Things that are making me Happy Now!

1. Gold, Black and Animal Print
2. Tea Parties and Netflix
3. Inspiring Designers

Bubble Lamp Collection

I bet everyone has owned, or at least knows someone who has owned a version (or a knock-off) of this lamp. The Bubble Lamps by American Designer George Nelson are one of the most lasting designs from the Mid-Century era.

The Bubble Lamp collection was designed in 1947 for Howard Miller. Nelson never actually gave a name to each of the lamp shapes but instead identified them by numbers. For example the saucer lamp was sold as “Bubble Lamp H-727”. The lamps came with accessories like a tripod base, swing arms and an adjustable pulley system to name a few.

The lamps were constructed from lightweight steel, then covered in a translucent plastic. The effect was a casting of soft, pleasant, even lighting.

Enjoy!

Mary Touhey Art

Yesterday I helped my mom photograph her art for an upcoming show she is having. I am currently working on the mail-outs. Stay tuned and I’ll fill you in on the Wine and Cheese Opening Night. In the mean time take a look at some of her most recent pieces!

Iconic History Humpday!!!

The Adelta Ball and Bubble Chair...

The Ball Chair, or sometimes called the Globe Chair, was designed in 1966 by Eero Aarnio. It features a white fiberglass shell with a soft, upholstered inside. The ball of the chair has been mounted at one single point on a swiveling pedestal to allow people to turn away from the rest of the room and be completely isolated from sight and sound. In 1955 the Chair was presented at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne and was a sensation. This inspired a whole new line of fiberglass designs from Eero Aarnio. It also inspired another chair...

In 1968 the Ball Chair Inspired Aarnio to create the Bubble Chair! The concept of being engulfed by the chair is still represented but Aarnio had “wanted to have the light inside it and so I had the idea of a transparent ball where light comes from all directions.” He created his next masterpiece from acrylic. He had gotten the idea to use acrylic from bubble skylights. He had asked a manufacturer if the circumference could be pushed out further to look like a “soap bubble”. He then added a soft cushion to the interior and a metal ring along the opening. This chair is to be uniquely suspended to really appreciate the “masterpiece of reduction”. (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe).

These two chairs have one amazing feature in common; they both have fantastic acoustic qualities. The ball shape swallows sound; only noises created within the chair can be heard at high levels, while outside sound waves don’t enter. They have been used as special “quite rooms” for phone calling in noisy public spaces like EXPO 2000 in Hannover!

I would love to have one of these Bubble Chairs hanging in my space. I think that I would feel too claustrophobic in the Ball Chair. What are your thoughts?

Find a great reproduction here!

http://www.regencyshop.com/p80/Ball-Chair/product_info.html

History Humpday... The Womb Chair

The Womb Chair...

This is one of my favourites. Not only because it’s beautiful and fabulous but also because it is one of the most comfortable chairs that I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in. It was Designed by Eeron Saarinen for Knoll in 1948. The standard size chair is very large (larger than you would expect) but can be purchased in 2 smaller sizes as well. The full size, in my opinion, is the where the design intent really shines. Saarinen managed to make a large, sprawling chair feel cosy and intimate. If I had the space this item would surely be part of my own collection!

The construction is a fibreglass shell covered in upholstered foam. It also has separate cushions for the ottoman, seat and back.

It looks cozy and inviting no matter what upholstery is applied to it. This can be a statement piece or something that easily gets along with other pieces of furniture you may already have.