abo design co. » furniture

Canadian, eh?

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:03:38 +0000

My previous post featured a local tile manufacturer, and I thought it would be interesting to continue telling you about the resources available to us here in Canada.

Omer Arbel is a Canadian designer architect. Graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in 2000, and apprenticed with notable architects like Enric Miralles, John & Patricia Patkau, and Peter Busby. In 2003, he began working as a freelance designer, focusing on conceptually motivated & materially explorative furniture and objects. Eventually, he opened two companies. The first, Omer Arbel Office (OAO), a small, experimental, Vancouver-based design practice that blends the traditionally defined fields of architecture, industrial design, and materials research. It is known for its commitment to the creative potential of intuition and this is one the reasons I am a fan. Design that transcends time often relies on intuition and taking a risk on something different; something you have not been taught in school.

Bocci, a contemporary design & manufacturing house, also located in Vancouver, carries an eclectic collection that includes custom chandeliers, furniture & cutting edge electrical components. These works of art can been found in showrooms around the globe (in fact you may have already seen some of them).

I am truly inspired by Arbel’s works of art & hope that you too are inspired to explore the more cutting edge & risky side of interior design.

New York: Art by Design

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:10:04 +0000

New York is famous for many things. One being design. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has done a spectacular job of gathering designs from all decades and places. From fully furnished 19th century rooms to individual furniture pieces, I felt like I was walking back into time. Rather than exhausting you with my take on each item, I just want to give you a photo summary of some of my favourite pieces and rooms. Some of them truly represent their time & age and placing them in new and modern settings would just be odd but of course if that’s your style, you can make it work. On the other hand some of these pieces are so classic that they can still be seen in homes to this day.

If you ever get a chance to visit New York, I highly recommend visiting the Metropolitan. But make sure you leave plenty of time for it as you will not be able to see everything it has to offer in one, two, even three days! We visited the museum three times and still haven’t seen everything.

: My favourite room & my hubby fading into it

: Love this blue and the details at the edge of the seat

: A perfect Fleur De Lis

: Note how the legs of table mimic the chair

: Almost too perfect to sit on

: In love with this sideboard & decorative bowl

: Perfect balance demonstrated with choice of colours & size of objects

: The mirror is the perfect topping for this pair

: Really appreciate the details

: A must have for every boudoir

: I love the bookshelf

: For ladies who must converse

: A very princely writing desk

The Perfect Home for Book Lovers

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:19 +0000

Are libraries too boring? Do you crave adventure & intrique inside & outside of your many books? For those of us who need an interesting, unique abode where we can sit back & enjoy our favourite novels, Point Design Studio in Tokyo, has created the perfect solution…an igloo style room to store books. Bookshelves are designed to allow you to grab your books from inside or outside this hut style creation. The design is whimsical, fun, creative and makes me want to spend hours in bed reading, while surrounded by books!

Image courtesy of point-tokyo.jp

Image courtesy of Inhabitots.com

Is it an antique or is it just old?

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:12:12 +0000

When a client asked me this question I made a mental note to blog about this subject. The question clearly illustrates many new collectors’ experience with buying their first antique. If you’re lucky, you have inherited a piece of antique that you know to be just that because it has been passed down generations after generations. However, if you are in the market for antiques, you have most likely experienced the wave of confusion as to whether or not a piece is a legitimate antique or if it’s just simply old (can we say “junk”)? There’s a plethora of dealers out there waiting to sell you their next winning piece so can you really trust what they tell you? How do you know that they know what they’re talking about? What sort of items should you buy or not buy? It’s an ocean of questions!

First I would start by researching reputable dealers in your area. Then pay them a visit. If you are already at this point, then I’m going to assume you know what sort of items you want to buy so bring all your questions. A reputable dealer will be happy to spend their time telling you about the items you are interested in. He/she will give you it’s history, it’s age and origin, notable physical characteristics, how to spot a knock off, different clues that mark who the maker might be, what it might cost based on how rare it is, and whether or not it’s worth investing in. The mark of a truly good dealer is when they offer advice on how to care for your antique to maintain it’s beauty.

I am by no means an expert on antiques but I know how to spot a great dealer who will teach me what I need to know! A few I would recommend:

Guild House Antiques - member of Canadian Antique Dealers Asc (CADA), in business for 30 yrs, carries many items from 17th, 18th, & 19th century

RHV Tee & Sons – member of CADA, qualified appraisers

Uno Langmann Ltd – member of CADA, specialist in quality European & North American paintings from 18th, 19th, & early 20th century

CADA – safeguarding the purchaser of antiques in Canada

Lushpad – Modern furniture at a bargain

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:04:50 +0000

If you are in the market for some great modern furniture but don’t want to pay an arm & a leg, check out Lushpad. It is a meeting place for collectors & sellers of secondhand modern furniture. You can browse furniture by manufacturer, designer, artist, and item type. On the educational side, you can also learn about the designers by reading their biographies. As for product knowledge, they provide articles on topics such as how to spot a knockoff. They are also planning to provide professional assessments of what items might be worth. So if you have a great piece that just doesn’t work for you anymore, send in a picture and they will give you a rough idea of what it’s worth after their panel of experts have evaluated it.

