Karim Rashid has partnered with Velux for a new yet- to- be named collection of blackout skylight shades. These are not your everyday drab shades. The collection includes four unique patterns, each in two different colors. Customers can choose from vibrant pink and acid yellow or more subtle designs of black and white. Inspiration from digital technology on the one hand and floral motifs on the other, adds a modern yet poetic look to the collection. The new patterns bring an abstracted ‘digital nature’ into the home. Four of the designs have decorative metallic details creating a vivid texture. The blinds are not only art on the window but the shades in the new line are energy efficient, generating a 33% decrease in heat loss when closed.

“I want people to see a blind not as a genuine standard product but as a small piece of decorated art that adds beauty and even determines the style of the interior decoration.”

Wow that’s music to my ears! The window covering industry needs to hire him as a spokes person.

Running with the “digital” theme the collection seems to have taken, Velux is crowdsourcing the names of each of the patterns. The competition runs online this month and asks anyone to propose a name for the patterns which can be viewed and voted on by others. At the contest’s close, the most highly voted entries will become the official names of each of the blinds.

Teaming up with one of the design world’s most prolific designers demonstrates a new design approach in the VELUX Group.

“Choosing to work with Karim Rashid came from the recognition that if you want to be innovative, you have to experiment and demonstrate courage in the design process. So working together with internationally acknowledged designers like the ‘King of Colors’ represents a new experience at the VELUX Group. Usually our products serve the purpose of being discrete, but the new designs by Karim Rashid attract attention and add another feature besides quality and value for money to our products.”

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, 2011 now! design à vivre designers, show how this pressure can encourage even more precision. Designed to meet present-day needs but to resist the assault of time and fashion, their objects are sustainable by definition and consequently need to be precise. Their designs themselves are part of a long-term industrial process where design, in their opinion, owns the top spot. The importance of draftsmanship seems incongruous in these days of 3D technology. Yet it is natural for Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

Slow Chair for Vitra

Ronan born in 1971 and Erwan born in 1976, have worked together for over 10 years. Their partnership is a permanent dialogue, nourished by their differences and guided by their need for precision and delicacy.

At the Salon du Meuble in 1997, they were noticed by Giulio Cappellini who assigned them with their first industrial design projects. In 2000, Issey Miyake asked them to design a space presenting his new Apoc clothes collection in Paris. Then came the decisive meeting with Rolf Fehlbaum, president of Vitra, which led to the design of a new typology of office systems called Joyn in 2002. They have worked with Magis to design two complete furniture collections: Striped and Steelwood.

Steelwood Chair for Magis

Finally, the textile walls  North Times and  Clouds designed through a  partnership with Kvadrat.

 In 2010 they presented two separate collections for two new editors: a tableware collection, called Ovale, for Alessi and a bathroom collection for Axor.

Alessi Oval Collection 2010

UPDATE: Being introduced at M&O  next week in the  Nanimarquina booth is ‘losanges’ , a new rug collection designed by the  Bouroullec brothers.

Intrigued by traditional persian rugs and the ‘kilim savoir-fair’ which the designers consider to be a delicate mix of rusticity and fineness, the ‘losanges’ project is carried out by craftsmen in northern Pakistan who weave the rug’s thirteen colors into a geometrical rhombus shape. ‘losanges’ is crafted by hand, and the afghan wool used to craft it is hand spun, allowing for particular color tones to be highlighted,making each one a unique piece. Can’t wait to see it in person.

 For those of you interested in the process; see below.

Full scale sketch by Bouroullec brothers

Traditional weaving process by Pakistani craftsmen

Photos Courtesy of Maison et Objet.

The January 2011 edition’s Designers of the Year are:

 Maison et Objet – Edouard Francois

scenes d’interieur- Gilles and Boissier

Now!- Ronan and  Erwan Bouroullec

In 2011, scènes d’intérieur pays tribute to this expression of French fine decoration, embodied by the original style that Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier manage to develop.

Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier met at the start of their careers at Christian Liaigre in1995. He worked eight years there and became studio manager whereas she rapidly moved on to join Philippe Starck’s team where she stayed 9 years, reaching the top levels of responsibility in the interior design field. They decided to join forces in 2004 to create their own agency Gilles & Boissier. Winning clients like The Maison Boulud in Beijing, the Buddakan in New York with orginial and imaginative scenarios, they quickly acquired an international reputation in the worlds of hospitality, restaurants, and luxury. Their powerful, theatrical, narrative style inspires stagings that give the spaces they work with a unique sense of soul.

