"The main living room in Bruno Mathsson's house looks out to a lake, and the whole time I was shooting there, the only thing I could hear was the wind in the trees. It was so quiet and peaceful. The house is filled with all his own designs. I don't think there is one stick of furniture in his house that he did not design." - Leslie Williamson (more here) "Walking into Gae Aulenti's living room for the first time was pretty thrilling for me. She showed me in and just kind of waved her hand around the room matter of factly… All of her lighting designs that I love are there and masses of books. Her library is staggering and carefully arranged around the walls of the double level living room. " - Leslie WilliamsonSUPPORT: Handcrafted Modern EuropePhotographer & writer Leslie Williamson has been steadily working on her follow up to "Handcrafted Modern: At Home with Mid-century Designers." The new book focuses on European architects and designers, including Aalto, Aulenti, Matthson, to name a few. I was lucky enough to have coffee with Leslie when she was in Los Angeles last fall, in between her travels to Europe working on her book. Her dedication to her craft, her patience and desire to tell the stories of these designers hit me on an emotional level. Her dedication to documenting beauty, and the simple truths of living through the eyes of designers is a wonderful pursuit. Leslie Williamson has begun a kickstarter campaign for funding for the 2nd book, and for the next 18 days will be hopefully achieving her goal with our support. To pledge, please visit her kickstarter page here, watch the video, and see more images from her upcoming book. - David John In addition, there will be a lecture by Leslie Williamson, where she will be previewing more images from the book! Saturday, March 9, 2013, 6:00 p.m. at the Neighborhood Church 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103. more info here.. "The living room of Alvar Aalto's house looks into the home studio where he had his practice in the early years. When I was shooting the living room I felt like Aino - that is her picture on the piano - was watching me the whole time. At first it made me nervous and then I found her gaze very comforting. Like I somehow had her approval…But it made me want to ask her so many questions about the collaborative process of this house between her and Alvar." "One of my favorite things about finn Juhl's house was his use of color. Each room has a color scheme and everything is integrated to serve that it seems. The way I say that makes it sound very calculated, but it all feels very organic. The blue and grey entry area is the narrowest part of the house and looks right out to the back yard. So you walk in the front door and immediately feel like you are outside again." -Leslie Williamson Visit Leslie Williamson's kickstarter page here.. "The main living room in Bruno Mathsson's house looks out to a lake, and the whole time I was shooting there, the only thing I c... Read more » 3:43 PM
Modernism Week"An 11-day celebration of mid-century modern design, architecture and culture. This design aesthetic, originated in the 1950s and 60s, was typified by clean, simple lines and celebrated elegant informality which came to define desert modernism." l;; l ;'l';l This past weekend I was invited to the opening of Palm Springs Annual Modernism Week, an 11 day celebration of desert modernism. I snapped this photo during a 3 hour architectural bus tour of the city, showcasing homes by Lautner, Cody, Albert Frey, and others. 1st Dibs and Modernism Magazine hosted the opening night of the Modernism Sale, including Amsterdam Modern, Fat Chance, Reform, Converso, Downtown, and Objects USA to name a few. (Read a past interview with Objects USA here).Thanks for the incredible weekend of design and events.For a full listing of next weekend's events, visit here. - David John---------- Modernism Week "An 11-day celebration of mid-century modern design, architecture and culture. This design aesthetic, originated in the... Read more » 11:33 PM
"This chair clearly brings to light Wanscher’s inspiration while remaining modern and functional. Also known as OW2000, Wanscher’s Egyptian Folding Chair was first designed and produced in 1957 before being taken out of production in the 1970s. It wasn’t until 2000 that Danish cabinet maker PJ Furniture finally put this true classic back into production but distribution was limited." A new look at the design of Ole Wanscher, via Carl Hansen & Son "Ole Wanscher (1903-1985), whose furniture designs are now considered classics, was an architect and professor of architecture, specializing in furniture design. Treating furniture design as if it were a branch of architecture, Wanscher paid utmost attention to construction and form. He studied under and apprenticed for Kaare Klint (who’s Safari Chair Carl Hansen & Son is also producing) and later followed in his footsteps to become a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Known to be a student of furniture design wherever his travels took him, Wanscher was especially influenced by his trips through Europe and Northern Africa. He embraced his impressions gathered on these voyages and brought them to his own sensibility. It was in Egypt that he found the inspiration for his Egyptian Folding Chair. During his Egyptian excursions, Wanscher became fascinated with the old seats that historically represented power with a sense of dignity and elegance, and he designed the chair with this in mind... Recently, Carl Hansen & Son has acquired the manufacturing rights for this design and will be distributing it in the US for the first time. The chair typifies the elegant, decorative and functional qualities seen in many of Wanscher’s classic designs. Stable and light, the seat easily folds for easy transport and storing."------------ "This chair clearly brings to light Wanscher’s inspiration while remaining modern and functional. Also known as OW2000, Wanscher’s Egy... Read more » 11:36 AM