Cassina Los Angeles is now the exclusive dealer of Franco Albini Lighting.

Albini stands out for its use of essential materials, such as chrome plated metal and blown glass and their simple harmonious lines.

The Albini line is in stock and can be shipped within 24 hours from receipt of order.

Please contact the Cassina Los Angeles showroom at (310)278-3292 for more information.

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Tre Pezzi (1959) by Franco Albini and Franca Helg is produced by Cassina.

Una buona idea per conoscere e capire meglio una famiglia (che sia composta da due elementi, da dieci, o che si tratti di una famiglia “allargata” come erano intese quelle dei romani o come è intesa oggi la famiglia da alcune popolazioni aborigene australiane) è sicuramente quella di ripercorrere i suoi spostamenti. Come vedremo i flussi Sangalli non sono stati caratterizzati da migrazioni lontane in termini di chilometraggio, ma i cambio-casa sono stati parecchi con conseguenze facilmente immaginabili: la famiglia Sangalli originaria (coi figli di prima generazione piccoli o adolescenti) è ed era molto numerosa, quando si spostava lasciava dietro di sè un vero e proprio micro-mondo: abitudini, ricordi, affetti, convenzioni.

- Ognuno dei figli ha “assorbito” dalle diverse case cose diverse perchè ciascuno di loro ci ha vissuto ad una diversa età: ad esempio Rita, la più piccola, non ha quasi conosciuto la casa in cui invece è cresciuta fino ai suoi 10-11 anni Ambra, la maggiore! Viceversa Ambra e Cinzia erano già abbondantemente adolescenti quando Ornella e Rita finivano la prima decade di vita: sicuramente avranno avuto un diverso rapporto con la propria casa! Addirittura quando Liana e Delia hanno portato nella casa al mare i loro maritini (e, più tardi, anche i figli)… Rita e Ornella, da brave poco meno che vent’enni, popolavano la casa con ben diverse intenzioni e atteggiamento! Lo scarto generazionale e il cambio d’ambiente hanno caratterizzato il rapporto fra fratelli? Indubbiamente!

- La casa diversa non è solo una diversa “location”, ma significa situazioni economiche diverse, più o meno membri della famiglia presenti (per alcuni anni alcuni fanciulli sono stati in collegio), tensioni, etc : potremmo dire che ad ogni casa corrisponde un periodo diverso. Chi ha vissuto un “periodo” a 17-18-20 anni ne avrà un determinato ricordo, chi lo ha vissuto a 5-6 sicuramente un altro! Se la casa corrisponde ad un periodo, basterà sapere quanti anni avevano i diversi membri della famiglia quando “si viveva lì” per avere un’idea di come sono diversamente cresciuti!

Casa 1 – Pioltello

Una vera villa da ricchi che pochi dei Sangalli ricordano. Delia ricorda soprattutto i giardini e il pergolato di uva, un tavolo in legno lunghissimo, la terrazza che correva lungo la facciata con le porte della sala e delle camere e il grande salone con il camino centrale…

La casa ancora in costruzione

La sala

Il grande camino e la nonna con Ambra

Casa 2 – Vignate

Un’altra avveniristica casa disegnata dal geometra: bellissima, funzionale e razionale. Un cubo 150×150x150 bianco con righe grigie. Ogni piano con le sue precise funzioni. Un ingresso principale e 3 di servizio. Un vero gioiello.

Chi se la scorda la "disco" di Vignate?

Casa 3 – Cassina

Nessun dato pervenuto

Casa 4 – La casa estiva di Forte

Ogni estate l’intera famiglia passava i mesi di vacanza nella villetta di Forte di Marmi. Il papà lavorava durante la settimana e raggiungeva tutti nel week-end. Questa casa non rappresenta un periodo particolare della fanciullezza dei giovani Sangalli, ma li ha accompagnati ogni estate per molti anni. La casa, infatti, era ancora utilizzata da Delia e Liana da poco sposate e coi bambini: erano gli ultimi anni della casa di Forte, venduta non molto tempo dopo! Ancora oggi quando si passa di lì una capatina alla vecchia villetta è d’obbligo, anche se purtroppo non si può più scorgere il bellissimo salice del giardino! Penso che siano in più di uno a pensare che venderla sia stata un grosso errore….

Casa 5 – La Cisa

Per andare a Forte una volta non c’era l’autostrada e si faceva il passo della Cisa. Era obbligatoria la sosta da Magnani: vi ricordate i fantastici panini al prosciutto crudo? Passa oggi e passa domani il geometra non ha resistito all’istinto del costruttore: è nata così la casa della Cisa. Un prefabbricato in legno impiantato nelle buche scavate da noi. Mauro e Bruno hanno portato l’acqua da una fonte in cima al monte tirando una canna e la luce era accumulata da un traliccio con delle pale a vento. Una vera casa ecologica con tanto di recinto per le galline. Ne sa qualcosa Silvia che se ne era innamorata tanto da volerne fare la sua casa in cui vivere per sempre..

