Eames DAR by Vitra

Although most people use the Eames DAR by Vitra as a domestic chair….. it can also be wonderfully employed as conference room chair in office environments…..

Eames DAR by Vitra

Alcove by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra

Sometimes it’s good just to enjoy beauty in quiet wonder…….

Alcove by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra

Vitra Eames Armchair Bench

Yes, you could just about use it for helping calibrate the colours on your camera/monitor.

Or simply enjoy the design possibilities offered by the Vitra Eames plastic seating shells…..

Vitra Eames Armchair Bench

Vitra Eames Lounge Chair in Dark Green Leather

Vitra Eames Lounge Chair in Dark Green Leather

Recently came across this version of the Vitra Eames Lounge Chair in dark green leather.

Never seen it before and in our opinion it works like a dream…. very impressed!

Standard by Jean Prouvé – Vitra G Star Raw Edition

Standard by Jean Prouvé - Vitra G Star Raw Edition

Last summer Vitra and G Star RAW released a limited edition series of “re workings” of Jean Prouvé’s well-known and lesser well-known furniture designs.

Although in advance we did fear that it would all – like G Star’s jeans – be far too over the top and aggressive. The final products impressed us with their understated elegance.

In particular the re-fashioned Standard really appealed to us.

Waver by Konstantin Grcic for Vitra

With summer on its way, its time to start thinking about garden and balcony furniture

Inspired by outdoor sports and launched at Milan 2011, Waver by Konstantin Grcic for Vitra presents not only a radical new form language for Vitra. But also for Konstantin Grcic.

Waver features a hard-wearing, weather and UV resistant seat suspended on metal frame. And so not only looks good, but will maintain its looks regardless what type of summer we have.

Waver by Konstantin Grcic for Vitra

VitraHaus Weil am Rhein

Given the fuss that was made ahead of the launch – and the number of journalists present at the press preview – we really did expect the opening of the VitraHaus to create a bit more, well … interest.

And even today, 23.02.2010,  when the official Vitra VitraHaus microsite should be launched…. it’s still only a redirect to the Vitra Campus page.

And we’re not even going to mention the number of hits “our” delicious bookmarks have received….

Which is all a bit disappointing because the VitraHaus is a true gem that really does deserve to be better treated.

We know it’s just a big shop.

We’re not daft.

But Macy’s is also a big shop, but who doesn’t love travelling up and down those wood escalators.

But your not likely to get quite as lost in Maceys as we got inside the VitraHaus.

Like Dr Who’s Tardis, once inside the VitraHaus the apparently relatively small building morphs into an endless stream of corridors, staircases and passages.

We loved it.

And we really liked that Vitra allow VitraHaus visitors to test, try out and use the exhibits.

VitraHaus.

All very good.

VitraHaus Weil am Rhein.. good use of organic shapes

VitraHaus... based on our living room. Honest

VitraHaus very spacey

VitraHaus ... exterior

VitraHaus side elevation

VitraHaus ... hanging in the Weil am Rhein sky

VitraHaus entrance

.03 by Maarten Van Severen for Vitra

If we’re honest the majority of the chairs currently being presented bore us … a lot.

Too much cleverness and not enough ingenuity.

Unfortunately.

And so every so often we scurry back into our comfort den which we have kitted out with wonders such as .03 by Maarten Van Severen for Vitra.

According to Vitra “The aesthetic trademark of .03 is its clear simple lines – the quintessence of the concept “less is more”. And we couldn’t agree more. Nor with their belief that only once one sits in the chair can one fully appreciate just how comfortable it is.

For what the .03 lacks in extravagant decoration it more than makes up for with it’s clever and well-concieved structure.

With it’s integrated triple layer leaf spring back support and durable, flexible integral foam seat the .03 is a comfortable and user-friendly chair for dining room, living room, office, bedroom, garage. Anywhere.

Maybe a few of today’s oh so clever chair designers should take a page out of Van Severn’s book and concentrate a little more on the function and a little less on the form.

And as we all know, the one follows the other anyway.

As the .03 beautifully shows.

.03 by Maarten Van Severn for Vitra

.03 by Maarten Van Severn - multi-purpose stools at their best.

“Plywood just got interesting”

Loftlife Magazine have made an amazing discovery – “Plywood just got interesting” they announce.

Shame that Charles and Ray Eames are no longer amongst us or they could  maybe have sold a couple of their previously uninteresting plywood chairs 😉

Joking aside the good folk at Loftlife are of course referring to the use of plywood as cladding and for structural elements rather than as furniture per se.  And while we fully agree with the authors that when used properly plywood needn’t look cheap, we can’t help thinking that, in such an apartment,  rather than wooden furniture one should experiment  a little with some of the plastic chairs from Charles and Ray Eames.

A white DAW with ahorn legs, for example.

Regradless, check out the photos at LoftLife and decide for yourself.

(and thanks to design-milk for the tip)

Plywood as interior decor (Photo by Christine Besson and from loftlifemag.com)

Vitra Net’n’Nest

The online edition of Indian business magazine Mint recently published an article on Vitra’s Net’n’Nest office design concept, including a few interesting photos which explain the idea.

Open plan, “free” office design and layout concepts  do have their problems and pit-falls; that said we do like the logic behinds Vitra’s Net’n’Nest.

And although Vitra obviously concentrate on those items from their own catalogue that one can mix and match – one can also mix items from various producers and designers.  Or better said should.

But regardless with what one finally surrounds onesself, we find the basics of Net’nNest essentially good and certainly worthy of further consideration.

Net'n'Nest at orgatec 2008

Hotel Furniture
Hill Cross specialise in providing high quality hotel furniture.