August 2012

Renudo
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Wool Slippers by Renudo, image from item.rakuten.co.jp

I don't think there's a better way to enter the weekend than contemplating RENUDO ~ an Italian company we were so pleased to encounter at NYGIF.

Renudo wool slippers and bag, image via openers.jp

Renudo is a designer, producer, wholesaler and retailer of earth-friendly slippers and bags, which are made from wool and/or EVA rubber (an environmentally sound foam-like material).

Wool bag by Renudo, image via renudo.biz

Perhaps the word that best captures Renudo's approach is thoughtful. Every - and I mean every - facet of the business, production and final product is considered, integrated, and apparent. They make the shoes, the pouches for the shoes, and bags the shoes-in-pouches go into upon sale. Thread, tassels, foam and wool are all coordinated by color, resulting in a made-to-order feel for stock production items.

Renudo wool slippers in paper packaging, image via global.rakuten.com

After viewing their abundant offerings, you may question: How can something so meticulous, so fastidious, and so fussy appear so fluent and fetching?

Quite simply: Good design is impossibly cool.

malia@furniturea.com
Oigen
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Cast Iron Tile by Oigen, Japan

Sometimes you come across an object so special, and so fine, that its use/purpose/function turns somehow moot. Softly rounded stones... Prongs of driftwood... Barely intact gears of old watches...

Cast Iron Tile by Oigen, Japan

Softly rounded stones... Prongs of driftwood... Barely intact gears of old wrist watches... These are examples of things we may hold near and dear - the sorts of things that resonate with us at frequencies above and beyond reason.

Cast Iron Tile by Oigen, Japan

Such objects are often, if not always, older, weathered versions of once-younger  things. The lone hand cut nail, tattered quilt fragment, or cool key to nowhere may not be obsolete (although it may appear that way to some). Instead, it's been dormant, quiet - even fading - but all the while possessing the possibility of new relevance.

The mysterious meaning that these objects have is difficult to kindle in new objects. And it's precisely why k.i.w.a. by Japan's OIGEN Foundry Co., Ltd. is so remarkable. Each cast iron tile is made (and named) to represent a sound - the sound of gathering fabric or of wind under cloth. The tiles (or more accurately: tile-like objects) are offered to customers with the following:

The product of your desires. Let intuition speak for your heart.

And that is it. The use, meaning, purpose, function - is all to be determined. OIGEN crafts these items, and the rest is beautifully, cleverly, and honestly up to you.

malia@furniturea.com
Design Love Fest
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Driftwood Wall Hooks from Areaware

Next time, we'll wear pedometers! Walking the NYIGF was a serious exercise in movement, attention, discernment, and engagement. We met so many talented and devoted artists and craftspeople, and each conversation added peripheral fuel to Furniturea's design fire - for there's nothing quite as motivating than connecting with peers who are passionate about their work. We'll be introducing our favorites over the course of weeks to come, but for our inaugural post, here are some of the image highlights from in (but mostly around) the Javits...

Birch growing in NYC Highline

Lattice balcony, as seen from NYC Highline

Hotel-like apartments above NYC Highline

Seating under cover at NYC Highline

Metal meets concrete on NYC Highline

One of many installations of wall art from NYIGF

Antique Japanese shoelacing machine!

... but it's always good to come home...

Crescent Beach after sunrise in Maine

malia@furniturea.com
We are back!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Yvette Laduk's "Woody Wood" carpet from NYIGF, image via apartmenttherapy.com

After a whirlwind trip to New York City, Furniturea has heaps of cards, catalogues and look-books to review - all from NYIGF, and all featuring interesting, attractive works by designers from around the world.

Of course, Rural Modern was a *bit* too ambitious with regards to our reporting-back-schedule... as the loads of goodies have remained in their bags, and the photos have yet to migrate from camera to computer... so stay tuned for next week's post, which will undoubtedly (begin to) uncover the best and brightest of this year's show.

