Market

Edited by Karen D. Singh -- Interior Design, 5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

The Wing Chair Takes Wing

It's hip to be square at Wittmann—in shape, happily, not sensibility. With the cubic Jazz lounge chair, Christophe Marchand has truncated and updated the old-fashioned wingback. A cleft between the seat and the exaggerated arms sparks tension in the sharply angular form, which can sit on a concealed swivel base or castors. 31 Obere Marktstrasse, 3492Etsdorf am Kamp, Austria; 43-2-735-28-71; wittmann.at. circle 313

Corner Office

Few 140-year-old manufacturers have a strong commitment to contemporary minimalism, but such is the case with the Walter K. Collection, founded as Walter Knoll. And the company's latest offerings by Eoos stay true to form.

Providing a respite from the daily grind, Drift Island upholstered seating features integrated glass-topped tables that do more than just support a couple of café lattes—the concealed chromed-steel legs also link the modules. Taking us back to high-school geometry class, the Together lounge wraps convex or concave corners of either 60 or 90 degrees. The ganged seating also works beautifully as a serpentine form winding through public spaces. In the office proper, Ceoo might just transform the average Dilbert into the head honcho. Abase supports a cantilevered storage unit, which in turn supports a seemingly floating work surface. Finish materials are Corian, walnut, and leather. M2L, 215 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022; 212-832-8222; m2lcollection.com. circle 314

Coffee, Tea, or Me

Say the name Rosenthal in a word-association game, and you're more likely to get a response of "china" than "conference table." In reality, however, this porcelain specialist has spent the last 35 of its 128 years outfitting offices through Rosenthal Einrichtung. Michael Plewka and Martin Nussberger absolutely eradicate all thoughts of teacups with the Conext table—use it solo, or join several to construct a larger conference table. Aluminum joints link the base's conical steel tubes; the MDF top becomes state-of-the-art when customized with pop-up monitor storage. Conext's seductive sister is the Xcone chair. Its self-supporting base is made of four similar steel tubes fused by a split swivel joint. The leather upholstery comes in black, brown, sand, white, red, blue, and two shades of gray—unless you prefer a plastic-coated polyester weave. Riservato & Company, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1318, New York, NY 10016; 212-252-9804; rosenthaleinrichtung.de. circle 315

Alea

Lithe, fluid Eracle, an executive system by Mirto Antonel, already bears the marks of a classic. Desktops snap on magnetically for quick assembly and access to electrical wiring. Skin options are plastic laminate, glass, four colors of leather with visible stitching, and veneers of maple, cherry, or wengé. Meanwhile, the Alma chair by Robby Cantarutti and Francesca Petricich boasts a red, white, or black nylon seat and a brushed-aluminum base. 1912 NW 84th Avenue, Miami, FL 33126; 305-470-1200; alea-usa.com. circle 316

Fritz Hansen

If it's 1970, it must be the Copenhagen Furniture Fair, where Arne Jacobsen's celebrated 3208 chair debuted. As of 2007, the curving forms have been revitalized—and the name changed to the softer-sounding 3208 Lily. For the seat and armrests, choose black, white, or red lacquer or black leather. 8 Allerødvej, 3450 Allerød, Denmark; 45-48-17-23-00; fritzhansen.com. circle 317

Traxon Technologies

Maintain that moody glow with the Module 16 SMD RGB. Applied to any flat surface, the boards evenly distribute light over a 120-degree angle—for up to 50,000 hours. Each panel's 16 high-performance LEDs offer 3x14-bit RGB color resolution. 450 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10123; 212-736-2286; traxon-usa.com. circle 318

Gubi

Look familiar? Gubi 2 is the rugged indoor-outdoor cousin of the Gubi 1 chair currently serving a café at New York's Museum of Modern Art. To fabricate Gubi 2, wool felt is molded around steel tubing with a polished-chrome finish. Suite New York, 625 Madison Avenue, Suite 218, New York, NY 10022; 212-421-3300; suiteny.com. circle 319

Bene

If corporate meetings are a battlefield, Kai Stania's AL Group modular media center comes fully armed. The table accommodates laptops and audiovisual systems, paired with various energy sources and screens. At up to 26 feet long, it combines an anodized-aluminum frame and a top surfaced in wood veneers, melamine, or glass. 3 Schwarzwiesenstrasse, 3340 Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Austria; 43-7-442-50-00; bene.com. circle 320

De Sede

Race cars from the 1930's influenced Franz Romero's DS 57 club chair. A solid-oak base, glazed or lacquered, gives the seat its slope. Also available with an adjustable built-in headrest. 1200 Summer Street, Suite 203, Stamford, CT 06905; 800-688-7112; desede.com. circle 321

Council

The designers at One and Co used a reveal to pull the skin of the Aura credenza away from its storage compartment, minimizing any heaviness you might get from a 91-inch swath of veneered MDF and plywood. Doors are milky cast acrylic, interiors are gloss-lacquered, and legs are polished stainless. 635 Texas Street, San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-550-1750; councildesign.com. circle 322

Metalmobil

Straight lines govern all of architect Emilio Nanni's projects. Case in point: his Caddy stacking chair with removable upholstery in fire-retardant or sustainable fabric, plus a COM option. The tubular-steel frame comes either powder-coated or chromed. IFI, 860 Via al Mare, 47842 San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy; 39-0541-955000; metalmobil.com. circle 323

