The cool design and home blog Apartment Therapy (AT) always has a fresh idea. I've been reading it periodically for a few years, and every time I do, I vow to completely redo my space. Anyway ... The site recently featured a summertime-appropriate post on the Disk Chair, designed by Karim Rashid and made by Ferlea to look like a "spoon folded." AT noted it would be great for poolside or patio, as it's made of fiberglass over a steel frame, but AT commenters had a good point: seems like a sweatfest waiting to happen on a hot day. I think it looks fun and comfortable, albeit maybe with a cushier seat or a towel. Available in black, yellow or white; includes a single foam and polyester cushion. Owo Italia has it for a bit more than $2,000 (European pricing).
Karim Rashid must really love sweeping pink lines and feminine appeal -- his Veuve Clicquot Loveseat featured the theme and now so does this Veuve Clicquot Globalight limited edition champagne cooler that he designed. Intended to "encapsulate the bottle with warmth" and surround it with light, Rashid drew his inspiration from a random brainstorming scribble and the idea of a purse or handbag. It serves 3 functions by cooling the champagne, lighting the champagne, and serving as a way to carry the champagne. $4000
Described as a "collaboration between the drinks, crystal, art and design worlds," Bombay Sapphire Revelation is a collection of 5 absolutely gorgeous bottles. Bombay Sapphire is the drink (of course), Baccarat is the crystal, Garrard is the art/jeweller, and Karim Rashid is the bottle designer. The Revelation line consists of 5 bottles shaped like enormous jewels, all the same with the exception of their caps -- each uniquely decorated with diamonds and sapphires.
The entire collection is worth $1 million, but each bottle (priced at $200,000) will be displayed separately at one of 5 airports around the world (New York, London, Dubai, Sydney, and Singapore) starting around the end of March with proceeds to benefit The Smile Train charity. And along with the beautiful Revelation bottle the new owners will also receive a years supply of Bombay Sapphire gin.
Silver is the most reflective of the precious metals and that's shown off to great effect with the latest design from Karim Rashid for Umbra. Instead of his often more blob-like styles this one is all angles which capture light and send it dancing. The piece is handcrafted by silversmiths and sells for $400.
A Karim Rashid bottle, a scent of bergamot and vanilla musk combined with patchouli, mandarin and nutmeg oils. The latest it fragrance? Yes, if you are a dog. That's the blend in the eau de parfum from Sexy Beast. The perfume is just part of a luxury line for dogs. A recent NY Daily News article profiles Renée Ryan who used to help launch fragrance brands for companies like Estee Lauder and is the force behind the line of elegant pet beauty products. Ryan also has a motor home that she calls "The Beast" and uses as a mobile dog spa. A 3.4 ounce custom engraved bottle of the perfume sells for $65.
These Arim Candle Holder and Bud Vases are inspired by contemporary influences combined with ancient Turkish forms. Mouth blown out of lead-free crystal, the slim stems and pastel coloring fits well with their name (arim), which in Turkish means "sweetheart." It's too bad they don't make a variety of sizes, as I'd love a grouping all bunched together with white blooms in each, but that's not to say one as part of a summer centerpiece wouldn't be gorgeous also. They are only available in two colors, green and blue, and are actually quite tall at 14". $215 each.
I love that Veuve Clcquot Champagne has partnered with a variety of designers for various accompaniments to the popular Champagne.The most lavish has to be the bright pink Clicquot loveseat designed by Karim Rashid. The loveseat consists of two opposite facing chairs joined in the center by a pedestal with an ice bucket in the classic Clicquot yellow creating an intimate place to share your bubbly. The loveseat sells for around $10,000 and can be seen at Conran's.
The ObliqSound Remixes Vol. 2 double CD features the works of a number of artists, including Tama Waipara, Tony Devivo and Grand Pianoramax, but the main thing that makes it interesting is that the CD packaging was designed by Karim Rashid. Its release marks the designer's first foray into this particular area of design. It was produced with the help of Brazilian footwear manufacturer, Melissa, and is made out of the same "jelly" material that they use for many of their shoes. Only 2,000 units total will be available. Price: $50.
A wardrobe is just a place to keep your clothes, but by calling the cabinet a "vertical storage space," it suddenly sounds much more purposeful and versatile, which is probably why that descriptor is applied to Karim Rashid's Blend. Made of lacquered wood, the piece has a tremendous visual appeal to it and is certainly unique - no matter what you decide to call it. It is available in one and two-door versions Price: $2,600.
Designer Karin Rashid came up with the modular Omni Sofa, envisioning a seating arrangement where friends could gather in a comfortable, intimate way to chat and hang out. Of course, because the five pieces are separate, they can be put into any arrangement, even set up around the house as five separate chairs. If you are committed to separating the pieces, they can be ordered individually as opposed to in a set.
Don't be put off by the color. In addition to hot pink, it comes in a wide array of colors, including white, black, chocolate brown, violet, dark red, slate grey and blue, as well as many others. It is also available in ultrasuede, doro suede and fabric upholstery. Price, as pictured in pink ultrasuede: $16,200.
Is the over-the-top approach of Dubai luxury hotels the wrong way to go? At The Hotel Show in Dubai, Karim Rashid, a designer second only to Philippe Starck in his ubiquity in the hotel and home goods arenas, told developers that they must change their approach to lure global tourists. Rashid says that just using luxury materials like gilding and marble aren't going to cut it. According to AME Info, Rashid said that the "new luxury" involves things like customized services, more technology and a greater focus on making the hotels ecological and self-sustaining (that last part would be particularly hard for the Dubai hotels). Rashid's view is consumers are interested in the consumable luxuries, such as food, beverages, spa treatments and experiences. He also urged hotel developers toward new and innovative designs calling out the current Dubai obsession with steel and glass towers. Now if only we could get this guy to talk to Donald Trump.
We've seen a lot
of new pref-fab housing ideas lately but at the Interior Design Show in Toronto,
Karim Rashid will be showing off a new concept space. The Kit 24, the circus-tent-like design shown here is a a
24-sided house. It is stocked with Rashid-designed furniture inside and features a Corian kitchen. Other designs on
display at the show will include the rounded Kloud chair by Rashid; the Sauna Box, a portable sauna designed in a
shipping container; and the new CornuFé range from fancy oven
makers La Cornue. The Interior Design Show runs from February 24 to February 26, 2006 at the National Trade Centre,
Exhibition Place in Toronto.
The next of our post-holiday sales is from Bergdorf
Goodman. The department store is offering up to 50% off in a variety of catgories. This cube bowl from Nambé
is designed by Karim Rashid and uses a non-tarnishing metal alloy that has superior heat- and cold-retention
properties. It originally sold for $135 and is now $81.
The ObliqSound Remixes Vol. 2
