BEDROOM FURNITURE STYLE

The Furniture of Carlo Mollino (Monographs)

Carlo Mollino (1905-73), the son of a prominent engineer of the city of Turin, graduated with honors from the Royal School of Architecture in Turin in 1931. He joined his father's firm in the same year, only to leave to pursue an independent and highly original career in design and architecture seven years later. From the start, both his interests and personality set him apart from his contemporaries.

Influenced by the Second Futurism movement and the Surrealist avant-gardes, he was active in an impressive number of fields, including aeronautics, automobile design, art, photography, set design, town planning, furniture, interior decoration and architecture. Highlights from his architectural output include the headquarters of the Societa Ippica Torinese (1935-9) and the Teatro Regio Torinese (1966), both in Turin. Mollino was able to bring together various forms of expression through his profound artistic research. His furniture was based on organic shapes, such as tree branches, animal horns and the human body - the female profile figuring prominently in his design work. These pieces evolved from the appreciation of the shapes of Art Nouveau and the architect Antoni Gaudi, and were more expressive and sculptural than those being produced in Milan at the same time. Most of his furniture designs were site specific one-offs for especially commissioned interiors and were manufactured by the Apelli & Varesio joinery in Turin. This has ensured that these pieces are very rarely available on the market and are highly valued by furniture collectors, as proven by the recent sale at Christie's of one of Mollino's tables for the record price of $3.8 million.

Beyond the sculptural aesthetics of his furniture, his designs involved thorough research into materials and technology. He developed a complex construction technique whereby the structure seemed liberated by the weight of the material, as clearly seen in the glass and bentwood Arabesque table (1949), still in production by Zanotta. His famous interiors were richly decorated with fabric, used not only as upholstery but also as spatial device. He aimed to create architecture and interiors that could be manipulated by the user, as with the innovative lighting system for the Miller House (1937), which was mounted on a curving track and could be moved along the ceiling of the house. The Furniture of Carlo Mollino presents for the first time Mollino's complete furniture and interior design. Including drawings and archival photographs, it represents the most comprehensive record of this part of Mollino's production. Realized in collaboration with the Museo Casa Mollino and written by the Museum's curators Napoleone Ferrari and Fulvio Ferrari, this monograph emphasizes the contemporary significance of Mollino's groundbreaking oeuvre.

French home furnishings retailer Cafom SA has committed to purchasing all 38 Habitat stores from Hilco.

The store portfolio will include 27 stores in France, 6 in Spain and 5 in Germany. As part of the deal Cafom will also acquire the worldwide brands to the Habitat name outside of the UK and Ireland.

Cafom specialises in wooden furniture as well as kitchen appliances and electronic goods under the BUT and Conforama brands. Based in France, the company also runs overseas departments in Guadeloupe, Guyana and Dominican Republic.

“Cafom is a natural partner for the European arm of Habitat.” Hilco UK chief executive Paul McGowan told press: “With expertise in the sourcing and manufacture of many of the products offered for sale by Habitat, Cafom will be able to ensure the continued development of market-relevant products.

“Cafom will be able to focus the product offering on the European customer rather than the UK customer. This is a perfect match for the employees and customers of Habitat across Europe and we look forward to seeing CAFOM grow the business from the platform we have re-established.”

The sale remains subject to Works Council consultation and competition authority approval in France, and is likely to be completed before the end of August.

This ultra stylish European furniture store is a standing tribute to people who have too much money. Those two small black, tan, and chrome stools you see in the foreground cost $1700. Ikea this is not, and certainly no place for a student who spends all his money on photography and music.

A man can dream though can't he.

140701 - 26" Wide Stair/Hall Runner. This product is sold per linear foot. Only 30' can be ordered under the quantity tab at a time. If more is needed to fulfill your stair or hall runner, simply "continue shopping" and add the additional footage to your cart. You can describe what you need done to the runner at checkout, or a salesperson will be in touch with you when the order is completed. Easy to install on stairs using a staple gun. Perfect option for any long hallway. We will cut and ship your runner within 4-5 business days. All runners will come with FREE serging to cover both unfinished ends. Currently In Stock.