Ci sono regole per la casa moderna del vero signore? Sì e molto semplici quasi banali, pavimento in cemento o resina tirato a lucido, arte contemporanea meglio se informale o formale anni ‘60, pezzi di design anni ‘70, qua rappresentato dalla AEO di Paolo Deganello prodotte da Cassina nel 1973 e l’immancabile tavolo o tavolino Tulip di Eero Saarinen, nelle sue molteplici variazioni. E’ troppo facile essere un moderno vero signore borghese, c’è un codice non scritto di ovvietà e bon ton. Che fare allora per oscire dall’ovvio? forse infarcire il nuovo con un classico come “Il vero signore” di Willy Farnese, Longanesi 1947.

The story of Cassina, a premier Italian furniture manufacturer, is told quite remarkably in this SKIRA published book. The companion to a Cassina exhibit at the Triennale Design Museum in 2008, “Made in Cassina” takes you on a journey from the very beginnings of the company (when it was just building small sewing tables) to the company’s ascent into the realm of design giants. Remarkable photography, historical documents such as old sketches and original designs, as well as exclusive interviews with many top designers complement the storyline to make this a fascinating piece of literature to spend a rainy afternoon with. Measuring 9.75″ x 1.25″ x 11.25″, this book also displays lovely on your Corbusier coffee table. This is a must have if you own a Cassina piece or are interested in what Italian design is all about. Available at SR Hughes! Give us a call to order or visit the showroom to pick up an in-stock copy.

Tonight I had the chance to listen to Piero Lissoni speak as part of the month-long Architecture and the City Festival put on by the San Francisco chapter of the AIA.  Speaking at the gorgeous CCA campus, Lissoni proved to be as charismatic, affable, honest and genuine as he is talented.  While I knew him well for his work with Italian furniture lines Boffi, Living Divani, Porro, and Cassina, only until he casually mentioned his other clients did I realize the true reach of his work, which includes projects for just about every blue-chip Italian furniture company like Kartell, Alessi, Flos, Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, Glas Italia, Fritz Hansen, Knoll, and Swarowski.  OMG.  In my mind he was already a legend based on the body of work that I knew about, but when I learned about everything else that he did, I was truly blown away.  In sports speak, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer on par with a Starck or Newson, if not above.

As Lissoni’s lecture began, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Outwardly, he looked the part of designer: navy sportcoat with elbow patches, slim taupe jeans, brown driving mocs, and cream scarf.  On the stage, he had a continuous, looping portfolio of his work on the big projection screen while he was seated and speaking at a folding 6 foot table filled with various objects including an analog clock radio, Mac Powerbook, printed books, Japanese rice bowl, wind-up robot, Alessi coffee press, foam model of a recent building he designed in Istambul, and even a red foam clown’s nose (more on that later).  These would be the props that he used throughout his lecture, which was going to be about his “humanistic” approach to designing, apparently a last minute departure from his pre-planned retrospective of his work (which probably would not nearly have been as enlightening as his new topic, to our luck).

I have to admit that it took more than a few minutes before I could make enough sense of his Italian accent, broken English, and sense humor to concentrate on the content and intent of his speech.  As his lecture wore on (for more than 2.5 hours) and his anecdotes and examples began to amass, his genius began to come through in spades.  What was muddy for me about his humanistic approach became crystal clear – and then enlightening.  While it would be hard to replicate Lissoni’s career path and success, there are plenty of nuggets to take away from his lecture that you or I can learn from.

Unfortunately, the lecture was not recorded nor could I record it or take notes real-time.  So the following quotes, excerpts, points, and facts are purely based on my recollection (and my mad dash to takes notes right his lecture).  If anyone in attendance tonight has anything to add or clarify, please join in on the conversation!  In no particular order, here were the highlights:

• His working relationship with Alessi began with an hours-long conversation with Alberto Alessi about wine before Alberto finally brought up the idea of designing a watch, which Lissoni agreed to on the spot and without additional conversation.  He called his wine conversation his design “brief.”
• His Alessi coffee press project was aimed to take on Bialetti’s venerable, classic coffee press, which he said was like challenging Pele to a soccer match – “It was a good game.”
• On the ergonomics of his furniture: “Of course it’s uncomfortable, I’m Italian!”
• On his favorite materials to use: he has none and all are specific to each project.  He said “Materials are the language of every project” and that he never chooses to use a material just to use it.
• He is currently designing a bridge using carbon fiber
• He once worked with Kartell for more than two years to develop a new manufacturing technology for a chair, which ended up saving more than a kilogram of raw materials per chair.
• His desk at his office is a 3 meters by 3 meters and covered with books and objects.  He only works on a small 2 foot by 2 foot area on his desk, and only cleans his desk when the other things on his desk begin to intrude on this space (about every 2 months).
• He cannot work unless he has espresso, bottled water and fresh flowers everyday.
• He disallows computers in his meetings.
• His office has 3 libraries, one each for design, architecture/furniture and classics (poetry, novels, etc.).  He said if his employees are not using all three then they are not right for his firm.
• His puts on a red foam clown nose when he feels his meetings are getting too serious.
• He says we are all “prostitutes” – “People pay and we do.”
• He calls his clients his “victims.”
• On what makes Italian designers the best in the world: their great clients.  He said he is always late to meetings, often shows up empty-handed, often is late with deliverables, and that clients either love him or hate him.  His Italian clients clearly love him – and he quips “Could you imagine if I worked with Japanese or German clients?”
• He says working with engineers is his biggest nightmare.
• He thinks “It is impossible to live without technology” but that technology should only be used as a “tool.”  If it’s is used as the sole way to design, then it is wrong and “dangerous.”  He believes that working with your hands is still an essential part of the design process.  He says people often show him beautiful images on a screen but they often have no life.
• He started designing as a child, first using Legos.  He still thinks like a child but “only on a different scale.”
• He called his design school “hell” compared to the ones today (like CCA).  He said they had limited tools but were challenged to stay “curious” – his advice to design students today.
• His approach to designing architecture is different from his approach with products – “There is so much noise out there, I design my buildings to be quiet.”  He also uses a “European approach” to architecture projects where he designs the exterior plus everything in the interior down to the cabinet pulls.
• Asked if he’s designed a perfect thing: no, and he doesn’t strive for perfection because it’s “boring.”  But he does strive for greater precision in design and greater control over the process.  His example for the need for greater precision – a private home renovation where his budget of 1 became a 10 in reality.
• His examples of perfection: the work on Antonio Citterio, the work of Carlo Scarpa, a dinner by Alain Ducasse, Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice by architect Andrea Palladio, the Barcelona Pavilion by architect Mies van der Rohe.
• The one thing he has not designed that he dreams about: a daughter.  He said with designing materials things “anything is possible” but it is things like life, a family, a daughter that are a real challenge to design.
• On what makes him happy: “Of course, I like the girls.”

There not much more to say or translate as I think his humanistic approach is pretty clear, at least to me.  While we can’t all be Lissoni or work the same way that he does (wouldn’t it be nice to go over budget 10 times and still have a job or demand fresh flowers at your desk everyday), I know that there are things I am taking away from his lecture that will make me a better designer.

Image courtesy of baunetz.de

It’s the end of the season at the Gio Ponti-designed Parco dei Principi hotel in Sorrento, sitting stark, white and angular on the very edge of Italy’s most rugged and spectacular coastline. A group of women in OndadeMar swimsuits and Chanel sunglasses are making their way up from the beach to get ready for dinner in the Gio Ponti Restaurant where the primi and secondi are served on the richly patterned plates inspired by the Melotti majolica tiles around the hotel that have been used ever since it opened in 1962. Each bedroom in the Parco dei Principi is decorated with 30 different kinds of geometric blue-andwhite tiles in a myriad of combinations, all echoing the Mediterranean outside, as well as the groovy era in which they were conceived. This hotel is strikingly “modern”, from a time when “modern” looked just that bit more exciting than it does today, in a world that had been turned on its head by technology, politics and rock ’n’ roll. Like a lot of Ponti’s most instantly recognisable work, its furniture – right down to the swimming pool’s diving board – has the stark but futuristic lines of the space race. Many a visitor to the Parco dei Principi goes home with every intention of injecting their home with some of its style.

So it’s not surprising that the market for vintage Ponti interior treasures is gathering momentum. When Sotheby’s in Milan sold 79 lots of Ponti in 2005 the interest was unprecedented, with a pair of 1930s armchairs going for over £31,000. At Themes & Variations in London’s Notting Hill, 1950s vintage Ponti is some of the most in-demand stock; the buyers can’t source enough of it. Richard Wright of the Wright auction house in Chicago believes that the year of the Sotheby’s auction in Milan was a turning point for the designer’s work: “The market has become hot now. The Ponti customer now tends, for us, to be the international buyer and we sell a lot to Europe. These are serious collectors. We had a consignment in May from his own Milan apartment which he created in 1953, and one coffee table went for $135,000.” In tandem with the resale market, reissues are fuelling international interest for the undisputed master of 20thcentury Italian design, and yet Ponti remains much more affordable than some of his French peers, such as Jean Prouvé. “Ponti has
got more expensive, but it’s not overvalued,” says Wright. “Now is a good time to buy.”

