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USM Swiss Furniture To Launch Fall Line

Filed under: Decor, By Design



Lauded Swiss furniture manufacturer, USM, has announced a new fall collection to their award-winning modular designs.

Created in 1963, when Swiss engineer Paul Schärer teamed up with architect Fritz Haller to design furniture for his family business's new offices, USM's modernist lines and functionality made it an unexpected darling of Mid-Century design. Now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection in New York, USM has evolved into a furniture system of near limitless possibility, equally at home in an office, retail or residential setting. While the term "modular" may evoke images of dorm rooms and a certain ubiquitous Swedish brand, USM is much closer to a Patek Philippe watch or a Hans Bellmann chair in terms of aesthetics and construction. The basic element of USM is a chrome-plated brass ball joint, which connects to chromed steal tubes to form the framework of the line. From there, powder-coated metal panels, in a variety of historic and contemporary colors, can easily and quickly be popped in and out to complete the piece. Panels come in a wide selection of sizes, and when you include the various door options and internal organizer configurations, the possibilities with USM become manifold. Indeed, USM enthusiasts (the line is collected with the zeal normally reserved for high fashion or fine art) have created arrangements that form everything from retail clothing displays to Mondrian-like storage walls by mixing-and-matching color panels. New for fall 2010, USM will introduce a line of autumnal colors including orange, brown and beige, which haven't been available to customers since the 1970s.

(prices start at $500)

Modular Goes Luxurious In Florida

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels


Can modular and concrete be luxurious? The picture above shows the construction of Cheeca Lodge's green, four-story Main Lodge in Islamorada, Florida. The Cheeca Lodge & Spa is set to re-open on December 15. The 840 square foot suites were delivered complete to Cheeca Lodge with fully-equipped bathrooms including marble tile floors, granite counter tops, bath fixtures, and marble and glass rain showers and all electrical wiring and cabling throughout the suite. The fire-resistant modules are highly insulated, energy efficient and made of 30 percent recycled materials. High impact glass windows will be added along with luxury finishes such as mahogany crown moldings, doors and cabinetry, textured walls, carpeted floors, original art and twenty-four foot wide balconies along with an open air round tub for two with an overhead tub filler.

In addition to the new suites, Cheeca's transformation will include an indoor-outdoor lobby lounge, meeting room, two new restaurants, a club floor with a sun deck and 2400 square feet of retail space which includes a Cheeca signature store featuring Tommy Bahama products.

Misfits Modular Sofa

Filed under: Decor


This is one bright purple couch! The Misfits Modular Sofa both looks like something out of a cartoon and acts like something out of a cartoon with its many shapes and configurations. It consists of corner and central elements along with two footstools, all of which can be arranged pretty much however you want. According to Unica Home the sofa elements "look natural as if shaped by wind and sea," but in my opinion they look more as if shaped by a Muppet. Although I do like it I don't think I could ever take it seriously! It really looks like like something meant to play on, not to relax and have an adult conversation on. Designed by Ron Arad the pieces are sold separately for $3,489 - $7,235.

On The Rocks Sofa

Filed under: Decor

The On The Rocks Sofa goes both ways. Actually, it goes every way, thanks to an design that puts the backrest in the middle of the sofa with cushions extending all around. The sofa consists of four main pieces, none of which are fixed, so it can be moved around to suit your room, as other modular sofas can be. It was designed by Francesco Binfare and is made of "Gellysof" polyurethane padding, with a cotton-blend black cover. Price: $13,865.

[via cribcandy]

Damier Adjustable Sofa

Filed under: Decor

You probably already know that we like to play with our furniture, given our love for all things modular, and the Damier Adjustable Sofa suits us perfectly. The sofa is made up of four, square modules, each with two individual articulated elements that can be flexed up and down to create the ideal seating situation. The sofa has thick polyurethane padding over a chrome-plated steel frame and is upholstered in ultra-soft black leather. Each of the square units, which can be used together or spread throughout a room, measures 101" square and is 12.25" high when flat. Price: $24,105.

Campo D'Oro Table

Filed under: Decor

The Campo D'Oro Table can join our collection of modular furnishings as one of the few tables in the genre. It is square when closed, but thanks to a few sets of hinges, the three trapezoidal pieces of aluminum laminate top can be swiveled around to for a new shape. If they are only partially unfolded, the pieces can be arranged into three nearly separate tables, as well. The base of the table is made of aluminum powder-coated steel. Price: £2,612.

Link Shelving Elements

Filed under: Decor

If conventional shelving doesn't offer the versatility that you're looking for, perhaps modular shelving would be a better option. These Link Shelving Elements are made of molded polypropylene. They are stackable and can be arranged in any number of ways, with any number of units to create as large as (or as small of) a system as you need. The units come in four colors: light gray, olive medium gray, white/ivory, and light green. Each measures 15.75" x 23.5" and extends x 19.5" deep. Price: $150 per piece.

[via BLTD]

How Does Your Shelving Grow

Filed under: Decor

We really like modular furniture and flooring, but modular shelving, like the How Does Your Shelving Grow? set, is definitely one of our favorite manifestations of the trend. Because the shelves are all individual units, they can be arranged to form one solid, conventional looking piece, or scattered to all corners of the room. These shelves are made from steel with a powder coat finish in grey, white or khaki (green). They come in multiple sizes and prices vary depending on both the size and how many units you need.

[via cribcandy]

Puzzle Carpeting

Filed under: Decor

Another puzzle-themed piece to add to our ever growing collection is the Imperial Puzzle Carpet. Available at Ona in packages of 6 for $56, the modular carpet can be arranged just like a puzzle, though its slightly irregular pieces mean that there is more than one "right" way to do so. Only three colors are available - light grey, charcoal and sand - so the puzzle will attract interest, but won't detract from the rest of the room.

[via Babygadget, which suggests that the grey colors would help hide stains, making the rug a great choice for a kids' playrooms]

V2 3D Wallpaper

Filed under: Decor

Wallpaper is the new... paint? Instead of leaving walls as solid colors, no matter how bright the color choices are, more and more people are opting to give their homes a further degree of interest with wallpaper. There are an almost unlimited number of patterns to choose from, but for a really unique look, textured paper is the way to go. MioCulture's V2 3D Wallpaper can give a room more than just the appearance of texture. The wallpaper comes in square "tiles" that are made out of 100% recycled paper. The pattern on the tiles extends 2.5-in. from the wall at its highest point and, by varying the tile positions, you can create a fantastic array of designs that will please the eye and "interact with space around you." Each tile is 12x12-in and they are sold in packages of 12 for $28.

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