Furniture | July 16, 20092 Comments

Objects of desire: Leon Fitzpatrick

I got to know Leon Fitzpatrick when we were students at CCS together. We both won trips to the Salone in Milan. Instant bonding. I had to ask Leon to contribute to my on-going series which poses the question: what three things do you most admire or covet?

Leon is Australian born and globally raised. His family is comprised of Industrial Designers, Writers, Fashion Designers, Jewellers, Architects, Filmmakers, and Artists. Phew! So it was without much ado that Leon also entered the design field.

“The decision was made over an espresso in the family kitchen, and by the suggestion of my brother (his second piece of advice was “don’t
be an Architect”).”

Here are Leon’s three objects of desire:

Tendo Mokko Butterfly Stool by Sori Yanagi

There’s something really beautiful about a complex and thoughtful design process with a downright simple result. There’s surely a lot of amazing bent plywood furniture out there, but this little stool is one of those things that just stuck in my mind from the first time I saw it. The severely compound curvature took many years to perfect in the molding process, but I love the fact that it is simply two identical pieces pinned together; the epitome of traditional Japanese design that has been modernized without being contrived.

See Leon’s other picks after the jump.

Citroen SM

I love Citroen for many reasons…they broke the mold on timeless style and they had the innovation and technology to back it up. Yet how do you make a quirky French car quirkier? You put a Maserati engine in it of course…the result was the highly influential, spaceship-esque SM. The significance of car design is often misunderstood. It’s part of a constantly shifting and evolving landscape and is a part of our built environment, and for its short life span the SM had to be one of the coolest cars on the road.

Welder K-24

Details are important. I’d stick with simple interiors, classic cars and a somewhat understated wardrobe…which leaves good room for over-the-top accessories. The Welder K-24 is no exception. Keeping with the trend of big, chunky watches, its level of precision, depth and detail is stunning, creating a nice harmony between graphic and form. I’m also a fan of military inspired design; ruthless functionality often paves the way for awesome style.

Thanks Leon! He really is such a great guy. Leon is currently running a side business called Vegas Broke. The website is, of course, awesome. By the way, Leon is on the right on the homepage. Check out Vegas Broke’s line of mighty fine tees.