Apartment Plan

“We are condemned to bear this cross and flaunt it!”

Makato Cafe

Gilles & Boissier is the meeting of two rich and sometimes contrasting aesthetic approaches that come together in the design of varied spaces where staging often plays the starring role. Art holds a privileged place in their projects. Borrowing and breaking the rules and taking free inspiration from cultures and styles; their talent consists of a clever balancing act, perfect mastery of lines and proportions, constant attention to noble materials, often the know-how of top level artisans and young artists.

Murals in Artcurial cafe a collaboration with Cybrien Chabert

The secret of Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier also hangs on the confidence and complicity they forge with their loyal clients. Rémo Ruffini, of the Moncler brand assigned them to design a boat; then he submitted his quilted jacket brand to the designer couple. This was followed by new stores, residences and a new yacht. Alain Yau, the London restaurateur, founder of Hakkasan and Wagamama assigned them to a new address in Istanbul and continued the adventure with them in Miami, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Mumbai. Stephen Starr, another visionary entrepreneur, met them for the Buddakan project. Impressed by their work, he asked them to create Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida then a brand new restaurant, Makoto, in Miami which will open in late January 2011. Ian Shrager, a pioneer in designer hotels  and initiator of new lifestyle concepts recognized the talent of Gilles et Boissier by entrusting them with the interior design of the Gramercy Park Hotel’s restaurant in New York, the Wakiya.

Artcurial Cafe Paris

 Dorothee and Patrick say it best…

Tomorrow: Edouard Francois

Photos Courtesy Maison et Objet

Kyle Bunting, famed designer of amazing rugs, upholstery fabrics and wall coverings made from intricately patterned cowhides, has taken his work to the next level by venturing into furniture. You’ve seen his amazing ,intricately patterned hair on hide rugs; now you can see his furniture -  but not just furniture; furniture  in the most amazing candy shop colors  straight out of Willie Wonka.

Kyle and his team designed a limited edition of furnishings and art only available at Gump’s. Pieces include cube-shaped ottomans with matching lacquer bases, the long hair “Fog Hide” chair, tables and consoles and the two-sided curved “Neu” screen. Each piece is made to order and can be fully customized by color and finish.

The process to craft these masterpieces was so secretive not even Kyle’s own wife Libby Bunting knew exactly what he was up to until the preview earlier this summer for Gump’s. He wanted it to be a surprise when he brought her to San Francisco and walked her into Gump’s, where the store windows had been taken over by some of the most colorful objects ever made from cowhide.

My faves are  a group of six four-by-five foot hanging  art pieces made of highly detailed cowhide by Bunting and his team.

Design or Art?

In addition,, Bunting harnessed the talents of design doyenne Holly Hunt, Art Ellsworth and Marvin Wilkinson of John Brooks, Geoffrey De Sousa, Erik Hughes, Jan Showers, Kara Mann ( a Chicago fav of mine), Fern Santini, Kris Lajeski, and design team Neri and Hu, to create 10 one-of-a-kind wood-framed, lacquered chairs with custom designed cowhide upholstery for Gump’s.

Kyle Bunting’s passion is hide and the design potential of the material. Working exclusively in hide for almost a decade, his focus   is the redefinition of how hide can be used in interior applications. His collection and studio   work reflect his passion for the medium and the unlimited potential of his designs and technique.  A visit to his site to page through his lookbooks are amazing inspiration. Kyle’s company has completed thousands of projects for design professionals and private   clients throughout the world. Today, Kyle and his team of contributing designers operate and find inspiration in their design studio outside Austin in the Texas Hill Country.

To me Kyle embodies what a designer should be- passionate about his work; inspiring to other designers; generous and collaborative by nature. “We are always looking forward,” says Mr. Bunting, “and with this new collection we are exploring a new realm of what’s possible with hide—moving from floors, walls, and upholstery to furniture and art.” Will window coverings be next?

I’ve been following UK designer, upholsterer extraordinaire Aiveen Daly for several years and her new pieces do not  disappoint. Known for her sexy details, she has worked with the world’s top designers- Liberty of London, Paul Smith and Bill Amberg to name a few. I always find design inspiration from her.

This stunning satin upholstered canopy bed bedazzled with hundreds of tiny pearls and silver studs.

Aphrodite silk lampshade with hand braided detail.

The Can Can chair- What's not to love. Corset lacings and it's RED!

