At IMM Cologne 2012 Ligne Roset presented a number of new products; the highlight for us – and that’s not a pun, honestly – was PEYE by Saint-Etienne based design studio Numéro 111
Reminiscent of a 1950s American phone box Peye has an over-over-dimensional shade with an LED light band running around the outer- inner edge.
The effect is just delightful.
PEYE by Numéro 111 for Ligne Roset. As seen at IMM Cologne 2012
Sloppy as it sounds, we are still working our way through our photos and videos from the 2010 IMM Cologne.
Obviously it ain’t sloppy. It’s an indication of just how busy we are.
Before travelling to Cologne we wrote about Homework by Robin Grasby
We were wrong.
It isn’t as we thought.
It is in fact a wonderful object – if a wonderful object specifically aimed for designers.
In the original post we wrote that it “lacked a little development” . Having experienced for ourselves we now feel that it “lacked exchangeable elements”
We, for example, don’t need a cutter mat.
Just don’t.
We do however need a lightbox.
And a record player.
And so if Robin Grasby were to develop Homework even further, we believe he would have a fantastic, and commercially viable, product.
All that remains to say is that Homework by Robin Grasby is a well constructed and beautifully thought through piece that, in the correct environment, will aid and improve the workflow.
We were wrong: And are happy to admit it!
Homework by Robin Grasby - good, but imagine if it was modular.....
Homework by Robin Grasby - detail
Homework by Robin Grasby - elevation
Homework by Robin Grasby
The weeks drag on and the days become ever longer, but still the new products from the IMM Cologne keep flowing in…..
Axel by Alexander Gufler is one of those products we can’t help but admiring.
Moulded plywood, wonderfully constructed and with storage space for two newspapers.
We’re happy!
Constructed from solid European maple Axel is stackable and is intended for use in cafes and other public seating areas.
But we’d love to have one on our balcony.
Fantastic.
Axel by Alexander Gufler
Axel Alexander Gufler with newspaper
Axel Alexander Gufler ... detail
In Cologne only very few designers were represented at both Designers Fair and at IMM; one of the few was Christian Lessing.
And that with two wonderful products.
In the Rheintriadem Lessing had his own stand where, amongst other objects, he showed his ingenious stool Collectuer.
We all, but all, know the problem – what to do with all those glossy magazines you’ve read, but want to keep.
Most of us simply leave them lying in uncontrolled piles in the corner of a room and hope that our partners don’t notice.
They invariably do, and we are obliged to move them to another location under the pretence that we are “in the process” of filing them away.
Christian Lessing has however now solved the problem.
His Collectuer stool ” collects” magazines and not only stores them in a dignified form; but also uses them to support the stool seat.
In the “low” position the magazines simply sit, passive, under the seat; however, once the magazines reach the underside of the seat they cause the two pieces of steel from which the stool is constructed to slide over one another. Alone the magazines, therefore, maintain the height of the stool.
We must admit we didn’t make a note of the minimum and maximum heights – but rest assured they are both very sensible heights.
Available with or without a cushion, Collectuer can also be used a side table.
And it looks wonderful.
As does Lessing’s Card Trellis which we found at IMM; but because the retailer involved doesn’t feel the need to list it on their website – we don’t feel obliged to advertise them.
If you want one, buy it direct from Christian Lessing.
Constructed from spring steel, Card Trellis is/are strips with clips at irregular distances for holding postcards, notes, letters and all those other things that you don’t want to throw away, but for the life of you can’t think where you should store them.
Available in four colours Card Trellis is one of those wonderfully simple ideas that only achieves its usefulness through its thoughtful execution.
Both Collectuer and Card Trellis can be used just as well in the home, in the office or even in a public waiting area of, for example, a dentists.
Quality design!
Collectuer by Christian Lessing
Collectuer by Christian Lessing ... detail
Card Trellis by Christian Lessing
Card Trellis by Christian Lessing ... detail
Köln adieu
Normality, how ya doin’
And so by way of a farewell to the the 2010 IMM Cologne and Designers Fair; a few photos of our favourites from the week.
We know its a cheap way out… but we have so many photos……
Uli Budde at Designers Fair Köln 2010
Peglight by David Olschewski at Designers Fair Köln
IMM Cologne 2010
llot llov at Designers Fair 2010
Montags beim Papst in Köln
IMM Cologne 2010
Mercury by Ross Lovegrove for Artemide
Montags beim Papst in Köln 2010
And we don’t know any more….
Because in our haste we didn’t think to ask. Just sort of assumed that either Ingo Maurer or the producer Profiled would have some information on it….
