Steve Jobs: one Eichler, two errors.

Not an Eichler #1: The Jobs family's ranch-style house in Los Altos, CA.

The architecture world was abuzz last October when Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs revealed that the Apple CEO grew up in a house designed by Joe Eichler. Unfortunately, most bloggers shared the news with a photo of Jobs’ Los Altos house (site of the famous garage, shown above), which is not an Eichler. The house Isaacson was referring to is in Mountain View, California, where the family lived until Steve was 14. However, that isn’t an Eichler either. Rather, it is the work of Eichler’s original architectural team, Anshen and Allen, for Mackay Homes. Eichlers and Mackays are similar, but there are major differences in the foundation, heating, materials and style.

Not an Eichler #2: the Jobs family's home in Mountain View, CA. Photo: David Toerge

Auction Watch: Sotheby's 20th Century Design.

 

Lot 33: Charlotte Perriand, Early “Tokyo” Bench, circa 1955.            

Get your paddles ready. Tomorrow, Sotheby’s Auction House will hold a sale for 20th Century Design including a Private Collection of Mid-Century Design and Ceramic Art. The event promises to showcase some rare mid-century gems and a few peculiar lots, such as a staircase designed by Le Corbusier for The Unité d'Habitation in France. Other classics include an "Eye" Wall Clock designed by George Nelson Associates for the Howard Miller Clock Company, a  "Grasshopper" Floor Lamp by Greta Magnusson Grossman and our editorial director’s favorite, the Swivel Chair by Hans Wegner. Here are a few of the lots we’ll be watching ...

Cartree: the Knoll Mascot.

Photo of Cartree the Knoll Mascot (undated). Courtesy Florence Knoll Bassett Papers 1932-2000, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

In honor of the Knoll Classics Sale at DWR, we're sharing some of our favorite Knoll Blog posts from the archives.

Originally posted March 2, 2012: Some of our favorite discoveries in Florence Knoll Bassett's papers were photos and drawings of an Old English Sheepdog. Cartree, as he was called, was the family dog and the Knoll mascot. According to Knoll Bassett he "enchanted everyone, especially Herbert Matter, who used him in our catalogues, brochures and advertisements. He also appeared in Vogue and The New Yorker, as he happily obliged when photos were taken and he was the center of attention." We must say, he looks delightful alongside the Splay-Leg Coffee Table and Risom Lounge Chair (which is 15% off during The Knoll Classics Sale, going on through March 4 at DWR).

Florence Knoll Bassett Project Sketches and Drawings.

Florence Knoll sketch of dormitory room, Cranbrook (1934). Courtesy Florence Knoll Bassett Papers 1932-2000, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

In honor of the Knoll Classics Sale at DWR, we're sharing some of our favorite Knoll Blog posts from the archives.

Originally posted February 28, 2012: According to the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, the Florence Knoll Bassett collection measures “approximately 2.5 linear feet dating from 1932 to 2000. The collection selectively documents Knoll Bassett's education and her career at Knoll Associates, Inc. from the 1940s until her resignation in 1965, in addition to personal design projects and other activities after leaving the company. It is an important source of information on the development of interior architecture and design from the 1940s to the 1970s, chronicling the Knoll mission to synthesize space, furniture, and design by creating interiors based on practical use, comfort, and aesthetics.”

Today we’re sharing a selection of Florence Knoll Bassett’s project sketches from the collection. As you can see in the illustrations, she often incorporated swatches of fabrics and finishes in her sketches as well as color schemes “as it was an effective way to visualize the results.” She pioneered this method of presentation, which would go on to become an industry standard for designers.

Florence Knoll sketch of Hans Knoll Office, 575 Madison Avenue, New York (1950). Courtesy Florence Knoll Bassett Papers 1932-2000, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

In today's New York Times.

Our Chimney Humidifier made its New York Times debut today in Play Misty for Me. In the article, industrial designer Leon Ransmeier seeks to remedy the chronically overheated New York apartment, and goes shopping for humidifiers.

Rima Suqi writes, "Mr Ransmeier's favorite humidifier - the one he owns - was the Chimney by Takeshi Ishiguro, at Design Within Reach. 'It looks like an industrial smokestack, and it works like one, too,' he said. 'The mist comes out so far away from the ground that you'll never get any condensation.' 'And while 'a pluming smokestack is a strange reference for something that is supposed to make your health better,' he acknowledged, 'I still think it's a beautiful object.'"

