Viccarbe

During my travels in Spain, I came across a contemporary furniture company based in Valencia called Viccarbe. Here are some pieces that I thought were fantastic.

Barcelona: Vincon

A trip to Barcelona should include a trip to Vincon for anyone who is design obsessed. Housed in a historic building on the Passeig de Gracia it is filled to the brim with classic pieces and unique creations, many of which are at affordable prices. The lighting department and the furniture gallery should not be missed! Here are some items that caught my eye...


To the right is a Ron Arad chair designed in 2005.







This is a cube light that comes on when you open the top.





Finally, the cereal dispenser, a very useful device in my house.

Barcelona: Gotham

While I was in Barcelona last week I got a chance to visit Gotham, which is a store specializing in vintage modern furniture from the 50s, 60s an 70s.

There was an amazing selection, all of which was in really great shape, and it was a thrill to see some authentic pieces up close.

Milan: Established and Sons

Established and Sons launched two fantastic pieces during the Salone del Mobile. The first, a set of stools grouped together to form a single seating platform which can be separated to move around the room or reform in different clusters.

I know I have mentioned this before, but I love furniture that you are able to interact with, and the Nekton stool by Zaha Hadid allows you to do just that.

The second piece is the Crate Series, which consists of five separate units that can be used as tables, cabinets and... a spare bed. Jasper Morrison designed them to give the impression that they were home made, perhaps to highlight the practicality of the design and its modest origins.

I am heading off for a family vacation to the Costa Brava and Barcelona. I hope to bring back some exciting finds for my posts after May 20th. Adios!

Milan: Formfjord

At the Salone Satellite I found this great shelving system by Formfjord. All of the units are magnetic and can be easily moved around to form various combinations that easily snap into place.



They also make this wonderful vase that is designed to display flowers horizontally.

Langston Hughes Library

I really admire projects that take historic buildings and combine them seamlessly with contemporary architecture. It is a difficult feat to pull off, but in the best cases the reinterpretation brings the building alive and creates a space that speaks to both eras.

A marvelous example of this is the Langston Hughes Library in Clinton, Tennessee. Maya Lin designed this for the Children's Defence Fund to house a 5,000 volume reference collection that specializes in the Civil Rights Movement and books written by Black authors. It is an 1860's cantilevered barn which is typical of that area and period.

Milan: Piet Boon

I have seen Piet Boon furniture in magazines before, but Milan was the first time I was able to experience a whole collection in person.

The Piet Boon Zone was part of the Superstudio Piu in the Zona Tortona, which is one of the most exciting areas of Milan to visit during the Salone del Mobile.




Most of his collections are in neutral, earthy tones, with a lot of dark wood and rough textured fabric. They have very classic modern lines, which keeps the furniture from feeling to heavy and overwhelming.


The craftsmanship and the finishing on the chairs and sectionals are really superb, and they are also incredibly comfortable to sit in!