Your Own Personal DNA Portrait From DNA11
Art Is In Your DNA! As humans, we all have the capacity to create art. It is part of the human species, literally ingrained in our DNA. Now, Ottowa-Based company DNA 11 has cross-bred genetic science and art to help unleash the artwork in all of us…literally! With locations in countries around the world, DNA 11 can take a simple to create sample of your DNA, and turn those varied bands and bars of DNA into your own absolutely unique, one of a kind work of abstract art. And because each persons DNA is …
Featured Brand: TETRAN Infinite
Modular Furniture Is About To Evolve! Modular furniture is a staple in the world of modern design, that is a given, but just how modular is modular furniture? Presently, modular mainly refers to a set of furniture like a sofa, chaise lounge, chair and ottoman that all fits together in a variety of ways to suit a number of room layouts. They often do this with varying degrees of success. At the most, you can usually bang out three or even four different configurations at the most. Not too bad, …
Featured Retailer: Hive Modern
One of our favorite retailers of modern furniture, accessories and lighting is the Portland-based Hive Modern, however, unlike their name might suggest, they do everything but follow the crowd. Founded in 2002, Hive has flourished into a powerhouse in the industry both at its beautiful location in Portland’s upscale Pearl District…
Modern E2 Office Desk By Thrive Home Furniture
The Classy Modern E2 Office Desk Part of the Thrive Home Furnishings office furniture collection, the Modern E2 Office Desk has a style that falls somewhere between the classic Herman Miller Action Office I System and the Action Office II System still in use today. It blends warm wood finishes and a stately and handsome style with an efficient, modular and professional design to create a balance between these two very different office systems. In 1960, Herman Miller Company created a research wing to investigate “scientifically” the use of furniture. Led by Robert …
The Sensually Shaped Rotsen Coffee Table
Modern Coffee Table with a Sensual Curve I am not sure that I have ever thought of a coffee table as sensual but this cool contemporary coffee table design from Miami-based Rotsen Furniture leaves me struggling to describe it in any other way. With a beautiful chunky slab of thick reclaimed mango wood with irregularly shaped rough hewn edges on top, resting on thick powder coated metal base, I think you will agree that there is something sexy about its primitive yet contemporary shape. Rotsen Furniture has made a name for themselves with their distinctive style …
Hans J. Wegner Wing Chair & Ottoman Reproduction
I am not a huge fan of reproductions of classics because I think mostly they are of a poorer quality than the original but I also love modern furniture and who can afford it at a blogger’s salary. That’s why when I can get an accurate reproduction that is of a descent quality I sometimes break my own rule. That is why I am taking a hard second look at the Hans J Wegner Style Wing Chair & Ottoman being produced by Kardiel. The Wing Chair was designed by Wegner in 1962 …
A Modern Desk with Style
The Mercer Desk from Modloft! Although the hip, Art Deco style Mercer Desk from Modloft isn’t necessarily the most practical desk for a modern home office, it certainly is cool. While this cool cantilevered desk is not for those who need to load up a desktop computer, printer and all the other stuff that goes along with a working home office, it is perfect for those that want a desk in their living space to open mail, write letters or use a laptop. The sleek and minimal lines look curvy and …
Positively Cool Display Table
The Positive / Negative Display Table created by artist Todd Leback is a cool and contemporary way to display all you most interesting objet’ d’art and fine collectibles at home or in a commercial or gallery setting. This cool modern display table is solidly constructed yet lightweight with an interesting use of Ebony and Cherry wood veneers…
The Delightfull Neil Suspension
One Giant Leap for Retro Lighting! The absolutely wonderfully weird Neil Suspension is a retro lamp with space-age appeal. Named after astronaut Neil Armstrong, the Neil Suspension is one of the latest in a long line of really cool and unique modern suspension lamps from Portuguese lighting design company Delightfull. It has a dynamic vintage personality that sets it apart from other retro chandeliers or suspensions. This massive 4 foot diameter suspension lamp has a distinctly late 1960′s style with gold or chrome plated tubes that start in a radiating …
Voyage Pet Bed by Kenneth Cobonpue
Modern Pet Bed For Your Big Dog! I have featured several pieces modern pet furniture but I noticed that most of the stuff I have talked about is for the small or at least moderately sized dog so I thought I would show you a cool modern pet bed for you larger breed dogs. This exotic looking pet bed by the very creative designer Kenneth Cobonpue will have your dog sitting in the lap of luxury! The generously proportioned Voyage Dog Bed is part of the Voyage Collection by Phillipino …

