Tandus: The Marfa Experience

5.25.09 | Fly into the West Texas town of El Paso (at the western tip of Texas, by the Mexico/New Mexico border, for those who only know the song), get a car and head directly southeast for a little over 3 hours and, if you are lucky, you may run into Marfa, TX, population about 2,400, in the middle of nowhere and nothing but a big clear Texas sky and only a few drops of rain and occasional underground water away from a desert.

ICFF 2009

5.25.09 | ICFF is a treasure trove of great and innovative design, and despite what might have been a slightly thinned crowd on some days, this year's show was no different and in some ways exceeded previous shows, as is its custom. As a testament to the resilience of a tight-knit industry, exhibitors were optimistic, attendees were enthusiastic and product quality, high.

Events >>

Metropolis Conference at ICFF

5.25.09 | Lofty yet down-to-earth. Such was the all-day program Metropolis magazine assembled for the Monday of the ICFF show. With her well-selected, well-paced program, editor Susan Szenasy kept an audience of maybe 80-100 people attentive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (notwithstanding the challenge of simple plastic chairs, clearly not designed for such extended use).

Events >>

SCALA

5.25.09 | Inscape was not the first of the major systems companies to carefully eye the mid-priced market, but this small company has been an important contributor in some areas of this highly competitive market. While some new contract furniture companies have shied away from the dangerous waters of systems area over the past decade, Inscape walked in with a single and descriptively named line, Platform, correctly anticipating the desire for flexible, modular package that could be configured as desired from a single consistent product line.

Project >>

IIDA-Northern California Designer's Culinary Challenge

5.25.09 | Interior designers and architects traded their workstations for chef's aprons at the Sixth Annual Designer's Culinary Challenge. The signature philanthropic event for the International Interior Design Association's Northern California Chapter, Silicon Valley City Center, was held on May 14^th at the Milpitas headquarters of corporate sponsor One Workplace. Nearly $1,100 was raised for the Marine Mammal Center to assist it rehabilitation of marine mammals and to advance environmental education.

Competitions and Awards >>, Events >>, Prof. Associations >>

A Minute with Ira Joe

5.25.09 | The mayonnaise container. I didn't think it could do anything more remarkable than contain mayonnaise. Then, along came my sojourn in Mrs. Currie's fifth grade. It was the same time of year in which we now find ourselves. May warming at the nearness of June. The leaves finally and fully formed, unwrinkled, undrooping and giving shade to the grass and ground below. It was time to go into the woods.

Ira Joe >>

Herman Miller/Convia & Legrand/Wiremold

5.18.09 | By now, most design firms should have the marketing capability enabling them to walk into a client of any size and say, "I can save you X hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars every year, and back it up with data." Let's face it, the aesthetic design capabilities and related aspects of interior design are pretty much a commodity in the sense that they are readily available at fair-to-bargain prices; today, 10s of thousands of talented interior designers who can do that have been laid off for want of work.

A&D Firms >>, Business and Finance >>

ICFF 2009 First Impressions

5.18.09 | The first day of ICFF proved to be more subdued then in years past, with the back of New York City's Javits Center curtained off due to fewer exhibitors, and just a little less people milling around the show floor. With the current state of the industry, such was to be expected, but exhibitors were not phased and remained upbeat, showcasing a strong year of solid design. Here is a taste of our favorite first impressions in and around ICFF. (There will be more in next week's edition.)

Events >>

Teknion Opens In Santa Monica

5.18.09 | Santa Monica is surely the place to be in Los Angeles for commercial interiors. If Herman Miller moved out there we would really have the makings of the West Coast version of Designer's Saturday, the highly popular and much lamented (by the old-timers) '70s New York event. But Teknion did not wait for that to happen. It opened its Santa Monica showroom a week or so ago and, taking no chances, it asked Michael Vanderbyl who did as much as anyone to put Teknion on the map to carry forward the Teknion-Vanderbyl trade dress to the West Coast, ably assisted by Teknion's internal showroom facilities team.

Events >>

Orfield Labs: Architectural Research Consortium

5.18.09 | For those architects and interior designers who believe in the value of adding meaningful quantitative analysis to their well-developed qualitative and design skills, Orfield Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN, is an extremely valuable resource.

Research >>

project focus | DIRTT

5.18.09 | The décor of most dentist offices adds insult to prospective injury. Alpha Dental decided to forge a new path when it redesigned its Calgary offices. To add an element of serenity, it converted part of its offices into the Omega Spa.

Project >>

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

5.18.09 | Ed. Note: This is the 21^st and final scheduled installment of the story of the renovation of a residence in Arizona, with a particular focus on sustainable practices. No, we are not turning into a residential publication, but we do believe that the same thought processes and concepts are applicable to all buildings for humans. Kathleen Vick's adventures into sustainable building resulted from her family relocation and the transformation and expansion of a residence undertaken to provide home care for her elderly parents.

Money/Mouth >>

Steve Gane and the New Old Geiger Spirit

5.11.09 | Since 1964, Geiger International has been one of the most highly regarded names in commercial casegoods. The company was founded in Canada by its namesake, John Geiger, who guided it with an unyielding passion for wood craftsmanship, good design, and operational excellence and a relentless ideal of perfection that shaped every aspect of his company's culture. In 1979, Geiger moved to Atlanta and in 1993, it acquired famed chair maker Brickel Associates, led by legendary designer Ward Bennett. Then, in 1999, Herman Miller acquired Geiger, and the question became, Will Herman Miller ruin Geiger?

People >>

ICFF 2009: May 16-19, 2009

5.11.09 | One of our favorite shows, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, will be held May 16-19, 2009, at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center, NYC. During the Fair's four days,145,000 sq.ft. of the Javits Center will bustle with more than 25,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, manufacturers, representatives, distributors, and developers. Thankfully, members of the general public are welcome on Tuesday, May19 when the ICFF is open to all.

Events >>

IIDA Calibre Awards Celebrates 21 Years of Design Excellence

5.11.09 | Samba Carnivale was the theme as party goers entered the ballroom of the landmark Century Plaza Hotel in Century City for the 21^st Annual International Interior Design Association-S.CA Calibre Awards and formal dinner. This year's show was co-chaired by Jim Klawiter, Robyn Taylor and Hillary Luckenbaugh.

Competitions and Awards >>, Prof. Associations >>

IIDA To ASID: Nyet

5.11.09 | Stay around long enough and everything repeats . . . and repeats. A little less than 10 years ago, IIDA and ASID held several serious discussions about a possible merger. It seemed to be a mighty effort, but . . . there were differences.

Making the Most of Opportunities

5.11.09 If the current economy was a disaster flick, it would be the horrific sequel to the last major recession (the 1980's debacle), and like all Hollywood blockbusters, it would outdo the previous version by invoking the dreaded Depression Era imagery and dolorous tone. Set against the backdrop of a dying planet and several other depressing conditions, anxiety levels are not only heightened, they're at the edge of the chart and about to run out of paper.

People >>

A Minute with Ira Joe

5.11.09 | As I was pursuing some mundane task the other morning the radio trotted Home on the Range out into the morning. It was my local and loved classical music station and I didn't ever expect to hear that tune. My delight surprised me. I am not a cowboy fan. I don't like western movies. I put away childish interest in the genre way back in the distant mist of time.

Ira Joe >>