At Ascend, we introduced the Ultron 2010 color folio, Where Colors Collide.  If you’re familiar with our annual color forecast presentation, you’ll know that Ann compiles a palette of colors she believes will be used in products in the coming 12 -18 months.

This palette evolves over months of observation and study, participation in Color Marketing Group workshops, European trade shows and that innate instinct for color my friend Ann is so well known for.  The palette for the 2010 forecast contains a large segment of  “color infused neutrals” complemented by two palettes of accents.  One is a rich classic grouping and the second is a bright mid tone palette.

Once Ann finalizes the palette, we then begin the process of creating a theme in which to present our forecast.  This year, we went on location to  explore the famous Fiber Arts Trail that meanders through Central and Northern New Mexico. 

With the forecast colors in hand, as seen below, we began our adventure collecting photos that best depicted those colors in the local landscapes and cultures. 

Take a look at one of our visuals from the opening of the presentation. 

For future posts, I’ll ask Ann to walk us through the presentation but first, she’ll explain a bit more about the trend for color infused neutrals, what does this mean and how has it evolved.         Marianne

 

Ascend Performance Material’s Ultron carpet fibers is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Doc Award competition, an annual competition that honors outstanding achievement in the field of contract interior design and carpet product design. 

In the product category, winners include:  Constantine Commercial, Great Performance, Calhoun, GA; Mannington Commercial, Echo, Calhoun, GA ;  J&J/ Invision, Stacked, Dalton, GA;  Karastan Contract, Drift, Kennesaw, GA;  Bentley Prince Street, Charles River Redux, City of Industry, CA.  

In the design project category, winners include:  ID Studios, Inc., Sony Media Software & Services, Solana Beach, CA;  Hickok Cole Architects, Blackboard, Inc, Washington, DC;   Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle Ltd.,  Valspar Corporation Headquarters, Minneapolis, MN; Farnsworth Group, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, CIS Denver District Office, Peoria, IL. 

The following firms will receive Honorable Mentions:  Perkins & Will, Mullin TBG, Los Angeles, CA; Carson Guest, Record Center,  Atlanta, GA;  Gensler, Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. San Diego, CA; Gensler, Mayer Brown LLP, Washington, DC.

Founded in 1988 as a means to recognize outstanding achievement in contract design, the Doc Awards honor contract projects that orchestrate color, space, form, function and materials with consummate finesse.  This year, winners in both categories were featured on the brand new Doc Awards web site and rated by numerous web users in various categories.  Winners were selected according to their overall ratings.  Click Here to view all 2009 Doc Award winners.

I first saw a great deal of interest in felted fabrics last year at the Maison Objet show in Paris, and at that point identified this as possibly a significant design trend.  So when a major exhibit at the high profile Cooper Hewitt Museum was scheduled, it peeked my interest even more.  

Cooper Hewitt Museum

While visiting the Fashioning Felt Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City, I gained a new appreciation for the many uses for this material and it’s long history as an art form.  This exhibit featured felted textiles as works of art and fashions, but also as architectural materials.  We think of felt as an aesthetic material, but it can serve specific technical functions as well.

But first some felt history– 

The definition of this word is very interesting–it is both a noun and a verb.  As a noun, it is described as a cloth made of natural or synthetic fiber created through the application of heat, moisture, and pressure. 

felted flowers-Maison Objet

As a verb, it means to handle or touch in order to examine.  Felt is both a design material and the process by which that material is constructed.  Thus, I love the pun–”might it be felt”?

felted stones

Earliest forms of felt were used by nomadic tribes while traveling the legendary routes through Mongolia, China and Turkey not only as clothing, but also as portable tents called “yurts”.

Felt has a unique history as both a medium for craft and for industry.  It can be constructed thin and transparent as well as thick and dense. 

recycled materials

Felt can be constructed firm enough to literally be carved with a saw, just like wood.  Notice this rug, on left, and how it resembles stacked stone.  It can be made in sheets or can be as diverse as 3 dimensional shapes like furniture. 

Felted materials saw it’s first wave of interest in the fiber arts movement of the 1970’s.  This era served as the catalyst for a great deal of field research over the past 3 decades.  Thus a renewed awareness of intergrating traditional craft

felted scarfs

techniques with design  — and a concern for sustainability, have inspired many artisits to revisit this medium.  This interest combines the new technology of tools and synthetic dyes with traditional handcraft.  Many artists feel that felt is perceived as a truly authentic material.

