PrairieMod

Rapson Rocks

John C. sends word of two items of interest to anyone who loves the furniture designs of architect Ralph Rapson. First, the Winter 2011 issue of Modernism magazine features an article on Rapson as a chair designer. Secondly, an exhibit titled "Ralph Rapson: Chair Design in the Architect’s Studio" will be held at Danish Teak Classics + DTC | X (Northeast Minneapolis in the Northrup King Building: 1500 Jackson St NE # 120,  Minneapolis, MN) from Dec. 29, 2011- Jan. 31, 2012. Details here.

Image via Rapson Inc

Wright Back To Oak Park

Here's a link to an article on oakpark.com about Frank Lloyd Wright's great-grandson, S. Lloyd Natof (a woodworker), and his recent relocation to Oak Park, IL. Read more here.

Images via oakpark.com

The Wright Drawer Pull...The Wrong Hotel?

Art.net recently featured 10 questions pitched to Miami dealer and collector, Sloan Schaffer.

Of interest was mention of and photos showing an Edward Wormley cabinet in Schaffer's collection that incorporates what the article calls "a prototype for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Wright designed the drawer pulls."

There's one problem with that statement: The design shown on the pulls closely resembles a portion of the concrete block design for the Arizona Biltmore Hotel (whose architect of record is Albert Chase McArthur — Wright was ultimately considered an architectural consultant on the project). It does not look like any of the carved oyo stone designs I'm familiar with from the Imperial.

Anyone have any more info they could share on this interesting furniture collaboration? Read the article here.

Images via art.net/pamprice.blogspot.com

Wright Chairs At LAMA Auction

The December 11, 2011 Los Angeles Modern Auctions features two items of specific interest to "Wrightians", since they hail from extant Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings:

• An oddly footed chair from the Robert Winn House in Kalamazoo, MI

• A four-legged version of the famed Johnson Wax Administration Building office chair

PrairieMod readers may remember the controversy that occurred when a similar J-Wax chair was up for auction back in 2008. Not sure if anything similar to those events will happen this time, but we'll keep an eye on things to be sure.

Images via lamodern.auctionserver.net

Magerstadt House Furniture At Auction

The John Toomey Gallery's next auction on December 4, 2011 will feature several impressive and important 20th Century items. As I perused the electronic catalog, one offering stuck out on page 68: Lot 350 George W. Maher-designed game table and two chairs from the 1906 Ernest J. Magerstadt House in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood. Read more after the jump...

Usonian Occasionals From Copeland

I came across a tantalizing peek at new Frank Lloyd Wright-designed licensed furniture from Copeland Furniture and thought I'd share. It's what many of us Mod-minded lovers of Wright's design have been waiting for: Usonian Furniture! Find out more after the jump...

Lily Pad For Your Pad

I was checking out BluDot's website the other day and came across some cool new furniture designs perfect for any Mod home. I especially like the intriguing lily pad coffee table--looks like something out of Wright's SC Johnson Wax Building! See more here.

Image via bludot.com

Double Your Lautner

In addition to the Polin House, the house John Lautner remodeled for actress Anne Baxter and husband John Hodiak is for sale. See the listing here.

Image via prudentialcal.com

Sweeton House Desk At Auction

The current owner of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Sweeton House (which was just open for tours at the recent Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy 2011 Conference) posted on "Wright Chat" that one of the original desks separated awhile ago from the house was recently up for auction. See images after the jump...

A Little More Table Talk

We recently posted on a Purcell and Elmslie designed and Niedecken executed table that appeared in the recent issue of Style 1900. Well, we heard from the table's owner, Perry P., and he was kind enough to share a few more images and a period photo of it in the Minnesota Phonograph Company showroom from the January 1915 issue of the Western Architect. Enjoy them all after the jump...

House Meets Herman

What do you get when you mix cool type with cool MCM furniture? A match made in design heaven! House Industries and Herman Miller are teaming-up to produce a limited edition series of 80 Eames wire-base tables that include A thru Z, numbers and ornaments from the Eames Century Modern font collection. Find out more here.

Image via House Industries

Sofa Size And The Mid-Century Mods

Martrese W. sent a link to a Q&A on portlandmonthlymag.com about the important conundrum of finding the right type and size sofa for people with MCM tastes and homes. See some options and read more here.

