February 8, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“furniture”
01/11/12
·
The Past

Dusting Off: The Rocking Chair

As connoisseurs of history, we sometimes find styles, habits and turns of phrase from the past that we wouldn’t mind bringing back to the present, Doc Brown-style. This time around, we’re dusting off the rocking chair.

Chairs just aren’t fun anymore.

Sure, if you want to sit in front of a computer all day, modern furniture design has your back completely—but if you’re going to spend the next two hours leisurely sipping a mint julep (possibly on a veranda), it can be hard to find an appropriately relaxing place to sit. Which is why we’d like to dust off the easygoing fixture known as the rocking chair.

Lean back; we’ll take it from here…

A paean to the forgotten charms of the rocking chair»
 

ALL The Past
TAGSTags
04/08/11
·
The Past

The Tie Press

tiepress_crop.jpg

From time to time, a gentleman will get creases in his tie. (Intercontinental voyages are often involved.) And since ironing is usually a last resort for such things, you may want to turn to the bizarrely shaped, obscurely useful device known as the tie press.

Granted, most of the appeal is the chance to add another handsome antique to your collection. (It would look great between your Truman-era shoe tree and hand-cranked coffee grinder.) But once you’ve laid eyes on one of these, we have a hard time imagining an iron measuring up. File it under “refined affectations.”

ALL The Past
TAGSTags
ADVERTISEMENT
04/12/10
·
Good Idea

The Deconstructed Bookcase

indiefurniture_crop.jpg

We like furniture best at its most functional, so the prospect of a sized-to-order bookshelf strikes us as a very good idea. The only catch? You’ll basically be buying a pile of plywood and clamps.

Indie Furniture’s new bookshelf takes the modular philosophy to its natural extreme. If you need to 4’ x 7’ space, they’ll tell you exactly how many cubbyholes to build, and exactly how many planks and connectors you’ll need to build them. Of course, there’s quite a markup for all that lumber, but unless you’ve got a carpenter handy, it should be the next best thing.

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
02/19/09
·
Good Idea

A Perfect Circle

floatingdrawers_crop.jpg

Dressers haven’t changed much in the past few decades, which may explain why most prefer antiques to newer designs…but there’s something to be said for the occasional new idea. Even if we have to ship it in from Britain.

This floating cabinet lets each drawer hover a few inches in the air, giving them a sense of weightlessness. Of course, it means each one needs its own slideable lid, but it’s a small price to pay for progress.

And it should fit perfectly into that empty circle near the closet…

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags
01/21/09
·
Object

Plush Life

drapersofa_crop.jpg

Our favorite TV show has been off the airwaves for a while, but that hasn’t stopped the furniture designers of the world from keeping the look alive.

It’s known as “mid-century modern” to stuffier design folks, but apparently cb2 is a bit more straightforward, dubbing it “The Draper Sofa.” It’s a little too vibrant to find a place at Sterling Cooper and ad men tend to prefer couches with arms on them, but the makers aren’t all wrong. Aside from the occasional orange stripe, it’s a pretty traditional couch.

Now all you need is a credenza or two.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
ADVERTISEMENT
01/13/09
·
Ad Rock

Change You Can Swede

ovalikea_crop.jpg

As brands go, Obama’s doing pretty well, so it’s no surprise companies are jumping at the chance to associate with him. And if he’s the first slim suit president, there’s also the risk of becoming the first IKEA president. He’d better tread carefully…

In an attempt to sway the new President, the Swedish design magnate has set up a faux-oval office in D.C.’s Union Station to show what a Swede-furnished executive branch would look like. The web component is a virtual Oval Office dollhouse, but we have to say, without rounded couches, the options are pretty limited.

In this case, we’re hoping Obama goes with something a bit more… convervative.

ALL Ad Rock
TAGSTags
12/08/08
·
Object

Rolling

trolley_crop.jpg

At some point in the past 50 years, people stopped using breakfast trolleys, and we doubt anyone is capable of bringing them back—outside of a few ambitious hoteliers.