The Chimney Humidifier battles bone-dry apartments silently and stylishly. What do you think of humidifiers - do they make your winters more liveable?

A DWR Exclusive from Knoll®: Wassily Chair in Canvas.

Just in time for The Knoll Classics Sale, we're excited to introduce the new, DWR Exclusive Wassily®  Chair in Canvas. Named for Wassily Kandinsky – the father of abstract painting and a colleague of Marcel Breuer's at the Bauhaus – Breuer designed the original chair in 1925 using canvas and gleaming chrome-finished tubular steel frame, inspired by the graceful, curving handlebars of the Adler bicycle. Wassily is believed to be the first bent tubular steel chair.

Through March 4, shop The Knoll Classics Sale and save 15% on the Wassily Chair in Canvas. 

Florence Knoll Bassett talks to Paul Makovsky.

   Florence Knoll at the Knoll office photographed by Margaret Bourke-White, 1946. Lee Ewing, courtesy Florence Knoll Bassett papers 1932-1999, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Throughout the week of The Knoll Classics Sale, we'll be sharing some of our favorite selections from the Florence Knoll Bassett Papers at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, which were compiled in 1999 and donated in 2000. In 2001, Knoll Bassett gave a rare interview to Metropolis Magazine's editorial director Paul Makovsky, speaking openly about her life and her archival papers. We've linked to it below.

Read "Florence Knoll Bassett: The Conversation."

Will bike racks go vertical?

Image courtesy of Manifesto Architecture.

With growing concern over environmental pollution and energy consumption more and more people are trading in four wheels for two. As a result, New York-based architecture firm Manifesto is already working on a solution to an anticipatory problem: overcrowding at the bike rack. The firm looked at existing bicycle storage systems and found that many of them rely on space or the use of electricity. They then examined urban landscapes and discovered that narrow pockets of urban space were underutilized, which led to the development of the Bike Hanger, a vertically oriented bicycle storage system that has the capacity to store up to 15 bicycles and operates without electricity. By pedaling a stationary bicycle at the bottom of the hanger, a central wheel rotates and cyclists can retrieve their bike. Manifesto Architecture has completed the prototype.Its BH6 model recently made its debut at the Gwangju Design Biennale in Korea and is nominated for London Design Museum's Designs of the Year Transport Award 2012. Winners will be announced in April.

Check out the Manifesto Architecture website for more information the project.

New DWR Video: One bed, many ways.

With our new DWR Bedding Collection of sheets, duvet covers, blankets and pillows, there are many new ways to make the modern bed.

Gwyneth meets our Pouf in Paris.

Gwyneth Paltrow checks out our Ernest Pouf at Maison et Objet, the biannual Parisian goods and furniture show. This Pouf by Donna Wilson is just one of the items that caught Paltrow's eye at the show, and her complete coverage can be found in her newsletter Goop.  

Image via Goop.

IFB Conference Recap.

On Wednesday, DWR proudly sponsored a lounge for the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference at Milk Studios in New York. Hundreds of stylish attendees mingled and made friends, listened to panel discussion ranging in topic from blogger worth to branding across social media platforms, and stopped by to hang out on our Neo Sectional or sit for the camera atop our magenta Swan™ Sofa (click here for photos).

Here’s what we learned and what we saw:

1. You can’t do it all. Most bloggers stay connected to their followers via blogs and Twitter, with each platform serving a different function.

2. Fur. Whether faux or real, fur was out in force at IFB.

3. The preferred blogging platform? Wordpress. It's customizable and supports ad network integration.

4. Neon. From earrings to laces to handbags and dresses, neon was ubiquitous.

5. Own your domain from the beginning. If your blog takes off, your foray into branding and business ventures will be easier.

6. Be yourself. Develop a unique voice and viewpoint. Quality content is driven by individuality. Don’t imitate others. 

7. Emerging social media platforms. Bloggers seemed to have a waning interest in Facebook but were buzzing about Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

8. Individuality. While designer labels were spotted, a majority of fashion bloggers embraced an individually constructed style.

