Like many designers in the mid 20th century, Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) was an idealist and was focused on creating furniture that would not only stand the test of time in terms of quality but also inspire to design a home in a sensible and tasteful manner. His work was driven by social concerns, solving problems in residential living spaces with his studies in human proportions.
No. 1, 2018 (41H x 31W x 2D inches)
I’ve been following Louise Erhard’s work for several years now and I’m always so intrigued, not only with her artistic evolution but also, with the influences that have impacted her creativity. Her latest work, a series of erotic paintings, are product of research on mid-century color palettes, color block painting and abstract art.
Louise Erhard is a multidisciplinary artist, besides painting and drawings, she’s worked in photography, sculpture, and for the artistic form for which I learned about her work, collage. At an early age she learned to appreciate vintage finds. She grew up in her mother’s vintage clothing store and her father’s antique business. Her collage work includes many images taken from magazines from the 60s and 70s and today she still collects items from thrift stores and flea markets which contribute to her inspiration.
In her new series of paintings Louise Erhard plays on her past work, a common thread of themes combined with her passion for color theory and desire for a minimalist aesthetic. Playfulness, eroticism, and art history references beat like a pulse throughout each piece. Her upbringing in tropical South Florida and a nostalgia for the past are also reflected in her work. There is a sense of traditional conservatism built in her practice, however, mixed with contemporary sexual liberalism embraced in humor.
View more of Louise Erhard’s artworks available at The Empty Apartment here
“Always playing with physcological cause and effect, the color block nature of these works imply discovered narratives only after the viewer's eyes adjust, almost like a secret message.” - Louise Erhard
About Louise Erhard
Louise Erhard was born in Montclair, New Jersey in 1985. She attended Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. Her artwork has been part of group exhibitions curated by Jane Hart at the Arts and Culture Center in Hollywood, FL and by Beth Rudin de Woody at Gavlak Gallery, in Palm Beach, FL. Louise Erhard’s work has been featured on Grey Area. She has collaborated with design brands such as Print All Over Me and produced marketing and clothing campaigns for apparel brands such as American Apparel. She currently lives and works in Palm Beach, FL.
La silla Eames de fibra de vidrio, tiene el estilo y la versatilidad que estaba buscando para mi comedor con mis 2 pequeños comensales.
The Eames fiberglass chair has the style and versatility I was looking for in my dining room with my 2 little dinner guests.
Here at The Empty Apartment authenticity and proper documentation is what we strive for the most. No easy task when we are working with design pieces that were created more than 50 years ago and created for the purpose of everyday use. Here are some tips for finding documentation to preserve the historicity of your collectible piece.
SP El verano se ha pasado volando y con los niños de vuelta en la escuela me puedo dar unos lujos, que con tanta corrida, planes, amigos, piscina, no me lo permitieron en estas 11 semanas. Es algo que mi mamá llama: ¨pasear en la carroza¨ o soñar despierta. Aqui les va mi lista de piezas favoritas disponibles en Incollect y Chairish…/ EN Summer has flown by and with the kids back in school I can give myself some treats, that with so many errands, plans, friends, pool, I couldn´t in these 11 weeks. It's something my mom calls: "pacing in the carriage" or daydreaming. Here is my list of favorite pieces available in Incollect and Chairish…
Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist
Designed in 1958 by Swedish architect and designer Kerstin Horlin Holmquist for the department store NK and their Triva furniture line, the Paradise Collection is a crossroads between traditional Swedish design and Scandinavian modern inspired in one of the most popular stories in the Bible.
Ceci tells us about her favorite functional pieces to keep her kid’s belongings in order. What to look for and where to find them. Another bilingual post from The Empty Apartment.
Casa Bibi in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
A vacation home in the D.R. with some mid-century modern treasures
Case Study #22 house by Pierre Koenig in Los Angeles. Mid-Century Modern Architecture
Historic and functional the Case Study Ceramic planter is a timeless classic.
Algunos tesoros de Brimfield/ Some treasures from Brimfield
A few of the treasures we found at the Brimfield Antique Market and the unique history we were able to discover later.
A review on the book goodbye, things. Inspiration and reason to let go.
3 Days of Design sign in Copenhagen, Denmark
A couple highlights from my visit to this year’s 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Our Bilingual posts by Ceci Henrique can be read in Spanish and below in English.
