A chair where you can find room for your inner space and take a break from the hectic bustle of everyday life.

Time for reflection is a luxury in today’s world. We are all busy and always short of time to create a moment for quiet contemplation. The new easy chair springs from a desire to create a piece of furniture that offers an opportunity for reflection in our busy lives.

High backed chairs for creating a quiet, private meeting space in busy open plan offices have been around for a while, and there is something of this idea in the design philosophy of the Ro chair I feel.

Time for reflection is a luxury in today’s world. We are all busy and always short of time to create a moment for quiet contemplation. The new easy chair springs from a desire to create a piece of furniture that offers an opportunity for reflection in our busy lives.

Ro is launched in the Republic of Fritz Hansen’s showroom in Milan during Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2013. The easy chair will be available from Republic of Fritz Hansen and authorized retailers from September 2013.

Cecilie Manz is a Danish industrial designer whose work includes furniture, jewellery, lamps and sculptures. Her Micado table (below) for Frederica Furniture has been included in MOMA’s design collection and is an example of her functional approach – it has no screws or hinges, and the table top and legs lock together once the table is placed on the floor.

© FREDERICIA FURNITURE A/S.

Below: Cecilie Manz’ Caravaggio lamp for Lightyears

Cecilie Manz recently received the prestigious American 2012 Good Design Award for minuscule™.

minuscule™ consists of a chair and a table and is designed for informal settings. The name minuscule represents the informal and understated style, for which the Scandinavians are so famous.

minuscule™ is a part of Republic of Fritz Hansen’s collection of timeless design icons and was launched in the company’s Milan showroom in connection with the international furniture fair Salone
Internazionale del Mobile in April 2012. The new collection will be available from the Republic of Fritz Hansen and authorized retailers from February 2013.

Courtesy of Camira Fabrics, comes this interview with illustrator and animator Dan Ojari, originally featured on their own blog.

Camira has been working with Dan Ojari, a graduate from the prestigious Royal College of Art, since he produced the Hemp animation in 2012.

Here we learn more about award winning animator Dan:

Can you give us a little background about yourself and your work?

I grew up in Sheffield and was home educated up until the age of 15. I’ve always loved drawing, making and creating things, and ended up going to Wimbledon Art College in London. It was there that I got into making animations and I’m now working as an animator and director of short films. My most recent short film Slow Derek won several awards internationally and was selected for the Sundance Film Festival last year. I try to make films that create a visually exciting and thoughtful experience for the viewer. Hopefully that allows them to engage with the subject of the film in a subtle and personal way.

How would you describe your work in ten words?

A strange and subtle craft that hopefully inspires wonder and enjoyment. (Sorry that’s 11!)

List five things that have inspired you and your work

Neil Buchanan! Art Attack was such a fantastically creative programme that must have inspired a whole generation of children to draw, paint and sculpt and was most definitely one of them! Bring Neil back!

The Brothers Quay, they make dark, weird and surreal animated films and were a massive inspiration to me when I first started looking at what you can do with the medium of stop motion animation.

The amazing Bruce Bickford, his animations are completely insane in all senses of the word and look like nothing else. I really admire his absolute passion and dedication to his art.

Hollywood! I’ve cleverly condensed a lot of films into this one, but I love film of all kinds and take inspiration from Kubrick to Jean-Claude Van Damme!

My Peers, I find that most all it is the creative people around that inspire me the most. Friends, family and classmates, I think it is important to surround yourself with people who like making things.

How did you begin your career as an animator?

Whilst studying my degree in set design for film and theatre, I decided to make a short animated film, (which ended up being ‘Obscura’). Because animation wasn’t part of the course I had to teach myself most things and the project was a huge learning curve. However I found it an extremely exciting and expressive medium and quickly became obsessed with the wonderful world of animation! I then went on to study an MA in animation the Royal College of Art and since graduating have been working on a variety of projects, commissions and short films.

What’s next?

I’m planning to spend the next month making a very short film that I’ve been developing for a while. It’s going to be technically quite challenging as I plan to film it all outside mostly in a forest. I want to combine time-lapse photography with animated elements, which will hopefully create a surreal otherworldly quality to the film.

Please can you tell us a bit about your work for Camira

I really have enjoyed working with Camira, each project has been a real pleasure, with interesting briefs. The first film for ‘Hemp’ really interested me because it was about telling the story of how this sustainable and eco-friendly fabric is made.

The most recent film for ‘Blazer’ is again explaining the story behind where the wool comes from and how it helps protect the surrounding environment.

The thing I’ve liked most about these commissions is the challenge of making everything out of fabric! As the idea from the start was that everything you would see in the films had to be made from the fabric itself.