While Gio Ponti’s name may not be as household as some of his American or French peers, his work is unique in that it covers the breadth of the best of 20th-century modernism in Europe from the 1920s to the 1970s. He was extraordinarily prolific, as his daughter Lisa Licitra Ponti details: “Sixty years of work, buildings in 13 countries, lectures in 24, 25 years of teaching, 50 years of editing articles in every one of the 560 issues of his magazines, 2,500 letters dictated, 2,000 letters drawn, designs for 120 enterprises, 1,000 architectural sketches.”

From his early days in the 1920s creating ceramics for Richard Ginori (which now produces the plates for the hotel in Sorrento), through his work with designer and illustrator Piero Fornasetti on interiors and furniture in the 1950s, to his cathedral in the commercial port town of Taranto, Ponti’s genius had longevity as well as ahead-of-its-time impact. “He brought a warm and emotional touch to architecture and design at a time when rationalism prevailed and he created many of the icons that shaped modern Italy; it’s all about good food, sunshine and ‘the table’,” says Deyan Sudjic who, before becoming director at the Design Museum in London, was editor of the design magazine Domus in Milan, founded by Ponti in 1928. “I sat at the desk he designed for his own use. It was like having the keys to a classic Rolls-Royce.”

Ponti is sexy, chic and an “insider label” but none of his work is overdesigned. “As Frank Lloyd Wright grew older his work teetered on the edge of kitsch,” says Sudjic. “Ponti was better at modern.” If there is a definitive Ponti motif, it is the diamond pattern that he began incorporating into his work from the very start of his career, on the surface of ceramic urns that have been known to achieve almost $100,000 at auction. If there is a Ponti style, it is a certain sense of excitement about modernity and the future that flirted with Jetsons kitsch at the hands of Stateside designers but, as Sudjic says, remained credible under Ponti’s direction.

At Moss in New York, the most influential interior design store in the US, the sleek, super-light black lacquered Superleggera chair manufactured by Cassina ($1,390, and from £580 in the UK), which can be held aloft with one hand by a child, has been a bestseller for years. Now it’s joined by Ponti’s bold but simple cutlery, reintroduced by Sambonet ($172 for a five-piece set). If the Pirelli Tower in Milan, built between 1955 and 1958, is his most famous landmark, it’s his classic coffee machine for La Pavoni, designed a decade earlier, that is his most omnipresent design classic, still churning out espresso in cafés up and down Italy.

Ponti belonged to an age where to design meant to turn your hand to anything and, frequently, everything. Michael Maharam of the Maharam Design Studio, which has reissued two of Ponti’s 1930s textiles, sees him as a forerunner of today’s more exclusive interior designers: “He came from a time of mul ti disciplinarians. The shift is going back to that now. People hired the likes of Ponti to create holistic environments. If you were a person of substance and wanted to create a highly orchestrated environment, you needed a genius like him who could do things with ceramics, silver, furniture, textiles… And
what he was doing was explicitly different from what was on the market those days.”

One of Ponti’s two original bespoke textiles (£166.35 per metre from Kvadrat) that Maharam has reissued is I Morosi alla Finestra (“The Lovers at the Window”), a charming, whimsical print with small, colourful figures with arms stretched at a series of louvred windows. When Paul Smith saw the print he immediately approached Maharam for permission to use it as a coat lining. Maharam agreed and Smith later designed a print for him in return: “That textile is somewhat impractical to be used consistently in interiors because it’s a lightweight silk mix, but be cause of that it speaks of a certain opulence during a certain time” – something the British designer recognised. Similarly whimsical and decadent are the ceramics Bardelli still produces, including Costumi tiles (from about £13.50 per tile) with illustrations that were originally costume designs for ballets and operas Ponti worked on at La Scala and La Triennale in Milan.

Ponti also produced work for the Italia luxury shipping line including designs for the legendary and doomed Andrea Doria, which was lost after colliding with an ocean liner in 1956 and was one of his most major collaborative projects with Piero Fornasetti, along with the interior for the San Remo casino in 1950. No expense was spared on this mid-century modern floating palace, with everything exclusively commissioned, and the walls hung with notable artwork, including pieces by Bragalini and Predonzani.

Ponti’s collaboration with Fornasetti was at its most prolific in the 1950s; pieces from this decade, particularly the originals, fetch the highest prices. The most famous piece they produced, the “architettura” Trumeau cabinet covered with Fornasetti’s distinctive monochrome architectural façades and vaulted interiors, is still available new from the Fornasetti showroom in Milan and international resellers including Themes & Variations (£14,000). When the original came to auction at Wright recently, it fetched $168,000.

