100 i.d. — December 2006 …n+n…exit exit Gno by Vitamin They could have gone with pink ﬂamingos or animal-shaped topiaries, but for their debut series of indoor/outdoor bonechina accessories, London-based housewares designers Vitamin decided to tackle a different suburban plague: the garden gnome. “It was time for them to become fashionable again,” says Chris Vernall, who with his brother Andy heads Vitamin’s team. Called Gno, the 8x8 in. handmade, weather-resistant gnomes are at home in a windowbox, a koi pond, or a mantle. “The idea was to break down the boundaries of products that can go inside and outside,” says Chris. The ﬁrm designed the squat, minimalist white forms to serve as a canvas for their graphics—Dragon, Eskimo, Heart, Skull, Wings, and Zip—which they lithograph-ﬁred onto bone china. The line launched at the tail end of 2005 and was greeted with both befuddlement and success. “Getting people to warm to the concept was a challenge,” says Chris. “People don’t go into a store thinking, ‘You know, I really need to get myself a couple of gnomes today.’” But consumers soon learned to love the design’s quirkiness and simplicity, and today the most menacing gnome—Skull—is one of the most sought after. This fall, Vitamin added an “organic” line that reveals a softer, gentler Gno: Ants, Bamboo, Dandelion, Scatter, Undergrowth, and Wallpaper are twists on traditional nature themes. The Ants pattern, for example, is a trail of insects tracing out the London Underground network. Reinventing what’s normal and functional is key to Vitamin’s designs, which include an ashtray that’s also a vase, a lamp that doubles as a mechanical broom, and a plant pot that feeds itself via a medical drip. (“We had an ofﬁce full of dead plants that we never got around to watering,” Chris explains.) The restless brothers aren’t above rethinking their own designs as well: They’re currently expanding the Gno range to include audio gnomes that double as MP3 speakers and a Gno-Glo version ﬁtted with 5-watt energy-saver bulbs. In the future, there may even be a line of solar-powered sprites to light up your yard after dark. And what about the brothers’ own yards? Andy goes for the Dandelion gnome, while Chris prefers Skull. Still, it’s the Heart version that Chris has peering out, half-submerged in a well behind his house: “It’s not my favorite, so I make that one suffer.” $92; www.vitaminliving.com — jessica powell 101 102 i.d. — December 2006 …n+n…exit 5 3 A SPLINTER BENCH doesn’t sound like something you’d want to sit on, but Canadian designer Matthew Kroeker’s teak-and-aluminum construction charms with its oddball interpretation of modern romance: Two individual chairs, each with an irregular pattern of slats along one side, can be brought together to form a complete bench, or in case of irreconcilable differences, ﬂipped with the jagged ends pointing outward. Contact designer for price. www.matthewkroeker.com Its perenially pleasing aqua-and-teak color palette references a mid-century modern aesthetic, but M Studio’s COMBO LOUNGER has a form that’s totally new: The extra-wide, twoperson lounger consists of a steelframe chair and ottoman mounted with wooden bars that are also available in mahogany or black walnut; $4,800–$5,400. www.mdidit.com 3 While Harry Bertoia’s iconic Wire chair augured the space age, the LEAF CHAISE for Arper uses similar construction and materials in an effort to return to nature. Available in three clear-coat colors—white, mocha, and a bright green well-suited to spring; $1,755 as pictured. www.arper.it 1 Young Finnish designer Terhi Tuominen—currently ﬁnishing up a Master’s at Helsinki’s University of Art and Design—has just one design on her website, but it was enough to get her noticed by Finnish design promoters Imu. Her indoor/outdoor expandedmesh BLACKBIRD seat has angular dips in its steel frame, creating an avian proﬁle. Contact seller for price. www.terhituominen.com 3 SARAH RYAN STADTMILLER (COMBO LOUNGER) 7 CHIKAKO HARADA (BLACKBIRD) Pentagram designer Robert Brunner dreamed up FUEGO 01 as a way of turning the grill into a social hub. The piece is encircled by slate counters and food-prep stations to encourage interaction and comes prepared for potluck-style parties with a deep fryer, steamer, wok, and cast-iron grill. Intuitive fueling options (coal, infrared, gas), and an electronic thermometer that chimes when food is done, turn neophytes into grizzled grillmasters; $3,500. www.fuegoliving.com Duravit’s SUNDECK TUB, designed by Vienna-based Eoos, is a multipurpose spa bath that can be installed in the bathroom or on an outdoor patio. An array of wood paneling options gives Sundeck a furniture-like warmth, while a set of white hand-sewn headrests and deck cushions turn the tub into a chaise when it’s closed; $8,500–$12,000. www.duravit.com 103 104 i.d. — December 2006 …n+n…exit 105 3 Seattle architect Ryan Grey Smith’s prefab MODERN PLAYSHED for Velocity Art & Design succeeds in the tricky task of making two generations happy—parents get to extend their design aesthetic into the backyard, while kids get a unique environment that fosters imaginative play. A host of accessories, including specialized wall panels and a deck, offers opportunities for customization; $2,995. www.velocityartanddesign.com 3 Described by its designers, the Sydneybased Product People, as the world’s ﬁrst fully upholstered soft stadium seating, THE BOX SEAT will meet its match now that Britain’s famed Arsenal soccer club has installed 60,000 of them in its new North London stadium. The seat slides easily into a stadium rail or pedestal, where it remains ﬁxed with a strap system. Via a patented rotation mechanism, it ﬂips down and tips back up to a slender 8.5 in. depth. Soft inserts combine with lumbar support and a pressure-relieving waterfall front edge to enhance spectator comfort. Contact manufacturer for price. www.theproductpeople.com 7 SYNUA doors combine luxury and security. “No more ugly hinges,” the Italian manufacturer points out, referring to retractable pins at the top and bottom around which the doors pivot. An aluminum frame can be clad in a variety of ﬁnishes, including pickled and dark oak, brushed black larch, natural teak, glass, stainless steel, and lacquer. Contact distributor for price. www.dieffe.us CHAD HOLDER (MODERN PLAYSHED) 7 Quinze & Milan’s signature foam is at its best when put to use in outdoor furniture, such as the BY THE POOL lounger and ottoman: It’s washable, durable, and comfortable, unlike woven plastic mesh, which mimics the sensation of sitting on a straw hat. An additional sheer fabric screen cuts both sun and wind, helping ensure that the lightweight lounger won’t ﬂy south in windy conditions; $720 for the chair and ottoman, $320 for the screen. www.quinzeandmilan.be