At the Fashioning Felt exhibit,  several of the apparel pieces were crafted directly onto body forms.                                               

felted apparel

They utilized a combination of natural fibers–wool, silk and cotton.  When we take a closer look at the combinations of these various fibers, they create some interesting  contrasts of luster and texture.  These are similar to the looks we try to emulate currently in the development of new textile products. 

The exhibit featured textiles not only as works of art but also as architectural materials. 

interior walls

The interior walls of the museum conservatory were draped with this beautiful hand made textile and gave one the feeling of being inside a huge sheer tent.  Each wonderful crafted piece of fabric was unique in pattern and subtle coloration.

Felt has an appeal to designers who don’t normally work in textiles.  It can be cut without fraying and therefore requires no finishing.   And even more appealing, felt can be made from partially or fully recycled materials.  The remnants or by products can be remade into multiple other products. 

rug

Pictured, left, is the Little Field of Flowers Rug, designed by Studio Tord Boontje,  shown recently at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. 

Designer Gaetano Pesce used high density felts to create his Cassina chair, which blurrs the lines between structure and upholstery.  Felt can also be used for sound absorbing ceiling or wall panels.

The exhibit also featured audiovisuals that walk the visitor step by step through the process of feltmaking.  One that is still somewhat primative in nature.  The exhibit closes very soon but if you missed seeing it, be sure to order the overview book from the Cooper Hewitt Museum store–it’s a worthwhile investment.                  Ann

Meet Laura Compton, Director of Design & Development for J+J/Invision.  Laura’s work as a carpet designer only scratches the surface of her wealth of talent but more about that later.  Laura’s road to carpet design literally began on the road.  With an Interior Design degree from LSU  in hand, and her loom on top of her Toyota, she traveled the roads of the southeast doing trunk shows at clothing boutiques, weaving the cloth and sewing original designs, as well as actually weaving the garments.  In the beginning her fiber of choice was wool she dyed with natural dyes.  The Southern appetite for woolens was limited so she added cotton to her line using natural and pre-dyed fiber.  Laura was intrigued with the dye process and with her natural appetite for learning, she enrolled in graduate school to learn more about dyeing, earning a Master’s degree in Textiles, also at LSU.       

Laura describes herself as a fiber artist and I will tell you that term is used in the broadest sense of the term - as Laura says, she has grazed on a variety of fiber art mediums all of her life but she focuses most of her creative talent and energy on weaving, dyeing, felting, and knitting. 

Laura is inspired by the way things feel - if you could only use one word to describe Laura it would be tactile - her hands are never idle…..I think Laura sees with her hands as much as with her eyes!  She has a exceptional sense for combining materials, sometimes different mediums, and beautiful color combinations to create fascinating textures.  Her artist’s vision and fundamental understanding of the process, along with years of experience result in one of a kind art.  The nice thing about Laura’s art is that much of it is functional - like Lisa Zerkowitz, she believes functional things should be beautiful. 

On the day Laura and I met she had several pieces to show me, each an illustration of her talent in a variety of mediums.  My favorite was a felted piece that combined multiple kinds of wool fiber in a variety of textures, along with beading. 

In another felted piece Laura had integrated crochetted roping as the center focal point for a very interesting effect.    

Laura’s woven pieces are beautiful by nature of the patterns, color combinations and yarns she uses.  One particular piece she showed me had also been felted giving it an even more interesting depth of texture.

My favorite piece……in fact it’s the wallpaper on my computer now…..is this beautiful woven piece in rich red, orange and gold.

At J+J/Invision Laura uses machines as her medium to develop constructions that not only perform well in contract applications, but provide interior designers with a carpet that lends a unique sense of style and design to the space.  Not surprisingly she loves building the yarn - combining different textures, plys, twist levels, and lusters to achieve different effects.  The result is some of the most beautiful products in the market with a signature look and feel.  Laura works with a talented group of young product designers who call her the “creative force” in their studio! 

 Laura has a passion for education.  She says, ”…you may not always know how to do something, but with a good education you know where to go to figure out how to do it.”  Every time I see her she has either been to, or is going to a workshop.  She always attends Convergence - a bi-annual conference where fiber artists from all over the world gather to attend workshops, studio classes and seminars.  She also reads fiber art magazines to stay up to date on trends and style  - Handwoven, Fiber Arts, Shuttle, Spindle & Dye Pot, to name a few.   Laura’s favorite fashion trend of the moment is the use of natural fibers and textures.   

