DMY Berlin may have been a few weeks ago, but the warm memories remain. And as we were sorting through the piles of info material we gathered in Kreuzberg we came across a postcard from Wohngold.

And like a remiss lover returning from a holiday fling, instantly felt a pang of guilt as we saw the card and were reminded of that wonderful time at DMY Youngsters.

Why hadn’t we responded since our return? Did it all mean so little?

For the truth is that LADAR by Wohngold is a truly wonderful product in an area of product design with a lot of competition.

In our modern world we rely heavily on mobile items, and happily ignore the fact that the majority of mobile items occasionally need to be recharged or otherwise attached to cables.  Most of us ignore this fact in that we ignoring the piles of spaghetti that accumulate on or near our desks.

But we all know its wrong.

There are a number of “boxes” on the market designed to help you control the uncontrollable, but what we like about LADAR is the fact that it is wall mountable, the space on top and inside can be used for storage of non-electrical items and it looks fantastic.

We were honestly greatly taken with the ingenious simplicity of  LADAR – and so apologies that we haven’t sent you card since our return.

LADAR by Wohngold...

...its like catching snakes in a box

As we stood looking at some mighty fine, but horribly over-carved, wooden furniture at the Salone in Milan a female colleague confided in us that all she needs is some leather straps and a few bits of bent metal.

Trying not to show our horror at this outburst of candour, we asked if she had a meeting with El Presidente that evening.

“No, no” replied our erstwhile colleague, “Bauhaus. That’s my idea of good design”

Eileen Gray (1878 -1976)

We recite this tale here principally to amuse ourselves, but also by way of a gentle introduction to the new smow Eileen Gray range.

Although for many Gray’s work will not as familiar as that of Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier or Mies van der Rohe one should not underestimate the contribution made by Eileen Gray to the development furniture design in the 20th century.

Born in the barren wilderness of County Wexford, Ireland, Gray studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art in London before moving in 1902 to Paris, a city that was to play a key role in her career.

Paris had already introduced her to the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh through his exhibition at the Exposition Universelle in 1900 and was to introduce her to Japanese lacquer artist Seizo Sugawara from who she learnt the art, combining it with elements of Art Nouveau. Paris was also to introduce her to the Romanian architect and publisher Jean Badovici who encouraged Gray to try her hand at architecture.

E.1027, designed by Eileen Gray

In 1924 Badovici and Gray started work on the house E.1027 on the southern French coast, not far from Monaco. In addition to being a magnate for the European design elite – Le Corbuiser was so impressed he built his summer residence nearby – a house needs furniture and Gray designed this to a great extent herself.

Through exchanges and conversation with the likes of Le Corbusier and the leading figures in the Bauhaus movement Eileen Gray not only created some of the true classics of early-20th century design but helped to define the Bauhaus principles of form follows function and less is more. And in doing so paved the way for following generations of designers such as Charles and Ray Eames or Jasper Morrison.

Following World War II Eileen Gray lived a quite, almost reclusive life, in Paris, and although she was still working she never achieved the same prominence as in the interwar years. Gray died in Paris in October 1976 aged 98.

Petite Coiffeuse by Eileen Gray

Whereas the post war years brought little acclaim for her work, today articles by Eileen Gray are amongst the most copied pieces of early-20th century designer furniture. Which is probably the greatest testement one can make to the value of an article of designer furniture.  It goes without saying that all the Eileen Gray articles sold by smow are, as with all articles smow sell, officially licensed originals with the associated guarantee of quality craftsmanship and competent after sales service.

The inter-war years were some of the most important and revolutionary for European furniture design. The social and cultural upheavals of the day coupled with the new perspectives and priorities resulting from the Great War not only gave us a wonderful portfolio of great design, but changed the very nature of the design process. Eileen Gray was a key figure in that period.

smow is now proud to offer the following, offically licensed, Eileen Gray products from ClassiCon, Munich.

St Tropez by Eileen Gray

Wendingen (Carpet 1926-1929)

Roquebrune (Chair, 1932)

Petite Coiffeuse (Dressing table , 1929)

St. Tropez (Carpet 1926-1929)

Occasional Table (Side table 1927)

Now that it is finally online we did want to write at great lengths about the AC4 by Antonio Citterio for Vitra.

But you know what. We’re not going to.

On the one hand; we already have:

Red Dot Winner 2009

54% Recyclede, 91% Recyclable

Heirloom Design

Net’n'Nest

And on the other Vitra have produced such a delightful promo video:

We’re impressed – especially by the three zone lumbar support and the constant eyeline tipping system – and we genuinely don’t say that about all office chairs we try.

The AC 4 by Antonio Citterio is available in a wide range of materials, colours, arm rest styles and base styles. All of which, as with the complete Vitra office stool range are available from smow.

AC 4 by Antonio Citterio for Vitra - now available from smow

The so called “Barcelona Chair” by German architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is without question one of the true classics of 20th century furniture design.  And one of the most copied.