But no, we simply cannot identify this Ingo Maurer table lamp.
Which is a shame, because it is a lovely combination of a form and function.
We’re not going to pretend it’s the best table lamp we’ve ever seen.
But it is certainly table lamp we would gladly use.
If we knew what it was called.
A lamp by Ingo Maurer
Ingo Maurer Table Lamp ... detail
Ingo Maurer's lamp casts its shadow over the IMM
A lamp by Ingo Maurer ... more detail
A table and stool that grows with your child.
Until now that was only really possible with a complex piece of topiary, combined with an extremely slow growing child.
Until now.
For now we have Growing Table by Olaf Schroeder
Ignoring the manipulation of living trees, Olaf has instead designed a wonderful product where, quite simply, you add extensions to the legs of table and stool.
And Hey Presto! a desk and stool that grows with your child.
Adjustable to four heights, Growing Table is intended for children aged from 2 – 10 and comes with a good selection of accessories; including a wonderful “endless paper” system to meet all their doodling wishes.
Made from 100 beech and finished with child friendly paints in a range of colours, Growing Table is a truly delightful piece of childrens furniture.
Growing Table by Olaf Schroeder for Pure Position
Growing Table by Olaf Schroeder: one table, three heights
Growing Table by Olaf Schroeder ... detail
Our first contact in Cologne with Berlin based designstudio llot llov was pure accident.
After visiting the Finn Juhl display in Hotel Chelsea we wandered innocently passed Martin Glanz Mobiliar – a shop with only “Ray” and “Matt” by llot llov on display.
Now we know that the exhibition is listed in the “Passagen” programme – but we’re sadly not organised enough to check-up on such things in advance.
But that made it all the more delightful to see.
For those of those not familiar with Ray and Matt they are both, in essence, light bulbs with extremely, extremely long, extremely flexible cables. The idea is that they can follow you around a room; their flexibility meaning that you can weave and wind them around other furnishings as, if and when required.
Oh and they have the most attractive woolly jumpers.
Cheered by this we headed off to Designers Fair; only to be entrapped by Lucille llot llov’s nylon macrame flower cocoons.
Again, not the newest product on display in Cologne, but certainly one of the most ingenious. With its lobster pot-esque charm Lucille allows you to build up a whole new relationship not only with your plants, but also with your rooms.
And to catch lobsters.
Now we’re not going to pretend that we worship the ground on which llot llov walk.
For us too many of their products are simply gimmicky and too much of their persona is ego and show. And possibly arrogance. Possibly.
But when they are good; they are truly excellent.
Not just Matt, Ray and Lucille stand out also their desk Clark is a mark of a design studio with talent.
And that aint no accident.
Lucielle by llot llov at Designers F air .... macrame
Lucielle by llot llov at Designers Fair ... illuminating
Last week the myhouseismycastle crew drew our attention to Tojo.
And so we took the opportunity to visit their stand here in Cologne.
And weren’t disappointed.
The Tojo portfolio features a range of excellently crafted wood furniture; as far as we could make out all without screws or other fasteners.
Which is wonderful.
Among the stand out products for us was the shelving system Stell by Swiss design studio eigenwert.
Although we’ve always got space in our hearts for a shelving system that allows the user to not only create, but effortlessly change, the layout – the quality of the craftsmanship and simplicity of the system were for us simply outstanding.
And the bed System is also extremely stable… we can confirm.
Stell by eigenwert for Tojo
Stell by eigenwert for Tojo ... detail
Stell by eigenwert for Tojo ... more detail
Stell by eigenwert for Tojo .. attracted students like free beer
As Dieter Rams taught us: Less is More
And we agree fully with Jasper Morrison when he says that whereas many of Dieter Rams designs simply have not stood up to the solemn passage of time, his influence on industrial design remains immense.
Just as Jasper Morrison’s influence on chair design will remain for generations to come.
Which brings us back to more, or better put Cardo by Gil Coste for [more].
Available with metal or wood legs – we say stick with the wood (he he).
Because it is the use of the impossibly thin, stick like legs, that gives Cardo its incredible finesse.
The metal legs are too industrial, too safe.
It’s often said that there are enough chair designs in the world; Cardo is proof that there aren’t
It doesn’t try to do any thing fancy: just does what it has to with a wonderful style and grace.
And honesty, a much underrated aspect of furniture design.
Cardo by Gil Coste for [more]. We were very impressed
Cardo by Gil Coste for more
Cardo by Gil Coste .. any more and it could get over-crowded here
Cardo by Gil Coste ... detail
Cardo by Gil Coste ...stackable
My house is my castle 