 

DWR at the 2012 IFB Conference.

DWR is a proud sponsor of the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference going on today at Milk Studios in New York. The all-day event features panel discussions by some of the fashion blogging community's most fabulous bloggers including DKNY PR Girl Aliza Licht, Refinery29's Connie Wang, Lifebooker's Lauren Tesar and fashion jet-setter Bryan Boy. There are more than 300 international fashion bloggers in attendance, some from as far away as Sweden and Australia! We'll be updating our real-time photostream throughout the day as attendees stop by the DWR Lounge and strike a pose.

Which lives longer, a Chicken or a Cat?

Assuming that the chicken and cat are not living together, you may be surprised to learn which one has the longer lifespan. Find the answer on this very cool animal longevity chart by Otto and Marie Neurath, who pioneered the International System of Typographic Picture Education (ISOTYPE).

From the TED Talks archive: Niels Diffrient rethinks the way we sit down.

 

The designer of the groundbreaking Freedom® and Liberty™ task chairs (both shipping for free, by the way) Niels Diffrient talks about industrial design, the human body, office chairs, and the reason he became a designer instead of a jet pilot. “Why should you have to read a 20 page manual to know how to run a chair?” asks the designer. Learn more in this video from the TED Talk archive.

If the video doesn't load above, you can watch it here on the TED website.

Craving culture? Exhibitions to see now.

Museum Exhibitions

Milwaukee Art Museum (shown above)
Building a Masterpiece: Santiago Calatrava and the Milwaukee Art Museum
Ends Feb. 12

SFMoMA
Less and More: The design ethos of Dieter Rams
Ends Feb. 20

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion
Ends March 25

Eames Elephant goes on safari.

 

Charles and Ray Eames were fascinated by elephants, and in 1945 they designed one out of molded plywood. Two prototypes were made, but complex manufacturing techniques kept the Elephant out of production. It wasn't until Charles' grandson Eames Demetrios collaborated with Vitra that the Eames® Elephant was mass produced, now made of molded polypropylene. (A miniature version made of wood is also available.) Demetrios recently took the Elephant on Safari, creating this film for the Eames Office. For a fun twist, mute the soundtrack and replace it with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens.

A fete for the 2012 Metropolis Game Changers.

Last evening, DWR Soho Studio hosted more than 200 guests for the 2012 Metropolis Game Changers awards reception. The Awards, now in their second year, celebrate individuals who are breaking conventions across various disciplines such as architecture, business, education, graphic design, healthcare, technology and typography. 

Buon Compleanno a Mario Bellini!

Photo on left: Bellini Chair sketch by Mario Bellini, courtesy Mario Bellini.

The DWR team wishes the happiest of birthdays to Mario Bellini: celebrated architect, industrial designer, teacher, spokesman, curator and editor (whew!). His namesake Bellini Chair® for Heller®, became an instaneous classic when it was introduced in 1998, and it continues to have a ubiquitous presence in cafés and public settings around the world.

The Buzz in Toronto: The Interior Design Show.

How important is longevity? That was the unofficial theme at the opening of this year’s Interior Design Show (IDS), Jan. 26–29. As if to echo that idea, four giant chairs made of ice stood guard at the entrance to the convention center, their biomorphic forms eroding under hot spotlights. I didn’t see anyone try to sit in one of these icy thrones, but given that vodka shots (in glasses also made of ice) were being served next to the ice chairs, I’m guessing there are photos of such activity on memory cards all over the city (in cameras owned by folks with no memory of such things).

Inside, there are displays from more than 300 exhibitors, ranging from furniture by Piero Lissoni (above) – this year’s “International Guest of Honour” – to floor tiles, gas fireplaces and students’ prototype chairs. The day began with “Conversations in Design: Trailblazing and Trendspotting,” moderated by Chee Pearlman.

A Weekend in Toronto for IDS.

With the Interior Design Show starting tomorrow, design lovers will be flocking to Toronto for a weekend of exhibitions, lectures and special events. Since 1999, the show has brought the best of architecture and design to Canada, putting Toronto on the map as a capital of creativity. Although there are many activities throughout the four days of the show, the city of Toronto has much to offer on its own.