LoftyWords

Modern Furnishing on a Budget

    The quest for the perfect modern piece of furniture can often be long and expensive. This makes some feel that modern design is out of their reach.  Yes, there is Design Within Reach, but for the person with a lot of style who is just starting out, even DWR can be out of reach.
    Fear not design aficionados, there is a way you can get the look without having to eat Ramen for a month or scrounge through hundreds of resale shops.  Target now offers a wide variety of great pieces that are surprisingly inexpensive and well made putting great design   at everyone's fingertips.
    A simple search of the Target site revealed pieces under $300 that were clean and simple from the Weston bedroom collection that would lend a clean, elegant style to any modern home. My personal favorite collection is Thomas O'Brien's vintage modern collection.  With the simple clean vintage feel, designed for today's lifestyle, it is a true combination of form and function.
    Designers are jumping at the chance to challenge themselves by creating great furnishings on a budget.  Even Todd Oldham has brought his unique sense of Modern Retro to Target.  There is a look and a price for every home.  Think about it, how long do you think you can pull off "I am a minimalist," as the excuse as to why your mattress is on the floor and you only have one chair?

Target.com

Modern Platform Bed

Recently my wife and I have been on a quest to find a modern platform bed to replace the aging bedroom set we currently have.  After spending and inordinate amount of time searching online and in many specialty modern furniture stores we came to the conclusion that most modern beds lack functionality, something we need.  You see, both my wife and I are readers and TV watchers, often doing both at the same time, so a platform bed would need storage, and it would need to have a comfortable head rest for reading, yet most modern beds lack these two ingredients, having just one or the other but rarely both, and when they did they lost that modern clean edge. 

Solution?  The Zoe by Poliform, imported by EUROPE by NET. Designed by Paolo Piva (info), the Zoe's adjustable headrests make it an ideal solution. The sleek bookshelf unit which runs behind the bed is included, with an optional one-drawer or two-drawer units which sit inside the bookshelf are available seperatly.

The pictures show the headrest cushions in fabric, but leather is available as an option. The bed comes in wenge, ovangkol, or in the full range of Poliform matt lacquer colours. Available in two sizes, to fit mattresses sized 160 x 200 or 180 x 200 cm.

Leather Freedom Desk Chair

What a difference a really good desk chair can make, and since we are on a home office kick today, let's talk about task seating.

For the many Freedom-loving owners of this ergonomic wonder, it's simply the best-and simplest-desk chair they've owned. Niels Diffrient, Freedom's highly regarded designer, has created a chair that moves as you do, even self-adjusting when you recline, but with the bare minimum of knobs and levers.

The Freedom comes in high-grade, aniline leather that resists moisture and UV rays, or Vellum, a lightweight and stain-repellent blend of stretch nylon that's soft as suede and virtually creaseless.

• Accurately senses your optimal support
• Adjustable height for best support
• Neck rest keeps head level when reclining
• Synchronized arms raise and lower to fit under most desks
• One-step adjustment for seat depth
• Seat depth, 16½" to 20"
• Seat height, 16" to 21"
• Self-adjusting recline
• Titanium-finished frame

Leather Freedom Desk Chair W/Neck Support, $1,490 at Levenger's

Cool, sleek, small, and functional, the perfect desk

Today, I was asked by a friend if I had a suggestions for him regarding a new desk for his full-time workspace, the criteria was simple, cool and not overtly large. My response was to set up a clean, modern workspace, I would suggest the new the new Walker Desk over at Crate and Barrel. The beautiful dark wood and glass combination upgrades any home office on a real budget.

The Walker desk has a smart wood design with a "floating" glass top and fully extending keyboard pullout. The pullout drawer houses convenient compartment for storage of pens, pencils, and office supplies. A rear shelf behind the drawer would make a great space for modern accoutrement, such as a router, a cable modem, and a backup hard drive. A metal crossbar lends support and a hip utilitarian accent.

• Solid ash and ash veneer
• Rich espresso stain
• Protective lacquer finish
• Tempered glass top

Walker Desk, $349.00 at Crate and Barrel

Sleeper Couches Cool?

Loft space and their wonderful open floor plans may lend themselves to our lifestyle, but what do you do when the inevitable guest stays the night. You could break out the inflatable bed, but that is rather uncouth, not to mention uncomfortable. Instead take a look at the line of european inspired couch suites from Dileto, not only do they look amazing, but they have a TV viewing position, and a sleeping position as well.

Dileto

Bedding

I realize I may be in the minority, but I am getting tired of the "dwell" bold set of colors for bedding attire. It may be cool, it may convey what you want people to think about you, it also is just too damn bright for comfort. For many, the bedroom should be a cocoon of comfort, a place where I can relax... shed the burdens of the day... and neutral colors start me off in the right direction. Enter stage left, Design Publics Riga Mink Bed Set is what this editor will choose when it is time to replace my current bedroom sheets. How does a mix of linen and cotton (300ct) in shades of neutral grey sound to you? Pretty good? It sounds great to me too!

If you want cheap, uncomfortable bedding, that imparts the notion that you are yet another lemming, then don't click over to Design Public.

Though I am not a fan of their current bedding collection, Dwell has a plethora of items that are very swank, and may suit your expectations.

Editors Note: Below is a selection from an email LotyWords recieved from Design Public. It's great to know we are being read by the folks we write about! Thanks Drew!

Drew:

Thanks for the blog mention. I tend to agree on bedding — subtle is better. We are in the process of revamping that part of the site to make it more user-friendly too.

Best,

Drew
___________________________
Design Public
http://www.designpublic.com/

Your Own Handmade Sofa Set

Here's a scenario: you've been searching high and low for that perfect sofa set just to be told again and again that they don't have it in that size or that color or some other excuse that prevents you from getting what you know you want. Sound familiar? Then check out Mod4All, where you can get a high-quality sofa set handmade to your choice of color and configuration. The one pictured is a Carini Sectional: available in either cloth or microfiber and has a hard wood frame with polyuruthane filling. For more about this sofa set and others, click here.

Bookcases Galore!

Looking for a new bookcase, but either you can't find what you're looking for, or you don't even know where to start? Try BookCasesGalore.com and check out its selection. What I found most helpful was the interactive "shopping wizard," where you can choose the style, material, and finish you desire. It definitely saves you time if you know what you want, but if you're not sure, its menu options help in the decision-process.

Bracelli Lamp

If you're looking for a lamp that adds complexity to your home as well as lighting, you'd definitely find it with the Bracelli Lamp from Salvador Dali. A reproduction of his 1937 design, this unique style consists of a 67" high structure with a handmade cotton-rayon shade and a beech supporting bracket. For more information, go to TheMagazine.Info.

Danish Rosewood Coffee Table

Here's an item with a fine finish to it. It's Danish in design, made of rosewood, and, along with its 1960s style, has a distinct and earthy tone to it. Go to ModHaus.com for more information.