Arne Norell : Sumptuous Seating
Post-war designer Arne Norell, was born in Åsele, Sweden in 1917. In 1954, Norell opened a small furniture workshop in Stockholm and by 1958 he launched his eponymous manufacturing company, Møbel AB Arne Norell, still active today, with his work being carried on by his daughter and son-in-law. His company is set upon a two-acre […]
William Haines: Halcyon Days of Hollywood
Designer William “Billy” Haines (1900-1973) was a classic renaissance man. Beginning his career as an actor in the early days of Hollywood, Haines with his boy-next-door good looks, starred in many films both silent and sound, becoming the number-one box office star of 1930. After leaving the film industry in 1936, he opened an antique […]
MARCO ZANUSO: PLUSH PIECES OF JOY
Italian architect and designer, Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) born in Milan, was one of the postwar designers shaping the international idea of “good design.” After receiving his degree in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, he began his career as an architect, designer and city planner. Additionally, Zanuso was editor-in-chief of Domus magazine, the preeminent publication […]
Cees Braakman: Aesthetically Functional
Dutch designer Cees Braakman (1917-1995), born in Utrecht is best known for the strong influence he had on furniture design in the Netherlands. Beginning his career at the age of 17, he began working for the furniture manufacturer UMS Pastoe. At the time, his father was the company’s head draftsman and manager. Inspired by the […]
MARIO BELLINI: Sleek and Sophisticated
Mario Bellini, born in Milan in 1935 is one of the leading designers in postwar Italian style, his furniture is considered in the postmodern genre. He attended the Politecnico di Milano for a degree in architecture and graduated in 1959. In 1963, he began his own practice, Studio Bellini. That same year, Bellini was hired […]
SERGIO RODRIGUES : Beautifully Brazilian Seating
Born in Rio de Janeiro into a family of prominent Brazilian artists and intellectuals, Architect / Designer Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) is considered one of the most important influential Brazilian designers. As a contemporary of modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer and Brasilia, with whom he also worked, he pioneered Brazilian industrial design, making his work known worldwide. […]