I think most of us think of Finland has having been around forever. Not so (go ask the Swedish and the Russians). Anyway, let’s all help Finn Style celebrate. Happy Birthday! Here are some new and favorite things.
Heikki Orvola, the designer of his 24h dinnerware, is considered one of the driving forces in Finnish design. These dishes (I love the color combination) was awarded the Design Plus Award in 1997.

Aino Aalto originally called the glass collection that carries her name Bölgeblick. Iitalia has released a set of four tumblers to celebrate the 75th anniversary of her design.

I’ve always loved this block lamp, designed by Harri Koskinen. This truly unique design has been part of the Museum of Modern Art New York collection since 2000. Now the lamp comes in three cord color options: white, red and black.

Here’s a story I love. It’s even true. To paraphrase from Swank Lighting’s site:

The Edward P. Paul Company originally imported these high-end lamps from the finest Venetian glass houses. They were marketed under the BALBOA trade name and were sold exclusively at their New York City store.

Changing tastes and mass production techniques in the 1970s compelled the Edward P. Paul Company to focus fully on their gilded iron furniture business, leaving hundreds of lamps crated, untouched and all but forgotten in an east coast warehouse.

When [Swank owners] Ed and Doug came upon what can only be described as a 20th Century archeological find, they purchased the entire contents of the warehouse. They took seven months to uncrate these timeless works of art from Murano and Venetian craftsmen. They then completely restored the lamps using UL Certified hardware.

Why don’t these things happen to me? Check out their site. Some of the lamps are still over the top. But as you can see, most are fantastic. One complaint, the guys really need to set their prices online. Come on guys, commit! Also, the shades could be better quality. But the lamps are wonderful.

Detroit is going through some difficult times right now. But one thing we’ve always had going for us is a great sense of design and a fearlessness when it comes to the avant garde. Even if the corporate culture got the best of the auto companies for a while, there were always talented designers fighting to keep the dream alive.

For any of you who think of Detroit as backward, take a look at this office designed in 1956. How forward looking could a company be?

The office, with its streamline design, cherry wood , and aluminum accents, was designed by Eero Saarinen specifically for Harley Earl, then General Motors’ head of global design. The tradition has been passed down to every design chief. The current occupant is Ed Wellburn (top photo).

I think this is the coolest office ever. Except for Martha Stewart, who wouldn’t want to work here? I think they’ve probably replaced the original phone (too bad - see middle photo - so awesome), but the rest is original. It seems that Wellburn’s daily surroundings are beginning to rub off. Check out the new Camaro, set for release in 2009.

Here’s a bench I adore. It turns boat design on its head. This won first prize at last year’s Concorso Internazionale. This is just my personal opinion (because this is my blog), but I think this bench will become an iconic design. It’s so perfect. From what I read (in my awful Italian), it won the prize as a prototype, so I don’t know if it’s in production. Can anyone update me?

Bravo to Danish architect, Friso Dijkstra. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

UPDATE:  It actually is in a limited production with the Italian company, Morelato in Cerea.

Today’s chair looks like a lot of fun. It was designed by Ron Arad in 2001, and is manufactured by Magis. I’m sure you can find it in the US, but a friend of mine from Norway sent me this link. Thanks Maria! It’s a happy chair. And lots of fun for kids.

One of the first posts I wrote when I started Design Hole was on Imagine Tile. They take photographic images and apply them to tile. So, you get images of grass, pebbles and water, etc. Here’s a photo from the TV show, Cane,” using Imagine’s water tile. Water on the wall? Why not.

I don’t actually like this design so much (setting the tile aside). The sinks look like doctored up IKEA sinks. They should send this over to IKEA Hacker. Moreover, it looks more like a child’s bathroom than an adult’s. Hey, just my opinion. What’s your’s. I think this is supposed to be some big cocaine dealer’s bathroom (I haven’t watched the show). Huh? Where’s the overdone Italianate marble?