On the 80th anniversary of its first public appearance during the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, materials scientist Prof. Friederike Deuerler and Art Historian Prof. Gerda Breuer have curated an exhibition for the Galerie im Kolkmannhaus at the University of Wuppertal.

“From prototype to cult object – The Barcelona Chair from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe” is one the hand a sober scientific examination of the chair, the design process and the production process employed on the “original”; and on the other an examination of the question what is “original” in terms of furniture design.
A topic very close to our hearts, as you know.

In addition to the showing prototypes, early examples – including possibly articles displayed in Barcelona – the exhibition also shows modern interpretations, including a stackable plastic version.

For all those in, near or planning being in or near Wuppertal the exhibition runs at the Galerie im Kolkmannhaus, Hofaue 51-55, 42103 Wuppertal until August 23. More information can be found on the website.

Prof. Friederike Deuerlern and Prof. Gerda Breuer in two examples of the Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Although the rumour persists that we only travel to trade fairs and exhibitions so that we can impress people in bars with phrases such as “Last week in New York…” or “For me the real beauty of Milan is…“, in truth we do do a little work.

And the fruits of that work can be seen, for example, in the ever expanding (smow)collection.

And punctually to the start of The Ashes season we can now offer the extended Thonet outdoor range; quite possibly the most stylish furniture for sitting in the garden and listening to TMS or follow Aggers on Twitter.

The Thonet S 43, for example, is Mart Stam’s 1931 classic in a weather-proof teak veneered beach finish, and  a wonderful location in which to sit back on a summers afternoon with a good book and well tuned radio. Set it beside the S 1043 table and you not only have a wonderful visual symmetry, but a place to rest your sandwiches and lemonade between overs.

And because we all know the summer can’t last for ever, smow also stock the outrageously stylish and cheeky Thonet S 333 sledge.

You can find more information on the Thonet Outdoor collection at Thonet, and the complete range can be purchased through smow.de

S43 and S1043 from Thonet

If we’re honest we’ve never understood TED … and probably never will.

Which is cool.

And regradless of, and in how far, we comprehend why TED exists, they do offer some wonderful short films and lectures… and the newly released 2007 talk by Eames Demetrios, grandson of Charles and Ray Eames, is no exception.

Occasionaly it wanders into the realms of “whatever!”, but on the whole is a lovely little introduction to Charles and Ray Eames and for all their philosophy and approach to design.

USM Haller sideboard

System USM Haller is a storage and display system for all. We know that most people only come across USM Haller units in lawyers and accountants offices, doctors surgeries or museums … but that is, if you will, a historical relic based on the traditional distribution system.

The times my have changed but system USM Haller remains the reliable, versatile and practical system it has always been.

Many new customers, however, have a problem understanding what is and is not possible with USM Haller.

And while we at smow have the official USM configuration software – our customers don’t.

Therefore, to try to smooth the process a little and make USM Haller more accessible and easier to understand, the (smow)techies have designed an easy to use guide to the basics of USM Haller.

At USM Independent you will find a “fail-proof” overview of which elements are available in which sizes, as well as a clever interactive colour guide and a description of some “standard” configurations.

USM Haller as seen at DMY Berlin

The beauty of USM Haller, however, is that you don’t need to accept “standard” you are free to decide how your unit is designed … as well as how you extend and adapt it over the years.

For all who are new to USM Haller the smow USM Independent is the perfect starting point for experimenting and exploring.

And once you have an idea of what you need, simply contact us at smow with details of your requirements and our experienced USM team will prepare a detailed offer.

Further images of system USM Haller in action can be found in the (smow)flickr gallery.

Just in time for the official start of the balcony reading season in Northern Europe, (smow) is proud to announce the arrival of Liesmichl by Nils Holger Moorman.

Without a doubt one of the freshest and most inventive reading/side table design of late, Liesmichl is also an expression of Nils Holger Moormann’s love affair with the written word.
And a rare excursion by the southern German firm away from 100% wood furniture.

The genius of Liesmichl is not the wonderful holder on the top where you can safely and securely place your open book, nor is it the small shelf for drinks and snacks, nor is it the clever use of the base structure as storage space for further books.
No the real genius of Liesmichl is that all this exists in one beautifully proportioned side table.

We’re biased.. we admit it, but watch our video on (smow)tube, have a look at the pictures at moormann.de and you’ll see that we’re not unjustly biased.

All details regarding sizes, colours and prices at smow.de

Liesmichl by Nils Holger Moormann for Moormann - available from smow

Kete by David Turnbridge

The Top 5 Lamps from the smow design spring. In no particular order.

Kete by David Turnbridge. One of the first lamps we saw in Milan, and probably that which left the greatest impression on us. And not merely on account of its size. For us the principle beauty of Kete is the atmosphere it can create in a room with it 7W LED element. And despite their overproprtionality Kete doesn’t domiante the room. Honest.  Kete. Anything but dull.

moooi.

