Homedit at Vienna Design Week 2014
Homedit shared with you readers about the upcoming Vienna Design Week 2014 a while back. Time has flown by, and the event has come… and gone. We are excited to share with our readers our experiences at Vienna Design Week 2014. Similar to what we experienced at iSaloni (read about that fantastic design event here), Homedit found so much to see, and so much to be inspired by in Vienna.
We hope you will find home design and décor inspiration through our synopsis as well!
Private Room.
This Japanese-inspired daybed was designed by Vienna-based studio Chmara.Rosinke for a Hermes design competition. It involves rotating textile screens as a minimalist way to create a Zen retreat. In fact, the ability for the user to have a beautiful place in which to escape and reflect was so important that the daybed prototype is titled, “A Place to Think.”
In addition to the daybed, the eight-piece limited edition Private Room components includes other room essentials. The rocking chair was specifically designed and engineered for maximum comfort during reading or other quality time. The combination of wood and wool makes it a very special piece.
BD Barcelona Design meets Jaime Hayon presented by Stamm.
BD Barcelona Design was established as an expression of rebellion by young architects in 1972. Since then, BD has become one of furniture design’s avant-garde. It is considered to be the most prestigious Spanish design company.
Jaime Hayon is known as “one of the most interesting figures of the younger Spanish design,” with energy, talent, and a completely unique style.
The combination of these two unique design perspectives – one a younger designer, the other an established producer – has resulted in an intriguing and inspiring upscale furniture collection. The sofa and armchair you see above meld unexpected materials, such as plastics and upholstery, in a seamless way.
The lounger continues Hayon’s enthusiastic design contrasts between classicism and modernity. You’ll notice Hayon’s statement design decisions that involve high quality upholstery and monocolor finishes.
Pop-Up Dom.
Pop-Up Dom (in English, Pop-Up Home) is a response to the current economical situations of freelance Slovenian and Austrian designers. The shop is a temporary selling exhibition for those young and/or up-and-coming designers.
Actually, the Pop-Up Dom is many things rolled into one – a shop, an exhibition, and a community space. Vienna Design Week visitors are able to “test run” and purchase products made by the young and talented designers. Some of the available products this year are shown in the following photos:
The Molly Chair is one example of a product available via Pop-Up Dom. This comfortable modern chair is made of natural materials (specifically, beech wood, which is both durable and warm), with unlimited use variations. The wood is sanded and oiled.
Handmade Soft Round Seats are designed for warmth and comfort in a room. The versatile cozy piece can double as a seat, an ottoman, or even a side table of sorts. The lower hand-dipped portion is made from organic Slovenian sheep wool, and new tabourets will be filled with natural fillings like spelt husks.
Coffee Table Couple is handmade from birch wood and is designed to be a sort of nesting table concept in coffee table form. That is, the two tables can be used together or separately, maximizing function and aesthetic.
Prime Seat Equipment is a sofa that can quickly transform into two armchairs and tabouret. Basically, you simply pull out the nested seat modules from the side and front in order to double the seating surfaces available. The design is sleek, chic, and very efficient.
Ola Ola Lamp was inspired by waves and the movement of the sea. In fact, “ola” is the Spanish word for “wave.” The designer transformed a flat sheet of transparent plastic into this dynamic spatial piece. The lamp design is beautifully simple yet fluid.
Feinedinge.
Feinedinge is an Australian design company that is dedicated to the manipulation of porcelain.
The feinedinge collection includes home accessories, tableware, and lighting fixtures. Below is a coffee table on display in the feinedinge Vienna shop. Notice the modern element of polished concrete as tabletop and steel base.
The trademark look of feinedinge products is that of minimal design, reduced forms, and high functionality.
This wood coffee table takes its unique design cues directly from nature but is cleaned up and simplified for a contemporary organic aesthetic.
Minimalist hanging plants take the place of wall art and reinterpret the traditional concept of potted greenery.
The underlying concept behind all feinedinge creations is stylishly reinterpreting the past.
Some feinedinge window display showcase feinedinge’s trademark coffee tables, home accessories, and hanging illuminating fixtures.
Beautiful hanging lamps have both a historic and contemporary feel.
Modern exposed hanging bulbs and cords clumped together over a dining table radiate plenty of light and an ultra-chic style.
More exposed lighting. Notice how the length of the cord provides great dramatic effect without over-the-top drama.
Moroccan Shop Kannz de Roy.
