Kaari Collection for Artek

01

02

Images

—01. Small round shelf.
—02. Wall console.

Words

The design world is abuzz regarding Artek’s latest furniture collection, which debuted at the 2015 Stockholm Furniture Fair. Conceived by French design duo, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, it features rectangular and round tables in two sizes, a desk, a wall console, a small round shelf and a selection of large wall-mounted shelving units, all of which utilize wooden and steel components. The press release details the marrying of these two elements best: "The principle is extremely simple: the vertical load is supported by a wooden part and a bent steel band embraces the contours of this solid wooden piece. The steel band draws a kind of wing bracket-angle that supports the ensemble and creates a linear and rhythmic silhouette."

—Artek

Artek Stool 60 by Hella Jongerius

01

Image

—01. Display at Salone del Mobile.

Words

Colour specialist Hella Jongerius was recently commissioned by Finnish furniture company Artek to create a special range of products, including the Stool 60, originally designed by Alvar Aalto. The result is a restrained offering, which combines four different leg finishes with a series of stained, coloured, and pastel-toned tops for a fresh, appealing appearance. Jongerius is well-known for her work in this field, having also been brought in by Vitra to expand their colour library.

—Artek
—Available at Inform Interiors

Haluta Vintage Furniture

01 02

03 04

Images

—01. Shelf 112B.
—02. Chair 65.
—03. Table 81B.
—04. Umbrella Stand 115.

Words

One of the stores I tend to regularly check out online is the Japanese retailer, Haluta. Alongside their strong clothing selection they also have a vintage furniture shop which has a large variety of vintage Alvar Aalto pieces, among other Scandinavian designers. While it might be expensive to ship them overseas, the website serves as an interesting catalogue of many of these classic designs – all beautifully photographed, alone and in situ.

—Haluta

Artek 2nd Cycle & Vintage

01

Image

—01. Aalto 60 Stools.

Words

"Since the foundation of Artek in 1935, some 8 million Aalto stools have been sold worldwide. A few years ago Artek started to collect old Aalto chairs from flea markets, schools, elderly people's homes and garages. Artek wanted to give these classics a new lease on life, an original opportunity to tell their story. They are called the 2nd Cycle. Sustainable 2nd Cycle items are part of Artek's environmental strategy."

—Artek 2nd Cycle

Alvar Aalto Desk by Artek

01

Image

—01. Made in Sweden.

Words

eBay doesn't usually turn up too many good vintage Aalto pieces, but this desk recently popped up online. The age and wear is just about perfect, the wood having turned a beautiful golden colour. It's a good size for a small apartment and it's difficult to find a small desk with useful built-in storage.

—Available on eBay

Enzo Mari Sedia 1 Chair

01 02

03 04

Images

—01-04. "Design is always education."

Words

While brutally cold yesterday, New York still offers plenty of interesting things to take your mind off the numbness of your fingers, and the chill in your bones. Popping into Matter for a some respite in the afternoon I was reminded once again of my admiration for Enzo Mari's Sedia 1 Chair. Sold as a kit containing the pinewood boards, nails and instructions needed to assemble the chair, it is produced by Artek and was originally part of Mari's Autoprogettazione project from 1974.

—Available at Matter

Berlin Snaps

01

Image

—01. Viberg Fall-Winter '13.

Words

It was the first trip to Berlin for the Inventory team. Fortunately we had a good city guide with us and were able to find a number of great neighbourhoods, shops and restaurants. We also stopped in at Bread & Butter to visit some of our friends and favorite brands from WP Lavori and Nigel Cabourn to Viberg and The Real McCoy's.

Click to read more ...