"It isn't so much what's on the table that matters, ...

as what's on the chairs." ~ William S. Gilbert

I've never met a chair that I didn't like .... well, almost. But you've just got to love the ongoing love affair of designers, and their imaginative creations of new designs. No doubt, we will all never agree on which is the perfect chair, given our range of personal tastes and preferences. As a designer, my dilemma is that there are so many wonderful choices, but ultimately one must evaluate and select based on the usage and function1, setting, scale, and a list of other criteria.

1. (Please note: there is no such word as "functionality"!, except when applied to computers, and it drives me nuts to hear it used by so many designers!)

Never-the-less, it is quite interesting to observe the designs; to understand the designer's motives, inspirations, and influences; and to just appreciate the evolving technologies that make some designs possible. Just when you thought that there could be no possibility of any "new" designs, one will come along and just amaze us with it's ingenuity. Sure, most designs are often fresh takes on the traditional or classics. And sometimes, all it takes is a fabulous fabric or pattern to give a chair a whole new personality. But combine our never ending quest for the "just right" chair and the designer's desire for new expressions, and we will never see the end of the chair's evolution.

The following chairs have recently caught my eye... and I enjoy looking at them, as much as I would a piece of sculpture...

Cyrilla Arm Chair, made from sustainable and eco friendly materials. A simplified version of it's traditional counterparts suitable for a wide range of interior styles.
http://www.purebyamimckay.com/

"PURE was founded in an effort to balance our desire for beautiful furniture and homes, with the need to make better choices for our health and to protect our environment."

http://www.hayonstudio.com/project.php?id=4

An interesting application of leather and plastic, combining elements of traditional styles with a moderne interpretation

abhijeet kumar's Welcome Chair, an interesting shape from aluminum, reminiscent of origami

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/WELCOME-CHAIR/138183

OPINION Chair. Designed by DaeKyung Ahn.

Designer's Description:
"Basically this chair is a transforming chair: Modern to classic, contemporary to historical, minimal to elegant style. We all have individual design tastes for our environment. Some people prefer a particular style which is a simple design language or elegant style, and some others like both styles but they often change their design opinion depending on the place where, the time when, and the people whom with."

VIEW Chair. Designed by DaeKyung Ahn.

Designer's Description:
"Sometimes, in daily life, we interpret and judge people and objects from the most memorable and recognizable point of view, the one we can more easily see. Furthermore, we are fixed to characterise them through that point of view. I believe that everything has got an alternative or different character and specialty. I don't believe that special character is easy to see at a simple glance. But what if we try to see objects from a different point of view? "

Showtime Collection for BD Ediciones de Diseño is a home furniture collection inspired on classical MGM musicals.

Simplicity...

the Pick Chair. Designed by Dror Benshetrit.

"The first foldable cantilever chair, goes from wall art to functional furniture with a flick of the wrist. With an inspiring take on the maximization of space and the transformation of an object from 2D to 3D, it epitomizes Dror Benshetrit's vision: the emotion of art intertwined with the simple poetics of form following function."

For those of you not familiar with DWR (Design Within Reach), it is a store that represents most of the contemporary classics in furniture. Every year right after "new years" they have a champagne chair competition ...save your cork, wire, and foil from those champagne bottles! It is a lot of fun, and you can find their rules here: http://www.dwr.com/display.do?ruleID=101077

The chair below was a design that I submitted three years ago. My daughter, who had broken her foot prior to this and was hopping around on one foot, was my inspiration.

Hmmmmm....I wonder if the designer of the chairs below happened to see my design... probably not, but an odd coincidence!

Surreal Minimalism. Designed by David Pompa Alarcón.

Looking for a little whimsy? I think there is power in numbers and colors here. I can just picture these in a fun boutique hotel somewhere along Venice Beach, Ca.

La Diva Chair. Designed by Jaime Bouzaglo. Manufactured by Andreau World.

Graceful Elegance... Given the right background (such as the one further below), this piece really shows off it's elegant and graceful lines

Orchid Chair. Designed by Sebastian Gronemeyer

http://www.silenceandgrace.com/gl01.html

"the orchid chair ...this lounge chair is part of silence and grace’s first two piece collection, that pays
homage to the great designs of 50’s and 60’s using today's materials and knowledge.
the orchid is a fluent and most important seamless shape, comfortable to sit on and
designed with a love for detail.
the natural contours and it's organic forms inspired by the leaves of an orchid,
smoother the body as you sit down and as you lean back the backrest flexes slightly.
this un-upholstered lounge chair constructed of a one-piece moulded epoxy fiberglass
shell (note: an epoxy and bamboo fiber version is also in development) and is mounted
on a brushed steel base.
the chair comes with a complementary feather duster to keep the lower part of the
chair (which can also be used to store newspapers and magazines) clean and dust free."

"I had three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society"

~ Henry David Thoreau

"An interior is the natural projection of the soul" ~ Coco Chanel

From the humblest of churches to the most majestic of cathedrals, they have a way of bringing even the reluctant to their knees. Their interiors inspire our souls and reflect our aspirations of wanting to surround ourselves with Godliness, whether simplistic or ornate in presence.

