Happy New Year to all my followers and regular readers. May 2017 be a peaceful and prosperous year for the planet.
See you next week for the first post of 2017. Until then, Happy Designing!
Monday, December 26, 2016
Happy New Year 2017!
Happy New Year to all my followers and regular readers. May 2017 be a peaceful and prosperous year for the planet.
See you next week for the first post of 2017. Until then, Happy Designing!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2016!
This year, the Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere happens this Wednesday, December 21st. I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Know Your Chairs: The Platner Chair
Warren Platner started out as an architect but he will forever be known as a furniture designer and interior designer. He was a member of Eero Saarinen’s office (previously here) from 1960 to 1965, participating in the designs for the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., the Repertory Theatre at Lincoln Center, and John Deere World Headquarters. But it wasn't until 1966 when he unveiled through Knoll his classic Platner chair collection that he found his true calling. All the pieces--except the Platner Loveseat which is no longer made--have been in continuous production since their introduction and each sculptural base of these staples of modernist design is made up of hundreds of steel rods which take over one thousand welds to manufacture!
Warren Platner was inducted into Interior Design magazine’s hall of fame in 1985. Until falling ill, Platner was still active in his firm, working on projects. He died in 2006 at the age of 86.
The Platner Arm Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
The Platner Easy Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
The Platner Lounge Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
Happy designing!
Warren Platner was inducted into Interior Design magazine’s hall of fame in 1985. Until falling ill, Platner was still active in his firm, working on projects. He died in 2006 at the age of 86.
The Platner Arm Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
The Platner Easy Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
The Platner Lounge Chair--
can be bought from Knoll here
Happy designing!
Monday, December 5, 2016
A Flokati Will Keep You Warm
For the colder months here in the Northern Hemisphere, nothing keeps you warmer than all natural wool. And what could be more luxurious than feeling warm, thick wool pile under your feet instead of a cold wood or tile floor?
A flokati (flow-KAH-tee) is a type of rug that has been woven in Greece for thousands of years. Originally created by Vlach shepherds in the Pindus mountain range on the border of Greece and Albania, these rugs are made entirely of sheep wool, including the base. When the rug is being woven, long wool strands are inserted in between the weft fibers (the ones that run horizontally, or left to right). The rugs are then left in cold running water like rivers or waterfalls (or machine baths) where the long wool strands unravel and fluff out, while the backing gets much tighter, creating the classic, shag-rug look and feel of a flokati.
Today, these rugs are still handmade in Greece. In fact, in 1966 the Greek Ministries of Finance, Industry, and Commerce passed a law regarding flokatis that is reminiscent of the territorial claims for champagne (in order to be called champagne and not just a sparkling wine, it must be made in the Champagne region of France). The law specified that for a rug to be classified as a flokati, it must be hand woven in Greece and must be made of 100% wool (warp, weft, and pile). The total weight of the rug must be at least 1800 grams of wool per square meter. And the flokati must be subjected to the water friction process for the pile to unravel and fluff out.
Since they were popular in the United States in the 1970s, these rugs can have a slightly retro vibe to them. But as you can see below, they can look completely modern too!
Flokatis don't have to go on the floor either--they can be spread on chairs or on the backs of sofas...or even hung on walls like a tapestry to give a space texture.
Happy designing!
A flokati (flow-KAH-tee) is a type of rug that has been woven in Greece for thousands of years. Originally created by Vlach shepherds in the Pindus mountain range on the border of Greece and Albania, these rugs are made entirely of sheep wool, including the base. When the rug is being woven, long wool strands are inserted in between the weft fibers (the ones that run horizontally, or left to right). The rugs are then left in cold running water like rivers or waterfalls (or machine baths) where the long wool strands unravel and fluff out, while the backing gets much tighter, creating the classic, shag-rug look and feel of a flokati.
Today, these rugs are still handmade in Greece. In fact, in 1966 the Greek Ministries of Finance, Industry, and Commerce passed a law regarding flokatis that is reminiscent of the territorial claims for champagne (in order to be called champagne and not just a sparkling wine, it must be made in the Champagne region of France). The law specified that for a rug to be classified as a flokati, it must be hand woven in Greece and must be made of 100% wool (warp, weft, and pile). The total weight of the rug must be at least 1800 grams of wool per square meter. And the flokati must be subjected to the water friction process for the pile to unravel and fluff out.
Since they were popular in the United States in the 1970s, these rugs can have a slightly retro vibe to them. But as you can see below, they can look completely modern too!
Flokatis don't have to go on the floor either--they can be spread on chairs or on the backs of sofas...or even hung on walls like a tapestry to give a space texture.
Happy designing!
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