Camira Fabrics on ESI.info
@Camira on twitter
danojari.com/

In 2012, Camira Fabrics commissioned an animation project to mark the launch of their new Hemp fabric.

Camira worked with RCA graduate and Sundance Film Festival nominee, Dan Ojari to produce a stop-motion animation demonstrating the sustainability of hemp.

The video engages the audience with detail of the yarn and lifecycle of the fabric. Starting and finishing with the hemp plant to represent the ecological sustainability of Hemp and our ongoing use of natural materials in contract fabrics.

Dan Ojari, commented on the project: “Making a film using only the Camira Hemp fabric was a challenging and really interesting project for me as an animator, and something I was very keen to experiment with. I found it refreshing making a film in response to the natural themes and ethical nature of the Hemp fabric range.”

Camira wanted to produce visually creative content to represent the natural production of Hemp and bring something completely new to commercial fabrics.

Camira Fabrics on ESI.info
@Camira on twitter
danojari.com/

Kartell, the Italian brand and world leader in the industrial production of furniture and interior design items made of high quality plastic, and Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen, one of the world’s leading companies in the production of high end ceramics for the bathroom, are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement for the design, production and world distribution of a complete new line dedicated to the bathroom under the Kartell by Laufen brand name.

The artistic direction for the whole project has been entrusted to architects Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, the internationally famous designers and trend setters for bathroom ware.

The collection will be previewed for the trade sector at the ISH trade fair (in Frankfurt, 12-16 March), with the full range on show in Hall 3.1 Stand B51.

It will then be unveiled for the general public on the occasion of the next Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano (9-14 April).

A complete new bathroom collection developed through the synergies of the two brands. The Kartell by Laufen bathroom project will be distributed through the Laufen retail channels throughout the world.

Throughout the duration of ISH, Laufen will be running architectural/design tours, giving architects and designers the full run-down of this exciting new collection. Limited spaces available and can be booked in advance.

 

Designer Ferruccio Laviani describes the design process for the Taj and the Taj mini:

The name ‘Taj’ pretty much came about by chance. When I saw an image of the lamp in black and white on a piece of paper, the first thing I thought of was an elephant’s tusk.

I therefore opted for just four finishes: two full colours (white and black) in addition to transparent and opaline. The latter came about by chance as well. There was a matt version amongst the initial prototypes, and I really liked the lalique effect, so I added it to the range.
…
We decided to design a smaller version of the lamp, as soon as we had wrapped up the main Taj project. The main difference from Taj senior is that I decided to focus heavily on the colour range. I felt that it was important to offer slightly more alluring colours seeing as the object is smaller, helping the lamp blend seamlessly into a range of different settings.

The Taj mini is available in the UK from Connections Interiors.

Connections Interiors on ESI.info
@286Connections on twitter
Connections Interiors facebook

The publicity material has a nice sketch of the building.

It is designed by Michele de Lucchi to showcase the “Intelligenza delle mani” – the intelligence of the hands.

Tolentino has a new space. Alive and open. Which goes beyond the traditional museum concept, weaving together different stories and telling about the company’s first 100 years. The Poltrona Frau Museum, designed by Michele De Lucchi, is a rigorous industrial architecture created inside the Poltrona Frau facility. On display is a collection of furniture, drawings, images and materials never before displayed to the public. An area of 1400 m2 of design and “l’intelligenza delle mani” – ‘the intelligence in our hands’.

www.poltronafraumuseum.it
#pfmuseum
Poltrona Frau Products on ESI.info

The London and Birmingham-based architectural and leisure brand consultancy has now undertaken a successful UK revamp of the T.G.I. Friday’s look, and has headed across the Atlantic to help energise the iconic brand in the USA, the country where it was first launched nearly fifty years ago. Below are project images of the TGI’s in Oprey Mills, Nashville.

The move is part of an international design strategy by T.G.I. Friday’s parent company, Carlson Restaurants, which has spent the past three years working with Harrison on a new global design plan. The first stage is currently being rolled out to over 30 existing sites across the US, and in new restaurants, most recently in Nashville, Tennessee.

Harrison managing director Philip Harrison said: “T.G.I. Friday’s has to be one of the most iconic restaurant brands in the western world. It has over 900 sites globally and I have to say it is a great privilege and a massive compliment to be asked to advise on its design profile, particularly in the country where it all started.

“One of our key areas of focus for the T.G.I. Friday’s product is on ‘brand drift’. As is usually the case with high profile names in long-term existence, market positioning gradually ebbs away from some of its key values. We are helping Carlson re-connect with the brand’s core propositions and re-invigorate its unique selling points in an impactful way for a modern customer marketplace. The concept is moving from one of functionality to one of personality.”

