Category: Product News

Nanimarquina – The Ethical Rug Queen of Spain …

The exhibition “Intinerancia de l’exposiciozona Intermedia.  Disseny, Art, Societat” or better yet, translated to “Traveling exhibition “Intermediate Area. Design, Art and Society” is an intentionally collective of design, art and architectural projects, and their creators – focussing on several aspects of life within society.

Currently exhibiting at the Centre D’Arts Contemporanies in Barcelona, these projects demonstrate a commitment from the artists to social problems, and how they work towards change using parameters beyond their own specialties and practices.   All the artists involved in some form play their part in encouraging the birth and utilisation of a more responsible, safer, more ethical environment than is currently the norm.

This exhibition highlights and prioritises human and social factors, over others such as business or formality.   The pieces selected for the exhibition display projects in very different contexts, and with ambitions to deal with various aspects of social life such as health, food, the elderly, prison conditions, the use of urban space, the 15-M movement, relations between locals and newcomers, relations with other first world countries where labour is “cheaper”, or responses to “natural” disasters.

Forming part of the exhibition is KE-ZU supplier Nanimarquina.   Nanimaruiqna is well known for her efforts in India, the main manufacturing country of the hand-made product, to reduce and eradicate child labour, and assist the children of carpet workers.  Nanimarquina has been a member of Care & Fair since its inception.  Care & Fair is an organisation founded by carpet importers abroad which aims to improve living conditions and provide training and decent, paid employment for families working in carpet production workshops.  Nani also assists by funding a school in Bhadohi, a farming and carpet region of India from the proceeds of her Kala rug available at KE-ZU (above), designed by students of Care & Fair schools.

Nanimarquina’s new collection Naturals, launching at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013 focuses on materiality and versatility.  The collection strong on natural colour and aesthetic – see the KE-ZU Blog post here.

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No Comments by O on May 24, 2013
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Casta look at this …

The engaging and talented José Manuel Ferrero of Estudi{H}ac turned his hand to designing a chair based on the Castanet – the result, Casta, a friendly and welcoming family of chairs for Spanish manufacturer Sancal available in a variety of deep, bold hues.

Enjoy Sancal’s video from the collection launch at Salone Internazionale del Mobile with Ferrero explaining the collection.

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No Comments by O on May 19, 2013
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The ol’ classic Olvidada …

Pepe Cortes, Spanish born designer acquired his academic training in all three of barcelona’s design schools.  Celebrated and awarded as an industrial designer and interior designer in Spain, Cortes often finds himself working with famed Spaniards Oscar Tusquets and Javier Mariscal.

One of our favourite Cortes designs just so happens to be about a piece he designed in 1976 and fortunately enough, manufactured by bd Barcelona, Spanish manufacturer and loyal supplier to KE-ZU.

Enter the Olividada Lamp.  Designed, forgotten and put in a drawer until eight years later the design was discovered by bd Barcelona and has been in production ever since.

Outstanding as a stand-alone piece and beautifully grouped, the geometric explosion of the Olvidada Lamp holds its own in any setting.  Perfect for both residential and contract, the lamp comprises three incandescent strips, copper plated iron ceiling mount and a bulb-holder in chromed brass.  Olvidada is available as a floor lamp or suspension – both showing design brilliance with expert manufacture.

Forming part of their stand at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013, bd Barcelona shows that the Olvidada has its place just as much now in contemporary design as it did in the 1970’s, a true Spanish design classic.

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No Comments by O on May 16, 2013
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The World is Not Enough – Andreu World 2013 on film …

Andreu World had a stellar year at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013, working with new styles and shapes, engaging their audience with new versions of previously successful collections, and introducing new pieces destined for greatness.

The video below showcases their new collections and pieces: Agora lounge chair, Manfred lounges and sofas, Lineal Corporate chairs, Siesta modular lounge and sofas, New Brandy chairs, New Ronda chairs, Smile dining chairs and stools all by Lievore Altherr Molina.  The Reverse table, Sail chair collection & Flexa corporate collection by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga and the awesome Nub collection of chairs and a bench by Patricia Urquiola.

Well done Andreu World!

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No Comments by O on May 14, 2013
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The (many coloured) Roses of Cairo ….

Not quite furniture, so we (and Furniture Free Friday is safe, for another week at least).  Pattern designed by Karim Rashid?  Yes please!

Rashid, one of our favourite (and the worlds) designers, together with Sancal has brought to us a series of patterns named Cairo, inspired in Egypt – Karim’s native land.  With a strong contemporary approach, the patterns unite tradition and personal memories, adding bright colours to pictures of organic geometry – all with a  contemporary approach.  Forming into cushions and headrests perfect as accessories to the Sancal sofa collection Float, and holding their own in any setting, these guys are a sure fire hit!

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by O on May 10, 2013
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INSTALLED: Clean and Green …

The Green Chair designed by the artistic multi-disciplined visionary Javier Mariscal for Mobles114 is a modern geometric number. This isn’t its only drawcard however – its beauty lies not only in its chameleon-like ability to suit any space both indoor and outdoor but also its 100% recycled and recyclable catalogue of materials.

Formed by a recycled polypropylene textured seat shell available in two colours, and a wooden or metal leg frame also colour variable, the Green Chair is perfectly suited to contract and hospitality applications.  See some of the images below where the Green Chair has slotted perfectly into their environment (whilst being ever-so-aware of the environment itself) – in the Muna Cafe in Narva College, Estonia.

While we’re on Javier Mariscal, have a look at his other designs available at KE-ZU for Spanish manufacturers nanimarquina, Vondom and Andreu World and, if you haven’t seen Mariscal’s Facebook page we highly suggest doing so –it’s a colourful display of illustration and all round creative fun).

