If you’re in Los Angeles, Santa Monica to be specific, I highly suggest you check out this Eames Gallery Exhibition at the Eames Office which is being put on by the folks over at House Industries. You’ll be able to meet up with both the House Industries and Eames designers, see cool art and furniture and hell, spend time in the Eames office, which is cool enough all on it’s own.

These are the times when I wish I had a car. For more information click here.

Bobby

Here’s the thing, I feel like I have very few… real world skills. By this I mean that I’m not really an expert at anything that matters if say, the internet was forever gone. I don’t know how to plant crops, I can’t change my own oil (even though I don’t have a car) and I don’t know how to build a table. And build a table is exactly what I want to do.

Currently I’m using an IKEA Vika Amon tabletop with crap Vika Amon table legs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually been a pretty great desk. I’ve had it now for about 5 years now and there are signs of wearing, but other then that it’s still stable and working. But it’s also not big enough, and well, it’s just particle board.

I really want a nice table, something that’s larger so I can spread my crap around, and made of real wood so that, you know, I can hand it down to my kids one day. My question for you is, do you know anyone who can teach me how to make a table? They’d need to here in Los Angeles and I’d be looking to work on the weekends to make it. I’m totally serious about this, I even think it would make for a great series of posts. So if you or anyone you know wants to help me out leave me a comment or shoot me an email.

Update: I appreciate that you all have faith in me that I could do this on my own, but the thing is that I live in a tiny apartment. I have nowhere to build so I was hoping to borrow someones studio space or workshop. If I had any room I would attempt it, but it ain’t gonna happen.

Bobby

Otis College of Art student Isaac Nurik created this beautiful and simple barstool concept and I totally want one. Created as a concept for Los Angeles’ Alibi Room, the stool is made from one sheet of aluminum which is water jet cut and powder-coated. The wooden part of the stool is tung-oil stained oak, which has a really nice, deep color. I love the shape of the legs and the powder coated aluminum looks great with the dark wood of the seat. If I owned the Alibi Room I’d buy a fleet of these.

Bobby

I’ve been on kind of a video binge lately, and this is what started it all. On Thursday, I think I’m going to post nothing but videos for the day, but that’s besides the point. I remember hearing about this little experiment a few months back that Blu Dot, a store that sells high-end design furniture, would be giving away 25 chairs in random locations scattered throughout New York. The buzz on Twitter alone was pretty exciting. But as it turned out, they had much more in mind, what they called The Real Good Experiment.

They ended up watching the chairs from afar, waiting to see who would take them. Not only that, but they even rigged the chairs up with GPS units just in case they lost them somehow. As you’ll see in the video they were able to track a few of them down and then interview the people who took the chairs, to ask them why they took them.

For some reason I find this video absolutely magical. The production value of the video is off the scale, most notably for me was the audio. It’s also funny to see who passes up the chair and who actually takes them. Note to large brands: this is how you get people to buy your products.

Bobby

I’m really enjoying the colorful furniture designs of British designer Mathias Hahn. The table at top is titled E8 and was inspired by a cobbled together piece of furniture that ended up being used as a dinner table. It was created to be long and narrow so you could work at the table and then when it’s time to eat you merely make a space next to your computer and papers. Plus you can’t resist that splash of yellow that coats the bottom of the table, giving it an unexpected pop.

The chair below that is just called Wooden Chair and features slotted joints that you are clearly displayed in a bright blue color. This not only makes the chair sturdy but gives it a little excitement as well. I would definitely love to have a full set of chairs and the table in my future. There’s such great simplicity to these pieces but the details really make it something special.

Found through Dezeen

Bobby

I’m not sure that I’d ever buy anything like this for my home, but I’m kind of in love with this bench and table combo called Smooth and Smoothie. These gummy pieces of furniture were created by French designer Florent Degourc who created these out of foam and resing, making it seem like these puppies are melting right onto the ground. A fun concept, which might look better in some more muted colors, but still really well done.

Found through Limited Hype

Bobby

Todd Selby and his camera took a visit out to Milan and visited the Everyday Life Objects Shop, a pop-up store featuring the combined efforts of Reference Library and Apartamento Magazine. The shop featured lots of really simple but beautiful items, and Todd’s photos only enhance their natural beauty. I’m loving this push toward simpler ways of doing things and drawing on more traditional or classic ways of doing things.

Bobby

I know I’m a lotta’ behind on this, but I just came across this beautiful molded plywood sculpture by Ray and Charles Eames. The sculpture was created in 1943 and it just blows my mind. I never really thought you could even do something like this, especially in 1943! Measuring in at 37 inches high, 27 inches wide, and 13 inches deep, this little guy would be so amazing to own!

This little guy sold at Christie’s for a staggering $365,500 back in 2008, which is pretty shocking, but I guess it’s pretty amazing piece… right?

Continuing my recent flirtation with chairs, I present you the Lockwood chair by Miswell. This little puppy has a steel frame with a wooden seat and a really unique silhouette. I love the bends in the back of the chair which would cradle you into the chair. I think that blue color is pretty amazing as well, I’d love to have a little patio with a set of these to lounge around in.

Bobby

My dining room chairs are horribly ugly. I have those kind of chairs that you see at a yard sale that totally look like they came from K-Mart in the early 90’s. Now seeing this beautiful Hug Chair, I realize how much I’m missing out. These chairs, designed by Ana Kraš, are two layers of birch and beech plywood mixed into one stunning shape. The combination of different colors and materials that you could create gives this chair such amazing possibilities.

I just wish these were for sale (and not for $1000 a piece, thanks).

Bobby