ES
Desde que empezamos a trabajar juntas siempre me impresionó lo rápido que Lina hizo el click en su cerebro sobre el trabajo en equipo. Luego de ser durante mucho tiempo la mujer orquesta en The Empty Apartment, Lina con su perfil más artístico y yo con mi pragmatismo hemos desembocado en un balance inesperado.
Así es que cuando emprendimos el viaje a Nueva York yo estaba muy emocionada por ver las nuevas tendencias de la Feria Internacional de Muebles Contemporáneos (IFCC) y luego iríamos a Sight Unseen (Sitio Sin Haberlo Visto), una exposición de diseño.
Sight Unseen fue un vendaval. ¨¿Cómo? ¿Se puede vivir en el arte? Yo había oído muchas veces eso de que la obra está completa con el espectador. Pero esto, en que uno es parte de la obra, era algo de lo que Lina me venía hablando hace mucho tiempo, yo he ido a páneles donde ella expone sobre el tema, pero experimentarlo le dio una nueva perspectiva para mi.
El diseño artístico o arte funcional era algo que justamente por mi necesidad de encontrarle el uso práctico a las cosas me resultaba intrigante. La mayoría de los mortales consideramos que el arte o lo artístico es algo subjetivo y visceral y en el otro opuesto se encuentra el diseño aplicado a la funcionalidad.
Pues que revelación tan maravillosa descubrir que uno está equivocado. Todos necesitamos arte en nuestra vida. Es algo absolutamente intrínseco al ser humano. Seas consciente o no. ¿Acaso no escuchas música? ¿No tomas fotos? ¿No tienes aunque sea un cuadro en tu casa? Ya luego podemos discutir si es bueno o malo, feo, lindo, caro, barato, pero es indiscutible que son expresiones de las emociones humanas.
Me vi enfrente a una silla, que no parecía silla, era un arco de lino y de madera laqueada, con una especie de cojín flotante de gamuza y una columna de roble descentrada en la parte posterior, parecía una escultura y pues era una escultura, pero si, también era una silla.
La Silla pnKRck una colaboración de Kelly Nehun y Narciso Rodriguez
Que balance más extraordinario, yo siempre supe que el arte tiene un propósito, pero siempre lo relacioné con algo abstracto, social, político, de protesta, de manifiesto. Poder acceder a arte en el cual uno pueda vivir y no simplemente ser un mero espectador me hizo sentir especial.
Para mas informacion visite:
Una publicación de historias de Instagram, síguenos! Instagram @the_empty_apartment
EN
Since we started working together, I've been impressed in how quickly Lina made the switch to teamwork. After being a one-woman shop for quite some time, Lina with her artistic profile, together with my pragmatism has created an unlikely balance. When we took off to New York, I was very excited to see new tendencies at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), later we would visit Sight Unseen, a design exposition.
Sight Unseen was a whirlwind. What? You can live in art? I had heard many times that the artwork is completed by the spectator. But to be part of the work was something that I had heard Lina talk about a long time ago. I've gone to panel convos where she's spoken about this but to experience it was a new perspective for me.
The artistic design or functional art piece was exactly what I found intriguing due to my nature to find the pragmatic use of objects. The majority of us mortals consider art or the artistic to be something subjective and visceral, and on the other hand, there is applied design which is functional.
Well, the wonderful revelation to discover that you are wrong. We all need art in our lives. It is something absolutely intrinsic to human nature. Whether you are conscious or not. Don't you listen to music? Take photographs? Haven't you at least 1 artwork in your home? We can discuss later if it is good, bad, pretty, ugly, expensive, cheap, what is unarguable is that these are expressions of human emotion.
I found myself in front of a chair, that didn't look like a chair but an arch of linen and lacquer wood, with a floating suede cushion and an uncentered oak column. It looked like a sculpture and well it was, a sculpture, but also a chair.
The chair pnKRck is a collaboration between Kelly Nehun y Narciso Rodriguez
What an extraordinary balance. I always knew that art served a purpose but I always associated it with an abstract idea, social, political, a manifestation. To be able to access art in which you can live in and not solely as a spectator made me feel special.
For more information check out:
and to check in our travel adventures follow us on Instagram @the_empty_apartment
The Basket Chair by Nanna & Jørgen Ditzel designed in 1950
Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel’s Basket Chair from 1951 has been re-edited by furniture company KETTAL in a different material, read about this new version and let us know what you think of this reproduction.
As ICFF wraps up we'd like to share with you Ceci's favorite exhibited pieces for kids only!
