Books: Once Upon a Chair: Design Beyond the Icon
We are experiencing a renaissance in furniture design with new forms, new directions, a focus on social responsibility and a blurring of the boundaries between art and design; strangely this movement resembles the values of the Bauhaus school, founded over 90 years ago. Once Upon a Chair is a survey of contemporary trends in design that are influenced by craft, folklore, nature, and technology, especially as it relates to new ways of designing and manufacturing. The book is full of examples and illustrations by well-known and up-and-coming designers, many of which are featured on Daily Icon and many that will surprise and delight you.
Once Upon a Chair examines several key trends indicating a recognisable shift towards progressive design that makes a social impact – designers are collaborating with artisans to revive the tradition of craft, elevating it to new levels of luxury. A conscious effort to produce sustainable and ethical design is also evident where designers are not only working with environmentally friendly material and production methods but also creating furnishings that are made to be durable and retain their value over a long period of time.
The book further explores how designers are focusing more on process-driven and storytelling concepts to create furniture systems that are flexible, crafted in a collage-like manner or even decorative objects that serve as interior installations. A continuing flirtation with organic forms can also be seen with pioneering examples of material and technological experimentation, many of which are characterised by an unrestrained, playful attitude with an ironic exuberance.
Once Upon a Chair: Design Beyond the Icon Published by Gestalten, Foreword by Andrej Kupetz, Managing Director of the German Design Council, Edited by, R. Klanten,
S. Ehmann, A. Kupetz, S. Moreno, Hardback: 22.7 x 28.1 cm, 272 pages, Full Colour,
ISBN: 9783899552560
Buy it here: Amazon
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Paper Tower by Shigeru Ban up for Auction
Bertus Armchair by Alain Monnens for Durlet
Post a comment
Design Icons
Eames Lounge Chair
A modern interpretation of the traditional English club chair, created in 1956 it is now a classic in the history of modern furniture. [more...]
Suggested Reading
MoonFire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11
A unique tribute to the defining scientific mission of our time, the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Cars
Freedom Style Sex Power Motion Colour Everything. This lavish and beautifully designed book is the gift book for all car enthusiasts and design aficionados. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
The Eames Lounge Chair
The book examines the evolution of a design icon and places it in its cultural, historical and social context. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Marcel Wanders
Behind the Ceiling is the first monograph on one of the most influential, prolific and celebrated international designers today. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
The Design Hotels Book
Indispensable directory of impressive hotels and destinations for those who like to travel in style. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Editor's Picks
Ethanol Fueled Fireplace
“The piece is very neutral until the flame is lit, only then does it come alive and take its place in a space and capture people’s attention.” Made from stainless steel and heat-resistant glass. [more...]
More Books
Case Study Houses
“It’s a huge coffee-table book, which analyses each of the houses in chronological order, with plans, sketches and glorious photographs.” [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Wonderwall: Masamichi Katayama
introducing over forty recent projects by Japan’s hottest retail designer with an extraordinary selection of interior designs for boutiques and retail outlets. [more...]
Buy it Here: Amazon
The U.N. Building
Symbol of world humanitarianism, a beacon of unity after the Second World War. More than 50 years on, the 39-story building is regarded as one of the pinnacles of mid-century modernism. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Loblolly House
Including a DVD of the film "A House in the Trees", a real-time documentary of the design, fabrication, and assembly of this amazing house. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Desire
The Shape of Things to Come. An up-to-date comprehensive survey on furniture and object design today, showcasing the crème de la crème of designers. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Moholy: Vision in Motion
New Bauhaus founder László Moholy-Nagy was a painter, typographer, photographer, stage designer, and architect... one of the most creative intelligences of our time. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
How to Wrap Five Eggs
A mid-60s classic of Japanese design. Stunningly laid-out paean to traditional Japanese packaging is rife with sumptuous black and white photos of all manner of boxes, wrappers and containers that appear at once homely and sophisticated, ingeniously utilitarian yet fine and rare. [more...]
Buy it here: Amazon
Follow Daily Icon on Kindle
Get the same great Daily Icon content delivered to your Kindle. All Kindle subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial.
Buy it here: Amazon
Daily Icon features extraordinary Designers, Architecture and Products, with a special focus on furniture, accessories and lighting for the home.
