Nothing is Boring

Last week I was checking out Du Verre: The Hardware Co. hardware and the fabulous designers they have collaborated with to create their “design-driven” collections. I was reading about Christopher Smith from East Main Design and the two collections – Polar and Rise, that he collaborated on. The first thing you see on the East Main Design website are the words “Nothing is Boring. The world is way too rich with design possibilities.” I’m hooked and inspired to write this post about the Du Verre designers.

If you aren’t familiar with Du Verre, they are a Canadian manufacturer of quality decorative hardware made from recycled aluminum. While most pieces are die cast, a few are made using sand casting. All of these little works of art are finished by hand.

Clodagh

Clodagh has designed 4 collections for Du Verre so she seems like a logical place to start. Clodagh, principal and CEO of Clodagh Designs in New York, is a legend in the design world who has worked in over 90 countries and marshaled her talents into being able to re-imagine anything her clients ask her to. She has designed everything from interiors and landscapes to packaging and uniforms. Clodagh is well known for her steadfast dedication to the use of feng shui, chromatherapy, biophillia, and sustainable materials. Clodagh’s collections for Du Verre include Primitive, Stacked,Tribal and Kuba.

Christopher Smith

The Polar and Rise hardware collections were designed by Christopher Smith of East Main Design and Development. He specializes in left of center creative solutions through a deep understanding of consumer markets. His projects range from Branding and Identity to Furniture and Hardware. No matter the project the goal is always the same: achieve moving solutions while striving for sustainable use of materials and efficient use of resources appropriate for the client and marketplace.

Goodman & Charlton

Jeffrey Goodman is a Magna cum Laude graduate from Harvard College, with a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies, and Steven Charlton is an honors graduate from Brighton School of Art in England, with a BA in Graphic Design.

Together the two formed Goodman Charlton, a design firm that now specializes in hospitality, residential interior and furniture designs. Most recently and notably, the team just finished up the grand renovation of the Empire Hotel, near Lincoln Center, where they created a lavish yet modern interior from furnishings around the world. The Marcel hardware collection was originally conceived for the renovation of the Marcel Hotel in New York. It is a fun collection with playful geometric shapes.

William Harvey

William Harvey is an artist, musician and a designer. He is widely known for his innovative houseware and accessory designs for UMBRA and for making sculptures out of found objects. He works out of his studio in Williamsburg, NY where he lives with his family. Harvey is a spokesman for the North Brooklyn Creative Economy Zone and advocates for inclusion of mixed-use and commercial space in new developments. He has designed two collections for Du Verre – Arroyo, a sleek architectural collection and Lotus, an organic sculptural collection.

Heinz Pfleger

Heinz Pfleger was trained in Austria and now makes his home in Canada. He is one of North America’s most talented metalsmiths. He was an early collaborator with DuVerre and created three collections. Forged 2 and Forged 3 were created from the original classic Forged Collection and the Pomegranate collection is a series of nature-inspired hardware rich with texture. Pfleger concentrates primarily on one-of-a-kind architectural projects and fine furniture.

Erin Adams

Erin Adams is well known in the kitchen and bath design world as premier mosaic tile designer. In her work as both artisan and interior designer, Erin infuses sophisticated urban sensibilities with elements of the folk art tradition. Erin’s mission is to create and produce innovative products that imbue sophistication and grace, inspire self reflection and keep fine craftsmanship alive in a world of mass production. Her goal to collaborate with other artists by pushing boundaries and materials to where they have never been before has led to collaborations with Ann Sacks and New Ravenna Mosaics. Erin designed the multidimensional Offset Collection.

Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman was an innovator in the field of architectural glass. He passed away in 2012 after a valiant battle with cancer. Apart from running Jeff Goodman Studio, which he established in 1989, Goodman was a board member for the Ontario Craft Council and for the Glass Art Association of Canada. He was also a mentor and advisor at Harbourfront Centre and he taught at Sheridan College. Before he passed away, Goodman had completed a major commission for the Baha’i Temple of Light, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, in Santiago, Chile. Jeff was another early collaborator with Du Verre and his hardware series called The Jeff Goodman Collection is appreciated for its Zen-like qualities.