One of the highlights for me at Paris Deco Off was Jacob Schlaepfer. For me, Jakob Schlaepfer epitomizes the best of both design worlds. They call their textiles “industrially hand crafted “and it is so true- innovative, ingenious design done by the hand of master artisans. Known as the purveyor of haute couture fabrics since 1904 to such fashion houses as Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Vivenne Westood and Christian Lacroix (That is a whole other story!),  They entered into interiors in 2008 with couture worthy textiles that… well; you have to see it to believe it!   

 I was honored to be invited to experience their 2010 decor line at Galerie Alain  Blondel in the Marias and they did not disappoint.

Artisitc Director Michele Rondelli and Creative Director, Martin Leuthold led us on a mouth watering tour of their third edition interior collection. Each new piece was better than the last. This collection was meant to be experienced by all the senses.

Vada Tulle and Vada Gardinio Blackout

In 2008 they introduced a world first in by Vada Pleats and Vada Giardino. Never before has printing been carried out on three layers of tulle simultaneously. The effect is as beautiful as it is striking, since the three layers give the fabric a 3D look. The collection is supplemented with the flame-retardant Buonanotte fabric for black out draperies, which can be printed with all the motifs in the collection.

Phanton in Motion

Phantom – the world’s lightest textile for windows needs to be thrown up in the air to see how it float swirls around you like smoke rings. Weighing only 10 grams per square meter, this polyester fiber enhanced with metal floats with every movement of the air. Introduced in 2009 and winning several prestigious textile design prizes; they built on its success with a printed version- Secret Garden.

 

 

Secret Garden

Detail Secret Garden

 “The technical perfection of the material, which shows most spectacularly in movement, has here been made entirely subservient to the poetic effect achieved,” commented one member of the Textile Design Jury.

Pollock Wall Panels

Playing with pollock

 

 

 

Pollock must be played with. This textile is like a incredibly beautiful etch-a sketch. Invention is in Jakob Schlaepfer’s blood: it has been  more than thirty years since the St Gallen manufacturer developed the first industrial procedure for applying paillettes(sequins) to fabrics, revolutionizing the entire textile industry. Now a new process has made these same paillettes interactive: by stroking them you can turn them over, from one face to the other, from one colour combination to another,from bright to matt, from plain to printed, from glittering to iridescent – with more than 200 combinations the possibilities are simply endless.  Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs, were so enthralled they included the fabric in their new collections just off the runway.

Korsakow close-up

Korsakow is …how do you explain Korsakow-? It is embossed foam tipped with gold or silver leather and applied by hand to transparent black tulle).See what I mean you just have to see it to believe it!

Aluminum Sheer

A layer of aluminum is sandwiched between contrasting chiffons in this sculputural curtain.

Master Bedroom Hamptons Showhouse

I am not a practicing GREEN designer. I understand the importance etc, but it isn’t my niche. Because today’s Earth Day, I thought I do my part and post about someone you should know in the Green movement- O Eco Textiles.
I first came across O Eco Textiles and founders Leigh Anne Van Dusen and her partner Patty Grossman through my friends at TODL. I’ve had the good luck to spend some time with Leigh Anne and hear her awesome presentation about textiles and what is really green and sustainable. Frankly, I am a little pessimistic about all the Green conversations and marketing strategies out there. It’s interesting how linen and cotton have all of a sudden become “organic”; yet if you examine the textile process by its very nature it is not green.
But O Eco is… O Ecotextiles is probably the greenest producer of home textiles (primarily used for window coverings, upholstery and top-of-bed). In addition to the yarns, it’s about the process. O Ecotextiles is an “organic fabric”, not just an “organic fibre fabric.” Think of turning organic apples into applesauce: if the manufacturer mixes the organic apples with Red Dye #2, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabalizers then the final product is far from organic. The same is true of fabrics.
Leigh Anne and Patty researched the chemicals used in the textile process , finding there are 2000 chemicals used in the manufacturing process of making textiles from yarns. They have ELIMINATED USE of ALL THESE CHEMICALS in their manufacturing process (the “toxic yuck” as Patty says). Their resulting fabrics are acknowledged as beautiful and lush, and they meet / exceed all fabrics use standards.

Just the Facts, Ma’am
BuildingGreen.com named them as one of their Top 10 Products for 2008 – very big deal. These are selected by the editors of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec®, the leading national directory of green building products. Hefty criteria.
CEO Patty Grossman heads up the Textiles division for the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC)
Their attention to the environmental aspects of production doesn’t mean that they turn a blind eye to the finished product- using Belgian linen spun into yarn by a Master of Linen and long fiber hemp field retted by craftsmen who still maintain the old traditions.
Not to mention, they have entered into a partnership with So Far So Near collaborating on some fabulous printed textiles that are presented as a collection that works together to delight the eye and the hand – soft, beautifully colored and finished.

