#throughdesigneyes

To stand out amongst the crowd is what most want.

Trends; they can sway us, but those unique designs and artful one-offs that don the stamp of the curator are the most coveted. To be perfectly clear, this is not about expensive labels. Rather the opposite, the most precious objects may be anonymous and valued for their curiosities in handworked imperfections. 

There are stories behind their forms. Some are crafted with the same skills and tools of the old masters. Others combine the artisanal with modern innovation. The special details, even within the simplest designs, are what defines them. 

In early spring, I discovered lovely brass cutlery on the top floor of a SoHo shop. Handmade in Japan and individually unique, they stood out in rich patina and delicate, seductive form. They reminded me of a set I own that I purposely leave tarnished. I place them on crisp white linens. The character and the luxury are undeniable.  

Each time I visit a design show I find myself hovering around the small and significant items and displays. Usually, I find them in the far corners of the exhibit halls a distance away from the big showcased brands. 

Black Thorn Vessel by Andrew Madvin Axiom Glass - Discovered at the Architectural Digest Show 2017 - Photo Credit: Axiom Glass

The fine craft and fine art sculpture of American artist, Andrew Madvin, present in limited edition. They were a standout for me at the Architectural Digest Show in NYC this year. His striking vessels appear to spring from geode clusters. They tilt and they poise in suspended animation. 

Known for their dedication to well-crafted and timeless designs, BDDW is a small American company that pays homage to the classics and traditional methods of the artisan. It’s one of my favourite shops in SoHo. Here I can find heirloom quality mixed with unique and often quirky statements from lighting to all manner of objets d’art. 

The ceramics of BDDW have a real history to them. The pieces are individually handcrafted out of a vein of clay that the owner, Tyler Hays, discovered while excavating near his Frankford Philadelphia ceramics studio. They dubbed it the Frankford Clay Pit and filled about 20 bathtubs of the artist’s found material before permanently sealing the pit. Created from this limited-quantity local clay, each beautiful mug is made in small runs. Unique and one-of-a-kind, the beauty of these pieces are also in their story.

If you’re wondering what the name BDDW stands for, I researched that. Apparently, Tyler took the name from a smokestack label that he could see out of his old factory window - so it actually doesn’t stand for anything. 

I prefer to say that it’s an acronym for ‘Beautiful Design Done Well’.  

Objects of history are, for me, among the most coveted. I can get lost in a delicate strand of gems and fretwork, imagining it in the gift box that sealed a romance. The legacy of finest handwork from times when craft was meticulous, time-consuming, and purposed is a gift that reminds us to cherish the skill and heart of the artisan. To while away the day in antique shops where the past is offered to us in patinaed display cases fills my creative soul like no other place can. 

I usually walk away with at least one coveted piece of long ago in a humble paper bag. 

This year’s IDS Vancouver greeted attendees with the sleek design sensibilities of Tokyo-based studios we+ and Design for Industry. It was the fourth year for the Exchange at the West Coast design show, where designers from diverse cultures make big statements. Exploring the Pacific: The Tokyo Exchange brought engagement to the west with the harmonic concepts of the east. The works resonated with balance, attention to detail, and remarkable artful expression set within an unobstructed booth of pure white and black. 

Something as simple as flower vases were turned into powerful objects that played with surroundings and the viewers' imagination. 

We+ embraced the concept of simple form and light with ‘Disguise’, a spherical vase design made of multiple layers of wax. Balanced on small LED-lit apertures within the table surface these magical globes with the most beautiful subtleties in texture begged to be explored. They were filled with life - the slightest vibrations creating illuminated ripples in the water.

Disguise by we+  photo credit - Regina Sturrock 

Disguise by we+  photo credit - Regina Sturrock

Disguise by we+  photo credit - Regina Sturrock

Design for Industry’s ‘Ridge’ vase is an expression of nature’s landscape -a scenic and horizontally-aligned arrangement. Like a flower bed or ridge, the long thin vase allows the organic sculpture within the sequence of plantings to be the statement. Its long, distinctive form in marble plays in sharp contrast to the splay of florals. 

Ridge by Design for Industry - photo credit - Regina Sturrock 

The layered shadows that danced across the white surface were as much part of the art as the physical object itself. 

Ridge by Design for Industry - photo credit - Regina Sturrock

The explorations of design through simple objects always leads to the main directive - beauty. 

These two flower vases were just a small part of the Tokyo Exchange installation. 

Drift by we+ - photo credit - we+ 

Drift, an amorphic clock of iron sand, ticked away in time through the power of magnetic attraction and porcelain Lighthouse candle holders were charming ‘shrunk-to-size’ objects made to be held in hands and marveled.

Lighthouse by Design for Industry - photo credit - Design for Industry