DWR employees are often envied by friends and clients alike, as everyone assumes our houses are DWR-decorated floor to ceiling. And they’d be correct in that assumption, but we do have a little secret. DWR employees are savvy folks and we’re always the first to shop our warehouse sales. (Take a look at Edward’s place above, furnished almost entirely at warehouse sales.) There is another one this weekend in San Francisco. So now the secret’s out: You don’t need to work at DWR to get a deal. The next DWR warehouse sale is September 29–30 at the Potrero Warehouse. Learn more here.
If you’ve been in Manhattan recently you’ve undoubtedly seen the city’s cabs covered in colorful flowers. They’ve sprouted up all over without explanation. Friends have hypothesized they were linked perhaps to a new MoMA exhibit or part of a brand campaign for the television show Pushing Daisies. These guesses would be wrong, as I’ve just uncovered the answer. The flowers are part of the public art project Garden in Transit and the appliqués have been hand-painted by thousands of school children to adorn the iconic yellow taxis. In the process they’ve learned valuable lessons about art, community, teamwork and collaboration. The results bring questions and smiles to those of us schlepping around the city.
Newport Beach’s Orange County Museum of Art exhibit Birth of the Cool is shaping up to be worthy of a Mile Davis song, and DWR is honored to be one of the sponsors. According to the NY Times, “the show promises to be one big, sexy mix of painting, photography, music, graphic design, architecture, animation and film from the 1950s, and what may be most famous of all, mid-century furniture.” The list of 150 objects and corresponding artists on view reads less like a Who’s Who list, and more of a thoughtfully collected congregation of mid-century modernists. Adding to the show’s vibe, the Birth of the Cool exhibit features a jazz lounge with Saarinen furniture donated by DWR and a media bar. How cool is that? Opens October 7, 2007.
I promise this will be my last post on Takashi Murakami, but as someone who just made a headboard (post on that later) from skateboards, I have to express my excitement to the Design Notes readers about the artist’s upcoming collaboration with Supreme. Supreme is the NYC-based skate company that has, in the past, issued limited edition skate decks by Jeff Koons. Murakami’s decks are done in his classic style, and they’re a must-have for the art/skate obsessed like myself. The decks drop tomorrow in N.Y.C., L.A. and Japan. They’ll also be live online. Get to them soon. Like past Supreme artist series they sell out quickly and then find their way to eBay, well above retail.
Congratulations to the winners of our Cubit-Creativity Contest. Our first place winner is Yvette Jusseaume who showcases her creativity in using Cubitec as a room divider that doesn’t let a classic old radiator stand in its way. “We didn’t suspect how much the Cubitec versatility would end up helping us work around a beautiful radiator,” says Yvette.
The contest’s runner-up prize goes to Elizabeth Saunders who used Cubits to create a baking station in her kitchen. We love the addition of the marble top (a salvage piece that fit perfectly), which Elizabeth says allows Cubits to do double duty as a buffet/sideboard when guests come for dinner. “It’s a very flexible set up that can evolve as I think up new ways to make my small house work more efficiently,” says Elizabeth.
Congratulations to our winners, and a round of applause to everyone who entered.
This weekend Design Within Reach will participate in Dwell magazine's Dwell on Design Conference + Exhibition in San Francisco. As part of Dwell Outdoor, the outdoor exhibition featuring the best idea and products for modern outdoor living. DWR will be on hand with kitHaus and the Design Within Reach Airstream trailer. Please come by, say hello and check out the Airstream and a cool new prefab living solution.
Where? S.F. Concourse Exhibition Center at 635 Eighth Street When? Saturday, September 15, noon-6pm and Sunday, September 16, 9am-5pm
Via Zach Wheeler, representing the DWR Berkeley Studio, comes a link from Core 77 spotlighting the Eames Lounge Chair’s television debut in 1956. It’s a piece of modern history.
If you’re in Los Angeles this fall and want to see Takashi Murakami’s work, don’t fret if you cannot get hold of Kanye for a private home visit. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA will run a three-part show of the artist’s various creations from October 29 through February 11. The 20,000 square-foot exhibit will house painting, sculpture, installation and film.
According to MOCA “the first portion will be an immersive, theatrically lit environment, recreating the annual ‘Wonder Festival’ comic market convention. It will feature many of Murakami’s acclaimed large-scale otaku-inspired figure projects of the late 1990s, including a new version of Second Mission Project Ko2 (2000-07). The second section will comprise a grid-like shelving display of all of Murakami’s merchandise, including multiples, collectibles, and maquettes, among other items. The final section will trace Murakami’s artistic development since 1991, including early works that engage branding and the evolution of his signature character, DOB.”
Louis Vuitton will be setting up a shop selling the artist’s handbag and accessories collaborations with the venerable luxury brand. Surely, they’ll not be included in the price of admission.
Design Within Reach’s Warehouse Sales have had a cult following for years. Next weekend we’re reinventing the DWR warehouse sale in a “classic” way. Located at our Secaucus Annex, this slightly expanded version of the sale will feature an unusually large number of fully licensed product. We’ve gathered as many modern icons as we could possibly fit into the Annex and taken some deep discounts, up to 75% off. Doors open at 10am on Saturday, September 15 and continues Sunday, September 16 at 11am. The madness ends promptly at 6pm on both days. Get directions and details here.
Kanye West is hip-hop’s Technicolor dream kid. He’s colorful in every way whether wearing bright pinks and yellows, declaring George Bush doesn’t “care about black people” or collecting pop art. His Los Angeles home complements his colorful personality.
Interior Design has published photos of the house and the muted interiors work as a gallery space for the fun, yet thoughtful, art collection. The home appears restrained, which is good, as the art is so over-the-top. His art/design mix includes Dordoni, Warhol, Wanders, Murakami and Fortuny.The NY Times today called the rapper self-obsessed. His home, on the contrary, is anything but.
