VCR Home Page Blog

Blu Dot Expands

2009-06-30T21:16:00.002-07:00

Minneapolis-based contemporary furniture distributor and manufacturer Blu-Dot defies the economic odds by announcing an almost doubling of its studio and operational workspace, as reported by the Business Journal.

Ikea Icons

2009-06-30T21:16:00.001-07:00

Stockholm's Liljevalchs konsthall Museum presents Ikea at Liljevalchs, an exhibition that showcases "a candid and entertaining exposition of the largest furniture and design phenomenon of all times," reviewed with images by the UK's Guardian. Show closes August 30.

Best of the Worst

2009-06-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

The OOPS Design Award Foundation website lists this year's nominations for its NOT honourable design awards that includes categories for the ugliest, silliest and most useless product "designs."

Going with the Grain Winners

2009-06-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Design 21 announces the winners of Going with the Grain, a competition to design a "compelling object" from a single sheet of FSC-certified plywood.

Eco Bright Chrome

2009-06-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

MIT's development of an eco friendly nickel-tungsten alloy and plating system to replace current chromium systems that use toxic chemical solutions is described by The Economist.

Office Optimism

2009-06-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Despite US office furniture giant Herman Miller releasing a May 30 (fourth quarter) 38 per cent drop in sales and 82 per cent drop in profits, company CEO Brian Walker told mlive.com that "the future is looking a little less choppy."

Solair Sensation

2009-06-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Globe and Mail profiles the Solar chair, designed in the early 1970s in Montréal by Fabio Fabiano and Michelange Panzini, that once sold through the Sear's and Eaton's catalogues and is now hyped at "retro chic" stores in Toronto.

VCR includes the Solair chair with 30 other classic designs in its History of Canadian Furniture Design.

LCA Workshop in San Francisco

2009-06-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Philip White and Terry Swack lead the ecodesign workshop Sustainable Minds incorporating Okala-based LCA criteria in San Francisco, July 10.

Donkey Details

2009-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Victoria & Albert Museum outlines the history of the Isokon Penguin Donkey Bookcase, designed by Jack Pritchard and Egon Riss in 1939. Though the outbreak of World War II curtailed production of the original to 100 units, London's Isokon Plus still produces it for £540.

More Canadian Closures

2009-06-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

A recent analysis made by VCR's companion website, Furniture Link Canada (FLC), found about 25 small- to medium-sized Canadian furniture manufacturers (or seven percent) listed in the directory had closed since FLC's similar analysis of May 2008. Some of these companies are listed above. Total closures in this group account for a loss of 750 jobs when calculated at an average of 30 employees per company.

Over the same time period, some of Canada's larger furniture manufacturers have been or are under court protection (including Shermag, DeFehr and Durham), or have consolidated their production facilities (including FDM Furniture and Palliser). FLC estimates that this restructuring resulted in at least an additional 2,000 job losses for a grand total of 2,750.

UK Eco Fair

2009-06-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Eco Directory lists sustainable furniture designers and manufacturers in the UK and also sponsors an Eco Fair at London's Old Truman Brewery July 27-28 June.

EU Eco Design

2009-06-18T11:30:00.002-07:00

The European Leonardo da Vinci program's new website provides training kits, case studies and library resources to assist manufacturers implement eco-design strategies.

Hard Treatments

2009-06-18T11:30:00.001-07:00

Wood for Good, a UK forest industry support group, gives a short list of wood densification technologies.

Eugene + Portland

2009-06-18T11:29:00.001-07:00

Three small design studios in Oregon produce innovative furniture:
+ Merkled
+ Studio Gorm
+ Sarah Houston

Eames Open House

2009-06-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Charles and Ray Eames Foundation offers tickets for its first annual fund raiser in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Eames House at the home of daughter Lucia Eames in Petaluma, California. June 21.

Seattle Exhibit

2009-06-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Design Seattle sponsors Ctrl+Alt+Design, the group's first Annual Design Review that includes furniture, lighting, home accessories and jewellery produced by 27 designers and collectives from Seattle and six other US cities. To July 12.

Not Following

2009-06-06T15:33:00.002-07:00

New York Times design critic Alice Rawsthorn sets the record straight on the source of the misquote "form follows function" and then outlines how digital electronics makes the phrase obsolete.

Shermag Sells Assets

2009-06-06T15:33:00.001-07:00

Furniture Today reports the Québec Superior Court approved the sale by public tender of assets of Quebec-based Shermag Inc. and subsidiary Jaymar Furniture.

ICFF Reviewed

2009-06-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

Helen Walters, editor of BusinessWeek.com's Innovation and Design Channel, gives her take on New York's 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair in this video.

In Memorium - Arthur Erickson

2009-06-06T15:30:00.002-07:00

The Canadian Architect gives details of the memorial service and reception to celebrate the life of renowned architect Arthur Erickson at Convocation Mall, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, on June 14.

EU Wanst Input

2009-06-06T15:30:00.001-07:00

Organizations and individuals can complete an online survey to assess Design as a driver of user-centred innovation, recently published by the European Commission.

Québec Design Exhibit

2009-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Toronto's Design Exchange hosts Québec in Design, an exhibition of works from the collection of the Musée national des beaux-arts de Québec that documents 75 years of design development in Québec. Opens June 29.

Hybrid Poplar Debate

2009-06-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Crosscut provides two opposing views on the environmental impact of hybrid poplar plantations by Daniel Jack Chasan (pro) and Todd Myers (con).

Free London Tour

2009-05-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

London's Metropolitan Works offers a free tour of its new digital manufacturing facilities including; laser cutting, 5-Axis CNC routing and a selection of rapid prototyping equipment. June 18.

Singapore Furniture Design Awards

2009-05-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Furniture Industries Council sponsors the young designers (under 35 years) category at this year's Furniture Design Awards. Deadline September 1.