Many items listed would be considered “pricey” but there are also great bargains for contemporary and mid-century modern furniture. And if you are already in the market for great furniture, you already know that you should spend a bit more for quality pieces.

Secondhand is not for everyone. But for some of you, I know this will be a treasure trove so enjoy!

For an extra dose of exploration, also visit Fullhouse Consigments for some great finds!

Finn Juhl Danish Teak Sideboard

Eames lounge wood chairs

Vintage Rocking Chair

1940s French Moderne Inspired Cocktail table

Anything but Straight

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:00:03 +0000

Once in a while I find myself surprised by amazing talent but rarely do I find myself blown away. Just yesterday, I was blown away. It was the combination of talent and creativity that did it. I don’t want to say too much because the work speak for themself as you will see…Straight Line Designs Inc is a custom furniture design & manufacturing company that is well-known for their signature style & quality work. Their designs are whimsical and unusual. Designs that encourage children (and adults) to explore the limits and go wild with their imagination. They can pretty much custom anything you are willing to pay for. No idea too crazy. Just look at what they’ve already done. Their philosophy: “It’s not what we’ve done; It’s what we are going to do next.” Now that’s innovation that just doesn’t sleep! Enjoy…

Latest design, currently on display @ Vancouver Intl Airport

Sobey dressers

An assortment of crazies

Mrs Pearson

Canned Bench

Essenze – New Zealand Inspired Designs

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:00:02 +0000

Essenze is the strategic distribution partner of choice for New Zealand’s best designers. New Zealand founded & based, Essenze is well respected by their designers & is reponsible for the global marketing, distribution & sales of the products that represent the cream of New Zealand design. Visit their website for more information.

Apple Jelly Tip, Susannah Bridges

Apple Jelly Tip Bowl, Susannah Bridges

Dribble Bowl, Susannah Bridges

Pacific Light, Susannah Bridges

Dondola, David Trubridge

Ruth Rocker, David Trubridge

Float lounger, David Trubridge

Stylish Trash Bin, Catherine David Designs

My favourite lime

admin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:24:02 +0000

Spring is definitely on its way…slowly but surely! I was so determined to push it through the door that I wore my lime belt (a very thin one) over grey dress shirt today…and it certainly perked me up! So here’s a list of everything lime to gear you up for the season…Becareful not to get carried away though. Lime does pack a hefty punch so beware of overuse!!!

New Yorker Lime Chair

Lime Striped Giclee Shade Table Lamp

Guacamole Sofa from Vessel

Kiwi Dinnerware from Chintz

Celery Fellini Chaise from Chintz

Schonbek Geometrix Matrix Chandelier

Conversational Piece

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:43:41 +0000

I often get solicited by other artists/designers via email & mail. Most I haven’t found use for YET, but once in a while I am genuinely suprised and honoured to hear from truly talented people. Just yesterday, I received a lovely greeting card from an artist on Gabriola Island, Elias Wakan. I visited his website today and am thoroughly impressed by his meticulous work. I’m particularly amazed by “Ruff Estimate”.

Courtesy of www.eliaswakan.com

It is made of hemlock and resembles an Elizabethan collar piece and its winding curves is absolutely beautiful. It is the result of a miscalculation and I cannot think of a better word to describe this piece other than serendipity. It just shows you that art can come to you in many different ways.

Thank you Elias for visiting my website and for the greeting card!

A New Light

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:20:58 +0000

My designs tend to be simple, neutral, and classic. This is mainly because I have found that most people have difficulty living in dramatic, powerfully punctuated spaces, regardless of how good it looks on a magazine page. People have to live, entertain, and function in the space day after day and trends come and go. Could you afford to redesign your space annually? If you said yes to that, you are interior designers’ dream client! Kidding aside though, keep your space as neutral as you can bare it and jazz it up with dramatic pieces that won’t break the bank to change up if you want a change but has enough character to add interest to the space. I like to have fun with small items like this chrome (or crystal!) table lamp by Kartell.

It’s fun, it’s different and it has enough character to balance out any design-neutral room. And if you really like to have fun with your designs, envision this in a boudoir with dramatic damask walls in say a black and white scheme.