Capellini put on a wonderful show
I was really impressed by Capellini‘s exhibit. Among the first things you see are products of Capellini Love, an eco-sustainable design project that also leverages artisan traditions from countries with, as Capelllini puts it, “fragile” economies. Made under the design direction of Stephen Burks, recycled materials are made into tables, like these made in Africa from recycled paper.
This lovely bowl is made from bits of recycled glass embedded into clear latex. (Other colors are available. And the bowl is flexible, too.
Cappellini, however, is clearly about more than Kumbayayying. They showed a nifty set of powder coated folding metal chairs, in lots of bright colors. (They’re pretty light, too.) While they’re primarily designed for outdoor use, there’s no reason they couldn’t be used inside, as well.
Here’s what one looks like folded.
As you can tell, the folded version is practically two-dimensional.
The second day out, I’m noticing a lot of powder-coated steel. (And etched steel, and aluminum). Yesterday I spotted a fantastic orange steel table designed by Konstantin Grcic at ClassiCon, and there were beautiful black and white models (not by Grcic) at Cappellini. The tops were very smooth and felt almost soft to the touch.
The photo doesn’t do it justice, I’m afraid. Cappellini had a number of items contructed with a proprietary technique that allows each piece (they showed tables, chairs and lamps) to have its own individuality. The blue chairs pictured below have slight differences in the seat back that my photo may show off to advantage. The blue probably looks sketch, too. Trust me, they’re very cool
All in all, it’s been a much more inspiring day today than it was yesterday. (Could be all the groovy guys ‘n’ gals managed to get their booths close together.)¬† Just so you know, there are 4 giant halls devoted just to modern furniture.
Meanwhile, send Jennifer an email if there’s something specific you’d like us to check out – or if there’s a manufacturer or designer you’d like us to cover. We’re happy to try and help.
