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 You've
seen them featured on the big screen, in design
magazines and on our showroom floor. As I’m
sure you are noticing, Classic furniture is enjoying
fame once again as we see a growing and widespread
appreciation of good design. What your clients
may find interesting is how many pieces they will
recognize but had no idea it was designed well
over 50 years ago. These pieces are steeped in
tradition and have become highly sought after.
Owning a Barcelona chair is like purchasing a
Chanel hand bag or a Hugo Boss suit; always appropriate
and always in style.
It is with great pleasure that we kick off our
Celebration of the Classics! In this issue you
will find an article that is a look back at Modernism,
a glamorous pictorial display “Retro
Rocks Again” that may help you inspire
your client to add a piece to their space and
an exclusive "only
to subscribers" coupon to get in on
the event. Retro gets Red Tagged.
We have had 20th century modern classics on our
showroom floor for decades with great pride. For
this featured event we have exploded our collection
that inspires of having one foot in the past while
looking ahead to the future. Not only can you
custom order for summer, we have them in stock
and available for immediate delivery. Drop in
and see for yourself!
“A chair should not only look well as a
piece of sculpture in a room when no one is in
it; it should also be a flattering background
when someone is in it.” Eero Saarinen
Jennifer Cross
Editor
Marketing Director
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The Egg Chair designed in 1951
by Arne Jacobsen is hands down my favourite
classic piece. |
A
Classic By Any Other Name…
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Audrey
Hepburn
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As a designer you probably have an image
come to mind when you think about classic
furniture? The word classic is broad
and widely used to refer to everything
from, books, clothing, movies, music
and of course design.
You may even be wondering what the term
"classic" really means. Webster’s
has 14 definitions alone. The description
that is most applicable; enduring, serving
as a model or guide. The designers from
the modern era led the way in the furniture
revolution and their stamp can still
be seen today by their contemporaries.
With the resurgence of interest in retro
fashion, music and art from the modern
era has also come a taste for the retro
interiors and furniture. Nowhere is
that more apparent than the fascination
with the glamour of "Old Hollywood".
The interesting thing about these pieces
is that they were designed as early
as 1900 and they are every bit as relevant
today. I’m sure you will agree
that is some feat in a world that is
changing at the speed of light. Just
like the little black dress these modern
classics are always in style.
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The taste for modern furniture is
as varied as the designs themselves.
For some the objects of greatest appeal
are the experiments in tubular-steel
furniture of the Bauhaus designers;
for others it’s the sculptural
and beautifully crafted design in
wood from the Scandinavians; there
are those who prefer the colourful
plastics of the Pop era, or perhaps
the work of just a single designer.
Wassily Chair 1925, designed by Marcel
Breuer
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| Early Modernism –
Furniture design from the late-nineteenth
century to 1939
The start of the modern era brought
an explosion of new materials and
innovative manufacturing techniques.
Virtually every area of our lives
was touched by sweeping change from
our homes and offices, airports and
schools, restaurants and libraries |
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| LC 2, 1928 Designer: Le
Corbusier |
B306, 1928 Designers: Le Corbusier
with Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret
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| Mid
Century Modernism – The Postwar
Era 1939-1959
The world was reeling from the devastating
effects of the Second World War. European
cities were in ruins, the economy
was destroyed and the emotional loses
were heartbreaking. In this climate
of soberness and austerity production
was slow. It was a different story
in America there was a renewed spirit
of optimism emerging and design and
architecture schools were bursting
with energy and innovation. This newly
sparked imagination brought the use
of new materials and more organic
design.
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Noguchi table
,1948 designer: Isamu Noguchi |
Marshmallow
Sofa, 1956 designer: George Nelson |
Pop & Post Modernism –
Into the Future 1960-1985
The decade that followed the monochromatic
50’s was anything but! By contrast
the age of technicolour and confidence was
born. It was an exciting time in fashion,
art and music. In the home there was an
explosion of colour, pattern and new materials.
Home and interior magazines started to appear
and showed people how to create spaces that
were an expression of their personalities.
The idea of form and not just function was
emerging. Echoing trends in pop music, fashion
and art, furniture became more laidback,
informal and fun!
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Corona Chair,
1961 designer: Paul Volther |
Panton Chair,
late 1960’s designer: Verner
Panton |
As we take a look back we see a microcosm
of world events that begins the Industrial
Revolution, moves through the social drive
to improve the quality of life of the masses
pre war to the energy and enthusiasm of
post modernism. Today our focus is on climate
change and the effects of the environment;
this too will help to shape the future of
furniture.
Click
Here to Visit our Classics Section
Source: Vintage Furniture
by Fay Sweet (Carlton Books)
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Do you find that your
clients think modern classic furniture
is contemporary, austere, cold and for
those that have ultra modern spaces.
The great thing about decorating is
having so many choices, never has being
eclectic and adventurous been so chic.
You may find it hard to educate them
on how to incorporate them into their
spaces. Flip through any home decorating
magazine and you will soon start spotting
these classics; the furniture lends
itself to many different styles of decorating
and has become a badge of connoisseurship.
While some people chose to have a sparse
wide open décor using only the
classics, others mix them in with more
traditional pieces or even antiques.
I think the balance of old and new is
what gives a home character and personality.
I have compiled some interiors that
display all of these glorious classics
in fun and functional room settings
that may help you inspire your client
to add one to their space…even
if they have kids! What I think is interesting
is how timeless all these spaces are,
it would be difficult to tell if the
room is from the 1950’s or 2009.
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Photos compiled from www.designtoinspire.com
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PVL Raves & Faves
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I asked our staff to name their favourite
classic piece. It was hard to nail
them down to just one! The collection
is expansive and there is a lot to
choose from. The one thing that I noticed
from our team was how emotional they
are about the classics. Some pieces
they love and can't say enough about
and others they violently don't like!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
We at Phillip
Van Leeuwen have a deep history with
the classics and enjoy bringing them
to you. We hope you will take the time
to drop in and see our expanded collection.
If you aren’t
a current subscriber click the sign
up button to register for this newsletter
and receive the promotional coupon
for this event.
Our
celebration of the classics
event ends July 5th 2009
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