every company faces complexities today. As a marketer, more than ever before, you must create demand.

If your marketing efforts haven't been achieving the results you want, there may be a reason why. For starters, you may be working with a dusty textbook definition of marketing. You know the one I mean: the "Four P" definition of marketing as a product, a price, a place to sell it, and yes, a promotion. Yet, this out-dated, four-step, check-off list is far from adequate anymore.

Marketing has moved well beyond the "Four P's" today. In fact it's moving beyond concepts like reach and frequency too. What matters now is a story that gets talked about. From the technical support team that follows a Verizon user, to the "Baby Come Back" appeal of a jilted kitchen broom after its homeowner switches to Swiffer, marketing has become more provocative, entertaining, and relatable than ever before. Look around and you'll see that savvy marketers are using everything from reverse psychology to humor and exaggeration to get their messages across.

In this fragmented marketplace, where social media is fast replacing conventional media, marketing messages need to be memorable and relevant. A product's story, or benefit, needs to be strong enough to connect with consumers in just one viewing. And true marketers know there's only one way to get the focus off price: Talk about something else.

Lest you think this concept only applies to marketers of cell phones and brooms, let's talk big-ticket stories. The car industry, as example, is marketing messages about style, comfort, roadside assistance, global positioning systems, safety features, fuel efficiency and alternative fuel. The kitchen industry is marketing messages about better family life, cooking like a pro, storage efficiency, point-of-use zones, food preservation, universal design and comfort. Consumer electronics types are marketing the excitement of high-definition TV, time spent with family and the ability to stay connected.

Generally speaking, the furniture industry is marketing discounts, financing and in some cases, quick delivery or a pretty room. To date, few other stories have emerged that talk about how furnishings can improve a consumers' life.

Ironically, marketing messages aren't that hard to come up with. We're surrounded by opportunities to connect with consumers everyday, yet few of these opportunities seem to get translated into the marketing of our products.

So, in order to stimulate thinking, I offer a few examples of the things consumers are talking about today, along with some oft-repeated words that might enable us to create better marketing messages that can increase the value of our products, along with demand and the sense of urgency to buy.

Health and Safety. Everywhere we look, we see ads for medication, fitness, weight loss, life insurance, better sleep and AARP benefits. Even the green movement is as much about health benefits as a mission to save planet earth. So what do furniture marketing and health have in common? Not much yet, but consumer talk about safety, security, privacy, assurance, insurance and protection ought to stimulate some ideas.

Convenience and Ease. From the success of Real Simple magazine to the organization phenomena, consumers want to get their life in order. Clutter is enemy number-one, while a more relaxed lifestyle is the goal of both harried young moms and Baby Boomers concerned with aging. So what do furniture marketing and the "easy button" have in common? Not much yet, but smart marketers will look to tout accident-friendly, easy-care, worry-free, time-saving, organized, mobile, multi-purpose and easy-access features (just like consumers do everyday) to create some synergies.

Personalization. Eighteen months ago, Vogue magazine predicted the demise of the matched, two-piece suit for women. Last month, "personal style" was the cover story for InStyle magazine. Meanwhile, furniture styles are being re-mixed to create new eclectic, more personalized looks. Matched looks are yesterday's news; today's news is less structured, more diverse and interesting. So what do furniture marketing and messages about personalization have in common? Not much yet, but consumer talk about what's personal, unique, unmatched, eclectic, customized and looks-collected-over-time should get you thinking.

Relaxation. Consumers are exhausted and stressed. The Baby Boomers want to be comfortable and Gen Y doesn't want to work as hard as their parents did. Consumers want their bedroom to feel like a hotel suite, to entertain their friends and to spend more time outside. So what do furniture marketing and relaxation have in common? You'd think a lot, but not much that's talked about. Maybe words like flat-screen TV, family time, outdoor entertaining, "stay-cations," pampering, downtime, peace and quiet, better sleep and rest could create better a connection.

If you're not sure what to make next…if your best new ideas come from your competitors…if you're waiting for the economy to turn or for your customers to outgrow IKEA, exploring new ideas will reap big rewards. Studying best practices and products outside the furniture industry, leveraging what matters to consumers, and creating benefits beyond price and style will change your outlook and your bottom line. Exciting products, effective selling points and memorable ads don't come from "eureka!" moments; they come from deliberately connecting products with consumer values. But you have to dig deep into those values. Broader market awareness now is a must-know, rather than a nice-to-know part of your business.