Much like our heroine in The Blood of Flowers, Laura was exposed to creativity at a young age.  Her grandmother was an interior designer and her workshop was a wonderland of fabric scraps.  Encouraged by their parents, she and her sisters were always busy doing something with their hands - sewing, paper mache, knitting - and she says that according to her parents, everything they made was beautiful!   The handmade purses and decorative banners of her childhood have become the sought after works of art of her adulthood.  We consider ourselves very fortunate indeed to have Ultron carpet fiber associated with this fiber artist’s work! 

Marianne Cone    

Shuttle, Spindle & Dye Pot magazine; Handwoven magazine; Fiber Arts magazine; Convergence

 

In our previous posting on ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), we covered the special Japan by Design exhibit.  Be sure to check it out for insight on the Japanese elements of design, those that include serenity, movement and shadow.  This posting will feature some of the cool new furnishings we discovered at the show.

 

Laser Cut Design

Laser cut designs were seen in many products, like the table to the left. These designs provide a dimensional effect to the piece by allowing another color to show underneath.  When indirect lighting (shown to the right) is used, interesting shadow play can be seen, thus reinforcing the Japanese design element of  -shadow.

A wall covered in colorful puzzle pieces caught my eye,  note below.  When that same  photo is  re-imaged, it becomes an interesting relief or embossed textural design.

Chilewich products were first seen in home interiors in the form of tabletop design.  They now are moving into wall and floor coverings.             

Tracy Glover studio

 

 

Glass artist, Tracy Glover displayed beautiful one of a kind hand blown glass lamps.  She offers several solid and multicolor  combinations in both table and floor lamps as well as decorative art glass.  Be sure to check out her site,  tracygloverstudio.com. 

Nature Revisited

 

European trend forecaster Milou Ket presented several new color trends.  They included Cross Cultural, Nature Revisited, Bright Kaleidoscope, Flights of Fancy, Ochre and Ethnic trend categories. http://milouket.com.

                                                                                                                                                 

Materials do matter at this show!  Many of the furnishings were made from composites and 

re-purposed combinations.  Metal, wire  and synthetics were recreated into new  products.     

Wire Lamps

Coiled Pattern

 

Wire was a dominate material.  It was found in lamps and seating.  The coiled pattern translated to the design trend for the show:  Circles and more circles!

 

    

Metal Finishes

 

Recycled Materials

 What a great chair!  Notice the hand rubbed metal patina on the arc shaped chair arm.

 

Furniture made from recycled materials- with yes- more circles! 

 

Finally, check out this laser cut chair in a metallic finish.  Even the geometric shapes had a softer edge! 

Design Student Winner

 That’s  a synopsis of the show this year. 

ICFF/ SURTEX 2009

 Watch for my next post on the Fashioning  Felt Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.                 Ann                       

Have you been to any farmer’s markets this summer?  You know…..where the fruit and vegetables are so fresh the blueberries still wear the morning dew, and youcatch the fragrance of strawberries picked that morning?  As you walk the aisles you’re thinking of grilled vegetables, fish and just the right chardonnay and you imagine a simple but elegant summer dessert of raspberries in a  rich sherried cream sauce.  

And what of the colors in the farmer’s market?  Ann spends a lot of her time studying color and she talks a lot about color combinations.  When I visited a market recently the colors were vivid……and all natural!  The combinations were stunning.  For example the dark aubergine and green of the red leaf lettuce…kind of interesting to think of a spot of that red in a green color palette, or the combination as an accent to a warm neutral palette. 

And speaking of combining spring green with other colors - fresh lavender is a wonderful combination of blue and green.  I found a pretty combination of green and blue elsewhere at the market in a display of sugar snap peas - the color of the pea pods was complemented by the container in which they were displayed.

What about the dark red of Bing cherries compared to the combination of yellow and red in the Rainier cherry?  I can visualize a Rainier interior with a creamy warm palette accented with red.

I found another beautiful yellow and red combination in these Asiatic lillies.

 When I have the chance to visit a farmer’s market I remember the effect of long distance commercial transportation and refrigeration!  No matter how well merchandized the produce department at the local grocery store may be, it just cannot capture the essence of the farmer’s market….the fragrance, the deep, rich color, and the knowledge that the products were on the vine that very morning!  It’s August now and the colors of summer will fade soon, but not the memories…..especially if we find ways to capture summer in our design palettes!        Marianne

ICFF Show 2009

Welcome to our overview of ICFF and Surtex shows in NYC.  ICFF is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and Surtex, a show for surface design held each spring at the Javits Center in New York City. 

In this first posting, we’ll feature the highlight of this year- the Japan by Design exhibit.  It was one of serenity, movement and shadow.  This exhibit was created to focus on the “kansei” value.            

