This fantastic table is designed by John Nouanesing. He has a number of great pieces on his site, but this one is my favourite because its dripping with style.
By Melanie Carlson
We found this fun little web site that allows you to make your very own mid-century modern mad men character! I made one for myself (with my riding togs on!) and one for Dr.Tiki. Make your own and send it to us along with your @twitter address! We’ll post a gallery of all you mid-mod lushes!
Mid-Century Modern Melanie @lushpad
Mid-Century Modern Dr. Tiki @drtiki
Mid-Century Modern Shelly @shellsbells
Mid-Century Modern Jenny @refabulous
Mid-Century Modern Sebastian @mrmiff
Mid-Century Modern Karen @KelpWorks
Mid-Century Modern Martha @projectsupport
Mid-Century Modern Carl @nyycarl07
Mid-Century Modern Ana Maria @platana
Mid-Century Modern Ruth @retroruth
Mid-Century Modern Marcy @irwinfelddesign
Mid-Century Modern Christopher
Mid-Century Modern Cherry Bubbles @misscherryb
Mid-Century Modern Adrianna @thegirlblogger
Mid-Century Modern Anusha @nushdesigns
Mid-Century Modern Jen @jentiki
By Melanie Carlson
Ikea has teamed up with 30 Australian artists to celebrate 30 years of its most iconic sofa, KIPPLAN. Each artist has been given a sofa to use as a canvas for their art. The finished project will be exhibited for a short time, then auctioned off online. Proceeds will go to help the Victorian Bush Fire Relief. Here are a few of our favourites. All of the sofas can be seen here at the Ikea Home Project.
Vintage woolen jumpers, polystyrene balls, canvas and KLIPPAN
Sarah Contos has created Untitled (Sitting on the couch with Vince Noir) in which sensual forms ooze out of a canvas and cascade onto a couch. Made from vintage jumpers, the couch offers the occupant a flooding of cuddles, drippings of soft phalli and a forest blanket of woolly rainbows for all those nights spent alone on the sofa.
Woolen blankets and shawl
For this work, Agatha Gothe-Snape sourced hand-made, pure wool blankets from op shops; these blankets have undergone a similar processes of energy investment. Through wrapping the KLIPPAN in this way she is doubly investing it with energy which it will hold, carry and emanate in its new home.
Plastic and sisal rope
Sprouting Easy brings together contrasting, accessible industrial materials. The grid of bright orange plastic netting has become the supporting weft to the interwoven sisal rope and it is through the binding, tying, cutting and knotting of these materials that the form of the sofa has been activated.
Paint and faux fur
Inspired by the human inclination to control and document nature. Kate Rohde creates opulent investigations into faux-taxidermy and Rococo styled vitrines.
By Melanie Carlson
If you get the chance you must check out the Ought Apartment installation in the Vancouver Art Gallery. Vancouver artist Reece Terris has built a 60-foot architectural installation in the heart of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Focusing on the evolution of domestic space in Vancouver over the last six decades, Ought Apartment is an “apartment tower” with six full-sized residences stacked on top of each other, each dedicated to a decade of décor between 1950 and 2000.
Every piece of cabinetry, tile work, bathroom fixtures, linoleum floors, wallpaper, appliances, lamps, furniture and a myriad of other domestic artifacts were carefully removed from residences slated for demolition or renovation for reconfiguration in Terris’s sculpture. The artist salvages these rapidly vanishing domestic objects to emphasize their cultural value, as well as the ongoing cycles of human consumption.
The work will be on display until September 20, 2009, so you still have a chance to drool over this amazing piece of work.
By Melanie Carlson
Every now and then we come across some really great books on mid-century modern furniture, architecture and contemporary design. Here are some of our favourites. Full list here.
The Story of Eames Furniture
This book blows wide open the myth of Charles Eames and the Eames Office. As one reviewer puts it, “It seems Saarinen, Bertoia, Ain and Albinson designed, refined and were given little if no credit for the entire line of furniture of the Eames’, whereas Charles Eames had his focus on women, photography (lots of [...]
Chic Green Interior Design
I’ve been fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at Lori Dennis’s upcoming book, Green Interior Design. It’s a wealth of information about environmentally friendly materials and building practices. For the lost soul who is navigating this new trend, this easy to use book is truly worth every penny.
Lori explains every aspect of residential interior [...]
5 Must-Have Mid-Century Modern Books
I’m always being asked which books to buy on mid-century modernism, so I’ve compiled a list of my current top 5 books under $50. Lushpad has a larger list of books over at Amazon if you want to have a look for some more great mid-mod books.
If you’ve got any suggestions to add to the [...]
Library Editions by Robert Chaplin
Robert Chaplin, a Vancouver-based artist, gemstone carver, poet, and publisher, has recently opened up shop on Etsy so the world (not just Vancouver) can buy his delightful books for children and adults alike. The 32-page hardcover books contain everything from learning to count, to cooking the perfect pot of delicious chicken soup. The [...]
Mid-Century Modern Cool – Kevin Dart
“A Kiss from Tokyo” is a beautiful animation created for Kevin Dart’s newly released book about Yuki 7 entitled, “Seductive Espionage, the world of Yuki 7″ which chronicles the production of this imaginary 1960’s spy film franchise. The world they have created is beautiful and definitely inspired by two of my favourite shows growing up, “The Avengers” and “James Bond”. You can purchase the book via Fleet Street Scandal.