Many have their favourite Ponti period, but in reality all of Ponti’s furniture can “work” together, following the ethos that if something is truly well designed it can sit next to anything. FontanaArte produces several of Ponti’s lights, selling over 1,000 of the Pirellone floor lamp (£1,320) every year. His 1931 Bilia table lamp (£300) is a simple geometric sketch of a lighting fitting, a glowing white blown-glass orb on a dove-grey conical base that has become something of a cult object. “The products designed by Ponti are the first examples of ‘democratic design’,” says FontanaArte’s Grazia Innocenti. “In terms of the lights that we produce, they represent the first mass production of a certain quality of design.”

Montina, one of Italy’s biggest furniture companies, has kept several Ponti pieces in production and they have never dated stylistically. The beechwood Ponti 940 chair has slim, spiked lines and a pinched hourglass silhouette, while the 969 chair is more whimsical with broad, laced, looped backs, though it still has a stark simplicity. The total Ponti look can be seen in archive pictures of his domestic interior projects completed as far afield as Caracas and Tehran, as well as in records of his work on the 1958 Alitalia offices in New York and the designs for the sister hotel of the Parco dei Principi in Rome, the original furnishings of which sold for a small fortune through Wright.

At the Royal Continental Hotel in Naples a whole floor has been restored to its original mid-1950s Ponti glory and guests can sit at his iconic vanity tables on his Superleggera chair. Ponti’s work is linked very much by a common sense of situation. He tailored his work specifically to each commission, which is why the cathedral in the commercial port of Taranto resembles a sail and why the Parco dei Principi in Sorrento is saturated in Mediterranean blue and uses glossed Melotti pebbles in frescoes all over the hotel. It is the vibrancy of Ponti’s work that enamours so many newcomers to it, whether it’s a chance encounter at auction or through a week at the Parco dei Principi; vibrancy and an amazing freshness. “Not only has the hotel in Sorrento aged incredibly well,” says Hip Hotels author Herbert Ypma, “but it’s still adventurous, even for something that is getting into its sixth decade.” Such is the reverence that the Italians have for Ponti’s work that the hotel was painstakingly restored between 1999 and 2002 for its 40th anniversary by its current architectural guardian, Fabrizio Mautone: “I catalogued everything and, as far as possible, had pieces remade by the same factories, ceramicists etc that produced the originals. This is a living museum.” The hotel has become an essential stopoff for design aficionados, alongside Ponti’s other existing landmarks across the country. It’s a functional work of art by a genius. As Mautone says, “Gio Ponti was an artist who really just happened to become an architect.”

GET THE PONTI
Bardelli (003902-902 5181; www.bardelli.it). Cassina, 003903-623 721; www.cassina.com and see Simon Joy & Associates. FontanaArte, 003902-45121; www.fontanaarte.com and see The London Lighting Co. Fornasetti, Via Manzoni 45, 20121 Milan (003902-659 2341; www.fornasetti.com) and see Themes & Variations. Kvadarat, 62 Princedale Rd, W11 (020-7229 9969). The London Lighting Co, 135 Fulham Rd, London SW3 (020-7589 3612). Maharam, www.maharam.com and see Kvadarat. Montina (003904-3274 9207; www.montina.it). Moss, 150 Greene St, New York (001212-204 7100; www.mossonline.com). Parco dei Principi, via Rota 1, 80067 Sorrento (003908-1878 4644; www. grandhotelparcodeiprincipi.net), from about £195. Sambonet, 003903-2187 9711; www.sambonet. it. Simon Joy & Associates, 301 Clerkenwell Workshops, 31 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1 (020-7138 3956). Royal Continental Hotel, Via Partenope 38-44, Naples (003908-1245 2068; www.hotelroyal. it). Themes & Variations, 231 Westbourne Grove, London W11 (020-7727 5531; www.themesand variations.com). Wright, 1440 West Hubbard, Chicago (001312-563 0020; www.wright20.com).

“Gibraltar Furniture (800 416 3635) is furniture nirvana for wholesale classics”- Yahoo News!

CORO Italia came into being at the end of 2002 with the aim of making a place for itself in the still little-developed modern furniture, especially modern outdoor furniture design market. The first collection, designed by Stefano Gallizioli, is a complete concept, ranging from chairs and tables to BBQ Grills, aimed at a demanding and refined clientele. The materials used are the result of systematic research of prime elements having those characteristics of quality and solidity capable of guaranteeing the durability of each item in the CORO collection.

The impact of CORO’s presentation to the press was immediately positive, the quality of the imaging and the expression of the company philosophy receiving universal applause.

Over the past three years the collections have been expanded and enriched with new products proposed by young designers and by others of more established fame like James Irvine. Currently, we are present in 80 showrooms in Italy and 260 around the world and among them we can count some of the foremost opinion leaders of the market. CORO sales points are selected, differentiated and all respond to that professionalism which is fundamental in creating a relationship of trust between customer and retailer. Commercial competition is hinged upon ‘made in Italy’ values which are based on advanced technologies and the careful selection of raw materials.