Kannz de Roy is a Moroccan shop run by designer Rodrigo Cares. “Kannz de Roy” is Arabic and means “Treasures of Interior Design.” This is certainly the case for this talented designer, who turns trunks into candles and old wood into beautiful coffee tables or nightstands with metallic insertions.
Chile-born Rodrigo Cares is passionate about designing and producing unique pieces for interiors.
The shop’s pieces extend across a wide variety of design products. These include furniture and lighting equipment, including ultra-ornate lamps.
Contrast piping and contemporary lines on this sofa make it an eye-catching modern piece, yet versatile for many styles.
Each item is made of the highest quality materials and is unique and handmade. For example: the above old door-turned-dining table. Breathtaking!
The Moroccan leather poufs are unique in their caramel and rust coloring and chunky, squarish sizes. Looks incredibly chic and comfortable at the same time.
The unique philosophy of Kannz de Roy is upheld by the careful production of each piece. Valuable and unique characteristics of each product are highlighted and emphasized to become a treasure.
Wittmann Showroom Event: Poetry of Precision.
Wittmann is a design company that dates back for more than a century, through generations of precision, continuity, and craftsman skills. In its beginning as a saddlery and leather workshop, Wittmann has since emerged as a leader in furniture design.
Commitment to “classic models that stand out for their uncluttered lines and timeless elegance” is the Wittman philosophy.
Recognizing that the average human spends about 3,000 hours each year in bed, Wittman strives to create a bed that is worthy of that time. Wittmann bed options provide various bed bases and headboards, covered with fine and customizable materials, each beautifully designed.
Wittmann also provides a timeless range of upholstered furniture for the living room that puts flexibility and liveability at the forefront. In this case, a patented plug-in system for the arms and backrests help the living room sofa adapt to every use imaginable.
Below, great design speaks for itself.
For Vienna Design Week 2014, it was, appropriately, in the Wittman Showroom that the works of the Hannes Wettstein Studio were displayed. These pieces are logical, architectural, and poetic.
The Wittmann-Hannes Wettstein collaboration proved to be so successful that the originally developed chair family was supplemented by a chair and a sofa.
In turn, the chair and sofa series have been joined by a table and bed family.
These series interpret classical pieces in a contemporary way. This is the first time these pieces have been presented to a wide public.
Wood & Wool
With young Romanian designers and local craftsmen in mind, Wood & Wool is an exhibition that showcased works of 23 Romanian designers. The exhibition focuses on design with the use of natural materials in contemporary societies.
The designers embrace the knowledge and experience of local craftsmen in designing their works.
In order to emphasize the ongoing relationship between history and skilled craftsmanship, Wood & Wool includes contemporary design works that are inspired by tradition, like these wood lighting displays.
Crafts and handmade objects, natural dyes, and traditional production processes are part of the modern identity of the Wood & Wool designers.
These philosophies and techniques are translated into the designs of everyday objects and are the backbone of Wood & Wool altogether.
Arik Levy Art for Swarovski.
Artist, technician, photographer, designer, filmmaker, and sculpter, Arik Levy believes, “Creation is an uncontrolled muscle.” Levy is certainly evidence that an uncontrolled muscle can still be a productive one, as his multi-disciplinary skills have created work that’s been seen in prestigious galleries and museums across the globe.
It is his signature Rock pieces that drew attention during Vienna Design Week.
Levy’s art is reflective of his belief that, “Life is a system of signs and symbols, where nothing is quite as it seems.”
The juxtaposition between the marble’s opaqueness and the crystals’ transparency creates an interesting tension.
The Levy display emphasized contrasts – solid vs transparent, light vs dark, hot vs cold, big vs small, and rough vs smooth.
Levy’s works ultimately explore the relationship between architecture, space, and object. Here, an inside/outside space has been created, expressing graphically the 3D data of the cut.
Vienna’s Inherent Design Style.
In our journeys through the streets of Vienna, Homedit stumbled upon the Team7 showroom. Although this was not officially affiliated with Vienna Design Week 2014, we find it highly illustrative of the inherent design sensibilities of Vienna as a whole.
A living room designed with a focus on clean lines and negative space.
Warming the sleek and modern components with natural wood grain. Those dining chairs!
A cluster of hanging pendants adds enough weight at eye level to help balance the modern details of the dining chairs.
As we end this article with a few photos taken through the Team7 window, let’s each continue to explore the notion that great design can be found in the most unexpected, even unheralded, places.