NY Times: Shopping for Summer House Furnishings With 2Michaels.

In Wednesday's "Shopping for Summer Home Furnishings" feature in the NY Times, Jayne and Joan Michaels, twin sisters behind the interior design firm 2Michaels, shopped in pursuit of the perfect summer home furnishings. They stopped off at DWR SoHo and picked out our Cast Iron Fire Bowl (with optional stainless-steel grill). "I like the shape of it," Joan commented, while her sister Jayne felt she'd be more inclined to use it as a fire pit (instead of a grill) to maintain its attractive look. Either way, we're fond of its mobility – BBQ on beach? – and natural ability to make cool summer nights last a little longer.

 

DWR Stamford is Open.

 

Our 6500-square-foot Stamford Studio has officially opened in the Harbor Point area of Stamford's South End. Stop by to check out our interior design solutions for living, dining, work and sleep and chat with Studio Proprietor Troyce Smith and our knowledgeable sales associates. 

New England Home Features Photographer Bonnie Edelman.

"Horse and Tree at Last Light" (2009)

We were thrilled to see coverage of Bonnie Edelman's photography on the New England Home blog. Her collection Sermo per Equus (Conversations with Horses) was shot on Bordoneo Farm in Uruguay and is featured in the summer issue of New England Home Connecticut – it's also available at DWR. 

Sneak Peek: Inside the New DWR Stamford Studio.

Could this coalescing Light Cloud signal the opening of our new Stamford Studio!? You'll just have to wait and see...

Jean Prouvé exhibit at Vitra.

“My father loved to balance on the back legs of his chair,” recalls Catherine Prouvé of her father, Jean. “That’s the position he took to ponder over new inventions and design solutions. He was the only one who managed to stay perfectly still on just two legs.” If you love Jean Prouvé as much as we do (and you'll be near the Vitra Campus in Germany) then be sure to catch this exhibit at the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid.

David Mellor Glass Bowls on sale this weekend.

While quantities last, we're offering David Mellor Glass Bowls at a special price. Available in two sizes and four iridescent colors.

Friday fun at DWR headquarters.

No, we're not building a giant Candy Land game. These are swatches that we're getting ready for our Swatch Wall in the new Stamford Studio (opening soon!). There will be 560 of these colorful squares, which represent only a small percentage of the fabrics and leathers in our assortment. Look for our new Stamford Studio at 711 Canal Street. 

Deneb Teak Collection at Valdemar Winery in Spain.

Our partners at STUA sent us these lovely photos of the Valdemar Winery, with its outdoor terrace outfitted in Deneb Teak Tables and Stools. Deneb was designed by STUA founder Jesús Gasca and it's been a DWR favorite since it launched in 2003.

Brown Jordan 2012 preview in NYC.

Left to right: Ben Gaffney, DWR; Stephen Elton, VP of Sales and Marketing, Brown Jordan; Gene Moriarty, President and CEO of Brown Jordan; Frank Taff, Senior VP of Operations, Brown Jordan.

"We don't manufacture outdoor furniture," says Stephen Elton of Brown Jordan. "We create outdoor art that you can sit on." DWR caught up with Elton and other Brown Jordan folks last night at the Highline Terrace at the Standard Hotel. The event was to give companies like DWR a sneak peek at upcoming collections by Richard Frinier for Brown Jordan. We can't share any specifics, but we will say that we can't wait to share these with you next year.  

The DWR Executive Suite at NeoCon.

Today is the last day of NeoCon, the largest exposition in North America for architects and design professionals who create commercial interiors. The DWR Contract Sales team is exhibiting at the show, and our Visual Merchandising Team (the folks who make our Studios look so beautiful) designed this Executive Suite for the DWR booth. The Suite is furnished with a Baker Sofa, Chieftains Chair and Eye Table by Finn Juhl; Broken Stripe Rug; CH468 Chair by Hans Wegner; and lighting by Verner Panton. 

Kohler campaign: what do you think?

Kohler's advertising campaign for its Numi Toilet was photographed in Case Study House #22, designed by Pierre Koenig in 1960, and the site of one of Julius Shulman's most iconic photographs. My first reaction was "these people need to get some better furniture." What do you think about this Kohler placement in a classic mid-century pad?

Architect Allyn Morris' studio-residence on the market.

On the market: Allyn E. Morris' studio-residence located in Silver Lake, California. The late architect built this cantilevered steel-and-glass structure in 1958 for his own use. According to the listing, the home still has the original custom bathroom fixtures, mosaic, glass and hardware -- all of which have been restored and preserved. The asking price is $668,000.

