Luflic is the Old English word for “lovely.” Luflic says they are interested in making “furniture that is desirable and durable so there is no reason to replace it or throw it away.” I think that is important because these days I see a lot of disposable furniture out there. It is nice to see a commitment to quality and timelessness.
[via Design Spotter]
George Mahoney introduced me to his line of furniture, Solv. I often wondered how one can make wooden slats new and interesting, but he has done exactly that.
via Design Milk
Despite producing well over 50 different furniture models, the Finnish design company Artek, is perhaps still best known for the distinctive furniture, lamps and textiles designed by the renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto.
Whilst puritans might say that Alvar Aalto’s designs should be enjoyed in the original naked wood in which they were designed, Artek is continuing the Aalto tradition by re-issuing his designs in a variety of bold new styles. lifeiscarbon® love several of the recent Artek releases such as the Artek Classics in primary colors and their new sustainable Bamboo range. Given our liking for all things monochromatic, we especially love the recent Artek White and Artek Glossy Black collections. Take a look below at some images from each of the collections and read more about the Artek company:
"Form is a mystery that defies description but brings people pleasure." - Alvar Aalto
Artek was founded in 1935 by the visionary modern architect Alvar Aalto together with three of his fellow young Finns (Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl). The purpose of the company was "to trade in furniture and to promote modern culture of habitation by exhibitions and other means." Alvar Aalto himself began designing furnishings as a natural extension to his architectural thinking and created his first pieces in 1931-32 for the tuberculosis sanatorium at Paimio.
Whilst the Artek company was primarily set up to market Aalto's furniture, lamps and textiles, it was always more than simply a commercial enterprise. Artek also aimed to develop the expression of its founders' modernistic spirit and has from the beginning been something of an industrial arts center in which art and design trends of the time converge. Artek continues to function in the same way to this day and has solidified its position as a center for design by keeping a close watch on evolving fashions, lifestyle changes and industrial developments.
Artek is still headquartered in Finland, although these days the company is owned by the Swedish based investment group Proventus AB, and continues to have close links to the Alvar Aalto Foundation. Indeed, royalties from Artek sales help support the Foundation's work with new architecture and design.
via lifeiscarbon
The House on Wildcat Creek is a custom prefab home near in Chapel Hill, NC., designed by architect Dustin Ehrlich for his parents, and built by WIELER (CLIENT for the first Dwell Home). The exterior material choices of rusted corrugated metal, stone and wood draw inspiration from the aging local tobacco barns, one of which is sited adjacent to the house. The modular construction allowed for an efficient schedule and a minimum amount of construction waste.
On Monday, we visited Veronika and Sebastian's rental apartment, with its amazing book-lined staircase. Here's what the architect said about how he came up with this stylish space-saving solution.
London-based Levitate Architects came up with this ingenious solution to a book storage problem and created a loft-like bedroom nestled under the roof of the top-floor apartment. Here's what Levitate's Tim Sloan had to say about the project:
The flat occupies part of the shared top floor of an existing Victorian mansion block. Our proposal extended the flat into the unused loft space above, creating a new bedroom level and increasing the floor area of the flat by approximately one third. We created a 'secret' staircase, hidden from the main reception room, to access a new loft bedroom lit by roof lights. Limited by space, we melded the idea of a staircase with our client's desire for a library to form a 'library staircase' in which English oak stair treads and shelves are both completely lined with books. With a skylight above lighting the staircase, it becomes the perfect place to stop and browse a tome. The stair structure was designed as an upside down 'sedan chair' structure (with Rodrigues Associates, Structural Engineers, London) that carries the whole weight of the stair and books back to the main structural walls of the building. It dangles from the upper floor thereby avoiding any complicated neighbour issues with the floors below.
AT Europe: London House Tour - Veronika & Sebastian's Rooftop Victorian - This is the original house tour!
via AT
