CasaSugar

Ron Arad Exhibit Opens at MoMA

CasaSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:05 -0700

From Aug. 2 through Oct. 19, catch a new exhibition highlighting the work of designer Ron Arad at the MoMA in New York. Ron Arad: No Discipline showcases the work of this powerhouse designer. From chandeliers to architectural spaces and furniture, Arad's unwillingness to stay within one design discipline has helped him to succeed in many.

Paola Antonelli, the MoMA's senior curator notes that:

Arad is well known for his iconoclastic disregard for disciplines - and, at least apparently, for discipline. He has defined much of the current panorama of design, inspiring a generation of practitioners who disregard established modes of practice in favor of mutant design careers that are flexible enough to encompass the range of contemporary design applications, from interactions and interfaces to furniture and shoes.

To find out more about the exhibition, and to see some of Arad's commercially available work, read more.

Featuring around 140 of Arad's industrial designs, studio pieces, and architecture, the exhibit showcases the designer's mastery of different mediums, including fiberoptics, thermoplastics, aluminum, and steel. Check out his iconic designs, as well as some you've never seen before. The exhibit moves to Paris in the Fall.

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Love It or Hate It? Chest of Drawers

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:00:12 -0700

Dutch born Tejo Remy's 'You Can't Lay Down Your Memory' Chest of Drawers, designed in 1991, is part of the MOMA's permanent collection. It's a group of found drawers strapped together to create a single cluster of drawers, made of metal, paper, plastic, burlap, contact paper, and paint. You can purchase a unique, made-to-order set, one of only 200, for $51,616 at Retro Modern. What do you think?

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Weird Furniture: Kraft Paper Softseating

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:00:49 -0700

Molo's Softseating ($130- $2,390) is made entirely from kraft paper with 50% recycled content. The paper is cut into a honeycomb-like structure that flexes to fan open into stools, benches and loungers. Not only is it flexible, it's versatile and compact; you can compress it like a book for easy storage. It was also recently acquired by the New York MOMA for their permanent collection. I can see the appeal of Softseating in a public space — it's fun, eye-catching, and memorable. But would you want this in your home?

This Just In: Jean Nouvel to Transform NYC Skyline

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:30:30 -0800

Architect Jean Nouvel has been commissioned by an international real estate developer, Hines, to design a tower adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan, which will house a hotel, luxury apartments and three floors that will be used by MoMA to expand its exhibition space. The MoMA sold the lot to Hines earlier this year for $125 million, but insisted on veto power over the architect Hines would choose. The choice is certainly a bold one, which is a bit hair-raising considering the amount of money at stake.

According to the New York Times, the 75-story tower "promises to be the most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation." The soaring, faceted structure is said to be "rooted in the mythology of New York, in particular the work of Hugh Ferriss, whose dark, haunting renderings of an imaginary Manhattan helped define its dreamlike image as the early-20th-century metropolis."

How do you rate the rendering of the to-be-built skyline-transforming tower?

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Sale Alert: MoMA Store Summer Sale

CasaSugar — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:30:43 -0700

The MoMA Store is currently holding its Summer Sale, offering discounts of up to 65 percent on home furnishing, personal accessory, desk, stationery, toy, and game items. It's not often that one of my favorite museums cuts me a break like this — unfortunately they're no longer accepting my rusty student ID card for discounted entry. So, I'm certainly pumped about the sale. Here are a few items I wouldn't mind taking home:
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Nice and New: Saul Bass Posters at MoMA Store

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:00:20 -0700

I always struggle when faced with filling out personal questionnaires (they're lame), except when it comes to the "who I'd like to meet" field. My response to this question is always Saul Bass, undisputedly one of the greatest graphic designers of the mid-20th century. Bass's vision has given a face to long-standing brands like Minolta, AT&T, and United Airlines, and he was also a master of film title sequence and poster design, collaborating with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, and Martin Scorsese. Bass died in '96 of lymphoma, so the long-shot chance of ever meeting him will sadly never come. But, I delight in knowing I can still enjoy his work, as the MoMA Store now sells reproductions of his posters, such as Psycho ($12) and Vertigo ($12).