Harrison explained that the changes the company are currently making to the brand reflect the complex nature of service positioning in the US’s diverse hospitality market.

He said: “Some of the brand evolution appears to be quite subtle, but there are some radical changes in the guest experience through design, brought about by the requirement to repeat the inspirational, iconic statement and emotional connection that T.G.I. Friday’s was all about when it first launched.

“The branding has always been about fun, and the new design brings this back to the fore, appearing bright, cool and aspirational. Zoning is very evident in the new layout, with the bar, dining and flex areas merging effortlessly and creating an effective flow for the infectious T.G.I. Friday’s energy.

“This whole approach has been fully supported by Carlson, and this is manifesting itself in the high quality of materials and fixtures that we are able to specify.”

Restaurant seating and tables are larger than previously, whilst accessories reflect traditional brand values but with a modern twist. The characteristic red and white colour scheme remains, but has been toned down with complementary, richer finishes. Raised open ceilings, where possible, create dynamic and powerful spaces.

The decor has been brought up-to-date, memorabilia minimised and complementary design features have been thoughtfully sited throughout. Unique commissioned artwork combine with strategic use of mirrors, frames and textures to create an authentic and engaging environment.

A further design alteration is the introduction of an open cook line which promotes the fresh food preparation at each site. Not only does this add interest and vitality, it also frees up extra space for seating and operational vantage points.

Harrison first made its name in the bar and restaurant sector over twenty years ago, masterminding the development of the All Bar One brand in the UK for Mitchells & Butlers. Further high profile brands handled by the consultancy include Nando’s, Giraffe and Yo Sushi.

Links
Harrison – All Bar One, Windsor
Harrison: Nando’s Stratford Westfield
Harrison Design company website

Compare hospitality furniture on ESI.info

On the blog, Jack will post visual evidence of lost country houses and estates plus other material that celebrates the work of artists, architects, designers, builders, carpenters & joiners, sculptors, masons and landscape designers / gardeners of the past 500 years.

The Revival Heritage flickr account is a treasure trove of historical material as the interior photographs below show.

Burwell Hall, Lincs reception room. Built by 1760 for Matthew Lister, descendant (possibly grandson) of Martin Lister, vice-president of the Royal Society and Royal Physician.

Billiard room of Temple Belwood with full size table. Temple Belwood was a complete rebuild of an existing house in 1787 by William Johnson.

Feedback and submissions to the archive are appreciated and welcomed. Images may be used for non-profit activities with a direct link to REVIVAL HERITAGE blog or flickr account.


Denton Hall Lincs Drawing room 1879 design

Greatford Hall Lincs restored dining room post 1922

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Cutting edge furniture designer Yard Sale Project contributed to the London Design Festival DesignersBlock installations with a striking high-aesthetic chair made – from plastic plumbing products.

Described as a “surreal Aladdin’s cave” by Design Week, DesignersBlock is a group that supports emerging designers and encourages them collaborate across disciplines. And Wavin, the UK’s leading supplier of water management, plumbing and drainage systems; teamed up with Yard Sale Project to donate 450 metres of 40mm white soil and waste pipes that were crafted into a stunning craft, sculpted chair.

Cairn Young and Ian Spencer, the designers behind YSP, were keen to use ABS piping as they had already enjoyed an enthusiastic response to an earlier piece modelled from the material that they nicknamed the Hepworth chair and exhibited at the Origin Design Show in 2010.

“We were attracted to this material because in its day to day role it’s almost invisible and we can breathe new life into it by using it in new, unfamiliar ways,” explained Cairn. “It’s also incredibly tough and, when you solvent weld it, can form this monolithic structure that’s amazingly strong and light. By making this sort of abstract piece we feel that we’re both subverting the original purpose of the pipe and also celebrating its special qualities.”

The chair itself is designed to stay out in a garden so that eventually the plants grow around it using the chair as a trellis, providing a sharp contrast between the man-made material and the organic forms of the plants.

For its part Wavin was pleased to support a project that draws attention to the outstanding qualities of one of its many products, according to Steve Skeldon, Product Group Manager. “Our products offer superb quality and are made using the very best materials but can be taken for granted because they’re so rarely seen – they just do their job year in, year out. So it’s great to be able to show their potential in such a visible way,” he said.

Yard Sale Project’s work has been sold in exhibitions all over the world, including Design Miami, PAD Paris and Gallery Seoul 12. The Museum of Art and Design, New York is including one of their chairs in a show called Against the Grain.

Wavin.com
DesignersBlock
Wavin plumbing products on ESI.info
Garden seating on ESI.info