Leigh Anne and Patty say it best; some of their favorite points are
- Much of the textile industry has left the US and gone to developing countries.
- In India alone, textile effluent averages around 425,000,000 gallons per day. In a year, that would fill 240,000 Olympic sized swimming pools — water filled with detergents, degreasers, surfactants, bleaches, optical brighteners, size, desizers, dyes and many other types of chemicals.
- People don’t realize that the phthalates and ‘Bisphenol A’ and toxic chemicals that have just been outlawed in California in kids toys, well, the vast majority of textile printing dyes are full of that stuff. Phthalates is a class of chemicals that has a pretty unsavory toxicity. People who are very careful about not bringing toxic toys into their house can be putting kids to sleep in rooms full of this stuff because the fabrics are full of it.
- Doctors who treat patients for sick building syndrome increased by 40% in the decade of the 1990s. The chemical soup in our homes over the last 50+ years is causing or contributing to a plethora of issues — increased autism, one type of leukemia, male birth defects, childhood brain cancer, ADHD, asthma. And today 40% of all children have allergies of some kind
Bottom line – O Eco Textiles are beautiful and healthy – a hard -to -find combination.

Are you a closet crafter?  Were you the one who passed on typing class for a front row sewing machine in Home Ec? I did and lately I am feeling the urge to get back on the craft wagon. ( believe me crafting and craft fairs are not what they used to be) So it’s with great interest that I am following Faythe Levine’s journey with Handmade Nation. I first heard about Faythe and her amazing documentary in 2007, at about the same time as I was trendspotting the growing craft movement and its affect on design. We labeled it Renegade Craft- the transformations, adaptations and the resurrection of old-fashioned processes and materials into designs that are fresh, edgy and new. Its focus is on the intersection between craft, art and design; the on-going need for the hand-made in a techno-based society, rendered in a completely forward-looking fashion. Now 2 years later it has become a full blown trend and the documentary has been a huge hit screening
What is Handmade Nation?
In 2006, first-time filmmaker Faythe Levine, founder of Art vs. Craft, Milwaukee’s independent craft fair and the co-owner and curator of Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery. traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. Handmade Nation gives viewers an inside glimpse into the fascinating world of the indie craft community through interviews and footage of crafters in their natural habitats – work studios and craft fairs. Featured crafters include Jenny Hart, Nikki McClure, Knitta’ and Deb Dormody, just to name a few. Levine lets the individual crafters shine as they talk openly about being part of an ever-growing DIY community. While each crafters’ individual work is highlighted in the interviews, it’s their expressed dedication to the larger indie craft movement that comes off as nothing less than amazing. The indie craft community, as highlighted in Handmade Nation is one of the only economic rays of light in this troubled economy – and this film is a testament to that success. Follow Faythe on her blog, at Handmade Nation’s official website. or buy the book. If you’re new to the craft movement, you gotta check it even its to see what kind of mad skills crafters like Austin Craft Mafia, Sew Bitchy, or Naughty Secretary Club have.

Handmade Nation’s next screenings:

April 23rd: West Bend, WI- I’ll be there!

Museum of Wisconsin Art 5 – 8 pm
West Bend, Wisconsin
5 pm, food & beer tasting
Film begins at 6:00 pm followed by panel discussion with Faythe Levine and guests

Tickets only available at door $5 beginning at 4:45pm, limited seating.

the Stitches & Craft Show

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

May 1st: Washington DC

Theater J at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center
1529 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Screening #1: 6:30pm- For Summit Pass Holders Only
Screening #2: 8:30pm- Open to all. Tickets to this screening can purchased online, starting April 8th.
Information HERE

July 9th: Vancouver, BC

Ridge Theatre, 3131 Arbutus Street
Craft Showcase at 7:00pm + Screening at 8:00pm
Tickets $20.00 in advance or $25.00 at the door. First 100 tickets sold will receive a swag bag. Info & tickets available HERE.

November 10th & 11th: Seattle, WA
Hosted by Northwest Film Forum & Urban Craft Uprising
Information TBA

We’re all about niche marketing here at Design Confidential. California interior designer James Swan’s “After Care” program is a unique take on using a niche to create another revenue model for your business. Conceived when a customer mentioned to James that they had no idea about what was entailed in continuing care of what James’ calls -the physical plant. The client commented that he didn’t have a clue about how to handle the post project management in their new home and suggested that James and his staff help him. Out of that suggestion grew the after care program. Separate from his design scope of services, here’s how it works:

When working with potential clients discuss this add-on service as an option:

Present a proposal to clients individually crafted to their needs.