Industrial Design

Fanimation Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan

May 142012

Amazing Retracting Modern Ceiling Fan

It may seem silly, but I like a ceiling fan that does something, and I don’t just mean move the air around. Well the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan by Fanimation exceeded even my expectations. Having grown up in the family lighting store, I am pretty jaded. It is rare when a ceiling fan makes me say “wow”, but that is literally the first words that came out of my mouth when I saw this cool, modern and industrial fan.

When I first saw Fanimation’s Air Shadow Ceiling Fan, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. It vaguely looked fan like but the blades looks so small that I looked all but useless for circulating air. Then I thought that it must be some other type of mechanical device which had a purpose I couldn’t quite fathom. When I asked about it the owner just gave me a knowing smile and clicked on his remote control.

The device began to turn, slowly increasing its speed until centrifugal force smoothly unfurled the curved blades and it looked just like a really cool, contemporary style ceiling fan. The maple blades looked like some sort of experimental aircraft and the crisp and shiny chrome body looked every bit as hip as most other contemporary fans on the market.

As I said above, all I could do is say “wow”, the Air Shadow quietly and efficiently created a cool breeze even though it was mounted high up on a sloped, vaulted ceiling. When I asked what it did when you turn it off, i quickly got my answer. As this amazing modern fan slowed down the blades slowly tucked themselves away into a compact little package that didn’t obstruct his view of the ocean from his upstairs loft nearly as much as a regular fan would.

You really have to see this fan in action to believe it so I have included this short video by Fanimation so you can see for yourself.

Fanimation is well known for their fan designs that do something like the tropically chic, belt-driven Palmetto with bamboo blades or the unique single bladed Enigma. True to its name, the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan doesn’t use power to open and close, it operates mechanically with perfectly balanced springs and centrifugal force to achieve this maneuver so when not in motion, the fan remains closed.

If you are interested in this amazing wonder of fan design for your contemporary home, the Air Shadow Mechanical Ceiling Fan by Fanimation is available for a fantastic price from Lumens Light + Living. It is sure to make your friends say “wow”!

Iconic Spitfire Chair

Chairs No Responses »

Apr 162012

The Spitfire Chair by Andrew Martin Hirshorn Take the iconic Egg Chair design of Arne Jacobson and blend it with the distinctive metal panels of a World War II era British Spitfire fighter aircraft and you get the retro coolness of the Spitfire Chair by Andrew Martin Hirshorn. UK designer Andrew Martin Hirshorn is a bit of a phenom. not merely a designer he is more like a force of nature. He makes the term shabby-chic seem totally inadequate and he does it with such style and class that he makes it seem effortless. Take this highly distinctive …

Table Will Self-Destruct

Tables No Responses »

Mar 302012

The Table That Limits Its Own Production Run! This cool modern table is part contemporary furniture piece, part artistic statement on mass production and handmade craftsmanship. The concept is pretty simple, the table is produced as a grid of concrete squares set together into a matrix. When the first table was made, a single square was removed from the tables matrix. Each subsequent table has the same square plus one additional square in the grid removed. The farther you get into the production run, the more squares are removed from the grid. …

Sampson Stool By Industry West

Chairs No Responses »

Mar 292012

Good solid industrial design, that was the hallmark of the furniture produced in the 19th and 20th century. You see this not only in the home furnishings of the era, you see it as a common thread running through almost every facet of furniture design from high-end household furnishings all the way down to the most lowly and overlooked factory machinists stool. While many companies clamor to reproduce the fashionable and popular designs that have passed down in the sense memory of our culture, one company, Industry West has taken a bit …