Today CORO lives indoors as well. Although it originates as an outdoor collection, CORO has developed a vast and varied range which has immediately been perceived by the public for use in every living area of the house. CORO can cater for the practical and organisational necessities of the furnishing market and custom-made sector with contract solutions and tailor-made proposals. CORO has all the necessary qualities: resources, energy and market awareness. A small company, with professional management and staff, structured to answer to the needs of their customers’ new life styles. This is CORO’s objective.

Gibraltar is based in Beverly Hills California and can be found on the web at www.gibraltarfurniture.com. This firm has been in operation for five decades, and is an insider secret weapon for blue chip merchandise at warehouse prices. Yahoo reports that Gibraltar Furniture has “The best prices, models, and service of any site on the internet. This store is nirvana for people who want Bauhaus, art deco, modern, mid century, or designer furniture at wholesale prices.”

All purchases are fully covered by Lloyds of London and the Yahoo buyer’s protection plan. The Yahoo! Buyer Protection Program covers any item legitimately purchased through Yahoo! This protection covers purchases of up to $1000 for material defects and other issues.

Gibraltar Furniture is a good resource for design addicts looking for top-rated  originals at popular prices. All of the materials, design lines, and specs for all of the Gibraltar releases are the same as the European manufacturers. Gibraltar out-sources the production of these design classics to our overseas factories in order to cut labor costs. We use the same high quality  leather and stainless steel frames that Knoll uses.

Gibraltar offers the entire line of products from Compar, David Edward, Davis Furniture, Fabulux, Firefarm, Girari, Gordon International, Grey, Havaseat Chairs, Innovation, IQMatics, Janke, Jet Age, Kenshoma, Litto Kids, Lunar Lounge, Malik, Ooba, Oeuf, Offi, OFM, Ogus Design, The Phillips Collection, Serralunga, Studio4LA, Touch Design/Lighting, Trevi Outdoor, the Vessel Architectural Pottery collection, Zuo Modern, and 100 Times Better, among others.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, please contact Bradley Friedman, Director of Pubic Relations, via email.

Images for all products can be obtained at www.gibraltarfurniture.com.

Contact:
Bradley Friedman
Director of Public Relations
310.276.8889
sales@gibraltarfurniture.com

We love the new FREE iphone application, ColorSnap which we have been using on our latest projects to match our retro, deco, modern,  mid century, and post modern pieces with great decor ideas.

And we are hooked on the  Coloarcapture free application for design use too.

Upload either the Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap or Benjamin Moore Color Capture application for your iphone, whichever you prefer.

Then take a photo of your favorite room or color with your i-phone to start.

i-phone

Or  your can use a photo from your existing photo library. The application will give you a spectrum of colors that match the image. And it will save your favorite colors, recommend coordinating palettes, and map the nearest retailer from the GPS on your phone. Did we mention its free?
Double snap!

For the designer in all of us!

Gibraltar Furniture is proud to be a #1 wholesaler for Ameico, modern classics, Barcelona, and huge selection in modern furnitures such as modern outdoor furniture, modern lighting, modern office furnitures, and much more. Browse our huge selection of modern furniture below. We have everything from premium designer executive chairs to green sustainable furniture. Gibraltar Furniture has been in business for 50 years. Yahoo News reports that Gibraltar Furniture has “The best prices, models, and service of any site on the Internet.” Yahoo News, click here.
This Beverly Hills 90210 store is nirvana for people who want Bauhaus, art deco, modern, mid century, or designer furniture at wholesale prices.”

Die Crux bei kleinen Möbeln liegt ja eigentlich immer darin, dass man meint, sie seien günstig. Oder zumindest günstiger. Oder vielleicht mein ja auch nur ich das. So passiert in Mailand im Cassina Showroom in der Via Durini. Kaum drin, schon verknallt. Zuerst natürlich ins neue Sofa, dann in den Tisch und schliesslich in den anderen Tisch, eben, den kleinen. Und so sieht er aus, der süsse Cicognino:

Dass das süsse Ding aber einen sauren Nachgeschmack in Form von Ausgaben in der Höhe von ca. 1000 Sfr. hinterlässt, war mir dann erst später bewusst. Zu spät.. 

Niedriger Tisch mit Gestell und Platte aus Esche oder Nussbaum. Design by Franco Albini.

A 1920’s design classic, the Utrecht chair by Gerrit. T. Rietveld is produced by Cassina.

Cassina Le Corbusier Installation at Philbrook Museum of Art

Have a seat.  Le Corbusier would have wanted you to.

In 1929, there were some new concepts of furniture on display at the important Salon d’Automne exhibition in Paris.  They were designed by Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier.  Visitors to the exhibition were perplexed and somewhat shocked, for the furniture seemed to have but one aim in mind – function.  To Le Corbusier: what is a chair if not an object that carries out the function for which it was intended, the support of the human form in a semi-erect position?  He was not interested in decoration or ornamentation, and you can see here that the basic components of his chairs are organized around the simplest possible support framework, a metal tube.  Brilliant!  In 1929, people were baffled by Le Corbusier.  Today, we worship him.