One last thought. In addition to looking at your sales figures, business strategy and lineup for next season, look at something just as critical: your marketing stories and how aggressively you're improving them. Are you looking beyond furniture to other home or lifestyle trends? Do you use after-sale consumer feedback to beef up marketing benefits and improve products? Do you consider how rooms are used, as opposed to just the products in them?

Strategy defines a company's business tactics. But curiosity will no doubt define a company's success and survival in a marketplace that's heavily favoring products that improve consumers' lives.

About Loreen Epp:
Formerly senior merchant with Staples, Levitz, Seaman's and Palliser Furniture, Loreen Epp continues to drive innovative, opportunity-based thinking in both furniture manufacturing and retail sectors. She writes and speaks internationally on consumer and product trends, and is currently president of Room Planners Inc., an idea-driven company focused on aligning furniture strategy with consumer priorities. Room Planners publishes a variety of reports on consumer home furnishing preferences, and works with leading manufacturers and retailers to improve profitability through untapped product and marketing ideas. Loreen can be reached at (631) 896.6169 or loreen@roomplanners.com. Read her blog at www.roomplanners.com


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PROVIDING COMFORT THROUGH INNOVATIVE DESIGN

This is very important for us to understand given our research sessions over the past few weeks.

Corey

http://www.highpointmarket.org/columns/20070928.aspx?IIC=yes

PROVIDING COMFORT THROUGH INNOVATIVE DESIGN
By Glenn Johnson, director, The Design Studio, B/E Aerospace

"People were not designed to sit!" These were the words of my maverick ergonomics lecturer, Fred Hoyland. But you don't have to take Fred's word for it—just observe people as you wander around the High Point Market in the coming week. Spot someone sitting on a ledge, on a stool or a chair and you might see them waggle their legs, tilt the chair forward and backward or slump. If you were ever scolded at school for lolling in your chair, or find yourself as an adult unable to sit still in a meeting, it might not come as news to you that shiftiness often has more to do with body design than poor behavior!

Sitting is a relatively modern human trait. Before that, we would lie down, squat, stand or run. We humans are designed for hunting, sleeping and the great outdoors. The fact is, in evolutionary terms, our thighs and posterior aren't sufficiently equipped with blood vessels that enable us to sit for long periods of inactivity. Since the vertebrae in the lower spine require more curvature when we sit, the most comfortable position is always the next position.

Yet, we all have to sit—you're probably sitting while reading this article. Sitting is ubiquitous; in the office, in our cars and trucks, on the way to school and so on. In the aircraft seating world, which is the focus of my professional life, this is the elephant in our design room.

As head of B/E Aerospace's Design Studio, the world's leading designer of commercial aircraft seating, my challenge is a bit different from those of you in the furniture industry, but the goal is the same: to bring comfort to the consumer by meeting his or her needs. As you can imagine, there are few catalysts for conversation as provocative as a fellow airline passenger discovering my profession!

And just like you, we have countless reasons in our industry why it is difficult to satisfy the consumer. But, with more than a million behinds in the sky at any given time, we have no choice but to better understand the human body and, through innovative design, do the best we can to provide comfort.

Of course, seating comfort is not a challenge exclusive to B/E Aerospace—it is a design and manufacturing conundrum furniture-makers face in their daily work. And at the retail level, consumers make purchasing decisions on comfort, as well as style.

If you ask a typical professional ergonomist their opinion about the ideal seating position, the chances are they will say "an infinitely adjustable one." Anyone familiar with the famous Herman Miller Aeron office chair can attest to the level of adjustability the designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick built into its award-winning design. But this level of adjustability is not possible in a typical dining chair or an average coach class airline seat.

Designers—in any industry—have to design for an average person's size. But within this constraint, designers should seek innovation and new technologies to provide more personalized comfort.

For example, at B/E we will eventually be using real-time MRI in the seated position to peer inside the body and see how to minimize the stress. Using this information, we can improve our designs and, in fact, measure the extent to which stress is reduced.

Another innovation, already in use, is a new technology developed by Steelcase, a well-known furniture manufacturer in Michigan. Known as LEAP, the seatback flexes to allow for the variance in different peoples' spines and provide lumbar support tailored to the individual. B/E Aerospace has incorporated LEAP into one of our most recent seat designs, the ICON main cabin seat for Cathay Pacific airlines, based in Hong Kong.

