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Agilest Collections - Furniture of the Month

2009-10-09T04:51:00Z

The awe-inspiring Ludlow king bed commands instant attention when entering a room. The lavish button-tufted headboard stands five feet tall, and elegantly framed in a rich wenge border to match any decor. The headboard seamlessly blends into its matching frame with a wenge border along the floor. The mattress (not included) sits snuggly atop a solid pine-slat mattress base for stylistic durability and added comfort. Supports US standard king mattress (76 in. x 80 in.). Available in king or queen sizes and in white or black leatherette upholstery. Simple assembly. Solid hardwood construction. Imported.

Click Here to go to Agilest Collections

Furniture company spotlight of the week

2008-07-13T04:59:00Z

Founded in 1997, Padma's Plantation™ is known for its use of natural materials. Every chair's seagrass weave, every rattan curve in a table is an echo of nature brought indoors. The emphasis on indigenous elements insures a unique look for each piece.

Along with their trademark pieces—like the classic Borneo Chair and other traditional favorites—they have expanded their line to include more contemporary styles as well, like their brand new Loft Collection. The Plaid Picnic Table redefines the genre, making the familiar new again, while maintaining the subtle elegance and comfort our clients have come to expect from them.

Come see them at Agilest Collections or Padma's Plantation.

Living with Modern Furniture

2008-07-10T04:47:00Z

This is a great article about modern furniture...

Habitats
Living with Modern Furniture
The "new" aesthetic, from Bauhaus to Eames

by Nell Porter Brown

Elizabeth (Dean) and Heinrich Hermann live in a nondescript ranch house in Concord, Massachusetts, that was built as affordable housing for returning World War II veterans. Its simple, functional lines perfectly suit the couple’s mix of mid-century modern furniture, which includes a red, upholstered “wire diamond” chair by Harry Bertoia, an elegantly proportioned Danish sofa by an unknown designer, and a high-backed, padded black-leather chair by Charles and Ray Eames. “When I sit on or handle an Eames chair, I think, ‘I could never be as brilliant as they were,’” reports Elizabeth, Ph.D. ’96, a professor of urban design, architectural history, and landscape architecture at Rhode Island School of Design.

Such enthusiasm for modernism is common among professionals in the visual fields (Heinrich, Ph.D. ’95, is an architect and historian of modern architecture). “But most people have never liked modernism,” Elizabeth allows. “North America is very traditional and many people thought modern design looked too industrial or cheap—in the case of ranch houses—or that it was trying to be too intellectual. Despite the fact that my architect grandparents had a modern home [in Wellesley, Massachusetts], my own family members are sometimes reluctant to sit on my furniture.”

In New England, at least, that sentiment is changing. Normand Mainville owns Machine Age in Boston, the region’s largest mid-twentieth-century-furniture store. He says that most of his customers are designers, artists, and architects, but that a growing segment of younger buyers of all types is also excited by the modern aesthetic. Some of them live in former industrial spaces, like lofts, and want furniture that fits that style, and others live in small apartments where efficiency is essential. “When I moved in and opened the store 15 years ago, people said that Boston was too provincial for this kind of furniture,” he says.

Click here to see the entire article

What is your favorite piece of mid-century modern furniture?

2008-07-08T15:40:00Z

There are so many wonderful mid-century modern furniture pieces. My top three modern furniture are the Knoll Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman , Knoll Barcelona® Chair and the Vitra Cone Chair. What are yours?

History of Knoll Barcelona Chair

2008-07-08T04:11:00Z

BARCELONA® CHAIR AND STOOL Created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for his 1929 German Pavilion at the

International Exhibition in Barcelona, the Barcelona Collection’s pure composition came to epitomize Modern architecture.

From the hand-buffed stainless or chrome frame to the individual leather squares carefully welted together, each Barcelona

piece is a tribute to traditional craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. In addition to the chair and stool, the

collection also includes a couch and a stool with black cowhide sling, as well as a child scale version of the iconic chair.

LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE “Architecture is a language; when you are very good you can be a poet,” wrote the

acclaimed architect and Bauhaus director. As a leading Modernist architect and furniture designer, Mies elevated

industrial-age materials to an art form. His steel-framed buildings with large-scale glazing, like the Seagram Building

in New York (1958) and the Nationalgalerie in Berlin (1968), are landmarks of Modern architecture.