“Light and Magic” by Rob Forbes.

Kimbell Art Museum, photo by Rob Forbes

Featured in a special issue of Design Gossip by the lighting company Flos, DWR founder Rob Forbes takes readers on a journey of visual literacy this month. From the Pantheon in Rome to a wine cellar in California, Forbes gives examples of how architects – often unwittingly – can be extraordinary lighting designers. The essay reminds me of George Nelson’s writings in How To See, in which Nelson presents his ideas on how to read the man-made environment. Like Nelson, Forbes carries his camera everywhere and is a master at recognizing and evaluating the things that surround us every day. Learn more about how Forbes sees the world in “Light and Magic.”

In 2010, Forbes founded PUBLIC, with a mission to help improve the quality of our public spaces and our public lives.

Make a Wish(bone).

Today we celebrate the Danish designer Hans J. Wegner, who was born on this day 98 years ago. Known as the "chair-maker of chair-makers," Wegner designed more than 400 chairs in his lifetime, including the Wishbone Chair (shown above), also known as the "Y" or "CH-24."

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.

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. 

How will Frank Gehry shape his birthday?

Architect Frank O. Gehry turns 83 today, and we can only imagine how he will be celebrating. (Last year's fete included a star-studded party, a 40-inch silver cake, and the opening of his 76-story tower called New York by Gehry.) Gehry has made us rethink museums, music halls and even chairs. His love of Picasso and of cubism is expressed in the shapes he creates, both of which can be seen in his simple Left Twist Cube, which, should he be looking for suggestions, would make a nice shape for his birthday cake. To Gehry, we wish you a very happy, slightly twisted, birthday!

 

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."

We salute Achille Castiglioni who was born on this day in 1918.

"Everything had a good reason, and Achille was very precise," said Castiglioni's daughter Giovanna, as she showed me her father's studio in Milan (shown below).

A designer whose life and work were permeated by optimism, his studio is a must-see in Milan, and his heirs recently established a Foundation to ensure that Achille Castiglioni's cultural, artistic, professional and human legacy continues to be accessible to all. Often inspired by everyday things, Castiglioni was a designer whose work displayed ironic humor, lively sense of paradox, and thoughtful concern for formal balance. We are proud to have Castiglioni's lighting in our collection, and we marvel at how it continues to be relevant to how we live today. Cheers to Castiglioni on this day, what would have been his 95th birthday.

Celebrating Verner Panton, who was born on this day in 1926.

“At school, when we had to paint something, I always tried to do things in a different way,” wrote Verner Panton. “I have always tried to find other ways, and have simply not been able to refrain. It has also been a handicap; it is easier to do what the others want. You don’t make yourself popular if you have other ideas.”

To the late Verner Panton, we raise our glasses to you today, on what would have been your 86th birthday, and we are very glad that you had the courage to follow your crazy ideas.

 

Shown: Fun Lamps and Panton Chairs.

Q&A with Judy White, designer of DWR Bedding.

If you missed the story in last week’s New York Times, there are some exciting things happening in the modern bedroom. Namely, we now offer an exquisite line of DWR Bedding designed by Judy White Studio. We recently caught up with the busy Ms. White to ask her a few questions.

Q: Who is someone you admire?

The late Carl Sagan. In his Cosmos series he revealed the wonders of our universe, made us think and dream bigger, introduced us to mysterious things explained through science. His was a validation of inquisitive nature, exploratory quests, and analytical problem solving. Which is similar to the thought processes behind design briefs in my field.

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.

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 DWR Film: Jeffrey Bernett.

Our good friend Jeffrey Bernett has been a member of the DWR family for more than 10 years. He has produced some of our most popular collections including the Flight Recliner and, new this month, the Metropolitan Chair for B&B Italia. But what drives the New York-based designer to consistently create products that maximize the enjoyment of downtime? We wanted to know, and we dropped by his studio to find out.

Right now you can enjoy 15% off most of Bernett's signature pieces including his incredibly versatile Reid Collection during our Living Room Sale.

DWR Congratulates Brad Ascalon.

DWR is pleased to announce that the Ascalon Menorah, designed by Brad Ascalon exclusively for Design Within Reach has been accepted into the Permanent Collection of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. 

Made of solid white Carrara marble, Ascalon's Kosher menorah is visually modern yet undeniably classic, with eight facets that correspond to the eight days of Chanukah and an 18 degree angle – created by the left and right diagonals – symbolizing chai or life. 

How Ted Boerner delivers minimalist appeal with maximum comfort.

As a theater and dance student at the University of West Virginia, Ted Boerner developed an intuitive sense of the body and the space it occupies – an awareness that now lends his furniture its genial angles and careful proportions. He attended NYU for grad school, and began his career as a set and costume designer. “Propping scenes and imagining the things that characters would surround themselves with made me think about how important furniture is to people,” says the designer. Modern sofas often claim minimalist appeal, but few can also tout the comfort

Six Degrees of Cranbrook.

Attention Design Geeks! May we present to you our new game: Six Degrees of Cranbrook. 

The Cranbrook Academy of Art, as you well know, is the art school associated with many of our favorite designers. Think of any chair, designer or firm, and it's bound to be linked to the school in one way or another. Therefore, we figured we would use the rules from the eponymous party game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and apply them to the design world for some know-it-all fun.

Each week we will post something and the lovely commenter who replies with the fewest "degrees of separation" to Cranbrook, in the least amount of time, will be declared the winner. The winner will be able to choose next week's challenge (in addition to gaining our undying adoration and respect). 

So who's in? This week we will start out the game with this challenge: