Tag Archives: mid century modern
History Lesson: Eames Molded Plastic Chair
In the 1940s, Charles and Ray Eames were focusing on designing with plastic- molding it into organic shapes that conformed to the body. The bent, welded wire base was added to the shell and the first mass-produced one-piece plastic chair was born. The chair was introduced in 1948 at the Museum of Modern Art, and [...]
History Lesson: 45 Chair, Finn Juhl
Finn Juhl (1912 – 1989) was a Danish architect, interior designer and industrial designer. He is best known for his furniture design, and was a pioneer in the creation of Danish Modern Design in the 1940s. In 1945, Juhl designed the 45 Chair, which was one of the first to break the current tradition for [...]
History Lesson: Saarinen’s Womb Chair
While working for Knoll & Associates, Eero Saarinen was asked by Florence Knoll to design a chair she could curl up in, and in 1946 the Womb Chair was born. It is created from a single-piece form that mimics a relaxed sitting position. It is the most comfortable chair I have sat in, and it [...]
Destination: Miami, FL
Instead of spending the weekend shoveling snow, I am pretending I am in Miami, where I can scour the city for cool furniture I’m finding on craigslist. I think I’ll start with these fantastic mid-century pieces! Drexel dining table (they’re not selling the chairs, but what a beautiful set): I love the pulls on this [...]
History Lesson: The Cherner Chair
Norman Cherner (1920-1987) was a pioneer in designing molded plywood furniture and low-cost prefabricated housing. He was passionate about creating affordable furniture and authored numerous books on the subject. He is best known for the molded plywood seating line he created for Plycraft, the owner of which went on to claim the design for the [...]
Weekly Wrap Up: Color Blocking, NYC, and an Iconic Poster
Monday’s History Lesson: The Westinghouse “We Can Do It!” Poster Wednesday’s Design Meets Fashion: Minimalist Color Blocking Friday’s Destination: NYC (craigslist finds)
Destination: NYC (craigslist finds)
With Fashion Week getting all the attention in the city this week, I thought I’d scour Manhattan’s craigslist to see what goodies for the home New Yorkers have for sale. From Midtown West to Tribeca, here is a sample of some mid-century items up for grabs. This is beautiful.. a mid-century modern teak credenza designed [...]
History Lesson: Nelson Saucer Pendant Lamp
Inspired by a spherical hanging lamp made in Sweden, architect George Nelson designed the first bubble lamps in 1947. Their beautiful sculptural shapes were produced by pulling an innovative translucent plastic tautly over a steel wire frame, allowing an abundance of soft, diffused light through with no glare. The plastic was developed for military use, [...]
History Lesson: Eames Hang-It-All
Charles and Ray Eames are known for bringing a sense of fun to their work. They designed a number of pieces specifically for children, and introduced the Hang-It-All in 1953. It was given the same attention to detail as their furniture designs, and incorporated the mass-production techniques they developed for their wire-base tables and chairs. [...]
History Lesson: Wishbone Chair
“The chair does not exist. The good chair is a task one is never completely done with.” -Hans J. Wegner The Wishbone chair by Hans Wegner (1914-2007) is a mid-century design classic. It was introduced in 1950 and graciously defines the traditional 20th century Scandinavian design aesthetic of functional, unadorned furniture. Otherwise known as the [...]