Scot Laughton

Scot Laughton is an award-winning Industrial designer. He established Scot Laughton Studio in 1992 and has designed furniture and products for furnishings companies such as Keilhauer, Nienkämper, Pure Design, and Umbra. He is a founding member of Furnace, a collective committed to producing thoughtful, functionally appropriate, minimalist designs through collaborative effort. His Series 3 hardware collection for Du Verre is both bold and subtle, making use of elegant shapes, planes and organic curves to create a finished product that is as fantastic as it is practical.

Gina Lubin

The Rio hardware collection is designed by Du Verre co-founder, Gina Lubin. Inspired by ancient ruins and symbols, Rio’s patterns have an air of mystery and a one-of-a-kind feeling. Rio knobs and pulls are as much art as a functional piece of design. Rio has an exotic look and sculptural feeling with each piece hand finished. Gina’s focus on detail and texture combined with perfect function reflect her philosophy of simplicity; “Form, function quality and originality – with these ingredients you can create a sustainable and beautiful environment. Wellness, balance and harmony are the wonderful byproducts of good design. Through quality comes pleasure and peace of mind.”

Du Verre can be purchased through designers and dealers as well as online. Check the Where to Buy page on www.duverre.com for more information.

(Du Verre is a sponsor for BlogTour London 2013, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)

September 7, 2013

Spitalfields Saturday Style Market

I have to say I was pretty pleased when I spotted Spitalfields Saturday Style Market as a possible stop for BlogTour London.

Spitalfields Market is a great London institution – in a huge old Victorian building with a metal and glass roof, surrounded by cool shops and restaurants – the center of the building is filled with traditional market stalls and 100′s of eclectic independent traders selling their finest wares.

Aside from the market stalls, there are some great independent retailers too like OneDeko; a contemporary furniture store and Elemental; a vintage/retro lighting and furniture store.

Just outside Spitalfields is The Lollipop Shoppe , offering international furniture classics, lighting and home decor. Major Brands such as Vitra, Knoll, Artek, Cassina, and Fritz Hansen are featured with an eclectic collection of accessories.

With such a tight schedule I hardly know where to start. Leave comments on your favorite places at Spitalfields.

Spitalfields takes its name from the hospital and priory, St. Mary’s Spittel that was founded in 1197. Lying in the heart of the East End, it is an area known for its spirit and strong sense of community. It was in a field next to the priory where the now famous market first started in the thirteenth century.

From its small beginnings in the 17th Century, Spitalfields Market blossomed. Traders working from a collection of sheds and stalls did their best to meet the needs of London’s rapidly growing population and their appetite for fresh fruit and vegetables. Their success made Spitalfields Market a major center for the sale of fresh produce, trading six days a week.

In 1920 the City of London acquired direct control of the market, extending the original buildings eight years later. For the next 60 years, Spitalfields’ nationwide reputation grew, as did the traffic congestion in the narrow streets around it. With no room for the expansion it so badly needed, the market was forced to move and in May 1991 it opened its doors at its new location in Leyton, east London.

At the end of 2005, the Spitalfields completed an 18-year regeneration program. This resulted in the creation of two new public spaces, Bishops Square and Crispin Place, a public art program, an events program, the restoration of several historic streets in E1 and a selection of carefully selected independent retailers and restaurants.

September 2, 2013

Cashmere by Kreoo

Kreoo by Decormarmi, known for their exquisite stone vessels and furniture, has introduced a new marble sink called Cashmere.

The brand name, Kreoo, is inspired by the Greek word “kraino” which means to produce or create and in its conjugation kreion means “the one who odes and creates.” Kreoo was launched as an offshoot of parent company Decormarmi in 2010. Italian Designer Enzo Berti, who was inspired by Scandinavian designers associated with the Mid-Century Modern period, created the collection for Kreoo.