Image via portlandmonthlymag.com

Copeland Brings The Wright Chairs To Mason City

Copeland Furniture, licensees producing Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, recently reproduced chairs Wright designed for the board of directors room at the old City National Bank and supplied some other pieces of furniture for the newly restored Park Inn Hotel. Read more about it here.

Image copyright Jeff Heinz/The Globe Gazette

Lounge Wood

Mega Mike sent a link to a very architectural-looking laptop work station. Made of metal and wood, the Lounge Wood looks like a piece of complex furniture more than a glorified laptop tray. See more here.

Image via archiportale.com

Kramer Forges Ahead

Randall Kramer sent an update of what he's been working on in his Chicago Studio and this custom hand forged steel & walnut side table caught my eye. Randall fabricated it for a Chicago-based interior design firm, based upon their design specifications. Check out all the creative items Randall cooks-up at his website.

Images via Randall Kramer

Laurent Results

The results are in from the June 9, 2011 Wright20 auction, where furnishings from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Kenneth Laurent House in Rockford, IL were sold. As usual, Wright furnishings look like they fetched a premium price...not a good sign for those trying to keep integrally-designed furnishings from being stripped out of their intended spaces. See more here.

Image via wright20.com

Reproducing Chairs Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright's Park Inn Hotel & City National Bank is scheduled to re-open after extensive restoration efforts this summer. As a part of the restoration and reopening, Copeland Furniture was asked to reproduce the unique chairs that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the Board of Directors room in the City National Bank. Copeland's blog gives an overview of that process and through a series of posts will detail the process step-by-step. Read it here.

Images copyright Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Fawn Over FAVN

The Republic of Fritz Hansen has recently launched FAVN, a new sofa designed by Spanish artist-design extraordinaire, Jaime Hayón. FAVN (Danish for Embrace) is the result of a creative dialogue between Jaime Hayón and Fritz Hansen. More after the jump...

Herman Miller Sale

Thanks to Paul R. for passing along news that YLiving is having a sale on Herman Miller items. Save 15% on Herman Miller June 3rd-13th with free shipping and no sales tax. Details here.

Image via yliving.com

Laurent Furnishings Auction Lamentable

The Wright Chat message board has been buzzing recently about the upcoming Wright20 auction, which features several furniture pieces from the Kenneth Laurent House in Rockford, IL—apparently consigned by the house's original owner.

The Laurent home has been on the market for some time at a fairly high price (for its area), there have been attempts to turn it into a public house museum and now part of its integrally-designed furnishings have been placed on the auction block. It's news that is most distressing, since separating Wright furniture from a Wright house leaves both the lesser for it.

See all of the Laurent pieces up for auction here (and all the other Frank Lloyd Wright artifacts being auctioned off here.)

Image via Wright20

Book Shelf Inspiration

Patty M. sent a link to a list of 20 very creative ideas for storing books. See the crazy and inspired book shelves here.

Image via stumbleupon.com

Wilkerson Furniture Mid-Century Flat Screen Console

Check out the cool mid-century-style furniture from Wilkerson Furniture, especially this unique flat screen console!

Image copyright Wilkerson Furniture

Blu Dot Struts Its Stuff

If you're looking for some tables that have a clean, geometrically structural look, then check out Blu Dot's "Strut" line. See the options here.

Image via Blu Dot

Natof Studio Moves To Oak Park

S. Lloyd Natof, furniture designer and great-grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright, is planning on moving his studio this summer from the West Loop of Chicago to Oak Park, IL. Get more details and read an interview with Natof here.

Image via pioneerlocal.com

Y Living's Knoll Sale

PrairieMod reader, Paul R., sent us a link to Y Living's Knoll furniture sale: 15% off now through March 6. Check out the details here.

Image via Y-Lighting

PrairieMod Feature, MAKE :: ODO's Very Prairie Arrowroot Collection

Now in the Features section - an interview with John Moes, President and Creative Director of Organic Design Operatives, about their new Prairie School-inspired Arrowroot Collection of furnishings. Read it here.

To stay on top of new PrairieMod features as they roll out, subscribe here.

Image courtesy of ODO

New Breed Furniture

Post 27, the hip home decor boutique on Chicago's west side, is offering a new line of furniture called New Breed. More after the jump...