Håg

Comfort soars to new heights with Peter Opsvik's Conventio Wing, thanks to its ergonomic rocking mechanism. The lightweight, sturdy stacking chair is also 100 percent recyclable. For the seat, select perforated polypropylene or full padding. For the base, options are four legs or a five-star version. Izzy design, 17237 Van Wagoner Road, Spring Lake, MI 49456; 616-847-6534; izzydesign.com. circle 324

45 Degrees

Jason Wade salutes the color of the legendary flannel suit with his Gray cabinet. In lacquered MDF with solid-walnut pulls, the piece has three compartments, each of which contains an adjustable shelf. Round holes, between and behind, facilitate cable management. 1500 South Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608; 312-502-0782; 45degreesdesign.com. circle 325

Frezza

A plain old can sounds positively bewitching when Karim Rashid translates it into Russian as Korzina. His whimsical trash receptacles, produced in polyethylene solution-dyed through rotational molding, might just coerce hoarders to purge. With the companion Zontik umbrella stand, select from two exterior finishes: protective or polished paint. 11 Via Ferret, Suite 9, 31020 Vidor (Treviso) Italy; 39-0423-988211; frezzainc.com. circle 326

Pedrali

Break rooms break out in style with this member of the Mya family. Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci's die-cast aluminum chair is clad in scratch-resistant matte polypropylene offered in white, light gray, anthracite, black, and orange. Options include upholstery in fabric or leather, legs in polished or brushed aluminum. 122 Mornico al Serio, 24050 Bergamo, Italy; 39-0358-358810; pedrali.it. circle 327

Magis

To endow architect Stefano Giovannoni's slender Chair First with extra strength, the wizards at the factory fold tiny glass fibers into the polypropylene for reinforcement. Suitable for stacking and outdoor use, the air-molded chair sells in racy red or sensible neutrals: black, white, and beige. 15 Via Magnadola, 31045 Motta di Livenza (Treviso) Italy; 39-0422-862600; magisdesign.com. circle 328

Lande

Michiel van der Kley's Conco for Artifort brings aerodynamics to the reception area. Accented by a bull's-eye tuft, the stream lined foam seat perches on a tubular-steel base. Besides this four-leg version, the chair is available with a polished-aluminum pedestal. P.O. Box 115, 5480 AC Schijndel, Netherlands; 31-73-658-00-20; lande-ps.nl. circle 329

Vange

The intriguing shapes in Alexis Tricoire's Maui line are multiplying. The collection now consists of shelving units and low tables as well as sideboards, all produced in PMMA acrylic in translucent blue, pink, white, or orange. Brand new is the Maui II, which revisits the first Maui shelf as a stand-alone version; it's available in black and white. 62 Rue Paradis, 4000 Liege, Belgium; 32-43-301-757; vange.be. circle 330

Las Mobili

Hooked on personalization, the Reflect group's Dual Life tops allow surfaces in the Easy Fix system to change quickly and efficiently. Components are made of die-cast aluminum, melamine-faced particleboard, and glass. Neutral colors can be swapped out for more robust red, blue, and green. 178 Via Nazionale, 64019 Tortoreto, Italy; 39-08-617831; las.it. circle 331

Patt

Quiet cool takes on new meaning with Climacustic. This modular system's radiant panels not only heat and cool but also significantly improve sound quality. The effect occurs when Climabond aluminum plates combine with panels of melamine-finished MDF. 40 Via Udine, 33040 Attimis (Udine), Italy; 39-0432-796411; pattspa.it. circle 332

Reflect/Team

Gitte Nothlev and Uffe Nørtoft remind us that a three-legged form is the most stable kind. A whimsically elongated triangle, their Reflect chair keeps all of its stainless-steel legs firmly on the ground. Available with black or red leather. 38 Vindebyørevej, 5700 Svendborg, Denmark; 45-22-49-62-99; reflectteam.com. circle 334

Howe

School is still in session after 40 years for David Rowland's 40/4 chair from this manufacturer. Now, John Bollen has conceived a perfect mate, the sturdy but lightweight Tutor stacking table for seminar or meeting spaces. It features glides of transparent polycarbonate, a base of chromed tubular steel, and a top clad in compact plastic laminate. Offered in a range of colors at 27 or 50 inches wide. 23 Mandal Allé, 5500 Middelfart, Denmark; 45-63-41-64-00; howe.com. circle 333

Fantoni

Minimalists will be drawn to Flora's rectilinearity. Variety, however, can be found in the cabinet's oblique grooves, which crisscross decoratively while functioning as pulls. The series also features tables with either flush or overhanging edges, enabling components to be configured as workstations or credenzas. Color choices include red, black, and white. 1666 Avenida Ponce de León, 00909 Santurce, Puerto Rico; 787-253-5377; fantoni-na.com. circle 335

König + Neurath

Cornelius Müller-Schellhorn's Silence combats the distractions of the open office—the workstation's wheels and acoustical panels transport employees to the quiet zone. Rolling along for the ride are an electrical outlet, a desk lamp, a shelf, and a screen. The design can also serve as a conference table. 1-3 Industriestrasse, 61184 Karben, Germany; 49-60-39-483-0; koenig-neurath.de. circle 336

B&B Italia

Patricia Urquiola's Hollow seating is clad in concave panels of glossy thermoplastic, offered in black, white, or burgundy. For more drama, upholstery on the cushy seat can be switched out for a contrasting effect. Available as an armchair, a love seat, or a three-person sofa. 150 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10155; 800-872-1697; bebitalia.it. circle 337