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Yngve Ekström – A Study In Furniture Design

May 18th, 2009 by lamino in Furnitures · No Comments

Scandinavian designs made up a large part of the whole industry of home furnishings (heminredning) in the 20th century, and there are several stand out designers that contributed to this. Some of these names are Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobson, and Alvar Aalto. One of the most prominent, though, is the memorable Yngve Ekström, who was born in 1913 in the city of Hagafors, Sweden.

Since Hagafors is the city in Sweden with the oldest presence in the furniture (möbler) business, it was no surprise that a young Yngve Ekström would be drawn to what was so popular and pervasive in his environment. Like many of the Scandinavian designers, he did not only study wood crafting, but also learned from academic study of art history as well as painting, drawing and sculpture. Many of the style elements in his work are obviously related to those studies.

Together with his brother Jerker, he founded a globally recognized furniture (möbler) company named Swedese. From its inception in 1945, he continued to work at the company until he passed away some four decades later. Swedes produces furnishings that are well suited for both the home and office due to their fine blend of simplicity and artistic flair.

The Lamino Chair, which is probably his most well known piece was originally created in the 1950’s. This chair is still being made today and is a much sought after piece. In 1999, a Swedish design magazine reported that the Lamino chair was the greatest Swedish chair in the Twentieth Century. In 2003, the Lamino chair was awarded the prestigious Design Innovation, by the I.M.M. in Cologne.

This chair has attractive curves viewed from the side as well as seen head on and often is sold with a matching ottoman. It can be made in a wide variety of woods for the frame and the upholstery can also match nearly any desire or taste, from sheepskin to woven cloth webbing. The versatility and simple good looks have contributed to the long popularity and the chairs sell well in the two to three thousand dollar range for new models. Earlier examples have sold for much more.

Yngve Ekström not only continued to design until his death in 1988, he also continued to be at the helm of his company. This ability to manage and produce new innovations only added to his legend. His chairs add to many styles of decor (heminredning) and look exceptionally good with hardwood floors. While his designs were often breakthroughs when created, most have become true classics.

Yngve Ekström was a Scandinavian furniture designer, born in Hagafors, Smaland, Sweden in 1913. He studied wood crafting and design along with courses in art history, drawing, and sculpture. He and his brother (Jerker) created Swedese in 1945. The company has become one of the most respected producers of modern furniture (möbler) and decor in the world. The Lamino Chair, which is probably his best known piece, was originally created in the 1950’s. This chair is still being made today and is a much sought after piece. The talented designer remained active not only in design, but also in leading his company, until his death in 1988. Go to http://www.contentspooling.net/public.php?id=164&a=2664 to obtain a copy of this article for publishing on your own website.

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Verner Panton: Influence on Furniture Design

April 30th, 2009 by lamino in Furnitures · No Comments

The influence that designers have on their time and on future generations is a nice measure of their skill. verner panton was nothing if not very influential. Panton was well known for a number of revolutionary designs, both in material and form. The hallmarks of Panton’s works are the sculptural elegance, the striking forms, and most of all, the color. Panton’s work stood out from the work of his contemporaries in the greatest possible ways.

Panton’s life began in the Danish island of Fynen where his father was an inn keeper. He was interested in design which led him to study at the Academy of Art in Copenhagen. In his two year stint at Arne Jacobsen’s architectural office, Panton was not the best of employees as he preferred to spend his time on creating his own ideas.

Panton has a number of classics to his name. The most famous of them is the instantly recognizable Panton stacking chair. This monocoque form is in production now by Vitra and uses more advanced plastics, such as injection-molded polypropylene, than the ones Panton first saw it produced in. There are many cheap, Chinese copies of his design out there, which, though damaging to the designer’s reputation due to poor quality, are a definite sign of a nice design. There is not really much of a point in buying a copy, since you’d get a chair which cannot be sold for profit, and you would generally only save about 30 percent on the cost of the genuine article. Vitra has a limited edition, orange Panton chair this year, so there are no excuses!

One more of Panton’s excellent designs was the Cone chair. These were amazing when they were released, the single pivoting point being a big departure from three or four legs that people expected from chairs at that time. I recall my first encounter with this chair very clearly, as I simply couldn’t get over the optical illusion that it gives. It just seems to stand, perfectly balanced, top-heavy, with no regard at all for the laws of physics.

These two pieces combined with Panton’s famous interior designs (heminredning) had a huge influence on the coming decade. In 1973 Panton created yet another iconic design. This time it was the System 1-2-3 chair for Fritz Hansen. The System 1-2-3 may sound like your failed formation at the company football tournament but it is in fact an incredibly well designed chair made with flexibility, ease of production and comfort in mind.

In spite of these three pieces being design classics, the example of Panton’s work that you’re most likely to come across isn’t a chair but instead a lamp. The Flowerpot lamps, both pendant and table, are very widely distributed. This is because the cost of the manufacture is comparatively low, they’re small, they come in many colors, they’ve got the name of a fine designer on them, and most of all, they’ve got an immediately recognizable classic form.

A day or two will not be enough to write about the work of Panton. His work crossed boundaries and confounded expectations. His work survived the tests of centuries and has taken its place in the timeless modern classics of furniture and interior design (heminredning).

Verner Panton was a very influential designer from Denmark. His danish furniture (danska möbler) is known for its striking forms, sculptural elegance and color. His most famous piece is a stacking chair. This is now being produced by Vitra in plastic. Another of his classics is the Cone chair. It is a great departure from the three or four legged chairs we are familiar with. In the 1970’s he came up with the System 1-2-3 chair. It had flexibility, comfort and ease of production in mind. His most common work is the table and pendant Flowerpot lamp. His interior design (inredning) is timeless and classic.