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by O on March 21, 2013
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Sittin’ on a Classic …

A piece that needs little introduction, the Gaulino Chair, designed Barcelona native Oscar Tusquets in 1987 has since become a modern Spanish classic and a point of reference in sculptural furniture design.

Recently relaunching the iconic chair is KE-ZU supplier bd Barcelona.  The sculpted chair was awarded the Industrial Design Prze in 1989 and the Adi-Fad in 1990.

We’ve shown you previously here on the Blog bd Barcelona’s work in maintaining the spirit of great Spaniards’ Gaudi and Dali’s work in their efforts to exclusively produce their furniture works and it’s these two very men and Carlo Mollino who influenced the design of the Gaulino – even so far as affecting its word-morphed title.

The chair, which is regularly included in retrospective shows of Spanish design also spawned a table of the same name and was Tusquets’ first foray into industrial works with machine work despite its appearance of hand craftsmanship.  Of its design, Tusquets says quite simply:

I learned and enjoyed it very much and I think it is one of my best works.  It was designed over 20 years ago and it remains an interesting design.  I think one of my best designs.

The femaleness that the Gaulino Chair exudes is unmissable, and showcased at the start of the video below featuring an interview with Tusquets, taken from ‘bd Barcelona Design Stories’, the Vimeo channel directed by the company.

GAULINO Chair by Oscar Tusquets from BD Barcelona Design on Vimeo.

The Gaulino Chair is a structure of solid Ash either natural, varnished or stained.  The seat with internal frame in Oak and upholstered in leather toned to complement frame and is available at KE-ZU and through its national distribution network.  Also available are Tusquets’ other designs – the Banco Catalano for bd Urban Transit, and Luna for the vernacular Spaniard rug manufacturer nanimarquina, we’ll upload a post about Luna shortly.

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by O on February 26, 2013
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Keeping up with the Bones’ …

New to the Vondom catalogue and recently arriving in our showroom is the Bones collection of planters.

Designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba for the Spanish manufacturer, Bones is characterised by its relative slimness and light weight comparable to its ability of strength.  Capable of reversibility to use either end to support any plant or tree, Bones is available in three shapes of various sizes, all embodying a silhouette of different types of bones.

As is with the wider range of Vondom planters, this family of polyethylene resin planters may illuminate to provide an interesting flair to any outdoor social occasion.  Last week KE-ZU supplied the 2013 Tropfest Film Festival interview set with a selection of Bones – showcasing the planters to a live audience of over 150,000 people and televised in 33 countries!  See the image below.

Bones in all available shapes are available for viewing on the KE-ZU showroom floor.

Also new to the Vondom catalogue is the Adan collection pictured below, with black samples available for viewing at the KE-ZU showroom.  We’ve previously featured Adan on the blog here.

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by O on February 20, 2013
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The Edge (of glory?) …

It’s Australia’s turn to host the Australian International Furniture Fair with Decoration + Design – the exhibition bringing together exciting furniture from Australia and around the world from 6 – 8 February 2013.

Excitingly, today, the opening day of the Fair plays host to “The Edge 2013” an event for new and emerging designers to showcase their work and contest four categories of Excellence in Design:

  1. Best new prototype for a tertiary student.
  2. Best new prototype/concept designed by a professional designer.
  3. Best new commercial release designed by a professional designer.
  4. Green award for best new sustainable product.

The pieces contending the awards are varied in their concept, but their outcome all share a common originality.  See some of the finalists from all categories below.  The awards are announced today so lookout for some serious talent, as here you’ll find Australia’s next-generation ground breaking designers.

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by O on February 6, 2013
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Illuminat(re)e …

Ross Lovegrove, revered industrial designer and visionary is renowned for his flowing and organic inspired designs (some of which for suppliers bd Urban Transit and Bernhardt Design are available at KE-ZU) and has a passion for sustainability and forward thinking:

…everything around is ( … ) open to new interpretation, we have gone to see a big physical change in our collective environment worldwide, we have to because of the issues of sustainability and efficiency.  Efficiency will drive everything; materials, form, ideas… efficiency will be the big one and efficiency exists in science and biology and all of that but it also needs to exist in design without being dried out or boring…

Lovegrove’s work in 2007 titled quite simply “Solar Tree” is almost exactly how it sounds, however it’s not that simple.  Solar Tree is a revolutionary urban lighting project which incorporates advanced solar technology respecting important environmental issues and acknowledging cultural and social aspects of our current community living requirements.

Solar Tree finds its form in a series of gracefully twisted steel pipes representing a tree, each pipe supporting a cluster of LED lights at its peak which are illuminated using 38 solar cells which connect to a battery system hidden in the base of the structure.  The entire structure is then illuminated in public domains, omitting the need for other sources of power such as electricity or battery.

Interestingly, through its solar cells Solar Tree collects more power than is needed to generate the light source, and therefore possesses the capacity to power more than just itself.  Lovegrove envisages options of perhaps selling energy back to the grid and incorporating outlets to charge electronic devices, obviously the potential in this vein could extend even further.

Lovegrove was interviewed on CNN about Solar Tree and sustainability.  You can see the interview here – don’t forget to take note of Ross’ “Bubble Car” – his idea for solar transportation in the future – cool!

With Europe placing Solar Trees in Vienna, Milan, Paris and Frankfurt – the Solar Tree is a remarkable step in the right direction from a master designer and thinker.

Lovegrove’s other projects can be seen on his website.

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by O on January 30, 2013
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