MERGING MINIMALISM & FINDS

Thankfully, modern is becoming so much more approachable. A fantastic example of this approachability is one of the features in ELLE DECOR this month. I love the way the eras, traditions, and minimalism are applied to the space, without shouting  a location, a period of time, or a season. The feature showcases Polo sensation Nacho Figueras family home, located outside of Buenos Aries. I love the combination of textures from the tufted Chesterfield sofa, the sleek leather Marcel Breuer Wassily chair, the classic cowhide Le Corbusier chaise lounge, and even my FAVE: the iconic Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair, all set in a mix of concrete and wood.

But probably the highlight of the feature wasn't that Figuera is the co founder of the Ralph Lauren-sponsored Blackwatch team... It is actually reading about THE FIND OF THE DECADE: According to the article, the cardboard Frank Gehry Wiggle chair was only $2.50 at a Buenos Aires junk shop. Apparently, someone didn't know what they had.

Not every piece is a find.

This classic Le Corbusier chair is the LC2 by Cassina.

The leather-and-steel chairs at either end of the dining table were originally created for the architect's grandfather by Antonio Bonet, one of the architects behind the iconic Butterfly Chair.

The featured space I'm most fond of and drawn to is the Living Room, with its dynamic B&W photography, by Steven Klein, casual collection of books stacked in & on the coffee table, and the welcoming natural light flooding the space.

A beautiful FOCAL POINT is created in the space by

using ceiling height panels in the corner,

to highlight the display of a special sculpture.

Keeping the historic European houses of the pampas in mind, architect Juan Ignacio Ramos applied his artistry into the design of the space and combined stucco, concrete and an indigenous hardwood called incienso to create a true work of art.  (Read and see more of work from Ramos here) 

All photography of this featured article in ELLE DECOR is by

Miguel Flores-Vianna and styled by Carlos Mota.

one last peek...

Can you find two more classics in the photo below?

Leave your answer, along with your thoughts on the space in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

MEETING MIES ON MONDAY: Part 2

About Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Furniture...
Along with many architectural contributions to modern design, Mies van der Rohe also engaged himself in furniture design, to further demonstrate his design philosophies. Although some pieces designed were never used at the time of their execution, for example the Barcelona Chair designed and fabricated especially for the pavilion, many have withstood the test of time. His designs are icons of modernism in furniture design, and still manufactured to specifications by Knolls and licensed distribution is made to the public through a store known as Design Within Reach.

 

MR Side Chair (DWR)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s MR Chair was designed in 1927 as part of his contribution to the Weissenhof exhibit in Stuttgart, Germany. The chair’s cantilevered design uses tubular steel, then a technological novelty, to create an intuitively accessible and ergonomic seat. (When asked why he created chairs with generously sized seats, Mies van der Rohe allegedly replied that he designs chairs he’d be most comfortable sitting in.)

MR Lounge Armchair (DWR)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s MR Lounge Chair was designed in 1927 as part of his contribution to the Weissenhof exhibit in Stuttgart, Germany.

MR Chaise Lounge

Barcelona® Table (DWR)

Incorporating his signature stylized cross form, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Table (1927) expresses a clarity of form and materials that is immediately recognizable. Originally designed for the Tugendhat House in Brno, Czechoslovakia, the table is often paired with the Barcelona Chair for their stylistic parallels.

Barcelona® Chair (DWR)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair and Stool (1929), originally created to furnish his German Pavilion at the International Exhibition in Barcelona, have come to epitomize modern design. Mies van der Rohe designed the chair to serve as seating for the king and queen of Spain, while the stool was intended to accommodate their attendants. To create the deep, precise tufting, individual panels of leather are cut, hand welted and hand tufted.

Barcelona® Couch (DWR)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Couch (1930) was added to his Barcelona Collection in the year following the introduction of the Chair and Stool. Still produced to his original specifications, the couch gained widespread popularity in 1953, when architect Philip Johnson selected it for his New York apartment.

Brno Flat Bar Chair (DWR)

The Brno Flat Bar Chair (1930) is a masterpiece of structure, paying tribute to early modernism's gravity-defying skyscrapers. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to have a cantilevered base, the Brno offers the comfort of an armchair without the old-line stuffiness or bulk of upholstery.

Krefeld Chair

Although Mies is more known for creating chairs designed with balance of metal and leather, he did also create an all leather with wood collection called

the Krefeld Collection in 1927. The collection was conceived as a complement to his brick and glass design for the Esters and Lange residences in Krefeld, Germany. (The buildings, now called the Krefeld Villas, have since been converted into a museum of post-war contemporary art.)

