 | Vitra’s Living Tower is 6 feet of conversational value. (Below right) Chista’s beautiful coconut lamps range from 2 to 8 feet tall. |
Mad for Mod
Form, function, and fun take shape at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
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One of my favorite design events is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) held here in New York. Every year I spend at least a couple of days wandering through the displays, talking with designers and soaking up all things modern and fun. The 2002 show featured not only highly innovative and inspired designs, but also a lighter take on a world that at times seems a bit bleak and cynical.
A few show highlights: Kartell, Milan’s master manufacturer of mod furnishings, introduced a new twist on plastic seating, Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost. Who would have thought of putting a Louis XV baroque-style chair through an injection mold of colored polycarbonate? Kartell’s translations of a Louis XV arm chair with medallion-shaped back in a rainbow of transparent and colored polycarbonate was one of the most exhilarating pieces to come out of this year’s show. My quandary is deciding whether to confine my Louis Ghosts to the dining room or use them as desk chairs.
If the Louis Ghost epitomizes the movement of applying modern materials to classic styles, the dynamic design firm Chista takes the opposite approach, crafting modern furnishings from traditional, natural materials. Chista founder and designer Alon Langotsky presented a stunning collection of one-of-a-kind solid teak slide tables. His lines are clean and contemporary, but the beautifully aged teak strikes a perfect balance between primitivism and modernism. The teak works are exceptional, but my must-have was from his collection of colossal coconut lamps. The design concept is high-tech, but the material is primitive, as in the solid trunk of a coconut tree. Standing 2 to 81/2 feet tall, the dualism of Alon’s lamps imparts a mysterious wisdom and serenity to the environment.
Just when fatigue was about to set in, designer Walter Craven offered me an ingenious place to sit: his Flip Lounger. This deceptively simple design is at one moment a bench, but then is easily transformed into a chair with side table. I love it! Walter is a master of multifunctional furnishings. From his beginnings as a student of sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design to furniture design in Europe and San Francisco, where he made his mark in metal fabrication, Walter has established himself as a leader in solving design problems with multifunctional furniture based on finely tuned engineering. His collection includes tables that flip open to chairs or pull apart to become a footrest and an unassuming table with fold-away wings that create space for dining when opened. Walter’s designs are a perfect fit in today’s multifunctional rooms.
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| Kartell presented Philippe Starck’s interpretation of the traditional Louis XV chair. |
But the design mavericks weren’t the only ones having fun at this year’s show. Larger design firms also presented high-concept pieces that drew a lot of attention and a lot of smiles. Umbra’s latest multifunctional piece is the Cross Pod, which consists of two interlocking, U-shaped pieces that pull apart and can be reconfigured as two seats and a table, four seats, a side table, or an ottoman for just hanging out. The Cross Pod is made of high-density foam and available in a charcoal-and-red polyester cover.
Chilewich has introduced some new designs for their Plynyl floor coverings: dot, dash, and square patterns in a number of colors and sizes, as well as 17-inch square Plynyl tiles. Plynyl runners and area coverings are ideal alternatives to carpet, and the durable and modern woven texture will make a destination out of any high-traffic area.
Finally, Vitra has re-introduced the Living Tower, a 1969 design by Verner Panton (pictured above as the smoking Dane). This outrageous piece is the answer to your seating dilemma. It’s not only comfortable, but just imagine the conversation value. And your children won’t fight over the couch anymore. The Living Tower is framed in birch plywood with a wool-and-cotton-blend cover that can be ordered in red, orange, or dark blue. This couch stands just over 6 feet tall and seats four (ideally non-smokers) vertically. How fun is this? All you need are high ceilings and about $12,000.
Now, go forth, and don’t let the modernistas intimidate you. You’ll love the energy and dimension that an unexpected modern twist brings to a traditional setting.