Now it’s easier than ever to own a Le Corbusier chair.  SR Hughes is excited to announce that Cassina is offering 20% off all in stock Le Corbusier designs and 10% off all Le Corbusier custom designs from Italy from now until August 1, 2009.

Crazy shadows cast by the “Memento” lamp by Cassina IXC, Ltd.  Numbers everywhere!!

(image by: vivien chin)

Que tal organizar os títulos preferidos, álbuns de fotos e as novas aquisições em um grande livro aberto? A americana Cassina apresenta a estante Página, assinada pelos designers L. Berthet e Denis Vasset. Além do branco, o modelo está disponível na cor azul, em duas composições simétricas (direita ou esquerda), que podem ser combinados ou usados separadamente.

The fractional ownership super-yacht company, YachtPlus, launched its first yacht – The Ocean Emerald – in La Spezia, Italy on April 25 in the presence of Norman Foster. This contemporary 41 metre yacht has been designed with a strong emphasis on space and light and has five suites for up to 12 guests, who will be looked after by a permanent, highly trained crew of seven. The internal planning of the yacht offers total flexibility to respond to the diverse requirements of the owners and their guests and keen attention has been paid to design and detail ranging from the internal (2,790sqft) and external (2,495sqft) areas to cutlery, crockery, fabrics and crew uniforms. All furnishings and fittings are provided by the Italian manufacturer Cassina and kitchen and galley equipment by Schiffini.

Via & more: Yatzer

Design Piero Lissoni (2009)

Radar

«La meilleure façon pour commencer à construire est avec une grande boîte vide. Une boîte vide qui
contient d’autres boîtes vides, toutes différentes. On s’amuse à créer des compositions en toute liberté, en
suivant l’inspiration des vides et des pleins. Le rythme des volumes. La cadence des lignes horizontales et
verticales.» Piero Lissoni

Un ensemble de sept récipients qui donne de l’espace aux désirs de tout un chacun. Des géométries
essentielles et une flexibilité de composition pour chaque module disponible en trois hauteurs différentes.

Les niches peuvent être librement combinées avec des éléments comportant portes ou tiroirs. Le meuble est
doté d’un passe-câbles afin de pouvoir accueillir l’installation hi-fi en toute commodité.

Dans les supports, la structure rappelle le design de la table Naan.

Une fois la configuration désirée mise en place, le meuble est prêt à accueillir avec souplesse les objets les
plus divers.

Dimensions: hauteur cm 64, cm 82, cm 137; largeur cm 180, cm 240, cm 360; profondeur cm 61, cm 46.

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Design Piero Lissoni (2009)

Rotor

«Un objet asymétrique. Fait de plusieurs morceaux, il semble avoir été créé pour refuser la demande de
conformité. Regardé sous différents angles, il montre à chaque fois une personnalité différente et un peu
déroutante. Pour lire l’objet dans sa totalité, il faut en faire le tour, comme lorsqu’on regarde une statue.»
Piero Lissoni

La recherche formelle de Piero Lissoni aboutit à une table-sculpture inédite. À la base, une étude rigoureuse
des jointures et des articulations qui lient les différents composants d’une forme délibérément irrégulière.
D’une forte présence scénique, la table incarne une interprétation diamétralement opposée à celle incarnée
par Naan. Mettant le matériau au premier plan et se prêtant à de multiples perspectives, cette table constitue
le résultat de traitements sophistiqués et d’astuces de montage. Le plan est une maqueterie de plaques
asymétriques de châtaignier fumé et érable européen.

Dimensions d’encombrement maximal: cm 303 x cm 123 x h. cm 74

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Design Piero Lissoni (2009)

Naan

«Il a l’apparence d’une idée à ses débuts. Quelques lignes seulement pour indiquer la structure. Les
épaisseurs très réduites, les proportions non conventionnelles et les mesures extrêmes en constituent un objet
solide, trempé, et fort. Il est entièrement en bois, mais plus on le regarde, plus il semble aérien.»

Piero Lissoni

La table Naan se prête à une double lecture: d’un côté, la légèreté visuelle portée à l’extrême et de l’autre,
une solidité structurelle marquée. Piero Lissoni exacerbe volontairement la rigueur formelle. Le plan
rectangulaire et ultraléger possède une épaisseur de 10 mm seulement. Un défi stimulant pour Cassina, qui
met ainsi en oeuvre son expérience historique dans la menuiserie, fusion entre la tradition artisanale et
l’approche moderne et industrielle.

Du living à la salle de réunion, Naan constitue une présence à la fois discrète et d’une personnalité
prononcée.

