Of Inspiration and Investments
Brooklyn's current wave of modern furniture designers is not a spanking-new phenomenon, if we stop to remember the man who invented modular seating. Harvey Probber was born in Brooklyn just after World War I, designed a sofa when he was 16, and—at the close of World War II—recognized the need for flexibility in interior design.
He is the craftsman's modernist: His tools were luxuriant fabrics and rare woods rather than sterile tubular steel. A pair of cane-backed chairs he designed (above) recently showed up at what is perhaps Williamsburg's friendliest outpost for fine interiors, Modest Design.
The chairs embody the East Coast mid-century, with their sumptuous fabric bottoms, rosy-wood cane backs, and nod to the Old Country. As for Modest Design, it's a venue of which Probber the Brooklynite would be proud, with its collection of uber-fine and understated antiques that scream of ingenuity, freshness, and timeless resplendence. Read: It's not full of the same chairs and tables you see everywhere. It's the place of signature pieces and splurges, inspiration and investments that, once purchased, will last a lifetime. In the meantime, everything else you own look will bask all the more beautifully just being in the presence of genius.
Articles
-
Undivided Intentions
The late architect David Boone was always one to take his work home with him—he just kept it in the home’s office. The new residents of his 1972 house embrace a more fluid approach to…
-
Graphic Design: Project Projects
Manhattan-based Project Projects may be a graphic design studio, but it works in all dimensions, on the page and off. Founded by Prem Krishnamurthy and Adam Michaels in 2004, the firm designs…
-
Dwell Patterns with Heath Ceramics
Dwell and Sausalito–based Heath Ceramics have more than a few things in common. We're both design-focused Bay Area companies. We both have a dedication to modernism. And we both provide…
Product
-
Animal Blueprints
As previously mentioned, I came across a couple of gift ideas for my gift guide that weren’t exactly gadgets, or gadget related. This is a company I discovered last year and one that I think…
Dwell Collections
-
Mid-Century Finds
Los Angeles–based furniture dealer and mid-century scholar Sam Kaufman shares the design lore behind some of his most recent acquisitions.
-
Dwell
A collection of videos that give you a preview into what goes into making Dwell.
-
Mid-Century Finds from Sam Kaufman
Los Angeles–based mid-century modern specialist Sam Kaufman shares a few favorite items from his current inventory of "unusual modernist objects from the last century".
Videos
-
Dwell on Design 2011
Join us behind the scenes of Dwell on Design where 21,000 attendees gathered at the Los Angeles Convention center to discover the latest innovations in modern design.
-
Dwell on Design 2010
We present the sights and scene captured from the show floor of this year's Dwell on Design conference, checking in with a few of our exhibitors and partners, at the West Coast's largest design…
Events
-
Dwell on Design Conference
Dwell on Design's annual conference offers attendees a chance to see the magazine brought to life. Curated and conducted by the editors of Dwell, the event brings together the brightest minds and…
-
Dwell on Design Exhibition
Step out of the pages of Dwell and onto our exhibition floor—where you may be filled with the eerie sensation of being in the magazine itself. See the latest in exterior design in our…
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Related Products
-
Animal Blueprints
As previously mentioned, I came across a…
Latest
-
05.23
The Making of Screenplay: Part 8
Jenny Wu, a partner at Oyler Wu Collaborative, documents the…
-
05.23
Veliero Shelving by Cassina
In 1940, architect Franco Albini made a single model of his…
-
05.23
ICFF 2012: Picks from Javits Center
This week we're digging deep into our favorites objets de…
Follow
Dwell
-
RT @Architizer Architecture + pools, always a winning combination http://t.co/G9P0BSpQ #architecture
-
20 of the finest living rooms ever to appear in @dwell, selected by @saraost. Partial to no.'s 15, 16, & 19: http://t.co/k6ZjqER8 #design
-
Konstantin Grcic: "Wood is a material I really love but I rarely get to work with it." #people http://t.co/LFiAw2iU
-
Backstory by @shonquis on 1940 Veliero shelving by Franco Albini, recently produced by @Cassina: http://t.co/psNP8BgR #furnituredesign
Be the first to comment.
RSS Feed
Add a Comment