Of course, design is not just about how to achieve the best position. We have to do it in an affordable, elegant and commercially beneficial way. As we all know, many beautiful objects are often quite useless, but many highly useful objects are not aesthetically pleasing. Would anyone suggest a shopping cart is beautiful, for example?

A new design by the B/E team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina shows, I think, how the practical, the aesthetic and the emotional needs of airline passengers can be met. Beginning in 2003, business class passengers flying from Tokyo to London on Japan Airlines enjoyed new, ergonomic seats that reclined into private beds. The seats measure up to 23 ½ inches wide, are equipped with a pneumatic lumbar support system, a 57-inch minimum seat pitch, a privacy panel and a LED reading light. The design is stunning, passengers can stretch out in their personal space, and it takes up less real estate than first-class seating.

In my business, we are also investigating the many psychological aspects of comfort—an area where we may stand to learn from a lot from you. For example, I have always been intrigued by the fact that sufficient visual and visceral interest—such as a live performance, a captivating film, great company or a fantastic meal—relegates sub-par seating to the bottom of the comfort agenda. In the home furnishings business, your work is all about combining the practical and the aesthetic, the functional and the emotional.

So, as you travel to and work the High Point Market—driving in your rental car, taking coffee at the airport lounge, or flying away in a jetliner—please consider that someone is trying very hard to give you the very best comfort possible. And, though your feet and legs may ache from long hours walking and standing at Market, take comfort in knowing that, after all, your human form is not designed to sit!

 
 

About Glenn Johnson:

Glenn Johnson, director of the Design Studio at B/E Aerospace, hails from Yorkshire in the North of England. He studied design and computing at the Royal College of Art in London. Starting his career with British Aerospace Military Aircraft, he moved to Airbus Industrie commercial aircraft in France in 1990 before moving to North Carolina in 1998 to head B/E Aerospace's Design Studio. The Design Studio has received several international design awards and patents for innovation. Glenn is married with three children, two dogs, two cats and three fish and is still trying to learn bluegrass and jazz guitar. Like many designers from industries beyond home furnishings who seek to stay abreast of the latest trends and innovations in design, he'll be walking the High Point Market next week.


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Monday, September 21, 2009

Multimedia Upholstered Sofa with an Integrated Computer

This is WILD! Love it. Media is just the begining. What if your surround sound was incorporated too?

 
 

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This modern upholstered sofa is a hybrid model of electronic entertainment and comfortable sofa. Athena is a multimedia upholstered sofa that features an integrated computer into it's cool design. It includes an integrated computer, an iPod/iPhone dock, MP3 player with a wireless connection over the 2.4 Ghz radio signal, an 8 inch subwoofer and series of loudspeakers. I'm pretty sure that most of you don't want a piece of furniture so sopistichated like this, but for those of you who want it the luxury though comes for an eye-popping price of approx. $15,436, which seems like a bit over the top in these hard times. But, then this designer furniture is meant strictly for the elite of society. You can find more about this piece of furniture from Artanova.

multimedia sofa computer hybrid design2 Multimedia Upholstered Sofa with an Integrated Computer ultra modern sofa smart technology1 Multimedia Upholstered Sofa with an Integrated Computer

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Symbol, an Armchair With a Colorful Design

I think this is pretty cool... not for the masses, but definitely the talk of a room

 
 

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Looking for an armchair that makes a statement? A bold design and a creative approach – this is what characterizes the Symbol chair. The item comes from Adrenalina, an Italian design company with a lot of out-of-the-box furniture creations. The chair in the images can come in different colours, which is what makes this design special. This kind of a vivid armchair would fit well in the children's room or in a funky teenager hideout. If you would like to get this product for your classical interior, that is also possible by ordering the white or black versions. For any further information on this product you can contact Adrenalina here.

SYMBOL GREY AMBIENT Symbol, an Armchair With a Colorful Design

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Hightower

 
 

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Global interior furnishings update from GIFR, a free service for interior designers, architects and students.

 
 

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Upholstery producers pick their spots

 
 

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Despite a slight uptick in business, stationary upholstery manufacturers don't know what to...

 
 

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New York talks to highlight design trends

 
 

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NEW YORK — The International Furnishings and Design Assn.'s New York chapter will present a...

