Design

While covering the great industrial and furniture designs of Russel Wright yesterday, we particularly enjoyed a set of dining chairs he designed. Though we normally feature a lounge chair or a credenza for our Perfect Pair series, we think these chairs will work just perfectly with a great pair of Swank Lamps! Wright’s set of four chairs by for the Conant Ball company in 1935 was part of the "Modernmates Collection" he produced. We really fell in love with the modern and organic feeling these chairs give off. Though the chairs feature a simple shape, the curve of their profile is quite powerful. The upholstery is a fresh and neutral light gray, and the seat is placed on four substantial and blond-colored wood legs. Our favorite parts are the three subtle button tufts in the crease of the seat. These pulegoso-winged Murano lamps in coke bottle green by A.V.E.M. are rare because you don’t often see vintage Murano glass in this color. The pattern and clarity of the glass is a...

Did you fall in love with Raymond Loewy’s work like we did yesterday? Though more well known for his industrial product design than his furniture, he still did a pretty darn good job creating furniture designs that were cool. We think many of his modern pieces would look fabulous with Swank Lighting lamps, but one piece in particular caught our eye… This chest of drawers designed by Raymond Loewy is apparently very rare and is called the DF 2000 Chest of Drawers. Made in France in 1965 for the Doubinsky Freres company, these two individual pieces are bright, punchy and exciting. The drawer fronts are made of a custom molded plastic material and feature four different (but equally fabulous) colors. According to 1stdibs, the pieces are “extremely heavy and well made, can be used together or apart or as two bedside dressers.” One of the chests has six drawers and the other three drawers and a door. Glossy, with curved edges and a modern aesthetic, these are cool pieces! These vintage Swa...

We focus a lot on those interior designers and furniture designers of the past whose work was so powerful and life-altering that it still impacts design today. There’s another type of design that has an equal impact on our lives, and that’s industrial design. You have to look no further than Raymond Loewy to find one of the best industrial designers of all time. What is so striking about Loewy’s body of work is how futuristic and ahead of the time it is. Much of his career took place during the 1930s-1950s (though he is known to have worked for over seven decades); way before many of the most notable Mid-Century Modern designers started turning heads. Though stylish, Loewy took into account many elements other than just looks to create his designs, which no doubt has played a part in their popularity. His designs often feature sensuous curves, bright colors, stark contrasts and other modern elements. Some of his most famous industrial designs are an interior of a Boeing 307 (Stratoline...