Last Thursday as co-founder of Florida Modernism + Design I sat down with architect Max Strang to talk about Modernist influences in his career, his ideas resonated on a larger scale.
Opening Day at Brimfield Antique Markets (6:00 AM)
Opening Day at Brimfield starts early! Part 2 of my trip tells you what I found and how I managed the challenge, till next time!
Mother's Day is right around the corner and we want to celebrate some of our favorite female designers. These women may not have been actual birthing mothers of children but were women who birthed ideas, forms, and function nonetheless, besides birthing a few children.
Ceci, a Mother of 2 shares with us her thoughts on what it means to be a Mother and the importance of these females designers who have marked design history with their motherly touch. Once again the English version is just below. Enjoy!
Madres del Diseño
La palabra madre es muy vasta y abarca una infinidad de significados. Con lo que más se le asocia es con el nacimiento. Dar vida o dar inicio a algo nuevo. Aquí en The Empty Apartment queremos celebrar a las Madres del Diseño. Mujeres que tuvieron una visón y la plasmaron dando vida a piezas mobiliarias que cambiaron para siempre la historia.
Estas mujeres se adelantaron a su tiempo. No solamente rompieron paradigmas sobre el lugar que ocupaba su género en la sociedad, sino que revolucionaron con metodologías vanguardistas. Utilizaron nuevos materiales y procesos, reescribieron con su ingenio las bases del diseño, y dieron vida a piezas icónicas de la era moderna.
Ray Eames
Inquestionablemente, Ray Eames es la diseñadora mas emblemática de la historia moderna del diseño. En una época donde la igualdad de género era insuficiente, su esposo Charles dijo: ”Todo lo que yo puedo hacer, Ray lo hace mejor”.
Uno de nuestros diseños favoritos de Ray Eames es el Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) porque fue el pionero en la curva bidireccional creada a partir de contrachapado laminado (nunca antes visto en el mundo en ese momento).
Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) 1946, Eames
Eames Molded Plywood Elephant, 1945
El Eames Molded Plywood Elephant representa uno de los primeros ejemplos en los que aparece este animal majestuoso en la obra de Charles y Ray. Lo diseñaron a principios de la década de 1940 como una rama lúdica de sus experimentos de contrachapado moldeado.
Nanna Ditzel
na integrante destacada de la generación de diseñadores que creó el movimiento moderno danés de posguerra. Destacable, sobre todo, por ser una mujer en el mundo del diseño industrial dominado por los hombres, desde mediados de la década de 1940 creó, junto con su marido Jorgen numerosos objetos de diseño icónicos. En 1952, diseñaron una serie de artículos de mobiliario para niños (tenían tres hijas), un tema que volvería a surgir en la carrera de Nanna con la creación de Toadstool, una pieza de mobiliario que podría usarse como taburete y como mesa.
Nanna Ditzel stools, Danish design Icon
Los Ditzels ayudaron a hacer famosa a Dinamarca por su producción de accesorios innovadores, en particular muebles, interiores, cerámicas, textiles y joyas. Ninguna pieza expresó este espíritu más que su silla de mimbre de 1959, que, suspendida por una cadena del techo, aparecía con frecuencia en revistas de moda e interiores. Su forma resistente a la gravedad sugería un estilo de vida liberado, libre de ansiedades ligadas a la tierra, y fue adoptada por una generación idealista de jóvenes con estilo en la década de 1960.
Nanna Ditzel, Hanging Egg Chair, 1959
Maija Isola
La notable carrera de Maija Isola (1927-2001) como diseñadora textil comenzó en Printex, el antecesor de Marimekko, en 1949 y duró 38 años. Diseñó más de 500 patrones de tela, que cubren una gama increíblemente diversa de motivos y técnicas de diseño.
Maija Isola for Marimekko
Mothers of Design
The word Mother is very vast and envelopes an affsinity of meanings. The meaning I relate to the most is with that of giving birth to. To give life or to begin something new. Here at The Empty Apartment we'd like to celebrate the Mother's of Design. Women who had a vision and gave life to design and furniture pieces that changed history forever.
These women were ahead of their time. Not only did they break with gender stereotypes within their societies, but they also were revolutionary with vanguard design methodology. They used new materials and proceses, rewriting, with their knowledge, the basics in design and gave life to iconic design pieces of the modern era.
Ray Eames
Unquestionably, Ray Eames is the most emblematic female designer of the history of modern design. In an era when gender equality was insuficient, her husband Charles stated: "Everything that I can do, Ray does better".