 
 

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Stanley Furniture forecasts lower sales, bigger loss than in second quarter

 
 

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STANLEYTOWN, Va. — Case goods major Stanley Furniture said Tuesday that third-quarter sales...

 
 

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Ikea May Be Overselling The "In-Store" Experience

 
 

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What is the Role of the Independent Furniture Rep In the Future?

 
 

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Wal-Mart to sell other retailers' goods online

 
 

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BRISBANE, Calif. — The online arm of Wal-Mart has launched a "Walmart Marketplace" on its Web...

 
 

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Furniture factory orders drop 16% in June versus 2008

 
 

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HIGH POINT — New orders at U.S. residential furniture factories in June were down 16% from the...

 
 

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Sustainable Furnishings Council to present in China

 
 

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SHANGHAI, China — The Sustainable Furnishings Council will be making a debut presentation in...

 
 

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Motion sources look to jump-start sales

 
 

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Motion upholstery producers are headed here in an optimistic frame of mind, looking to an array...

 
 

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Walmart.com adds products

 
 

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The online arm of Wal-Mart has launched a "Walmart Marketplace" on its Web site that...

 
 

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LAS VEGAS MARKET: Upholstery shows signs of life

 
 

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AT THE MARKET — Despite a slow opening, business grew steady enough here by Tuesday to belay...

 
 

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Ikea's worldwide sales grow 1.4% in latest fiscal year

 
 

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LEIDEN, Netherlands — Ikea's worldwide sales grew 1.4% in its just-ended fiscal year as the...

 
 

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Recession hits Italy's chair-making industry

 
 

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HIGH POINT — The global economic downturn has hit northeastern Italy's chair-manufacturing...

 
 

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Friday, September 4, 2009

Ikea is owned by a "charitable foundation," pays only 3.5% tax

One of the many reasons to make sure you know what a purchase at IKEA means...

 
 

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via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow on 8/26/09

Ikea's corporate structure is insanely complicated. It is technically owned by a Dutch charitable nonprofit -- a strategy that allows the group to pay 3.5% tax on annual profits of €553m. However, the charity itself appears to do almost no charitable giving. Most of the money disappears into generic line-items like "other operating charges" which it refuses to explain.
In 2004, the last year that the INGKA Holding group filed accounts, the company reported profits of €1.4 billion on sales of €12.8 billion, a margin of nearly 11 percent. Because INGKA Holding is owned by the nonprofit INGKA Foundation, none of this profit is taxed. The foundation's nonprofit status also means that the Kamprad family cannot reap these profits directly, but the Kamprads do collect a portion of IKEA sales profits through the franchising relationship between INGKA Holding and Inter IKEA Systems.

Inter IKEA Systems collected €631 million of franchise fees in 2004, but reported pre-tax profits of only €225 million in 2004. One of the major pre-tax expenses that Inter IKEA systems reported was €590 million of "other operating charges." IKEA has refused to explain these charges, but Inter IKEA Systems appears to make large payments to I.I. Holding, another Luxembourg-registered group that, according to The Economist, "is almost certain to be controlled by the Kamprad family." I.I. Holding made a profit of €328 million in 2004.

In 2004, the Inter IKEA group of companies and I.I. Holding reported combined profits of €553m and paid €19m in taxes, or approximately 3.5 percent.[22]

The Berne Declaration, a non-profit organization in Switzerland that promotes corporate responsibility, has formally criticized IKEA for its tax avoidance strategies. In 2007, the Berne Declaration nominated IKEA for one of its Public Eye "awards," which highlight corporate irresponsibility and are announced during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.[24]

Corporate structure


 
 

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Scott Wilson's Fulton Lounge

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/7/09

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The Fulton Lounge was designed by Scott Wilson, the ex-Global Creative Director for Nike who founded design studio Minimal. Fittingly for its style, the stainless steel, walnut and foam Fulton comes out of the same factory that produces the Eames Lounge, the Nelson Bench and Noguchi Table.

Take a look at the rest of Minimal/Wilson's impressive porfolio, stretching all the way back to 1994, here.

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Herman Miller hits the road

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/24/09

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On August 20th, Michigan's Muskegon Museum of Art debuts "Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller," a traveling design exhibition slated to hit 15 American cities by 2013.

