Market

Edited by Alexa Yablonski -- Interior Design, 7/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

Lolah Sets Sail

With its latest venture, Bruckmann Yachts is charting a distinctly new course. The 40-year-old Canadian luxury shipbuilder approached industrial designer Scot Laughton to help create Lolah, a furniture company that debuted at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. We haven't a thing against yachting. (Jaunty outfits, dream destinations—what's not to like?) Still, we were initially hard-pressed to understand the connection. Upon closer inspection, however, Lolah's remarkable product line clearly illustrates how well the marriage works.

One piece that directly takes advantage of Bruckmann's yachting expertise and quality craftsmen is the Harvest table. It features a removable, flippable top whose core is a foam-fiberglass composite intended for boat hulls, which likewise require materials of great strength and light weight. (Owners can alternate between wood and laminate surfaces.) "There's really a simplicity about it," says Laughton. "No mechanics, just gravity." The Staron center medallion provides stability—and just the spot to rest hot dishes.

As lead designer, Laughton was also responsible for Toc. "There's been a resurgence of rockers," he observes. "Ours is generous in size and width—a variation on the archetype." To eliminate the need for rails, movement is integrated into the chair's curvilinear body. A sleek interpretation that rocks and shifts so effortlessly can only be described as "very yare." 2265 Royal Windsor Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1K5,Canada; 416-703-8417; www.lolah.com. circle 313

The Anniversary Party

After amassing two honors at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, a Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award nomination, and a stable of clients worth coveting, Dune president Richard Shemtov could celebrate five years in business simply by surveying his successes. Instead, he rolled out an extensive collection of furniture created by five emerging talents and five designers with marquee-ready names. Newcomer Jonas Damon's Fibre desk has a translucent fiberglass top surfaced with engineering-grade woven-glass filament; wires and cables can be smartly secreted in the open-ended tubular legs. Offerings from even the eminently established Fabien Baron, Tom Dixon, and Dune design director Nick Dine seem fresh. The Baron console succeeds, thanks to fine lines and a play of finishes in which the mirror-polished stainless-steel bottom shelf reflects the matte red surface above. Dixon produced the architecturally triumphant Tower shelving unit. And Dine's LEM (short for Lunar Excursion Module) maintains a cool profile without succumbing to cartoon chic. The commodious piece welcomes midnight-into-morning lounging—ideal for those who can't quite make it through the late-night TV banter. 88 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-6171. circle 314

MasayoAve Creation

MasayoAve Creation: Continuing to work felt into pieces of refined beauty, MasayoAve Creation has produced wall hangings pierced by elements of pristine DuPont Corian. 7 Via Cesare Correnti, 20123 Milan, Italy; 39-02-5811-1107; www.macreation.org. circle 315

Porro

Porro: New to Piero Lissoni's Roll collection, this commodious bookcase can be equipped with a sliding door of wood finished in a gloss lacquer. 35 Via per Cantù, 22060 Montesolaro, Italy; 39-031-780-237; www.porro.com. circle 316

Cappellini

Cappellini: Designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Samourai armchair has a stainless-steel base and a body made of three separate polyurethane parts, which can be creatively upholstered in different fabrics or leathers. 102 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012; 212-966-0669; www.cappellininewyork.com. circle 317

Molteni & C

Molteni & C: The simple yet sexy lines of Patricia Urquiola's Clip bed seem right at home in the boudoir. But the striking shape of this upholstered piece was actually derived from a rather banal accessory found in any office: the paper clip. The sinuous headboard shifts into a number of positions, and the fully removable cover comes in a range of materials, including leather. 50 Via Rossini, 20034 Giussano, Italy; 39-0362-3591. circle 318

Kartell

Kartell: The doughnut-shaped Ploof seating series is just one of many furniture-fair debuts by the prolific Philippe Starck. 45 Greene Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-966-6665; www.kartell.com. circle 319

Swarovski

Swarovski: Daring to dazzle is nothing new to Swarovski, makers of fine crystal since the 19th century. But the company really outshone itself by commissioning seven supernovas to dream up one-of-a-kind chandeliers. We swooned over Hella Jongerius's Pink Dress, a deliriously feminine ball gown made of crystals, and Tord Boontje's Blossom (shown), a more subtle but equally delicate creation. 29 West 57th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10019; 212-935-4200. circle 320

Edra

Edra: Inspired by the Brazilian favela tradition of layering scraps of fabric to create mats and bedspreads, Fernando and Humberto Campana designed Sushi. They rolled together an assortment of textiles—felt, wool, bits of carpet—and threaded them into an elasticized cloth tube, forming a pocket in which to sit. Via Solferino, 3930 NE Second Avenue, Suite 105, Miami, FL 33137; 305-572-1182. circle 321

Liv'it

Liv'it: Parisian phenomenon Christian Biecher has bestowed his signature cool on the Dani coffee table. Forma & Design, 1 Selleck Street, Norwalk, CT 06855; 203-855-9325. circle 322

UT

UT: For the Lounge collection of seating and tables, designers Clarissa Richardson and Heidar Sadeki utilized DuPont Corian to sleek and sculptural effect, occasionally softening the hard surface with natural accents such as pony skin. 158 Lafayette Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013; 212-966-8815; www.utnyc.com. circle 323

The Great Gaetano

Innovative and idiosyncratic architect Gaetano Pesce recently teamed up with Quattrocchio to create Nobody's Perfect. The kaleidoscopic collection of seating and tables debuted at this year's Salone Internazionale del Mobile, a stage on which Pesce has thrilled during the past four decades. Back in 1969, he wowed attendees with the UP family of squidgy polyurethane seats, vacuum-packed in flat envelopes that, when unsealed, allowed the contents to expand to size. For 2002, he impressed with a new manufacturing technique. The random swirls that distinguish Nobody's Perfect result from a unique, two-part poured-resin process involving a rigid layer and a more pliant skin. Sheets of the two materials are rolled and folded to form tables and chairs. These simply shaped pieces resonate with lollipoplike translucency—the very definition of eye candy. Zero U.S. Corporation, 85 Industrial Circle, Lincoln, RI 02865; 401-724-4470; www.zerous.com. Moss, 146 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012; 212-226-2190. circle 324

Tracy Kendall Wallpaper

Tracy Kendall Wallpaper: Forget stripes and cabbage roses—wallpaper need not be prissy or ordinary. From a British designer whose bespoke creations have practically reinvented the wall-coverings category, In the White Room is just one of many surprising selections. 116 Greyhound Lane, Streatham Common, London SW16 5RN, U.K.;

44-20-7640-9071; www.tracykendall.com. circle 325

Lawson-Fenning

Lawson-Fenning: This newly formed California outfit made a dignified impression at ICFF, with a number of pieces offering cool looks and keen craftsmanship. The Spader bench, made of a powder-coated steel frame and solid mahogany or teak slats, is a modified, modernized version of the park standard. 174 South DeLacey Street, Pasadena, CA 91105; 626-432-4867. circle 326

Pablo

Pablo: The transparent acrylic shell of the Aura lamp, designed by Fred Bould, showcases an artistically coiled cord within. Available in clear, blue, amber, and gray. 1526 C Wallace Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124; 415-822-2712; www.pablodesigns.com. circle 327

C-Design Studio

C-Design Studio: Vancouver-based Victor Chan is the talent behind the Perf series of storage cubes and occasional tables. Made of anodized aluminum and powder-coated perforated steel, the items make an impact while maintaining their lightness. As Chan explains, "The furniture displays the physical attribute of volume but, at the same time, a visual translucency." Westminster Highway, Richmond, British Columbia V6X 3E2, Canada; 604-351-5069. circle 328