The London-based Israeli designer Ron Arad has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Italian manufacturer Moroso. Their first collaboration? The 12-piece Spring collection, launched in 1991–the avant-garde designer’s first production pieces. They’ve since dreamed up a number of other intriguing creations together, including the delightfully satisfying Misfits, which launched at Milan last year. Misfits is at once cleverly high-concept and wholly functional: it’s actually made of six separate units with sinuous seats that don’t quite fit together–very silly/fun–and that can be reconfigured into various arrangements. Genius!

A hotly anticipated retrospective of Arad’s work opens next summer at MoMA, but you can get a little taste of things to come right now at Moroso’s Soho store, which is currently staging an installation charting their 18-year collaboration. Now that’s a fit. –Jen Renzi

via Apartment Therapy and the New York Times

Two more configurations:

Technorati Tags: Ron Arad, Moroso, design exhibits MoMA, modular furniture, modern sofas

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By, Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG

Earth inspired neutrals of browns, grays and greens were the primary colors at K/BIS 2008. Either standing alone or supporting brighter hues, these chic and luxurious subtle colors gave focus to form, texture and pattern with interplay of shadows and light.

CASE GOODS
While espresso dominated the wood finishes of last years show, warm medium brown is the color this year. Cherry remains the favorite wood.

Quarter sawn and exotic woods are gaining in popularity. There is a sense of refinement in finishes; they are becoming smoother and less distressed than in recent years.

Simple, flat panel, clean door styles are emerging as part of the Modern style. As in color trends, espresso is being replaced by gray or black and here, it’s showing up as black cabinets. As a counter-trend, white-washed wood and multiple layers of white were prevalent.

NATURAL STONE & SOLID SURFACES
In keeping with the refinement shown in wood finishes, granites and other solid surfaces with less movement were prevalent. Honed, flamed and burnished finishes were prominent in ceramic, solid surfaces and stone; granite with less movement continues its popularity. In general, surfaces were more layered; flat colors being paired with metallic, pearlescent or sparkling finishes in the same family to create a tone-on-tone scheme.

While one side of the trend leans toward subtle hues of tone on tone, the counter-trend is towards sparkling luxury. Glass and stone have taken on frosted effects and many surfaces feature embedded metallics.

METALS
Stainless continues to be the quintessential finish for ranges, refrigerators, ovens and ventilation. Many hardware and faucet manufacturers introduced Nickel, brushed or rough to their lines.

While one side of the trend continues its sleek contemporary lines and refined luxury, the other continues to take on its hand-crafted, authentic feel in hammered oxidized and antique finish.
Oil-rubbed bronze that has been so popular recently is giving way to lighter bronze or copper.

Interesting Finds
LED (light-emitting diode) with their small area light source has the ability to emit a crystal clear, full color spectrum is being incorporated into every product imaginable. Although color was scarce, a few unique products stood out.

Chroma Therapy has been used for centuries for its profound holistic powers. In fact, Hippocrates (the Father of Western Medicine) incorporated Chroma and Aroma Therapy into his practice. Mr. Steam and Hansa have perfected the ancient healing arts of Chroma Therapy by harnessing the holistic powers of the rainbow. Each feature’s high performance LED’s that cover the entire spectrum for an uplifting or relaxing shower experience.

Mr. Steam ChromaSteam shower with specially formulated essences and chroma and aroma therapy

Hansa chroma therapy Hansacolourshower

Hansaclear lux hand shower

Cifial Brookhaven L-Spout Series is available in eight finishes which include three living finishes ranging from distressed bronze, rough bronze to weathered

HANSA products were only available in chrome and now the entire line of bath and kitchen faucets will be available in brushed nickel

Metallo Arts redefines kitchen ventilation with the reincarnation of several American works of art. This hand-painted hood inspired by renown American artist Andy Warhol these works is produced using ornamental pressed metal bent over a heavy-gauge steel frame
About Denise Turner
Denise is an internationally recognized Color Expert, Color & Design Tend Forecaster and founder of the Color Turners. She helps companies make the best decisions where color choices are critical. Her boundless passions for color and strong design industry experience have turned her into an unmistakable leader in her field. Ms. Turner is an authority on Chroma Therapy and Color Physiology. She has studied several energetic healing modalities, such as Aroma Therapy, Theta Healing, Pranic Healing, Feng Shui and Martial Arts. Through this amazing journey, she discovered her true passion of Chroma Therapy. As an ASID national spokesperson, and member of the CMG Expert Speaker’s Bureau, Denise regularly appears on radio, television and in print. Her redesign of an ADA-compliant master bath won the HGTV Designer’s Challenge. CMG Chair Holder (Color Marketing Group), past ASID chapter president and UCLA graduate.