This item from Espasso makes as good a case for a revival as we could have. Too bad it’s from 1950.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
11/14/08
·
Bad Idea

Under the Table

spectrum_crop.jpg

We love the futuristic look as much as the next guy—probably a good deal more, actually—but we have to draw the line. And we draw it at a substance called acrylic, also known as plexiglass.

This table from Spectrum West is probably astonishingly easy to clean, but at some point you’re going to want to own something that doesn’t smell like Windex. It’s great if you’re making a movie about a dystopic future, but anyone who has it in their living room is probably way too intense to interact with.

Also, it costs $3000.

ALL Bad Idea
TAGSTags
11/05/08
·
Object

A Series of Pipes

palosamko_crop.jpg

If you’re still flirting with tobacco, a pipe can add a Hefner-esque touch to your homecoming routine. And while you probably weren’t hurting for a place to stash them, it’s always nice to have a bit of niche furniture.

This pipe cabinet from Palo Samko has two distinct advantages over setting aside a spot in your desk. First, the whole thing looks like a barely-finished log, meaning it’ll add a touch of mountain-man style to even the most urbane space. And second, those circular drawers won’t get old any time soon.

Well played, Palo. Well played.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
10/31/08
·
Filmic

Interiors

bondinteriors_crop.jpg

The Bond movies have been overstuffed with product placement from the very beginning, even when they were shilling for products that didn’t exist like the ejecto-seat or the razor hat. It makes sense, since the Bond market tends to be interested in fast cars, sharp suits, shiny phones and the like. But we didn’t expect them to expand into the world of matching drapes.

Apparently we were mistaken. The interior design gurus at Wallpaper have an extended Q&A with Quantum of Solace’s set decorator detailing Bond’s Bolivian bed in *Quantum of Solace*. It’s a custom job from B&B Italia, made larger so it would be easier to shoot.

We always heard he favored bespoke.

ALL Filmic
TAGSTags
10/30/08
·
Object

Twisted Metal

distressedmetal_crop.jpg

Industrial squalor has been gaining a lot of credence as a look lately, so we thought we’d dig up some matching furniture.

These steel tables come from the welders at 22nd Century Compositions, operating out of Cleveland, where we imagine there’s plenty of distressed metal to draw inspiration from.

As usual, the master strokes are in the materials. While the outer shell is stained steel, the drawers are fashioned from more brittle tin, giving the piece a subtle bit of contrast.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can pick it up at Cleveland Art, but otherwise you may have to resort to shipping.

Don’t worry. It’s not fragile. Just make sure you’ve had your tetanus shots.

A few more angles and an address»

ALL Object
TAGSTags
10/16/08
·
Object

Inside the Box

armoire_crop.jpg

For all the thought we give to our clothes, it’s worth thinking a little bit about where to put them. A closet’s fine enough, but it boils down to just a hole in the wall. We recommend something a little more monolithic.

This tiger maple armoire should be suitably impressive. Coming from the Brooklyn artisans at City Joinery, it’s what any good wardrobe should be: beautiful, austere, and very very large.

After all, you’re going to want some room.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
10/14/08
·
Object

The Gold Standard

credenza2_crop.jpg

Our inexplicable love of credenzas is well documented, but apparently we’re not the only ones.

Red Hook modernists Standard41 whipped up six different models—including this one, aptly named “Big Boy”—to assuage their own 60s nostalgia. One of the other types includes a wine rack, but we’re happy just to have a few drawers, some sliding panels, and an alternative to buying something that was actually made in 1961.

Ladies and gentleman, your arduous credenza search is over.

ALL Object
TAGSTags
09/24/08
·
Good Idea

The Credenza Strikes Back

credenza_crop.jpg

Believe it or not, there’s still a lot of early 60s staples that have yet to make the retro jump. Our pick for the next candidate is the credenza, a staple of old school interior dĂ©cor that’s completely dropped off the map in recent decades, but the *Mad Men* set dressers clearly haven’t forgotten. By our lights, it’s due for a revival, but only time will tell.

If you happen to be in the Second City, you can pick up this Herman Miller version (circa 1955) for around five grand at Chicago’s Wright Design Auction on October 7th, along with a few Eames chairs and an embarrassment of interior design riches.

But if you want to stick with your coffee table, we understand.

ALL Good Idea
TAGSTags