August 2011

I hold special places for maps and quilts in the appreciation/fascination compartment of my brain. Despite being technologically current in their modes of making, they retain an archaic quality, which results in products that are equally antiquated and modern. Hours of work goes into creating both - they are process intensive crafts - and yet they are made to eventually fall apart. Quilts, historically, are made from scrapped and remnant fabrics (and the quilt, too, will tatter away in time), and cartographers can never keep up with constantly changing conditions. A perfect map is outdated as soon as it is produced. The environment is in flux always; accurate representation is therefore impossible.

To mark and depict, to see from above and within, to stitch and to scale... Map quilts by Haptic Labs in Brooklyn, NY blend two beautiful traditions and in doing so retain the utility and practicality of each discipline. The quilt covers bed and bodies. The map diagrams space. And together, they make elegant, graphic, didactic coverings. Enjoy... 

It's been at least 2 years since we first introduced Anne Black ceramics to the Furniturea showroom, and it's been an aesthetic joy to be surrounded by her Tilt and Seam creations. Unfortunately, the masses of potential Anne Black customers have yet to catch on to her amazing work... and so it lingers. Plates, platters and bowls all nested in asymmetrical perfection, leaning into one another, sporting subtle variations of red perforated line motifs.

Her vases display delicate buds and branches for our enjoyment, but the last two remain on display like kittens left un-adopted from a litter of many. Why have they yet to find forever-homes? I certainly love mine - and my Tilt bowls - ideal for rice, and ideal for anything. Because as Marie Claire editor, Joanna Coles, explained on a *certain* television program last Thursday evening: Clothes are emotional; they are transformative for the people wearing them and for people seeing them.

I extend Coles' reasoning to home decor as well because the rituals of cooking, eating - of nesting in general - matter. They matter to most folks on so-called special occasions (you know, the "good dishes"? The ones on the high-up shelf, just out of reach?). But they matter, too, in our everyday, mundane performances of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And this is where Anne Black comes in - imbuing the automatic acts of serving and consuming food with a bit of thought, a bit of care, and a lot of design. Her work is not about what you "should" do, and is instead about what you the automatic acts of serving and consuming food with a bit of thought, a bit of care, and a lot of design. Her work is not about what you "should" do, and is instead about what you could do. You could, for example, experience Marshmallow Oaties in an entirely new and enhanced light. Cereal as beautiful? Just add Anne...

As designers we strive for distinction - to articulate and execute in ways that others have not. Sometimes our work is near invisible - or unconscious. The stapler, the seat belt, the bottle opener - such items' personalities are synonymous with function. And when they function properly, they almost disappear (in a good way). Other designs - of cars and homes and furniture - are successful when they 1) function and 2) are recognizable as different from - and better than - the rest. Sure, the Aveo and Fiat 500 are both small, fuel efficient cars - similar in many ways - but born of different design ethos. One, of function only (Aveo) and the other, of function and aesthetic (Fiat).

Aesthetics is a nuanced and complex field of history, association and discipline, although you wouldn't know it by looking at popular fashion. Coach, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, among others, interpret asethic as brand. This is why popular handbags are 1) functional, and 2) covered in the letter C.

It is a sad triumph when literal wins out over all else. The culture of branding is one of extremes, of absolutes; it's either repeating C's or it's nothing. And the C's don't play well with others. C is, well, an island. It is a destination people flock to for validation, that is until C-covered bags exhaust their trend appeal. Then people look for the next design island, thinking not about design archipelagos, which are far more flexible, resilient and fun.

Let's revise: If we judge design based on function and aesthetics, we should also note reciprocity. An object's capacity to enhance, and be enhanced by, other different things. Resilient design is not bullying. It engages outsiders in patient hopeful pursuit of lasting alliance - strength through connection. Bread and butter, solids and prints, Furniturea and Chilewich; one is better with the other.

Nothing lasts forever... true. But enough already with disposable design! Those fall-apart, throw-away, built-to-fail things have emptied wallets and mounded landfills for far too long. Why we have yet to invent a biodegradable economy is a mystery to me.  You know, the kind of economy where objects are either made to last OR are made to disappear back into the earth?

For instance, Portland's Coffee By Design serves iced drinks in compostable plastic cups. Of course, they'll give you a discount if you bring your own reusable one, but CBD doesn't place all their faith in you (or me) to make the best decision every time. They simply make it for you. Their espresso machine, on the other hand, is built to last. Metals, durable plastics - it's solidly built because it needs to function over and over again. It's why they serve you in something impermanent (biodegradable plastic) from something permanent (shiny, steaming, magic machine).

When we buy furniture from IKEA or Target we usually do so because it's more "affordable". Increasingly, we're able to get close to - or exactly - the thing we wanted at a fraction of other retailers' prices. The money saved, however, is like years shaved off the life of the product. And the product - be it a couch or desk, a chair or picture frame (have I mentioned that Furniturea makes a great one?) is built and bought to satisfy, function briefly, and fall terribly (or in the case of upholstery, lumpily) apart.

Finland's Iittala calls it a culture of Throwawayism. They make, market and sell in opposition to this culture, and ask customers to commit to their products just as Iittala has committed to durable design and production. While it is impossible to invest in a desk, it is entirely possible to commit to one. That's what we offer here at Furniturea: a thoughtfully designed process and product made to last. Use it, write your novel on it, pass it down to younger generations... How you use it is entirely up to you. That you'll be able to use, and use and use it in years to come is entirely up to us.