Beachballs by TOBYhouse at designersblock, Milan

Beach Ball Lamps by TOBYhouse. When we first saw Beach Ball Lamps we thought they were made from shaped aluminium. So stable and rigid are they. Only after entering into converstaion with designer Toby Sanders did we discover that they are real beach balls. And that was when the product became magic. That was the moment when we realised and appreciated just what a product we had before us. And that was the moment when we started to investiagte more carefully. Through a specialy developed process TOBYhouse coat the inside of the balls with a thin polyeurethene coat, before cutting the bottom open and rounding the edges. And with it’s brillant white interior Beach Ball Lamps offers an excellent illumination. Beach Balls Lamps. Anything but dull.

moooi.

Flatline by Jason Brugges for Established and Sons

Flatliner by Jason Bruge for Established and Sons. We don’t own an iPod which is probably why we took a  couple of minutes to get the hang of the control system. Had it been based on an MD player we would have got the hang of it much quicker. However, once up and running we were in awe of Jason Bruge’s genial dimming system. And the quality of the illumination generated is every bit as convincing. If you don’t know what were talking about, check out our (smow)tube video. Flatliner. Anything but dull.

moooi.

Fiss Family by My Own Super Studio

Fiss Family by myownsuperstudio. DMY in Berlin was full of lamps. We’re not exactly sure why but we’re fairly certain it had something to do with students being set lamp design as part of their final year project. A sort of conspiracy among product and industrial design lecturers to make earth shine more brightly than the sun. Fiss Family by Portugese outfit myownsuperstudio wouldn’t have been much help in such a plot, but was without doubt one of the finest lamp ranges we saw this spring. For us the beauty lies in the fact that the light flows downwards; consequently, they don’t produce the brightest illumination, but that which they do produce is amongst the softest we saw this spring and certainly the best intended for a living room or office when you want a gentle background light or constant, atmospheric illumination. Fiss Family. Anything but dull.

moooi.

Spin by Tom Dixon

Spin by Tom Dixon. Not a lamp in the popular, modern electrified sense. But then were not sticklers for convention. Correctly used candles can offer a better, more positive illuminaton than their modern cousins. The trick is the “correctly used” part. With Spin Tom Dixon offers a wonderfully stylish opportunity not only to illuminate a space as we want it, but also to change the illumination as and when required. Spin. Anything but dull.

And a special mention goes to moooi for their Horse Lamp.

Lets get the tricky one out the way first. The Top 5 Tables from the smow design spring. In no particular order.

Liesmichl by Nils Holger Moormann for Moormann

Liesmichl by Nils Holger Moormann for Moormann.
If there’s one thing Moormann excel at it’s producing book friendly furniture. From the outrageous Bookinist over the classically overtoned Bookstabler and onto the book-friendly desk Kant, the Allgauer always seem to have readers at the forefront of their thoughts. And Liesmichl is no exception; space for books your going to read, a place to safely lay the book you are reading when you need/want a break, and a place for your drink and snacks. And if your not convinced check out Nils Holger Moorman on (smow)tube. Liesmichl. Top Table.

Tints by Jason Miller

Tints by Jason Miller.
As we were young scallywags causing mayhem and heartbreak wherever we got the chance, sweeties shone in a wonderfully opaque way. It may have been the memory of those care-free days that first drew our eye to Jason Millers Tints. Or it may have been the gorgeous way the legs fit into the frame, the optic caused by the wood/glass combination. Or it may have been Jake’s glasses. Regardless, however, of “why” we are glad we were drawn to Tints. Beautifully crafted, familiar and inviting in their styling and fresh in their design Tints are truly a table range that can and will provide pleasure in a number of setting. Tints. Top Table.

Flip by Alexander Seifried for Richard Lampert

Flip by Alexander Seifried for Richard Lampert.
If you were to hold us, upside down, over the edge of our balcony by our ankles, we would probably admit that Flip table standing in the corner of our balcony is just a few bits of metal welded together.
But then so is a 1954 Corvette Convertible, Blue Flame Six
With it’s wonderfully timeless elegance, smooth action and universal functionality Flip is a wonderful table for all who have limited space, know how to enjoy the space and don’t want to compromise when it comes to high-quality furniture. Flip. Top Table.

Adenike by Bao-Nghi Droste

Adenike by Bao-Nghi Droste
Admittedly less of a table, and more of an independent work station, Adenike nevertheless makes it into our Top Five Tables. Beautifully crafted, functional, practical and aesthetically charming Adenike is a product that truly achieves the aim the designer set themselves. And despite it’s intended function as a meeting point, we know that if we had one here in our Lower-East Plagwitz Village office we would spend a good deal reading the paper on it, sleeping on it and using it as a refuge from the daily chores. Adenike. Top Table.

ETR by Charles and Ray Eames from Vitra

ETR – Elliptical Table Rod Base by Charles and Ray Eames from Vitra
As if proof were needed that only new design can be good. In Milan we saw the Eamse’s ETR for the first time “live”, as it were, and were truly blown away by it. There is something about the height of the table – or possibly the height to length ratio – that gives the ETR a regency that few other pieces of furniture can ever hope to reach. Laissez fe surf-styling combined with Bauhaus bent steel elegance. Gorgeous. ETR. Top Table.

And a special mention goes to Table Fights. Hasta La Vista