The Italian design firm Sawaya & Moroni often commissions new furniture pieces by guest designers who are primarily artists or architects. Many design firms follow this strategy, but for some reason most of the really original design commissions come out of Sawaya & Moroni. I’m not sure why. I’m not a fan of all their work (especially the Zaha Hadid benches), but they take chances. What I find interesting about these two pieces in particular is that they’re tipping over into the realm of art and fantasy, or even the weird, without seeming jokey or childish (like Karim Rashid or Alessi) or too arch. Above is by Marcello Morandini, Italian designer and architect, Chair, 1991, from here. Below is “Sit-Sat” by artist/architect Massimiliano Fuksas (video here) with Doriana Mandrelli, who works for Alessi. I’m really not a fan of Alessi, but nearly 20 years later this object still seems quite arresting. I wouldn’t want either of these at home, but I’d like to see them in a public space.

“Sit-Sat” is a giant seating sculpture made of painted multilayered plywood. Photo from dezeen. “The piece “invites you to find new ways of sitting,” according to Sawaya & Moroni, who compare it to an ancient eroded rock, sacred Aboriginal mountains and Dogun earth dwellings.”

The term “used future” was coined by George Lucas to describe the less-than-shiny reality of actual space living. The most obvious example of this lived-in future was, of course, Han Solo’s dingy Millennium Falcon quarters. Serenity, the film by Joss Whedon that functions as the concluding episode of his cancelled sci-fi TV series Firefly, is full of this type of spaceship realism. But the spaceship in question, the Serenity, is much more comfortable and a lot less bachelor-y than the Falcon. This may be due to the fact that there are a fair number of women on board. The women may fulfilling traditionally male roles – the ship’s engineer, a trained killing machine and chief military officer – but they have mod style. But what is midcentury modern furniture doing in a spaceship in the year 2517? The ship’s lounge and living areas are definitely midcentury modern or 1960s, including teak furniture, rya rugs, and space-age Italian plastic, all of which are in great shape despite apparently being over 550 years old. Then there’s a country kitchen with mismatched chairs and a big rustic wooden table, mixed with Asian lacquerware and chopsticks. The bedroom of the captain does start to approach something a little Han Solo-ish, but not entirely, because he seems to have been collecting drawings and pottery. It’s strange that in the director’s commentary Whedon talks a lot about the film’s lighting, ship engineering and even costumes, but never once mentions the ship’s decor. If I were the head set decorator I’d probably resent that, because the set is excellent. The only quibble is that more of this furniture would have been strapped down, because the ride on board this ship is generally pretty bumpy. PS Anyone recognize that yellow couch? You can see it more clearly here. One thing’s for certain and that’s that this stuff likely won’t be called “midcentury modern” in the mid-26th Century.

2thewalls is the closest thing on the internet to the much-missed and now cult-status Nest: Quarterly of Interiors. Finding 2thewalls is a bit like falling down the rabbit hole, and not just because reading it feels like deciphering text printed on a zebra crossing. Like Nest, 2thewalls is concerned with the way people actually live in architecture, and, also similar to Nest, 2thewalls somehow illuminates reality’s tendency to take on an almost Alice in Wonderland quality. In design, reality really is stranger than fiction, and both publications get this across not just through unconventional subject matter and design, but also by providing interesting historical context in such a way that it overturns our more banal assumptions about where objects and styles come from. I find it a welcome refuge from the massive decontextualization of styles and objects that most decor magazines and blogs (tumblr! I’m talking to you!) are guilty of, something that I think flattens our experience of the design around us and converts it into an exhausting avalanche of commodities. 2thewalls always makes me think, and it has the additional knack of somehow digging up things that I’ve once loved but have then lost or forgotten. A long time ago I cut out these two photos (above and below) from a vintage garage-sale copy of Architectural Digest: a blue fold-out writing desk in the shape of a hippo, and an old wooden staircase out of a folk tale, but I lost them and never saw them again until they resurfaced on 2thewalls. I’m showing this work only because it’s a favourite of mine, but there is so much more there to look at on 2thewalls. All of the work shown here  is by Atelier Lalanne, and you really should go to 2thewalls to read the original accompanying text. Photos here, all except for the last two, are courtesy of 2thewalls and were taken from the February 1981 issue of AD, and are by Marc Lacroix. 2thewalls is a project of New York designer Keehnan Konyha.

The table by Francois-Xavier Lalanne, above, is easily disassembled into 5 round bistro tables. Below, Francois-Xavier (inset) and Claude Lalanne. The two pieces at bottom – a frog that opens into a chair and a necklace that seems to have been made in ancient Greece – both sold recently at auction. A comprehensive book on Atelier Lalanne work is Claude & Francois-Xavier Lalanne and see also Claude & Francois-Xavier Lalanne: Fragments.