Archival image showing the dining area with Saarinen Pedestal Table, Series 7 Chairs and Bubble Lamp.

DWR Exclusives: Finalists for the Dwell Modern World Awards.

From left: Coatrack Dots, designed by Tveit & Tornøe for Muuto; Kelvin LED Table Lamp, designed by Antonio Citterio and Toan Nguyen for Flos.

We were excited to see that DWR is home to several finalists in the inaugural Dwell Modern World Awards,which highlight products, furniture, and innovations that engage and enthrall the editors at Dwell magazine in the categories of Live, Work, Create, and Play.

In addition to the Suita Sofa (finalist in the Create category), LC2 Petit Modele Armchair (finalist in the Live category), and 111 Navy Chair® (finalist in the Work category) -- all of which are available at Design Within Reach -- two DWR Exclusives also made the final cut: Kelvin LED Table Lamp (a finalist in the Work category) and Coatrack Dots (a finalist in the Create category). Congratulations to all of the finalists.

Visit Dwell Modern World Awards to cast your vote today.

 

Gear up for summer with DWR and PUBLIC Bikes.

The summer solstice is just eight days away, and from now until September, when you stop by your local DWR Studio, you'll have the opportunity to test ride a PUBLIC bike -- congratulations for recently being named as a finalist for the Dwell Modern World Awards. Started by DWR Founder Rob Forbes, San Francisco-based PUBLIC designs stylish, European inspired bicycles for urban commuters. Speaking of Rob, What is DWR-Founder Rob Forbes up to?

Final Weekend: The Herman Miller Sale at DWR.

It rarely happens and it ends soon: Save on classics like these colorful chairs that Charles and Ray Eames designed for the manufacturing company Herman Miller in 1948. The Eameses had ideas about making a better world and bringing greater pleasure to our lives. The prototype they entered in MoMA’s 1948 International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design led to the design of their molded plastic chairs. The chairs that we carry are authentic, fully licensed products from Herman Miller, Inc. The sale ends Monday.

A cool way to beat the NYC heat.

Next Tuesday is the grand opening of the Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club located at 89 South Street in NYC. Guests can play ping pong, foosball or pool, or simply relax with a cocktail in a hammock or one of our Lit Chester Armchairs. Check it out and let us know what you think. Better yet, send us a photo of yourself in a Chester Chair and we'll post it on the blog (to do this, post a comment saying you have a photo to share and I'll reply with an email address to send it to).

Help The Atlantic identify the objects in this Populuxe film on 1950s design.

 

The Atlantic is inviting readers to help them identify 49 objects in this film. As of 11:30pm last night, they had identified 18. To see what is left to figure out, scroll down on this page on The Atlantic website until you see a row of thumbnails, and when you click on each one, you'll see if it has been identified or not. Show 'em your smarts DWR fans!

President Obama speaks at Pritzker Prize Dinner.

On June 2, 2011, Barack Obama spoke at the award ceremony for the annual Pritzker Architecture Prize. Shown above, he is shaking hands with Thomas Pritzker (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster.) Here is a transcript of his speech:

On behalf of Michelle and myself, I want to begin by congratulating tonight’s winner, Eduardo Souto de Moura. And I also want to recognize the members of the prize jury, who I think have a very difficult task in choosing from so many outstanding architects all around the world.

Now, as Tom mentioned, my interest in architecture goes way back. There was a time when I thought I could be an architect, where I expected to be more creative than I turned out, so I had to go into politics instead. (Laughter.)

A VIP visit with the president of Vipp.

Vipp President Henrik Hjorth dropped by our Los Angeles Studio yesterday. We talked about everything from Nordic Design to our obsession with Vipp and the new matte black trend we're spying on everything from Vipp toothbrushes to Automobiles. Vipp designer Holger Nielsen used to say: "Good design never goes out of fashion." We couldn't agree more. We adore the original pedal bin that became a permanent fixture in Danish salons and clinics in the 1940's. Pictured: DWR Account Executive Terah Gisolo and Vipp President Henrik Hjorth.

It rarely happens: Icons on sale at DWR.

It’s the Herman Miller® Sale at DWR. This means big savings on furniture designed by Eames, Nelson, Noguchi (all the heavy hitters). Did you know that the Eames Aluminum Group (shown above) was originally developed for a private residence designed by Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard? The result is a collection that's been modern for 53 years.