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I just received a little eye candy in my mailbox: a beautifully printed brochure from Haviland announcing its upcoming launch of two exquisite, all-white china collections. While they look stunning as a set, the pieces were also designed to mix easily with other, more decorative plates, cups, and serving items should you desire (a look that I think is utterly chic and modern).

While browsing Haviland’s many lovely designs, this fanciful confection caught my eye: Jardin Francais, embellished with a sprightly hedge inspired by a French garden. Oh, how I wish I owned a china cabinet (or, um, a dining table) so I could by a whole set and show it off! I love how the pattern is so boldly graphic and yet subtly, even daintily articulated.

Jardin Francais was designed by Toulouse-based watercolorist (and former fashion designer) Veronique Lataste. I mean, really–with a name like La Taste you can’t help but to have amazing taste and design tableware, no?

–Jen Renzi

Technorati Tags: Haviland China, garden print tableware, Veronique Lataste, modern porcelain

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by Erika Lenkert

Over my 15-year travel-writing career I have tested the full range of beds, from sagging sponge-like mattresses blanketed with scratchy, stiff sheets to the finest pillow-top palaces draped in gazillion-thread-count imports of luxury properties. While I can grin and bear the basics with the best of ‘em, I have come to appreciate that given we (hopefully) spend one third of our lives in bed, luxury beds and bedding are one of the most practical splurges out there. Hence, my rationale for buying the Ritz-Carlton mattress and Kashwere blanket that tops it.

Ironically, unlike Jessica Simpson who famously touted her $1,500 splurge on bed linens, and two of the nation’s top interior designers, Emma Jane Pilkington and Jamie Drake, who declared sheets are one thing you should never skimp on when decorating, the notion of actually owning exceptional sheets eluded me.

But that was before I had the opportunity to test out the new SFERRA Giza 45® sheets.

Made from a super fine yarn called Giza 45—the crème de la crème of Egyptian cotton exclusively allocated to one of the world’s finest Italian shirt makers until now— SFERRA Giza 45® sheets don’t boast their impressive thread count, but its glorious feel. Light and silky, dare I say almost buttery, these sheets never feel cold at first touch and have an indulgent quality that literally makes me notice and relish them every single time I get into bed.

Now I truly understand why Pilkington and Drake consider great sheets a must-have. Not all home splurges need be trumpeted to every visitor. In this case, private indulgence is even better. And if you’re going to go the designer distance on your bedding, it doesn’t get any better than this.

The Details
Available in percale, sateen and jacquard in Ivory or White finished with SFERRA’s classic hemstitch treatment.
Prices range from $250-$1,120.
For more info visit www.sferralinens.com.

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I’ve become enamored with Moleskine’s city guides. These marvelous slip-in-your-pocket-sized notebooks include detailed street and transportation maps, oddles of blank (and acid-free) pages, handy tabbed sections, expandable pockets, and city-specific resources–the Milan version (as those who used them at the furniture fair know) includes contact info for the local helicopter rental plus a chart helpfully translating US shirt and shoe sizes into Italian.

The only bummer is that they are so pristinely chic–with crisp, beautifully blank pages suggesting all the thrilling adventures you’re about to have–that I never want to put a mark in them! I feel like my pedestrian thoughts and faltering penmanship are not worthy of their artful design! I need a fountain pen and Deep Thoughts!

But this is totally missing the point. They are meant to be defiled with your notations, observations, and most superficial thoughts. You needn’t be Hemingway, Van Gogh, or one of scores of the fancy designers who use them as sketchbooks. Just be your messy-handwriting-ed self and doodle/scribble away. Use them to plan a vacation or to take notes during a business trip.

I am especially delighted to put the new Chicago guide to use when I go to the Windy City next month. (My better half is exhibiting at The Museum of Science and Industry’s Green & Wired eco home show.) Especially now that I’ve come up with a solution to my mucking-them-up phobia: buy two of each! One to use, and one to keep on my bookshelf.

Buy ‘em here. –Jen Renzi

PS: And, as if I didn’t already adore Moleskine enough: they just made my day by announcing that a guide to my hometown–Philly!–is in the works for fall.

PPS: If you really need a fancy pen, try Pilot’s new eco-friendly version of its classic rolling ball–made from post-industrial recycled plastic.

Technorati Tags: great gifts, best travel journals, Moleskine city guides, best sketchbook, design notebooks, Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, green architecture exhibitions, eco-friendly home resources

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