The church's interior is often-times a person's first exposure to architecture and craftsmanship that is beyond the ordinary. An introduction, if you will, to "the finer things in life". Soaring spaces with light filtering through jewel-colored glass...reflecting off the polished gilded carvings. The faint must of incense, forever in our memories, and the inexplicable feeling of deja vu. The "church" experience can, no doubt, also have a lasting impression upon our subconscious of how we respond and relate throughout life to our surroundings and our own preferences of styles.

During this holy season, it is only fitting to give our respects to the interiors of churches from around the world...regardless of your affiliation or preference of style...

Photo taken by my friend Pierre on his recent trip to Patzcuaro, Michoacan in Mexico.

"It is a very pretty colonial town in an artisanal center of the country."

~

St. Stevens Cathedral I, Alhambra California http://www.cathedralsofcalifornia.com/

~

Architect Sigurd Lewerentz's Chapel of the Resurrection in Stockholm, Sweden

http://www.msa.mmu.ac.uk/continuity/ Continuity in Architecture

The restrained use of ornamentation speaks for itself on the beauty of simplicity.

"I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

~

The blog site "Scandinavians & Baltics" has numerous photos with some great examples of Barocco and Roccoco churches, as well as the simple interiors you would come to expect from the Scandinavians, dating back to early centuries

"In Kurzeme (Courland) rural Gothic style churches are very simple from outside – like this one in Edole (150 km from Riga): But very often they hide later Barocco and Roccoco interiors inside (Edole)"

Small village – Piedruja near Belarus – got this church in 1774. there are similar churches in many villages in Latgale

~

St. George’s Cathedral in Istanbul

~

"The Hanging Church (below) derives its name from its location on top of the southern tower gate of the old Babylon fortress in old Cairo with its nave suspended above the passage. (Muallaqa translates to ‘suspended’) The church was first built, in Basilica style, in the 3rd or 4th century. However, at that time it is unlikely that the church would have been constructed in this location. They covered the towers with palm trunks and a layer of stone. The main church is thought to have been built between the 5th and 6th centuries with the south-eastern section called the “upper church” being added later. The church was destroyed in the 9th century and rebuilt. The last modification was in 1755 A.D.

~

In Palermo, Sicily, the Norman kings in the 12th century installed mosaics in the Duomo (Cathedral), the Cappella Palatina, the Martorana, the Palazzo Reale, and the Palazzo della Zisa. Other Norman mosaics embellish the interior walls of the great churches at Cefalù (1148 and later) and Monreale (1180-90); in both churches the sanctuary walls are covered with cycles of biblical scenes and, in the apse, powerful figures of Christ and saints in bright-colored glass and stone against gold backgrounds.

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/adventure_travel.htm

~

"Frisian medieval churches. There are many medieval churches in Friesland (the N-East region of Holland). The church of Hogebeintum was build in the first half of the 12th century. Famous because of its mourning plates at the wall of the church. "

~

Now... strip away all the ornamentation of the interior, down to it's fundamental elements... and you have the masterpiece of "a total work of art, where the architecture, sculpture, painting and poetry come together masterfully". Le Corbusier (1887-1965) was one of the 20th century's most important architects. He designed only three religious structures, all in France. One of them was the pilgrimage chapel at Ronchamp.

This space makes great use of the principles and elements of design, and epitomizes the "less is more" concept.

It relates more to a spiritual awareness than that of religion.

Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut at Ronchamp

www.hectorlarico.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut at Ronchamp

"Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you." ~ Rumi

“Heat cannot be separated from fire, ..."

or beauty from The Eternal.” ~ Dante Alighieri

Wishing you had the warmth and ambiance of a fireplace? Here are some new products that may alter your perception of what a "fire place" is all about. It is a lot simpler to have one than you may be aware… and depending on the model of your choosing, may not even require venting, construction or remodeling! Not only that, they are a new generation of eco-friendly; and with the range of styles, you can find one suitable for your interior.

You will see from the photos the possibilities: limited only by imagination... When you look at the photos, I want you to take the concept and then visualize how it could be, using other materials and finishes to customize it to your own style. Whether contemporary, traditional or in between...this is a great tool to create some fabulous effects.

NEW Gaya fireplace. Designed by Roderick Vos. Manufactured by Safretti BV.

These wall hanging “fire boxes” are fueled by bioalcohol. The wall mounted units are designed to not put out heat, but is rather for the effect. They have various sizes and shapes...as well as free standing models, which you can put anywhere.

Linear Burner System. Manufactured by Spark Modern Fires.
Spark offer vent-free or direct vent models

The following photos of the Ecosmart Fire shows some great examples of customized "surrounds" or ready made. The concept of the fire box, is just that. You can purchase the box kits if you would like to design your own "surround" or select from the growing number of styles that are offered. Depending on the design, you may use single, double, triple, or ribbon style fuel boxes. This is where you can get real creative... it can be as traditional or contemporary as you want. You can also retro fit it into an existing fireplace opening.

This is the "guts" of the fire place... offering endless design possibilities!

L’ Hôtel des Académies et des Arts

Westin Resort & Spa

Equilibrium Bar

Private Client

Zeta Toulouse en showroom

Stefan Post

Now... take the concept of the "fire box" and add one fantastic designer and you have the creations of Elena Colombo! She takes the fire bowl, fire wall, fire box, to a whole new level... please take a look at her website photos. She has merely taken the fire box concept and turned it into art.

Simple, Pure, and absolutely Beautiful!