In the meantime, enjoy a sneak peak from Tuttobene, a designer/maker collective from Holland. Yvette Laduk's "Woody Wood" was a playful-yet-refined carpet, depicting a tree trunk's cross section. Fun and fine, it was one of many clever works on display throughout the thousands and thousands and thousands of booths...

malia@furniturea.com
Holiday
Monday, August 13, 2012
Popham Beach, Maine

Yes, even Rural Modernists need vacation every now and then!

Posts will resume Wednesday 08. 22. 12, after a brief recess and a trip to NYIGF! See you then...

malia@furniturea.com
Rustic +
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Modern house with board and batten siding, image from moderndesigntrends.com

Board and Batten siding may very well be the next trend to emerge in the home/design realm...

Modern house with board and batten siding, image from fivecat.wordpress.com

And if this does happen, it will be yet another example of Furniturea's progressive approach and discerning eye.

Modern house with board and batten siding, image from sunset.com

Both understated and underrated, Board and Batten facades have a discrete elegance that's symbolic of New England style. Straight-forward, functional, attractive - what's not to like?

When contemplating how best to side your home - or your Crate - make room for this quiet contender. A vote for Board and Batten may ultimately align you with the in-crowd, but more importantly, will charm your inner-Mainer.

malia@furniturea.com
Bored?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Pine board and batten siding, image from hullforestproducts.com, edited by RM

No, not bored... board ~ as in beautiful wooden board... figured board... knotty, amber, glistening board...

Curly Maple sample, image from newtowoodworking.dot, image edited by RM

Or rather, rough-cut, splintered, sun-bleached board...

Image of Patterson House from gettysburgdaily.com, edited by RM

Or Level, planed and jointed board...

Board and Batten siding and window. Image from flickriver.com, and edited by RM

At Furniturea, we're often ensconced in color - but our Crate and Shutter Table sales don't lie. As much as we love a perfectly applied painted finish, it's hard to compete with the character of natural wood. It's why our clear-coat table tops are exceptionally popular, as are our Board & Batten Crates, which whimsically reference the subject of this week's posts. So if you haven't seen our board-inspired pieces - or if you have - come on down to 75 Market, as there are recently-added editions to the board-collection!

malia@furniturea.com
Seams Old
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Plate image of the Restoration of Hoover Cottage, image from http://www.nps.gov/

This week, Rural Modern will focus it's attention on Board & Batten construction. This centuries' old technique is prevalent on many home and barn facades throughout New England - as well as on door and drawer fronts for Furniturea's Crate Series.

Plate image of the Restoration of Hoover Cottage, image from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/heho/hsr/

The wonderful plate images featured in today's post are not from Maine (they're from Maryland), but they show (quite beautifully) the historical connection between our modern furniture, and the practical, craft traditions from years and years ago. In this case, the structure is Hoover Cottage (birthplace of our late President), which was built just prior to Herbert's birth, and restored years later (as these plates so thoughtfully document).

Plate image of the Restoration of Hoover Cottage, image from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/heho/hsr/

Look closely and you'll see the markings of vertical Board and Batten construction. The seam of every two boards was filled both inside and out; inside with muslin, and outside with battens. Battens (long strips of wood) helped to fill the gaps between boards, and mitigated losses of insulation, which are inevitable in timber construction.

Plate image of the Restoration of Hoover Cottage, image from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/heho/hsr/

It's reasonable to assume that historic structures (like Hoover Cottage) were built and restored with 90 degree angles in mind, and that for long periods of time, their original angles endured. But alas, nothing is forever... and while board and batten siding helps to stave off symptoms of exposure (to precipitation and time), organic materials can't help but succumb to larger, more powerful forces. After all, even boulders turn to sand.

And so, our interest lies not only in the technique itself - in it's history, methods of application, and present day use - but also in the weathering, softening, and shifting it exhibits over the course of its life. It's on this note that we'll pick up on Wednesday....

 

Many thanks to nps.gov  for their thorough coverage of of Hoover Cottage, including the plates featured here.



malia@furniturea.com