Inventory the products and services needed to provide annual care to the home’things like paint touch up, cleaning carpets, replating hardware, etc.

Present the list to the client face-to-face where a decision is made about who will do what, in terms of supervision.

Present a contract that usually provides management of tradespeople and craftsman, onsite supervision and follow-up to ensure it’s done correctly, including picture perfect cleanup.

What a great way to keep in touch with your core clients, add revenue and ensure your vision is carried out.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post about James and his new venture with Ballard Designs.

David Rockwell, founder of the Rockwell Group, an architecture and design form specializing in cultural, hospitality, retail, theater, and product design, and this year’s National Design Award winner in Interior design. Rockwell is best known for crafting unique narratives and immersive environments. His works range from the W Hotels, Kodiak Theater, Adour Alaian Ducasse and Nobu restaurants. Currently he is working on Canyon Ranch Miami and just opened the Nobu Dubai.

D.C.-You have what seems to be an infinite amount of creativity and ideas, How do you get inspired?

New challenges.  Any design…really what I love is invention and I am probably most interested in projects that have some communal aspect. My design practice is a great communal process. We’re nontraditional in the sense that we don’t believe in boundaries between architecture, interior design, theater, product design; it’s all part of the same endeavor and it all starts out very collaborative. The thing that always gets me going is – we just agreed to do the set design for the Oscars this year-  What get me going about that is that it’s thrilling and scary all at the same time.

D.C.- Are you the designer that goes to the supplier and forces the issues with innovative sources, finishes? How do you keep abreast? We actually have a lab that focuses only on innovation in both technology and handcraftsmanship. We are at the center in finding artisans and craftsman and that’s built into and an integral part of our process.

Nobu Dubai Dining Room with Abaca mesh panels

D.C.- I am interested in your comments about secret narratives in design- can you explain or talk to me about that. How do you design a narrative? Design a story?

 

 

Secret or non secret, I think design is most interesting when it’s based on a set of ideas that you put together with a client. Obviously you come to the client as a designer with a lifetime of ideas and throw them out. But we do a lot of listening early on and in some ways it’s like doing a portrait. You’re listening to the client; you’re hearing what’s important to them; you’re looking at the site; you’re finding all of the unique factors that go towards making a project special. It’s not unlike a script in a play. Where it’s different is that in a play you are given the script and in architecture you illicit the script and build it together with the client. Ultimately people sense if they are in a place where there is an underlying point of view – is it authentic? Have you created an authentic point of view for your project?

D.C.- So how do you design that narrative? How do you take an idea and POV and translate it into products or finishes?

 OK, Let’s take Canyon Ranch Miami that is going to open up in a couple of weeks. That’s a case where I knew Canyon Ranch really well and I knew Mel Zuckerman and I spent a lot of time out there with my team and we started to think about in designing a living environment for Canyon Ranch where we would focus a disproportionate amount  of our design efforts on those areas where you would be singularly changing your lifestyle. So, what do I mean by that? Well, in the rooms you walk into the kitchen with open shelving with all their herbal teas sitting right in front of you. It makes you rethink how you’ll use the kitchen right off the bat. In the spa, the juice bar which is the most social aspect with all the classes you’re going to take is very visible. We also over time evolved a story about someone who was looking for a healthy lifestyle in this very vertical and dense structure. (Unlike Tucson or the Berkshires which are low rise; these are high rises and they are quite dense.) We created a banyan tree and agate sculptural wall that cuts thru all of the public spaces; it’s almost like a host. So when you’re in a place were you’re changing habits by having this host wall that you recognize everywhere it gives you a sense of comfort and orientation.

Canyon Ranch Miami Dining Room

Canyon Ranch Bath

Well, I think people know more about design now; there is a higher level of design intelligence. There is less ability to amaze people just with a new service. You have to go deeper than that. The greatest luxury we now have is regaining time so in hospitality we create places that allow you to enjoy being with each other.

When Nobu opened 15 years ago, there were not a lot of 3 star restaurants that didn’t have tablecloths. It signaled a new way to think about luxury. We just did Alain Ducasses’ restaurant at the St. Regis – very high end luxury; however it’s also accessible. It’s not alienating. We’re in this global moment where we are so connect virtually; so that real time connections- restaurants, hotels, places to get together and socialize have more importance.

Adour Alain Ducasse