Japan by design

Kansei is design’s appeal to the human sensibilities and the emotions it evokes.  It appealed to all audiences through product displays and visual installations.  I found these vignettes to be very thought provoking and inspiring.  Clean lines, simplicity of materials and function were the focus but also carried throughout the entire show.

The first element is to arrange space.  This refers to the action of creating a spatial framework and arranging objects esthetically.  The Japanese take great pleasure in contemplating this well oredered appearance. 

Whether arranging large spaces like houses, gardens, tea pavillions or miniature spaces like table arts or stationery, they must be harmonious with their surroundings. 

The next element–Appearance–references an object’s being in everyday space.  The Japanese appreciate an object that is properly positioned

vacuum cleaner

as well as the appropriate size and proportion, as seen in this vacuum cleaner.  Japanese homes have little storage space, so why not make appliances look like an interesting piece of furniture. 

Another element–Lightness–with the movement from light to shadow, objects become less clear and the edges seem to almost vanish.  The perfect example was seen in irregular shaped floor lamps made from washi paper.

Kotori lamp

Kotori lamps have a tradition of creating beautiful lamps for over 150 years.  Their products offer a fusion of traditional art and modern design.

The next Element is Texture—Kime–originally referred to the veins of a tree.  Today it references the delicate surface of an object and it’s tactile quality. 

Mottai–refers to the essential value, or the essence and substance of an object.                                                                  

Oru–to fold–consists of folding a flat surface to create free hand designs.  School children are taught the art of origami at an early age and designs often passed down through families.  

         Note this fabric that “appears” to be folded.

mushroom stool

  The mushroom stool was first recognized with a design award in 1961.    It’s still a classic, contemporary piece almost 50 years later!                                              

bamboo tea wisk

Shinaru–to bend–utilizes materials like bamboo and wood.  Can you guess what this might be?  They are bamboo tea wisks–the wisk can determine how the tea tastes.  Using techniques dating from the 1300’s, they are trimmed, aged, and hand carved with a knife to create the fine wisps of wood. 

mangrove chair

The mangrove chair resembles the roots of the mangrove tree, and is unique seating for indoors or out.

The final element is Habuku–to eliminate the superfluous–or reducing the physical characteristics of an object, such as weight or surface area, yet not affecting it’s function.

Watch for our next post where we continue exploring fabrics and furniture from the ICFF show -               Ann Hurley

Before my friends and I visited Seattle recently another friend recommended we see the Seattle Central Library for it’s architectural interest…..a great recommendation!  Our window of opportunity was Sunday morning before the library opened and although we didn’t get to see the interior, the exterior was a visual feast of angles and shadows.

Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, OMA and his U.S. partner Joshua Prince-Ramus the critically acclaimed library opened in 2004 on Fourth Avenue.  Tucked among high rise buildings it’s tough to get a sense for the full impact of the building unless you’re almost a block away but when you do, the stacked trapezoids that make up the structure seem to be awkwardly top heavy - seemingly ready to topple at any moment!  In fact,  the exterior steel structure is designed to withstand the lateral force of wind and earthquake.

The diagonal steel grids hold individual panels of glass - 9,994 pieces of exterior glass to be exact.   All of the interior and exterior glass in the library would cover five and a half football fields.  About half of the glass panels are triple layered with an expanded metal mesh sandwiched between the two outer layers to reduce heat and glare.  From the exterior those panels appear opaque but from the interior the glass is clear, bringing the outdoors in.

The structure is unique by any standard - the building and its creators, Koolhass and Prince-Ramus, have gained worldwide approval as well as official commendation for both form and function - some experts have deemed the library a masterpiece of modern architecture.  For me the real interest is in the effect of the structure - the way the cantilevered platforms provide a shady spot to enjoy a cup of coffee on a sunny Sunday morning, the diamond patterned shadows cast on the sidewalk by the steel grid, and the way the skin mirrors the buildings and activity of the surrounding neighborhood from a distance, but is open and welcoming up close - I think that’s a nice personality trait for a public building.                Marianne  

I was catching up on a stack of magazines last week and ran across an interesting article in the April issue of  Traditional Home - True Blue, A Malian Artisan Keeps an Ancient Indigo Textile Tradition Alive.  The article caught my eye with photographs of the beautiful, rich blue of Aboubakar Fofana’s textile designs.  He uses indigo in his dyeing, following and keeping alive a tradition that dates to the 11th century in Mali.  Aboubakar is part of  Design Africa - “a visionary initiative dedicated to showcasing and supporting Africa’s leading designers.  Design Africa aspires to create a new impression of African design among international buyers and to assist a select portolio of pan-African designers to reach their commercial potential.” [www.designafrica.ca]

