NV-53 settee designed by Finn Juhl (and fabricated by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder in Copenhagen), 1953. Teak, upholstery, brass; estimate $5,000–$7,000.
2009Shelving System by Naoto Fukasawa for Artek.
The addition’s two stories of cedar-framed sliding doors and window provide generous views of the house’s prized jacaranda tree. The addition’s polished concrete floor and white cladding extend into the garden, drawing occupants to the serene rear porch. There, they can relax on stools designed by Alvar Aalto and Charles Wilson while admiring the luscious greenery.
Resident Nadja van Praag enjoys the view from the deck that connects the trio of structures. The idea for the deconstructed plan was inspired in part by Alvar Aalto sketches of a “peeled apart” summer cabin, says architectural designer Riley Pratt, in which interconnected volumes surround a central courtyard.
Designed in 1937 by acclaimed designer and architect Alvar Aalto, the A330S Pendant Lamp is a sophisticated ceiling light. Aino and Alvar Aalto were commissioned in 1936 to design the interior of the Savoy Restaurant in Helsinki. Made from a single piece of brass, the A330S Golden Bell Pendant was a part of the restaurant’s interior design. This lamp was also shown in the Finnish Pavilion of the 1937 Paris World Expo.
The A330S is 15% off until October 22, 2015.
Viipuri (Vyborg) City Library TodayDamaged and neglected over time, the library has undergone a still-in-progress restoration that has helped expose more people to Aalto's work.
In the ’60s, Design Research sold Aalto Stacking Stools for $20 apiece and Marimekko cocktail napkins for 75 cents each.
Drawing by Alvar Aalto of his 1937 restaurant in Helsinki, Restaurant Savoy, which he created alongside his wife, Aino Marsio-Aalto. The walls and ceiling are covered in birch veneer; the pair designed all of the furnishings and many of the table pieces.
Alvar Aalto, cantilevered side chair, model no. 21, ca. 1933. Bent laminated birch, molded birch-veneered plywood. Manufactured by Finmar, Finland. Photo: Phillips.
The architects used blackbutt wood for the flooring and Whisper White paint by Dulux throughout the interior. An A110 Hand Grenade Pendant Lamp, by Alvar Aalto for Artek, hangs above the white Carrara marble-topped island.
Another view of Finlandia, designed by Aalto in 1971.
Alvar Aalto,
Villa Mairea, 1939. Photo Åke E:Son Lindman.
Alvar Aalto, Masion Carré, Bazoches-sur-Guyonnes, France, 1956. Photo: Alvar Aalto Museum.
ALVAR AALTO, Paimio Chair, designed in 1931, modern production in white lacquer. Photo: Artek.
The wall sconces in the studio are similar to desktop model A703. Aalto used his homes and studio to test design ideas before turning them into commercial designs.
Another Aalto creation, the Artek A330S Golden Bell Pendant Light ($338) comes in a range of metallic finishes, including the luminous original brass design seen here. This piece dates back to 1936 when Aalto created it as part of the interior of the Savoy Restaurant in Helsinki.
Pendant Lamp A 331, Beehive (1953)
These lamps were first introduced as part of Aalto's work on the University of Jyväskylä.
Drawing inspiration from the beauty of the natural world, the undulating shape of each Aalto vase alludes to the untamed shorelines of Finland's thousands of lakes. The fluid aesthetic reaffirms the deep connection between man and nature, while making a statement against the failure of industrial production to meet universal human needs. The Aalto Finlandia Vase is decidedly sculptural, making it as much a striking visual accent when left empty on a tabletop or shelf as when it is filled with freshly cut flowers. Each Aalto Vase is mouthblown in the Iittala glass factory and is designed to mimic the water that it contains, creating a distinctive and artistic accent piece.
Aalvar Aalto Sitting on a Paimio Chair in the 1930s
This photomontage shows the designers relaxing on a chair he constructed for the famous Paimio Sanatorium project. A lighter pieces constructed of bent plywood and still manufactured by Artek, the chair was meant to help the tuberculosis patients in the institution breather easier.
Paimio Armchair N°41 (1932)
A different view of Aalto's famous bent birch chair.