“I can do it myself; I don’t need an architect or an interior designer . . .”

Architects and designers don’t always have the best reputation.

If you watch Grand Designs, a BBC series that takes a building project per episode and follows it from start to finish, you might well believe that if you hire an architect or designer for a project, you will inevitably end up firing them and that every project doubles in price by the end.

The thing is that we have all walked into a friend’s house and thought oh my god what were they thinking . . . that couch/table/kitchen/wallpaper/light is foul.

And we all have an opinion on contemporary architecture; often “oh my god how did they get planning/building permission for that?” Some people might even find themselves agreeing with Prince Charles, but that’s for another blog.

The fact is that reading Espace Contemporain every month or watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition does not make you a designer.

Thinking you have good taste does not make you one either. Would you treat a heart condition yourself just because you know about right and left ventricles and the concept of blood pressure?

Of course like any profession there are good and bad architects and designers, and there is no one who can choose for you.

But find one who suits you and chances are that the project you undertake will last inevitably. You will have avoided plenty of mistakes, which means time and money, and your project will actually get finished, as opposed to 90 per cent of self done projects which reach a state of 80 per centedness and remain that way indefinitely.

And the beauty of an architect or designer is that you don’t have to supervise everyone. You just have to supervise them. They then deal with the carpenter, electrician, plumber etc., and they, in theory actually know how to . . .

The blog today is going to be singing the praise of Ikea’s kitchen range. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a deep respect for most things Ikea, this Swedish mammoth has democratized design in a way which was unthinkable 50 years ago, even though they have done it mainly by copying everything they sell from classic Scandinavian design.

Their kitchens really are something to behold and not only because the price is remarkably cheap. As an exercise you can download their kitchen design software from their website, redesign your kitchen and see for the price yourself.

Now the thing is, you can’t argue with the quality either. I recently saw a brand new installed version at a friend’s house and it really looked and felt good. And Ikea know this, they offer a 25 year guarantee on all their kitchen furniture – a 25-year guarantee! It’s just unheard of . . .

They go even further by offering a 5 year guarantee on all their range of electrical kitchen goods, again unheard of . . . I guess you need to read the small print, but there is only so much small print can cover.

Now there is a limited range and choice esthetically speaking and you won’t get some Ikea designer round your house drawing up plans and elevations for you, but most people can’t do the interior design magazine kitchens at home because they haven’t got the space.

And if you want something more unique, there is nothing stopping you getting the base from Ikea and having a carpenter to custom make you the doors and buying a granite work surface in from the local stone mason.

Anyway I’m sold and as we speak I’m redesigning my own kitchen with Ikea, I guess I’m putting my money where my mouth is and I’ll soon see where it gets me . . .
Back soon . . .

We, as in humanity, have done a pretty spectacular job of messing up the ecosystem of our planet, everything from global warming to the extinction of a gazillion species. So it’s no surprise the theme of the now is everything ECO. From recycled to recyclable, from alternative fuels to zero emissions.

I work in the furniture industry, and in the furniture industry, we sell a lot of chairs. Around the world every year a whole lot of chairs are bought. Government buildings, universities, offices buy hundreds of thousands of plastic, wood, metal and upholstered chairs every year.

So . . . like in any industry when a “revolutionary” product is developed its big news. And this one hits the eco nail right on the head.

The people at Lammhults, one of Sweden’s largest furniture manufacturers, have gone and invested a small fortune in the development of a process to turn cellulose into furniture. And this is interesting because . . . Well it’s interesting because in essence one of the world’s most recyclable and readily available recycled materials, wood, can now be moulded like plastic.

Being a furniture company, Lammhults have gone and designed a chair out of this “cellupress” material and they’ve called it the Imprint.

If you’ve read my blog before saw that I had a little rant about the cult of Eames and the need to look at new designs. Ironically the Imprint chair strikes me as a very similar design to the Eames Plastic Side Chair, a contemporary version of the legendary 1950’s Fibreglass Chair. Maybe the budget didn’t stretch past the investment in the development of the material, who knows, but in a way it makes sense. The fibreglass chair signalled a revolution in chair making at the time, and I kind of think it’s fitting that a new material, potentially revolutionizing ecological furniture manufacturing, should be showcased in a chair that so close to the original.