Here’s a great gift site just in time for the Holidays. It’s called 504 Invites. This small stationery company is run by Natalie, who I met at the Holiday Mart from a few weeks ago. Natalie is an architect by trade, and started the business as a way to keep herself busy while she’s taking time off to raise her 2 kids.

I think her designs are amazing and her prices are fantastic. Here’s a teacher gift a teacher can actually use. Check out the matchbox note cards - so cute and only $8.00 each. You get your choice of ribbon and she’ll print whatever you want. The best part of her line is the packaging. It’s perfection. Tell Natalie that Jennifer from DH sent you!

Yoohoo, Misterarthur (r)! You claimed in a recent guest post that all men think alike when it comes to decorating. What’s the use of having a chair if you can’t use it both indoors and out? Award-winning German designer, Eric Degenhardt, was recently asked to redesign Bauhaus “native“Herbert Hirche’s lounge chair. The chair was originally designed in 1953, but was never produced.

Degenhardt, “took it out of its original context - found a high-tech fabric - with a lotus leaf effect - sprayed the tube base with a coating for car bodies and put it into the garden.”

This chair is so beautiful, it would look great in anyone’s living room. So Misterarthur, here’s a chair that looks great and has the two-function utility every man is looking for in a piece of furniture. Plus, I think the lack of camo will even keep the ladies happy. Peace in the Valley at last. You can find this piece at Richard Lampert.

The modular carpet tile company, FLOR, is launching its annual sale this week. I have Twiggy in my office and love it. I’ve also specified it to some of my clients. I find it’s best for contemporary settings, kitchens, hallways, and mud rooms. The benefit with FLOR is that if it gets dirty you can pick up the tile and wash it in the sink.

If you’re interested in buying anything from FLOR I can offer you an extra 10% discount. Just email me with the style(s) you’re considering and I’ll have the samples sent to your home. You have to return them (that’s free of charge). If you’d like to place an order just let me know.

Check out their site and go the the sale site. If you have any questions, you can email me or call FLOR directly.

UPDATE: Shipping is free.

It seems that Misterarthur left a week early. Porche and Poggenpohl have teamed up to create a Man Kitchen. Poggenpohl says, “Our kitchen P’7340, is a minimalist tribute to the increasing number of men showing an interest in kitchen and cuisine.” The new kitchen will release this Summer, 2008.

“Our co-operation with Porsche Design enabled us to design a kitchen whose sleek and functional design language specifically addresses male customers,” says Elmar Duffner, managing director of Poggenpohl. Anyone named Elmar must know what he’s talking about. The kitchens come complete with Meile appliances (good for heating things up I guess) and, of course, a state of the art audio/visual system . Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?

You’ll be happy to know that artist/photographer Darlene Shiels dropped a line to let me know that she is updating her site to showcase her new work, which is exemplary. The best thing I like, speaking as a designer, is that you can order her prints, and photographs in any size you like. Look for her name under Resources and tell her Jennifer at DH sent you.

It’s amazing how quickly technology changes. I think of lighting as an example. You can program your lights to dim or turn off at certain times, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes technology can get the best of us. Here’s a funny case in point from Instapundit, and written by Glenn Reynolds. Enjoy.

TECHNOLOGY THAT DOESN’T WORK: We’ve been in DC, investigating the MRSA outbreak — we brought plenty of hand sanitizer — and the hotel we’re staying in features the Miconic 10 elevator system, where you enter your floor number instead of just pushing “up” or “down” and the system routes the elevators for maximum efficiency. Except that it doesn’t work. Wait times have been as much as 15 minutes. Plus, one poor woman rushed to get into our elevator as it was heading up, only to realize that — since there are no floor-selection buttons in the elevators themselves — she was just stuck there until she could get off at another floor and select her destination there. Plus, there’s something slightly disturbing about the lack of any controls in the elevator — it’s the “spam in a can” approach to interfloor navigation, or something. I’ve used these systems in big skyscrapers (the Hearst building has them) and they seem to work there, but in this hotel, it’s pretty much sucked.