While doing the research for the Ultron  2009 Color Presentation, To Dye For, we learned a lot about indigo dyeing.  Used as a dye since ancient times, Indigo was first grown in the U. S. in the 1600’s by Virginia settlers.  They grew frustrated at their unsuccessful attempts to mass cultivate and process indigo and had all but given up when a young woman named Eliza Lucas moved from the French West Indies, where indigo was a well established crop, to South Carolina.  Eliza became interested in the culitivation of indigo, obtained seeds from the West Indies and after two failed growing seasons, produced a successful crop in 1744.  We love that it was a woman who taught us how to cultivate indigo in the U.S!

When “Carolina Indigo” first appeared in England it caused quite a stir.  Parliment offered a bonus on indigo imported from the British colonies, motivating the Southern planters - many of them earned considerable profits, sometimes doubling their capital in as little as four years.

In the mid-1800’s Adolf von Baeyer  began research on the synthesis of indigo and twelve years later discovered a lab method to create and commercially produce indigo dye.  Synthetic indigo soon replaced natural indigo due to the consistant quality and color it produced.  

I think that’s OK for jeans, but I love the blues that come from the traditional craft dependent on the indigo plant, secret recipes, and individual craftmanship - the blues found in the rich artisanal quality of  textiles such as Aboubakar’s.   

Marianne

Meet Jackie Dettmar, V.P. Commercial Product Development & Design for The Mohawk Group.  Like the heroine in  The Blood of Flowers,  Jackie’s love of color and yarns, and her gift for design, lead her into a part of the carpet manufacturing world previously dominated by men.

Jackie’s parents instilled in her the idea that she would be well employed and well able to take care of herself if she pursued science.  Always strong on the right AND left sides of her brain, when the time came, away she went in pursuit of a Textile Science degree at N.C. State University - something that would combine her love of materials and weaving, with science.  In her first job out of college at Fieldcrest Cannon she was the first female management trainee in manufacturing, and would later become the first female superintendent  when she was named superintendent of weaving.

Her time in manufacturing has served her well in a variety of product design roles.  She believes her eight years of manufacturing experience gave her the foundation she needed to design and develop carpet in the most logical, economical, efficient way.  She takes great pleasure in combining her knowledge and experience, as well as the discipline of manufacturing, with her design expertise to create products that maximize the use of the machinery….products that utilize looms and tufting machines in new and more creative ways, while maintaining manufacturing efficiencies.  Jackie says she “has a passion for figuring out how to do something in the best way possible.  Technical expertise allows you to use creativity to get the best results.”  In the carpet business Jackie walks a line between the world of manufacturing and the creativity of product design….rather than being torn by the different disciplines she embraces both, is energized by the synergy and admittedly, has flourished!

Working with the Ralph Lauren group to develop floor covering products for Mohawk, Jackie had the opportunity to work with something she has a passion for - wool yarns.  She helped develop different yarn types and dyes to achieve just the right look and feel for the products.  She also gained a great deal of respect for the way in which the RL organization has influenced design trends in so many different areas from home furnishings to fashion - all by having the discipline throughout the organization to execute the Ralph Lauren vision.

What inspires Jackie?  She is a keen observer of the world and is still inspired by yarns, fabrics and materials.  As the mother of a teenager she is fascinated by the youth culture and how they discover and adopt new technology - how they see things  in a whole new perspective.

Color is an inspiration for Jackie.  She loves putting colors together for just the right effect.  She pays close attention to runway fashion and is a student of style - the current bulky silhouette is very interesting to her.  The color of the moment for Jackie?  Purple!  On the day I visited with Jackie she was wearing a pair of very fashionable open toe shoes with purple nail polish!

Jackie is also intrigued by the renewed interest in the arts and crafts movement because for her, it shows there is real value in the craft and it is a turn back to the local thought process.  She is inspired by what an individual can create.  There is a basket in Jackie’s office that was made many years ago by a lady who worked for Jackie in manufacturing.  The lady saved  and used plastic strapping material for her baskets - Jackie’s basket is a keepsake and and a reminder of what the individual can do. 

Jackie has certainly been a trail blazer for women in the carpet industry, and in particular for the product designer.  She believes there is real art in carpet making and is a strong advocate for the product designer as artisan.  It is indeed an honor to be associated with Jackie!

Marianne