Roundup: Designer Ornaments

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:22 -0800

It's no wonder that these three Mouthblown Glass Bell Ornaments ($30-45) are drop-dead gorgeous: they were designed this year for the MoMa by none other than world-renowned industrial designer Eva Zeisel - who turned 103 years old last week! I'm absolutely in love with them. I almost feel guilty for owning drugstore variety ornaments. I think there should be a balance though; a few basic ball ornaments mixed with handmade and designer ones sounds like a ideal balance to me. To give your tree that luxury art element, I've rounded up a few more designer ornaments for you.

Happy 103rd Birthday Eva Zeisel!

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:39:30 -0800

World-renowned Hungarian industrial designer Eva Zeisel turns 103 today! Though she is best known for her work with ceramics, Eva, a featured Designer Spotlight here on Casa, has designed everything from acrylic candelabras to wooden and glass coffee tables, and is considered by many to be the matriarch of industrial design.

In fact, New York magazine named Zeisel in its list of nine living Design Revolutionaries back in '07. Better yet, her work is in the permanent collections of museums like the Met, the V&A, and the MoMA, and she received the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York in 2005. Honored with the award at 99 years old, she could have brought closure to her successful career, but she impressively continues to design new works of art today. And while the curves and sensuous shapes of her recent designs are certainly sought after, her earlier pieces remain relevant and stylish, a mark of a truly influential designer. Take a look at some of Eva's work below.

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Nice and New: Folding Bird House

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:15:51 -0700

I just noticed this Folding Bird House ($50) new at the MoMA store, and I'm completely smitten. If you haven't already caught that I adore birds, I do. And, obviously, I'm a design fiend. So what better way to combine my two loves than with a sharp, contemporary bird feeder? This one comes flat-packed and easily folds upright, meaning more compact and eco-friendly shipping. It includes a wooden perch and a metal string for hanging, so all you'll need is some bird seeds to feed your little gentille Alouette. Oh, and did I mention it's white-painted steel? You know how I crave white furniture . . .

Nice and New(ish): Square Red Wire Basket

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:00:04 -0800

The MoMA Store has recently launched Destination: Alessi, a selection of limited-edition products reintroduced from the Alessi archive exclusively for MoMA. One of these products is the Alessi Square Red Wire Basket ($110, $99 for members), which was released in 1951 and 1966. The bowl is made of stainless steel and epoxy-polyester paint, and can be used in the kitchen for bread or fruit, or as a décor accent around the house. Personally, I think its sleek lines and bold color can stand on their own, but it could also serve as a place to stash your mail, keys, etc. or a bundle of sphere-shaped ornaments around the holidays. What do you think? Are you glad this basket has made a comeback?

Kartell - infinity wine rack by ron arad for kartell - $81.00	Zeus - tree light by ron arad for zeus - $737.00
ron arad T. Vac Chair - $375.00	Kartell lovely rita - $285.00
Moroso - victoria and albert collection by ron arad for moroso of italy - QUICKSHIP - $676.00	Vitra - tom vac chairs by ron arad - $160.00
Kartell bookworm - short - $425.00	Memphis Milano - 'doorman' doorstop by memphis - $897.00
Moroso victoria & albert table - $931.00	Alessi -moiramoira 13-pc. table set by ron arad - $120.00
Moroso - spring collection by ron arad for moroso of italy - $1,911.00	Zeus - anonimus furniture family by ron arad - $443.00
Moroso - three skin chair by ron arad for moroso of italy - $4,032.00	Moroso - ripple chair by ron arad for moroso of italy - QUICKSHIP - $490.00

Michael Aram - $39.00	Jonathan Adler Pop Bird Ornament - $28.00
Kimberly Wolcott - $48.00	Jay Strongwater - $125.00
Jonathan Adler Dove Ornament - $24.00	Kimberly Wolcott Amazing Love Christmas Ornament - $45.00
Michael Aram Golden Pear Ornament - $39.00	Arthur Court Christmas Ornament, 2.5" Peace Symbol - $20.00
Jonathan Adler Pop Giraffe Ornament - $28.00	Michael Aram - bellflower ornament by michael aram - $29.00
Michael Aram Pine Cone Ornament - $39.00