This is Karim Rashid’s new “Bite Me” Chair, a garish blobject in the shape of a bubblegum-pink molar. There was a pretty unanimous chorus of dislike and disapproval of this chair on the CDR (Canadian Design Resource) blog in May, and Rashid – the master of plasticky furniture that looks carelessly cheap when it’s made and then ages badly – totally deserved it. Lately I’ve let this blog’s Monday Cringe List feature lapse, but the Bite Me Chair has forced a revival. Not only is the chair bad enough on its own – and that’s not even taking into account its arch, attention-seeking name – but thanks to one of one of the CDR’s commenters I see that it is also suspiciously like Wendell Castle’s 1968 fibreglas Molar Chair, shown below. I suspect it’s not the only piece of Wendell Castle furniture that Rashid has, well, paid homage to. Wendell Castle occasionally falls into the gimmick furniture camp too, but somehow he never quite tips over into unapologetic, crass grossitude the way Rashid loves to. Castle’s work has more solidity and authority, even when it’s really weird, but Rashid just doesn’t seem to understand this. If you’re going to reference 60s biomorphism, do it well, for heaven’s sake. Castle didn’t have to be troubled in the late 60s/early 70s by the problem of plastic’s unsustainability, because it wasn’t a known issue, but Rashid… what decade does he think he’s in? Some of Rashid’s new chairs are apparently recyclable but that doesn’t make them environmentally superior to no chair at all. Wendell Castle is still designing, so if we’re going to have plastic blobjects at all, let’s have Castle make them. And even then, let’s edit.

Above, Wendell Castle in 1973 with his Molar side chairs. More work from Castle below, from the 60s to the present. He’s 77 now and was nevertheless listed in a 10 to watch list this year.

Above, Wendell Castle at his Scotsville, New York, studio, with his 2007 Black Widow chair. Photo by Ben Hoffman, via artinfo. Wow, does he look good at 77. Above that, his Enclosed Reclining Environment, 1969, photo by Eva Heyd from the NYT, Courtesy of R 20th Century, New York. Top photo, plastic lights via the NYT. Below, a bench from 2007.

Below, a rare molar sofa. And see here for a closeup of the red chair.

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From the standpoint of 1970, this is apparently how “1980″ was going to look. Actually, this vision wasn’t that far off, not as far off as Kubrick’s 1968 vision of what the year  2001 would look like. Above, a “think shell” from the total modular interior design concept known as “Home 1980.” IKEA needs to steal this idea. The kitchen is below. Photos from the vintage decor book 1601 Decorating Ideas for Modern Living, 1973.

Original captions for both photos: “From time to time the great chemical companies initiate research into the possibilities of the “house of tomorrow,” in order to bring their new synthetics to the atention of architects and interior designers and to show their versatility. The resulting creations, commissioned from outstanding design teams, often provide powerful impetus for mass productions – though models like the one shown here for a cooking center in “Home 1980″ will probably not be produced in the foreseable future. It is designed to be built into a large, open room, and consists of basic components that can be completed by a number of additional units, thus suiting the needs of the individual owner. The round counter-like table at the right combines the stove, warming tray, and dining area; the hood over it, which contains ventilation, dehumidifying, and lighting equipment, demonstrates what technical perfection is already possible in today’s kitchen…. The “think shell” also belongs to “Home 1980,” and is supposed to provide the privacy needed for work. The screen can be lowered out of sight. Cabinets on casters, which are pushed against the wall when not in use, make the table a very personal workplace: each family member can roll his own equipment over to it with a twist of the wrist.”

I found Lost City Arts by accident when searching for works by Harry Bertoia. Like this shop, Lost City has eccentric art and furniture pieces that are substantially more eye-catching or compelling than market-produced objects mainly because most of their art furniture was, in fact, made by sculptors. Most of it is one-offs or small editions which is why most of it is too expensive for me. But I like the fact that these objects came from also a time when buyers actually collected contemporary sculpture for their houses and apartments. I don’t know what these pieces awaken for me, but the more eccentric accessories of modernism – glam, or brutalist, or whatever – are becoming more and more appealing. Maybe everything’s too clean these days, or too girly; I don’t know. Captions and photos are from Lost City Arts. Above is a Spider table from Italy, 1950s.

Unique Animal Form Sculpture by Harry Bertoia, USA, 1950’s. Rare early example of Bertoia’s expansive exploration of metal work. Large carpenters nails are assembled in the form of a fantasy animal of insect. The entire surface is coated with a layer of melted bronze. It is extremely rare if not totally unique in Bertoia’s career to depict actual figures. Playful exercise predating the more formal styles that were to develop.

Walnut Occasional Table by Milo Baughman, USA, 1960’s. Occasional table by Baughman. Designed with a great sense of scale, the thick top matches the vertical dimension of the X base. Beautiful walnut grain overall, excellent as side table for the low slung sofa.

Above: Paul Evans, Brutalist Sculpture, USA, 1960’s. A very rare freestanding artwork by Paul Evans, known primarily for his artfully accented furniture. His sculpture is exceedingly uncommon. The trademark brutal approach has been applied to create a floral themed masterpiece.

Harp Chair by Jorgen Hovelskov, Denmark, 1960’s. Beautiful vintage example of the Harp by Hovelskov. A masterful exercise in material conservatism, the form more than makes up in its visual complexity. The expertly crafted frame, in solid walnut, anchors the hypnotic weaving of the jute cord forming the seat. A delicate but perfect balance of style, comfort and high design.

This is the piece I secretly hanker for the most: Motorized Kinetic Sculpture by Calleja, USA, 1970’s. A very cool, quiet and mesmerizing kinetic sculpture. A pair of chromed rods, each precisely curved, are mounted to a base which contains a motor. The motor slowly turns the rods, seemingly weaving the rods into and out of each other. A very simple method to achieve a subtly calming effect. The interior of the base is signed CALLEJA.