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Marimekko – The History Of an Innovative Company

April 29th, 2009 by lamino in Furnitures · No Comments

A mighty Finnish design era came out of the rubble of WWII and was granted decisive impetus by the International Triennial’s of 1951 and 1954 which clearly set up the concept of Finnish design. By officially blending design into production, materials from Marimekko (marimekko tyg) had achieved international consideration with their distinguishing of a select market receptive to the large Finnish design look.

Marimekko was founded by Armi and Viljo Ratia in 1951 and has since established a reputation for producing quality textiles for home furnishings and clothing. The Finland-based company actually began in 1949 by acquiring Printex Oy-an oilcloth factory in the suburbs of Helsinki. After a refit, the factory reintroduced the craft-based technique of hand silk-screen printing on cotton sheeting.

This approach, distinguished by its resultant irregularities and duplicated patterning, made every design appear hand-made. While production methods have long since been automated, the corporation still prints to a level of manually-produced quality. By utilizing its distinctive patterns and natural fibers, it underscored its commitment to Scandinavia’s love of nature.

Under Armi’s design direction; the company broke ranks with traditional Finnish textile designers, implementing an array of nonfigurative patterns, using the abstract graphic designs of artistic colleagues. The first collection of simply cut dresses was brought out in Helsinki in 1951 and originated as a promotional strategy for the firm’s printed cotton fabrics (marimekko tyger).

Simple wrap dresses and plain styles that buttoned down the bodice were included, putting the focus squarely on the cloth instead of on the apparel’s designs. This line was dubbed Marimekko (or Mary’s little pinafore dress). Since that time, the company has licensed various foreign firms from 1968 on in order to extend its merchandise to encompass tablecloths and dinner napkins, bed linens, serving ware, dish ware, glassware, furniture (möbler) and other home furnishings, area rugs, and wallpaper.

Marimeko made a name for itself in the United States in the 1990’s by licensing its products here. These products included fabric for interior design such as wall coverings (marimekko tapet) and rugs, as well as bed linens and much more. Their name is not as well known in America as many others are, but their designs are highly sought after. They have established a brand based on a simple classic look that is identifiable with the company.

By formally integrating design into manufacturing, textiles from Marimekko acquired international attention through their identification of an exclusive market responsive to the strong Finnish design aesthetic. The collection was so named by combining the old-fashioned Finnish girl’s name of Maria and the term mekko which described a tow shirt. Since then “Maria’s little dress” expanded into home furnishing textiles, with overseas licensing agreements for wall coverings, bedding, furniture (möbler) etc. The company made a name for itself in the United States in the 1990’s by licensing its products here. These products included fabric for interior design (heminredning) such as wall coverings and rugs, as well as bed linens and much more.

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Lamino fåtölj: Modern Swedish Furniture

April 5th, 2009 by lamino in Furnitures · 1 Comment

One of the most amazing pieces to come out of Modern Swedish furniture design is the Swedese Lamino. It is comfortable on the back, and is strikingly visual with its simple, elegant form and curving lines. The Lamino chair was designed in the Modernist furniture (designmöbler) style, in 1956 by Yngve Ekström. Recently it won the prestigious I.M.M. Cologne award in 2003 for best design. In addition, it was voted “The Best Swedish Furniture Design of the Century”, in 1999.

The stylish Lamino is available in gray, brown, white, sand, or basic black which blend perfectly with the natural colors of the oiled wood found in the arms and legs of the chair. With it’s sheepskin covering and matched four legged ottoman, the Swedese Lamino adds a air of comfort and elegance to any room.

You can select from several different woods, including oiled beech, cherry wood, walnut, oak, oak/teak, or oak. There are also options to select lacquered wood in oak, cherry wood, or walnut. Finally, you may select stained, black beech. The many options offered make this chair especially versatile for any decor and any room of your home.

For an additional charge, you can pick a very nice, high quality leather cover for your seat. This upgrade is very well worth the additional cost. There are some other fabrics that can be special ordered. These include Tonus, Canyon, Tonica, Flora, Divina, and Hallingdal. The wide variety of options for covers, patterns and woods will be valued by buyers. The buyer gets to create their own custom option by mixing and matching the variety of options.

The Swedish modern style that is shown by the Lamino Swedese has been growing in popularity recently. This style is shown by pale woods and cloths, elegant and simple lines and curves and emphasis on woods and fabrics. This kind of style can bring a simple and clean look into your spaces. Hardwood flooring, pale curtains, and organized spaces with a few touches of golds and blues will highlight the look of the lamino fotölj.

To your collection of modern Swedish furniture (svenska möbler), you can add that most perfect chair. The lamino chair will be the perfect addition. You can easily browse online for high-resolution pictures or you can stop by a store near you to check out the various wood and fabric combinations.

The lamino chair is one of the most striking examples of modern Swedish designer furniture (designmöbler). It is very comfortable and a strikingly beautiful piece of furniture. It is covered with soft sheepskin, available in several colors, and its arms and legs can be made of several different kinds of oiled wood. For an additional fee, you can get a leather covering for the chair. This style has become very popular in recent years, as people enjoy the straight lines and clean curves of this modern design. This chair, designed by Yngve Ekström, will look great in your home, and is available at a store near you.

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Hello world!

April 5th, 2009 by lamino in Uncategorized · 1 Comment

Welcome to Blogetery.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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