Market

edited by Alexa Yablonski -- Interior Design, 4/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

The Next Big Thing

Hoping to repeat the near-deafening buzz generated by Ross Lovegrove's Go chair, Bernhardt Design has enlisted another marquee European designer to create a fab new collection. This year, the company tapped Christian Biecher, the white-hot Parisian who is fresh from designing Korova—still the restaurant of the moment in the City of Lights—and winning a coveted commission to produce an eatery at the Louvre. Inspired by the seats of race cars, his Abra line for Bernhardt is solid, secure, and above all sleek. But don't call it minimal. "This collection has nothing do with lightness or looking sparse," says Biecher. The upholstered pieces utilize solid cast-aluminum legs with substantially comfortable seats. The coordinating tables comprise hovering horizontal planes of wood and glass anchored by aluminum supports. In May, the Biecher collection will debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. 828-758-9811; www.bernhardtdesign.com. circle 315

Painterly Effects

When a company christens paint chips "mood cards," it clearly indicates an unusually profound connection with the material that commonly covers walls. "We're walking away from standard paint manufacturing to discover something more stimulating," says Create president GianLuca Vernizzi. The result? The Fractalis Touching Colour Collection, available in the U.S. through Prescient Coating Technologies. The 13 textural, water-based finishes are suitable for roller, brush, trowel, or spray application. Forget flat, semigloss, and eggshell—these effects are more subtle and artful, from the metallic Polaris to the mottled Goatskin. The newest are the highly reflective Seelver and Etno, inspired by Japanese matting.

Museum Quality

The collection's sophistication is due, in part, to architectural designer and color consultant Shashi Caan, who—according to Vernizzi—was tapped to "translate the soul of Fractalis into something real." One of her most visible contributions is a fashionable palette. "Color is so intrinsic to our world that we often forget its existence," muses Caan. "But it's a vital ingredient, one that allows people to experience life's kaleidoscopic facets." According to Caan, the hues shown here "will provide hope, while stimulating and inspiring a sense of lightness." Those with an alternate color vision take heart: Chromatically correct computer-generated strike-offs can also be created. 800-682-9876; www.fractalis.it. circle 316

New York textile designer Mark Pollack admits that fashion is so pervasive in our culture that it's impossible to avoid being affected. (He himself casually mentions Yohji Yamamoto without a trip of the tongue.) But Pollack, who founded his namesake company 14 years ago, claims that he had never consciously turned to fashion for inspiration before designing his recent line of upholstery and window fabrics, the RISD Museum Collection: Attention to Detail. Pollack returned to his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design, to plumb its archive of costumes, focusing on garments from the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries. "Clothing is by nature ephemeral," Pollack remarks. "We're making a nod to fashion but leaving a more lasting impression." Instead of replicating specific materials or patterns from the costumes, Pollack translated their embellishments into designs that resonate with a modern sensibility. Machine-embroidered gold circles on the tulle skirt of a flapper dress provided the initial impetus for Charleston, a very mod geometric. Tidewater, another standout, originated from a less glamorous garment, a Hungarian shepherd's coat. Pollack reinterpreted the coat's folkloric black felt appliqué and embroidery as a raised bouclé pattern on reversible satin ground. The Attention to Detail collection comprises another 16 fabrics, and a portion of proceeds from sales will go to the RISD Museum. 212-627-7766. circle 317

Show Stoppers: New Designs at ICFF

Bone Simple Design: Another winsome design from Chad Jacobs, the Silk Box Trio ceiling fixture lends a distinctive bit of warmth to any room. 212-627-0876; www.bonesimple.com. circle 318

Knoll: Linen Screen is made from a natural-linen warp and dyed linen filling yarns. Delicate in look, the sheer boasts a substantial body and a flame-retardant finish. Available in six sophisticated hues: natural, flax, spring, sun, coral, and ocean. 800-343-5665; www.knolltextiles.com. circle 319

KleinReid: The very refined Wade series includes lamps with a two-tone, handcrafted porcelain base and a turned cherry-wood neck. Belgian linen shades and cherry finials will be offered. 718-388-9331; www.kleinreid.com. circle 320

Loom: Ross Lovegrove continues to push a 100-year-old technology that utilizes a special loom to twist kraft paper into a woven fabric partly reinforced with steel wire. Thanks to a coating innovation, Lovegrove's pieces are virtually impervious to weather. His latest indoor-outdoor introductions are so slinky they recall Dalí, circa The Persistence of Memory. M2L, 212-832-8222; www.m2lcollection.com. circle 321

Magis: Shown here is one of the many sleek configurations of the Plus Unit storage system. 39-422-768742; www.magisdesign.com. circle 322

Chilewich: A fresh circular print gives Sandy Chilewich's signature mesh bowls a great new sense of fun. 212-679-9204. circle 323

Design Link: Designed by Jaime Bouzaglo, the stools Toi and Moi employ complementary curves to bring about the union of masculine and feminine—a sexy lacing detail defines who's who. 800-568-2585; www.deslink.com. circle 324

Normann Copenhagen: Norm69 is a puzzle of 69 pieces that form a pendant lamp designed by architect Simon Karkov in, yes, 1969. Don't ask. We're not sure what to make of this numerical obsession. But we do know the end product equals cool. 45-35-55-4459; www.normann-copenhagen.com. circle 325

Emeco: Used for a re-created café at the Museum of Modern Art's Mies van der Rohe retrospective in 2001, Philippe Starck's lightweight aluminum stools are now in production. These stackable dazzlers come in heights of 18, 24, and 30 inches, with brushed or polished finishes. 717-637-5951; www.emeco.net. circle 326

Robert Martin Designs: The latest from Robert Martin is a pair of handsome wardrobes. Made from quartersawn cherry, the pieces gracefully bow outward to provide more storage space within. We particularly liked the mechanics of the elongated anodized-aluminum pivot hinges cum drawer pulls. 718-797-1183; www.robertmartindesigns.com. circle 327

SpekeKlein: Of the company's new line of furniture, designer Robin Speke says: "If there could be a little black dress of decorating, this would be it." The collection, created with Speke's partner, Thomas Klein, comprises tables, chairs, sideboards, and benches that prove basic doesn't have to be boring. Available in walnut, cherry, and white oak in a hand-rubbed oil finish or a durable clear lacquer suitable for contract use. 800-806-3006; www.spekeklein.com. circle 328

Kevin Kopil: Artisan Kevin Kopil is known for relishing and exploiting the lyrical idiosyncrasies of wood. Mei-Mei, Kopil's latest collection, includes supremely sculptural pieces made of ebonized ash and Australian lacewood. The items debut at ICFF and can also be seen at Kopil's new showroom in New York. 800-707-0729; www.kevinkopil.com. circle 329