One of our favorite designs by Ray Eames is the Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) it was a pioneer piece in curved plywood, never before seen up until then.
The Molded Plywood Elephant represents one of the first examples in which the Elephant appears in the design work of Charles and Ray Eames. They designed it in the early 1940s and it became part of playful line of design of molded plywood.
Nanna Ditzel
An integral member of a generation of Danish designers who formed part of a postwar modern movement in design. Noteworthy as a women in the world of industrial design dominated mostly by men. Since the mid 1940s Nanna Ditzel, together with her husband Jørgen designed numerous iconic design pieces. In 1952 they designed a series of furniture pieces for children. They had 3 daughters. A dedication to children's design would be reoccurring in Nanna's career. The creation of the Toadstool was a distinct piece which could be used as stool or as a table.
The Ditzels helped to make Denmark famous for it's innovative products in the areas of furniture, ceramics, textiles and even jewelry. No other piece withheld this innovative spirit more than the wicker hanging egg chair designed in 1959. Suspended by a chain from the ceiling it was popularly featured in fashion and interior design magazines. Its form resistant to gravity is suggestive to a free lifestyle, free of anxieties tied to the earth. The piece was adopted by an idealist youth generation of the 60s.
Maija Isola
Maija Isola's noteworthy career as a textile designer began at Printex, the predecessor to Marimekko in 1949 and lasted 38 years. She designed over 500 fabric patterns which include and incredible range of design techniques and motives.
For more information check out the links we used to write this article.
https://www.airgora.com/showcase/legendary-women-designers-of-history
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/jun/24/guardianobituaries
https://www.marimekko.com/dk_en/the-brand/design/designers/maija-isola
Brimfield Flea Markets in Massachusets is America's oldest outdoor antique flea market. Like many of my design trips, Brimfield has been on my travel list for quite some time. The flea market only happens 3 times a year, so I had to mark my calendar to make sure I could plan in advance. May, July, or September were my options.
How do you begin to plan a visit to over twenty acres of antique stands? I had to start with logistics, where is Brimfield exactly, how do I get there and where would I stay? Just the thought of over 5,000 vendors makes me giddy and gives me major anxiety at the same time. Luckily there are some amazing online resources and veteran visitors willing to provide their knowledge to this newbie.
Road Map from Boston Logan International Airport to Brimfield, MA
So far here are the resources I've been using.
and this app Brimfield Flea Finder
I try not to overwhelm myself with viewing the vendor lists and have decided to leave my finds up to chance, that's really the best way to conquer a flea market. You can't plan what you are going to find Rule #1.
Rule #2 make sure you know where to park. So far I've been told that by 8 am, parking lots are full so when they say it opens at sunrise, it's no joke. At 6 am doors will be opening to some of the fields. Over 30,000 visitors arrive in Brimfield and I'm hoping to be one of the first. My weather should be partly cloudy and sunny with 0% chance of rain. Apparently, Brimfield has a history of no rain, but you ever know. Always best to check and prepare for what you can, which leads to Rule #3 plan your packing.
When I visited the flea market in Paris for the first time it was impossible for me to know I'd end up falling in love with a vintage fur coat that took up most of the single suitcase I had with me. I considered wearing it on the flight but arriving in Miami, FL I'm pretty sure I would've raised some red flags walking through customs. To play it safe, by the end of my Paris trip, I had a new carry-on and an additional suitcase to check in - amateur move (palm to face emoji).
On this trip I am bringing an empty duffle bag with wheels that I'm packing inside my half-empty suitcase, a carry-on - empty, a shopping tote and my Mother! Yes, my Mother, the woman who taught me about Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps at Pizza Hut and dragged me to every estate sale growing up, is joining me on my journey to Brimfield. Her luggage is pretty empty too!
I'm excited to find out what we'll discover. There are so many online resources these days for searching for art and design, ebay, Etsy, Chairish and 1st dibs are just a few but none can compete with the experience of speaking directly to a vendor at the flea market. I'm hoping to learn a thing or two and engage in some great conversations, which is Rule #4 and the most important rule in flea market shopping, ask questions!! Most Vintage Dealers are extremely passionate about their inventory and love to share their knowledge.
More to come as we prep for the trip. Follow along on Instagram live or Facebook and of course, check back in on our flea market finds!!
Design and Kids, another conversation with our teammate Ceci and few recommended products that have helped her day to day be beautiful and flow.