Crafted in Italy’s Vicenza area using traditional techniques passed down through generations of stone workers, the Cashmere sink is an oval bowl with an extension that becomes a functional surface to hold small soaps or other cosmetic items. I think it resembles a kitchen measuring spoon – just a little bit.

Cashmere is available in Calcutta. It may be offered in Estremoz White; Marquina Black and St Marie Grey in the future.

The Cashmere vessel can be combined with Kreoo’s storage cabinetry called Wood Box or sit atop their beautiful marble Console Table. The unique shape lends a sense of personality to the bathroom that a standard oval sink does not offer.

August 31, 2013

Electrolux Grand Cuisine

If you fell in love with the collaboration between Electrolux and Molteni, the iconic French range manufacturer; you are sure to be impressed with the professional suite of appliances in the Grand Cuisine offering from Electrolux.

Designed with the masters in mind, and already established in the kitchens of Alain Ducasse and Tom Aikens, the Grand Cuisine aims to bring the techniques of the upper echelons of gourmet cooking within reach.

There are nine appliances that make up the Electrolux Grand Cuisine range: a combination steam oven, blast chiller, induction cooktop (induction zone), gas cooktop (gas hob), stainless steel griddle (sear hob), round-bottomed induction wok (surround induction zone), vacuum sealer, bespoke ventilation and stand mixer. To have all eight fitted for your kitchen will set you back $107,000, and excluding the ventilation and the Molteni Range.

Electrolux launched the line in Europe in 2012 with 2013 slated for the US release. While the majority of households struggle to reconcile rising healthcare and fuel prices, the executives at Electrolux say they have spotted a gap in the market with the popularity of cooking programs.

Electrolux describes Grand Cuisine as the first professional cooking system for home use, and the first to allow consumers “to fully recreate Michelin-star restaurant experiences” in their own kitchens.

The Electrolux Grand Cuisine user interface makes cooking as simple, or as complex, as you want it to be. Choose Manual, Program or Automatic Mode simply using a touchscreen. Anything you cook today, you can also cook with Electrolux Grand Cuisine appliances.

To give you full confidence, the Electrolux Grand Cuisine Cooking System comes complete with a private cooking session in your home with a top chef.

The Combination Oven is a large steam oven fitted with sensors to control humidity. Use the 6 sensor probe to detect food’s coolest core temperature.

Food rom the oven or cooktop can go directly into the blast chiller, rapidly reducing temperature to store or freeze. Blast chilling doesn’t allow time for the large ice crystals to form that can destroy food taste and texture.

You can use the entire cooktop surface of the Grand Cuisine Induction Zone for cooking, because pot detection technology knows exactly where the pot needs heat. There is also an option to set the cooktop from hot to cool across the surface.

The Gas Hob evenly heats with Electolux’s patented Flower Flame burners that automatically adjust to pan size. The brass burners come in two sizes – the 5.5 kW and the 3.0 kW.

The energy-efficient Sear Hob has a stain resistant and odor repellent chrome plated stainless steel surface that requires no oil so it is ideal for healthy cooking. It seals in juices without mixing flavors.

The Grand Cuisine Surround Induction Zone is perfectly curved to match the shape of your eastern-style round-bottomed pan and heat it evenly from all sides. The induction wok cooktop is also ideal for steaming, poaching boiling, searing and stewing.

Enjoy sous vide cooking at home just like a Master Chef with Grand Cuisine precision Vacuum Sealer. Additionally, you can store pre-prepared foods and ingredients under vacuum for days, weeks or even months.

The Grand Cuisine Stand Mixer features the planetary movement technology, ergonomic patented bowl lift system, removable stainless bowl guard, aluminum cover and a rage of professional attachments for mixing, kneading and whipping.