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kottke.org posts about furniture

Wicker Musical Chairs

I bet you don’t think about wicker furniture that much, but Estelle Caswell does. In this video, which proves that almost anything can be interesting if the right person looks at it from the right angle, she explores how the peacock wicker chair became an unlikely pop culture icon.

The golden age of album cover design doesn’t have a specific start and end date, but many regard the late 1960s to 1970s as one of the field’s most exciting times. From the psychedelic rock covers of the ’60s to glistening airbrush covers of the ’70s, the era was a kaleidoscope of colors worthy of placement in modern art museums.

But there’s one genre of cover so ubiquitous it almost flew under the radar. The covers typically featured a wide shot of the artist sitting on a throne-like wicker chair, like a king or queen. Usually, the artist looked casual and relaxed; sometimes props would sit around them to decorate the scene. No matter what, the oversized woven chair was the main feature. This was the peacock chair album cover, and it was everywhere: Dolly Parton, Al Green, and Cher all sat in it.


Midcentury modern retirement gear

midcentury modern retirement gear

View the whole thing at at Core77 and Fueled By Coffee (the rest of which is worth a look). (via mlkshk)


The making of an Eames fiberglass chair

From 1970, this video shows how Eames fiberglass shell chairs were made.

Greg Allen says:

The idea of design has been so thoroughly associated with computers in my mind, I’d forgotten the essential sculptural processes it used to involve: carving, modelmaking, molding, pouring… How design and art ever stayed separate in those days, I cannot imagine.


Chairs from The Incredibles

Jim Unwin collects virtual chairs, specifically the ones from the movie The Incredibles.

Chairs from The Incredibles

This is my dedication to the creative team behind Pixar’s movie The Incredibles. I loved the depth of the world, the buildings, the gadgets and most of all I loved the chairs.

(via swissmiss)


Mystery chairs

Hey Modern/contemporary furniture fans, that pair of beige chairs on the left side of the photo, anyone know what they are? Hit me on my burner or reply on Twitter.

Mystery Chairs

My copy of 1000 Chairs is currently elsewhere. Photo found on The Selby.

Update: And the answer is: they’re made by Hans Wegner. (thx, mark)

Update: Mark emails again…those aren’t the exact chairs but they are close. I definitely like the chairs in the photo above over Wegner’s. Anyone?


The Year in Ideas

The NY Times has posted their annual Year in Ideas collection for 2008, packaged this year in an “interactive feature”, which is Esperanto for “no permalinks”. A favorite so far in paging through is Tokujin Yoshioka’s Venus Natural Crystal Chair, a piece of furniture grown in mineral water.

Update: Permalinks are a go. I repeat, permalinks are a go. Here’s the one for the crystal chair. (thx, everyone)


Slightly uncomfortable chairs

How to keep your meetings short: use the Slightly Uncomfortable Chair Collection.

 Slightly Uncomfortable Chair Collection


Fractal furniture

Fractal furniture!

Fractal Miyakawa

One could imagine a Powers of Ten video with drawer pulling instead of zooming.


Mag-lev bed. $1.5 million for a bed that

Mag-lev bed. $1.5 million for a bed that levitates above the floor.


Ikea Hacker is a site that highlights

Ikea Hacker is a site that highlights using Ikea furniture and products in creative ways.


Video of a crazy folding chair.

Video of a crazy folding chair.


Finalists for the 2007 version of the annual

Finalists for the 2007 version of the annual competition held by Design Within Reach to design the best chair out of a champagne cork. Check out the finalists from 2004 and the winner from 2006. (DWR’s site has a bit of a permalink problem, so I can’t find contest results from previous years.)


Bill Stumpf, designer of the Aeron chair,

Bill Stumpf, designer of the Aeron chair, passed away late last month at age 70. “I work best when I’m pushed to the edge, when I’m at the point where my pride is subdued, where I’m an innocent again.” (via matt)


Winners of the Design Within Reach 2005 Champagne

Winners of the Design Within Reach 2005 Champagne Chair Contest. The salon dryer chair, the high chair, and the school desk chair are pretty neat.