Of course this product is in its infancy and Lammhults need to sell this chair or the product may just get shelved as economically unviable, but I hope not, because to me this is cool; just think of all the things that are made of plastic.

So on that oh so eco note I’m signing off once more, and thanking you all for reading and caring…

The Imprint, Lammhults	Eames Plastic Side Chair, Vitra

The Imprint is claimed by some to be altogether too close to the famed Charles and Ray Eames glass fibre shell chair. The two designers reject this . . .

When I was 20 I wanted fast cars . . . I wanted to drive fast and own the most beautiful car available.

Now I’m bored with cars, and I has nothing to do with ecology or the dangers of speeding or spending a half year’s salary on something that looses 25 percent of its value the moment you turn it on for the first time.

My problem is that car design sucks. For an industry that has, or I should say had, so much cash, the fact that since the Fords of the turn of the 20^th century, what has fundamentally changed in car design? Not a whole lot. We still have 4 wheels, a petrol engine with 4-12 cylinders and space for a fixed number of people.

Sure, cars are now computers, they can beep at you in 30 different languages and you can climate control your own area of the car, but where is the car that can detach is rear section when it is only needed for 2 people? Where is the double decker car? Where is the car that can be split into 2 motor bikes and we’re not even talking about alternative fuels.

There are so many reasons for car design to evolve. All you need to do is stand on a pavement during rush hour and count the number of cars that have 1 person in them. A brief Google search shows that in Scotland 60 percent of all journeys have just the driver and less than 5 percent are full occupancy. Yet the modular car doesn’t exist.

Cars are noisy and polluting and turn totally normal and rational people into aggressive jerks, yet no quiet and clean cars have been designed.

My guess is that things will change, there seems to be no future for the car as it is today, but I’m not expecting anything soon.

Well not really, obviously. One can’t argue with the major contributions to the world of design and architecture made by Charles and Ray Eames. However what one can argue with is one’s brother-in-law!

Mine showed up the other day to tell me that he wanted to buy an Eames lounge chair and ottoman.

Now I think we can all agree that it’s a nice piece. First produced in 1956, Charles Eames said his goal for the chair was the “warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.” It was the culmination of Charles and Ray Eames’ efforts to create comfortable and handsome lounge seating by using production techniques that combine technology and handcraftsmanship.

My problem is not with the chair itself. My problem is the lack of imagination of my brother-in-law and for that matter of a vast number of people who aspire to buy Eames furniture.

What I’m saying is that the design industry hasn’t stopped. Chairs are still being designed today. Surely it’s far more interesting to find the next classic rather than blandly plump for the out-of-the-box classic.

So ok you’re busy, you haven’t the time to research; well that’s what we’re here for …

Here is a selection of options I came up with for my brother-in-law. Now I’m not saying these are better, more stylish or guaranteed future classics, but what I can say is they are contemporary, they are from “the now”!

1. Mart chair, B&B Italia, designed by Antonio Citterio, 2003
A bit like Eames’ use of new technology, the Mart seat results from a new production technology for thermoformed leather.
I think this chair is stunning, and it looks like a tongue.

2. UP5, UP SERIES 2000 designed by Gaetano Pesce, 1970
‘A female figure tied to a ball-shaped ottoman symbolizing the shackles that keep women subjugated’.
Check this out, just fantastic, no need to wonder if this is going to be a classic; it already is …
Ok this is from 1970, but it’s in my life time which works for me.

3. Stingray rocking chair, Fredericia Furniture, designed by Thomas Pedersen, 2006
There is a lot of futuristic furniture being designed quite understandably, but few are able to fit in your home as well as this.

Now I don’t know if you agree with me or not. You may walk out today and buy a living room full of Eames classics and sit in them laughing at me. But hey, I’d think you were wrong, that’s just the way I am.
Until next time.