Barcelona Stool

By far, the most popular of his furniture designs, used in both residential and commercial spaces is the Barcelona... which is also available and several powerful colors... and MY personal favorite chair. Below are a few photos I shot at a local DWR store...

NYCLQ

NYCLQ

NYCLQ

NYCLQ

Design Within Reach, (aka DWR) can be found online, locally here in Coral Gables-Florida, become a fan on facebook, and for immediate personal assistance (no matter where you are located), you can contact Rebeca Suarez...

Rebeca Suarez (facebook page)

(new) Sole Proprietor

@77Miricle Mile

DWR - Coral Gables - FL

MARCH MODERN MADNESS

above photo by Lynda Quintero-Davids

March Modern Madness is a blog series I'll be featuring Mondays and Fridays throughout the month of March. Mondays will be more documentary postings of classic architects and furniture designers called Meet The Classics. This particualr post on Mies van der Rohe is FOCUSed on ARCHITECTURE. A furniture post will follow later today as Part 2 of Meeting Mies on Monday. Photos for Fridays will be another means of sharing a gallery of modern works & contributions relevant today... enJOY!

above photo by Lynda Quintero-Davids

MEETING MIES ON MONDAY

Ironically, born in the month of March is the first featured architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe began his career in his family stone-carving business in Germany. Surprisingly, he never received any formal architectural training, but when he was a teenager he worked as a draftsman for several architects. Moving to Berlin, he found work in the offices of architect and furniture designer Bruno Paul and industrial architect Peter Behrens. READ MORE AT ABOUT.COM

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

March 27, 1886 to August 17, 1969

Believing that "less is more," Mies van der Rohe designed rational, minimalist setting the standard for modernist design. Mies attempted to create contemplative, neutral spaces through an architecture based on material honesty and structural integrity. Two of his most recognized commercial architectural structures demonstrating this philosophy are the Seagrams Building in New York City (designed with Philip Johnson in 1958) and the German Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain (designed in 1929).

“The inescapable drama of the Seagram Building in a city already dramatic with crowded skyscrapers lies in its unbroken height of bronze and dark glass juxtaposed to a granite-paved plaza below. The site of the building on Park Avenue, an indulgence in open space unprecedented in midtown Manhattan real estate, has given that building an aura of special domain.”   READ MORE AT GreatBuildings.com

375 Park Avenue New York, New York

American Institute of Architects 25 Year Award, 1980

Although this above photo is from GreatBuildings.com,

my husband shot the photo below:

an interesting perspective from a cab on our way to Central Park

when we were on our way to find a location for our wedding.

“The site Mies selected for the German Pavilion in Barcelona allowed for the transverse passage of visitors from a terrace-like avenue bordering the exhibition palaces to the other attractions. In addition, it afforded fine views of the exposition grounds and of the city of Barcelona. The building had no real program, as that term is understood and used by architects today. It was to be whatever Mies chose to make of it. The only function it had to accommodate was a reception for the King and Queen of Spain as they signed the "Golden Book" officially opening the exposition. The Pavilion opened on May 27, 1929 and was demolished in January, 1930; however it was reconstructed in 1959 to the original design.” READ MORE AT GreatBuildings.com

 "For me working in Barcelona was a brilliant moment in my life."

One of his more notable residential structures is the Farnsworth House, designed in 1950. "The Farnsworth House is Mies's summary statement of those spatial and architectural concerns he first realized in the Barcelona Pavilion” READ MORE HERE.

Mies also worked with the magazine G which started in July 1923. He made major contributions to the architectural philosophies of the late 1920s and 1930s as artistic director of the Werkbund-sponsored Weissenhof project and as Director of the Bauhaus, working together with other famed architects, such as lead Bauhaus architect, Walter Gropius.

SIDE NOTE: Bauhaus is a German expression meaning house for building. In 1919, the economy in Germany was collapsing after a crushing war. To help rebuild the country and form a new social order, Bauhaus was born. Its design uses the principles of Classical architecture, in its purest form, free of ornamentation of any kind. Bauhaus buildings have flat roofs, smooth facades, and cubic shapes. Colors are white, gray, beige, or black. Floor plans are open and furniture is functional, further demonstrating Mies’s concepts of “skin & bones” architecture.

When asked why he created chairs with generously sized seats,

Mies van der Rohe allegedly replied that

he designs chairs he’d be most comfortable sitting in 

The United States has a love-hate relationship with Mies van der Rohe. Some say that he stripped architecture of all humanity, creating cold, sterile and unlivable environments. Others praise his work, saying he created architecture in its most pure form.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Meeting Mies on Monday... His furniture.