Le caractère essentiel du meuble est mis en valeur par le matériau choisi: le chêne fumé. Ce traitement
innovant soumet le bois à des températures élevées, ce qui lui confère une grande résistance, y compris à
l’humidité, et une couleur foncée qui, par rapport aux teintures habituelles créant un effet plutôt plat et
artificiel, préserve les veines naturelles et les laisse tout à fait visibles.

Devenu plus dur et compact, le bois se rapproche du fossile. La coloration obtenue par la chaleur pénètre
dans les fibres les plus profondes et reste inaltérée dans le temps.

Naan se décline en deux versions: fixe et à rallonges.

 Dimensions: cm 240 x cm 95 x h. cm 72 (à rallonges cm 340 x cm 95); cm 300 x cm 95 x h. cm 72

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Design Piero Lissoni (2009)

 «S’il est vrai que chaque canapé est une sorte de maison dans la maison, un îlot d’autonomie dans l’espace
commun de la maison, Toot appartient à la catégorie des maisons dans les arbres : aérien, suspendu,
ultraconfortable, flottant. Nous pouvons l’utiliser comme nous voulons : sans ou avec bords, totalement
ouvert et sans dossier ou totalement fermé sur lui-même, rempli de coussins comme un nid … Parce que
l’envie survient, en effet, de le mettre dans les branches plutôt que dans un living. » Piero Lissoni

La structure aluminium d’Eve s’allonge, se déplie et, de manière naturelle, donne naissance au système
rembourré Toot. Eclectique dans la composition et dans l’utilisation, il se compose de quatre éléments
simples: la tablette, l’assise, le dossier et les accoudoirs. Chacun est libre de se mettre à l’aise dans un canapé
avec un ou plusieurs dossiers, de s’appuyer sur les accoudoirs ou de s’en passer, de se prélasser, de
s’allonger et de se détendre sur une seule ou sur les deux profondeurs (respectivement 85 et 100 cm). Les
coussins du dossier laissent eux aussi la liberté à l’interprétation: grâce à un système particulier de
rembourrage, l’un des deux côtés est plus rigide, et donc indiqué pour soutenir, tandis que l’autre reste plus
souple et adapté à la détente. Le système se complète par des coussins de remplissage mous.

Le revêtement en cuir est aussi soigné que celui d’Eve. Des coutures invisibles et des pliages pratiqués dans
les règles de l’art créent une sorte d’habillage-origami qui tombe parfaitement et modèle les formes en les
rendant encore plus accueillantes. Le système rembourré Toot est également disponible dans une version
avec revêtement en tissu, qui possède des accoudoirs d’une épaisseur différente de celle de la version en cuir.
Une table basse, répétant la structure du canapé et possédant un plan en acier carré ou rectangulaire,
complète l’ensemble.

Dimensions canapé: système de plusieurs combinaisons (éléments individuels: 85 et 100 cm).

Dimensions table basse: cm 105 x cm 105 x h. cm 20 ; cm 87 x cm 140 x h. cm 20

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Design Piero Lissoni (2009)

«À contre-jour ils partagent le même ADN. Les caractères de l’une et de l’autre se distinguent par des
différences qui les rendent plus séduisantes. La première est fine, forte, scintillante, tout en métal. La
seconde est svelte, lisse, affectueuse, élégamment naturelle. La première formellement transgressive. La
seconde poliment anti-conventionnelle.» Piero Lissoni

Eve. Un concept unique de chaise, très légère et essentielle, dont Lissoni propose une lecture palindrome,
bidirectionnelle. La simplicité géométrique de la structure est plus chaleureuse dans la version en bois –
noyer, frêne naturel ou teinté noir – qui devient un meuble idéal pour les espaces domestiques. D’un
caractère plus fort et saisissant, la version en fusion d’aluminium est parfaite pour les lieux de travail et la
collectivité. Aucune limitation rigide, mais une extrême facilité d’adaptations, grâce à la pureté des formes.

Les deux versions possèdent une assise et un dossier en cuir. L’impression de linéarité et de légèreté est
renforcée par le travail innovant que Cassina a consacré à l’assemblage des éléments en cuir. Grâce à un
habile jeu de découpage et de pliage, le revêtement prend la forme comme une « enveloppe », sans coutures
visibles, glissée sur la structure, qui met en valeur la continuité et l’harmonie entre les surfaces lisses à l’oeil
et presque abstraites.

La fonctionnalité a fait l’objet d’une attention particulière. La coque consiste en un matériau plastique
thermoformé, doublé d’une fine feuille de polyuréthane. La ligne arrondie qui caractérise la partie antérieure
de l’assise, rend Eve encore plus confortable.

 Dimensions: cm 57 x cm 44 x h. cm 76 (version en bois)

Dimensions : cm 56 x cm 42 x h. cm 76 (version en aluminium)

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