MMA Executive Director Judith A. Hayner's long-standing interest in modern design sparked a dream of showcasing original designed artifacts along with their drawings and prototypes.

...Commenting on the idea behind the exhibition, Mr. Berry observed, "Many people are confused by the difference between art and design. Design is a noun, a verb, and a problem solving process. It is art with a purpose. Good design requires a clear understanding of the particular need, conditions, constraints, and opportunities. Good design does not happen in a vacuum."

"At Herman Miller, design is the means and the end," said Berry. "It is the starting point and the destination. Since 1931, not long after its founding, Herman Miller had embraced design as a way to improve people's lives, and through that goal, they created new industries and some of the most iconic objects of the last century. Charles and Ray Eames's molded plywood Lounge Chair, George Nelson's Marshmallow Sofa, and Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick's Aeron Chair which populates so many offices today, are all products of Herman Miller, Inc."

Click here for more specifics.

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This Just Inbox: Furniture made from wood shavings and resin

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/25/09

shavings-comp.jpg

Yoav Avinoam, a student at the Bexalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, has produced a series of wooden furniture from resin and wood shavings:

By using sawdust waste from the Wood industry, as a response to the way we look at our usage and exploitation of materials in modern culture. The sawdust (taken from different kinds of woods) is being pressed with resin into a mold that already contains all of the object parts, the opportunity was exploring new ways of integration between the legs of the furniture and the sawdust through expansion of the joints, this and the way the sawdust crumbles toward the edges creates a new material esthetics to once destined to be waste material.

We love the effect when turned upside down: it looks like the sawdust has just piled up, to be swept away at any moment.

Many more shots after the jump, and a peek into Avinoam's process.

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iPhone bicycle ergonomics app would make an awesome human factors tool

Look in here at the human measurements book reference. I will be pocking it up.

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/25/09

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Wildlab.com's Test Rides iPhone app is geared to help you match your body to a bicycle of appropriate size. After photographing yourself in the specific position seen above, you then mark your joint locations on-screen, enter the dimensions of a bicycle, and the app tells you whether it's a good fit or not.

We're excited by the human features potential of this app not just for bicycles, but for furniture and workstation design. While it probably won't replace the classic Human Dimension and Interior Space designer's bible anytime soon, with a few tweaks this program could quickly give you vital dimensions of people reaching for cabinets, ascending stairs, slouching into unfocused unconsciousness, et cetera.

Guys and gals at Wildlab, if you're reading, check out this book!

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via wired

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Ikea catalog from 1965

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/27/09

Vienna-based Ikke Tikke Theo blogger Sara has a mother who likes to save Ikea catalogs. Which is lucky for us, because it means we get to see this one...from 1965!

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Is it just me, or does the stuff look pretty cool? With Ikea's rep for build quality, though, one has to wonder if any of these pieces are still kicking around.

There's a few more shots here.

via kottke

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Indian sitting style chair design

 
 

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via Core77 on 8/28/09

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One-size-fits-all certainly doesn't apply to chairs, and this becomes even more true when looking at different cultures; not all of us sit in the same way. I learned this the (literally) hard way after a year of living in Asia.

Addressing this fact is Darshan Nerkar, a design student at the Indian Institute of Technology's Industrial Design Centre, who developed a culture-specific chair as one of his student projects. After observing Indian-specific sitting styles by having people sit in a "study rig" mockup, Darshan revised his design into

...a stand alone single seat chair made up of stainless steel pipe structure with bent plywood for the base and woven jute for the backrest.

A special support at arms level along with a specially contoured polyurethane foam seat is also provided to fulfil the requirements of the Indian sitting postures.

The proposed design would help to reposition the Indian sitting style furniture as it is suitable for the day to day activities and fits in contemporary interiors, thus fulfilling the demand for the specific kind of furniture in the market.


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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Rethinking the Kitchen: Flow2 kitchen by Studio Gorm : TreeHugger

Use of Furniture style in Kitchen for functional and enjoyable experience.
http://www.treehugger.com/flow2-kitchen-by-studio-gorm-17.jpg

Rethinking the Kitchen: Flow2 kitchen by Studio Gorm : TreeHugger:
"Rethinking the Kitchen: Flow2 kitchen by Studio Gorm
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.09
Design & Architecture (kitchen)"
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Natural Furniture from Leif Designpark

 
 

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