Cold War Modern Design

If you're going to be in England any time soon check out the Cold War Modern Design exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Here are a few shots of items on sale during the show. Stop by the web site for more information and a great timeline.

Ikuko Iwamoto Ceramics

Ikuko Iwamoto ceramics are stunning works of art. Educated in Japan and London, Ikuko has exhibited internationally and won many awards for her work which is truly otherworldly. Visit her website for a huge variety of work, utilitarian and otherwise.

Dwell Bedding

I've posted in the past about bedding from Dwell, but always for the kids. Here are some interesting designs for grown-ups from Dwell.

Iittala Fireplace

Iittala Fireplace, by Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen, represents a completely new type of product for Iittala. Suppanen has combined fire-resistant glass and metal to create a modern take on an open fire, this time fired on ethanol. He has taken the age-old idea of an open fire in the wilds, tamed it, and brought it inside. The design very much reflects Suppanen’s architectural leanings.

Ko Ko For The Kitchen

Ko Ko from Arabia is a sleek looking group of ceramic ware for cooking and serving with a little bit of mid -century modern thrown in. Use in the oven or microwave and take the great style right to the table for serving. Multi color options.

Michael Arras Tables

Quite some time ago I featured a beautiful Scandinavian style chair designed and produced by Michael Arras. Well, Michael has increased the designs he is producing to include these stunning coffee tables. The egg like shapes are joined in a variety of patterns with different finishes to choose from making them truly unique pieces. Please visit his web site for more offerings and to find out how affordable his work is.

Fokus Fabrik

From Finnish designers Tiia Eronen, Eeva Heikkinen, Laura Jarvelanen and Hanna Kerman come these sharp graphic fabrics and pillows for home design. Black and white never looked so good.

Luxo Lamps Are Back

I couldn't be happier about this one. As a child, Luxo Lamps not only sat atop my fathers drafting table, they were the bedside lamps in all of our bedrooms. Luxo L-1 is the original architect lamp designed in 1937 by Jac Jacobsen. Unique design, ingenious lighting properties and a flexible spring balanced arm have earned L-1 a place among the world’s all time classics. Since its creation, 25 million L-1 luminaries have been sold worldwide. A prime example of how versatility, quality and stylish design produce a product of such long-lasting popularity. L-1 has been distinguished by most of the prestigious awards in the world of industrial design.

Iittala Glow

Iittala Glow, designed by Swedish architect Thomas Sandell, is a simple but bold design, with a modern exterior that generates a soft, sensuous light when lit. The design is based on a simple conical shape, and is something of an homage to classic designer Kaj Franck and his Kartio glass range. Glow is available in a range of colors, making it easy to choose the one best suited to your surroundings.

Superstructure Easy Chair

This is a masterfully designed chair that hearkens back to the designs of Hans Wegner. A Scandinavian design, it's beautiful oak wood and leaf like design give a natural modern feel that will be the centerpiece of any space. See the web site for other finish options.

Luxury In Stone

There is a modern organic feel to the stone tubs and sinks from Stone Forest that takes you out into nature while surrounding you in a unique form of luxury. I find them to be stunning in a variety of beautiful, natural stones and textures that you can work into any bath.

Modernism At Risk, A Must Read

The World Monuments Fund has worked for decades to save endangered architectural and cultural sites around the globe, from the earliest settlements to 20th-century architecture. In recent years, they have increasingly noted that modern buildings face the same physical threats as ancient structures, despite a mistaken view that modern materials are less fragile than those used in earlier times. In addition, 20th-century architecture often suffers from a lack of understanding of its historical significance.

The Modernism at Risk initiative represents extraordinary—yet threatened—20th-century sites that transcend specific definitions, and brings advocacy and education to the forefront. Here are a few of the structures that are currently a focus of Modernism at Risk. For more information on the initiative and these and other amazing architectural finds please visit their web site.
Salk Institute
VDL Research House II
Joan Miró Foundation
International Fairground at Tripoli
A. Conger Goodyear House
Helsinki-Malmi Airport
Russakov Club
Schindler Kings Road House and Studio

Unique Kitchen Sink

This unique kitchen sink is a Kohler model which when under mounted like this with a dark gray or black counter is a striking addition to a modern kitchen.

Modern Kitchen Faucets

At All Modern you can shop for these and other kitchen faucets with a distinctively modern look. It's amazing what a new faucet can do for the overall look of your kitchen.

Danish Dining Chairs

For the collector, Modernicus offers this magnificent set of six dining chairs designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen and manufactured by Søborg Møbelfabrik. This prolific design duo produced some of the most interesting and functional Danish furnishings of the 1950s. This chair design certainly falls under that category.

Taking design cues from the American Shaker movement and adding their own Danish sophistication, Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen have produced a chair that is elegant in proportion, retains a formal presence and is above all functional. Constructed of solid teak with a wound grass seating this design is particularly popular for its curved lipped back. Visible joinery adds interest to the design.

Effortless Modern Fashion, Eileen Fisher

A modern fashion sense doesn't have to mean space age design, vintage wear or high end couture. Eileen Fisher makes modern dressing easy and comforting. Effortless! Check out her full fall and winter line at her web site.

Many Thanks For Passing Us Along!

I wanted to take today to thank the many people who share Design Mind with a wider audience, namely Coudal, Wist members, cribcandy, design addict and in the past Scrappy Girl Decorates from Domino. The life of a blogger is a solitary one and we are never sure if we will grow in our viewership, and therefore be able to share the things we love with other. But the help of those of you who make reference to our posts is so greatly appreciated. Heartfelt thanks!