Milan Design Week Preview Part One

A sneak-peek at an all-Swede exhibit, Moustache's sophomore effort, and Weltevree's show in Italy next week

Filling the rustically chic streets of Milan once again, design’s fervent crowd of aficionados will gather next week for the annual Salone Internazionale del Mobile—a showcase of 2010’s best in furniture and design wares. Only a few days remain before the festivities begin, and to prepare we’ve highlighted a few of the shows we’re anticipating the most in two parts. Dutch design always has something …

The William and Mary Chair

Context Furniture's layered wood seating with a 17th century profile

Combining the silhouette of a 17th-century classic with modern composition, Context Furniture‘s layered William and Mary side chair takes the reinterpretation of historical lines to a new level. With legs molded after the traditional shapes of the William and Mary style, but produced with compressed ply, the clean lines update the look for today and add some conceptual interplay. Layered sheets of Baltic birch with …

Made Labs

The Threadless of furniture

The brainchild of young entrepreneur Ning Li, Made is a new website that crowdsources chairs, tables, shelves and other furniture designs. In the Made Labs section, viewers can vote on their favorite designs. Made then puts the winning design into production, and then sells it online at a reasonable price—connecting buyers and passionate designers without the need for a brand to act as middleman. By …