Kramer's Best Of 2010

Randall Kramer recently sent a round-up of his "Best of 2010" projects and designs for us to admire. Looking good, Randall! Check out more of his work at his website and see what he can dream-up for you for 2011.

Image credit: Randall Kramer

Ozark Modern

Need a reason to head south towards warmer weather? Then plan to visit the exhibition of architect Edward Durell Stone's MCM furniture designs titled “Ozark Modern,” which will be on display from January 10 through February 16, 2011, in the University of Arkansas Fine Arts Center Gallery. Read more about it here.

Image via fulbright.uark.edu

A Wood Chip Off The Block

The Frank Lloyd Wright Newsblog provides a link to an Haute Living interview of Wright's great grandson, S. Lloyd Natof, who is a Chicago-based furniture maker. Read it here.

Photo credit: Michael Hahn

Simply Scandinavian

PrairieMod reader Paul R. sent a link to the website for Scandinavian Designs/Dania, a company with plenty of Modern-minded furniture that would add some comfort and style to any home. Check out the site here.

Image via www.scandinaviandesigns.com

Blu Dot Makes A Splash

Blu Dot introduced their Mod new Splash coat rack, which combines powder-coated steel and solid walnut wood. Check it out here.

Image via Blu Dot

20 For 20

Blu Dot, purveyors of Mod furniture and decor, are offering a special 20% off all items for the next 20 days, starting today. Check out more here.

Image via Blu Dot

Blu Dot's New Look

Blu Dot, mavins of Modern design and furniture, have a new website up ready to explore. Check it out here.

Image via Blu Dot

Wright's Furniture Vision

Via the Frank Lloyd Wright Newsblog is a link to this interesting blog post on Frank Lloyd Wright's designs for a line of commercially available furniture for Heritage Henredon (complete with some vintage advertisements). See it here.

Image via Henredon Blog

The Vienna Way

The good people at Marmol Radziner are digging through the past to create a new line of furniture called Vienna Way, which recalls built-ins and freestanding furniture by 20th century Viennese American architects R. M. Schindler and Richard Neutra. Read more about it here.

Image via Marmol Radziner

Introducing Arrowroot

ODO (Organic Design Operatives) recently announced the launch of their Arrowroot Collection of furniture and home decor. Inspired by nature and the American Prairie School of design, this unique collection of home furnishings goes beyond the typical historical reproductions of the classics. Each piece is an original design created by ODO using the same organic design principles pioneered by Prairie School masters like Frank Lloyd Wright, Purcell & Elmslie and George Mann Niedecken. Check out the entire collection here.

Image copyright ODO

DIY: 2x4 Furniture

If you are looking for some deck furniture, but are short on cash, then check out these simple plans from the website 2822 Shop to make your own out of the most basic of building materials: the lowly 2x4. Check it out here.

Image via 2822shop.com

Console @ 54

Chicago-based designer and craftsman, Randall Kramer was nice enough to share a new piece that he just delivered to a Modern Chicago high-rise building. Randall explains:

"The Interior Design firm of Handman Associates were the genesis of this design and I made it. I really like how the hammered texture of the tapered angle iron legs appear with the black patina and the coating of the matte sealer. The custom cabinet handles were fabricated the same manner."

The piece is truly beautiful, embodying a Modern nod to both the Arts & Crafts and Art Deco era. Check out Randall's other work here.

Images copyright Randall Kramer

ReStyle Modular Furniture

I'm really digging UK designer James Howlett's smart and fun take on furniture, as embodied in his ReStyle Multifunctional Modular Furniture. Check it out here.

Image via jameshowlett.co.uk

Detective Work Brings Table Back To Greycliff

A missing leg, a rare piece of furniture and a little detective work? No, it's not the plot to an Agatha Christie novel. It's the story behind how a lost 12-legged table designed by Frank Lloyd Wright made it back to its home at the Graycliff Estate in Buffalo, NY. Read more here.

Image via the Buffalo News

Room & Board Outdoor Living

Paul R. sent us a link to Room & Board's Montego outdoor furniture sporting a new look that definitely says "PrairieMod." The Little Red House would love a set of these on its deck! Check out the line here.

Image via Room & Board

Students To Recreate Affleck Furniture

Lawrence Technological University students will recreate furniture for the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Affleck House in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan thanks to a $7,500 grant. Read all about it here.

Image copyright Peter Beers

16th Workshop

We got an email from Chris Armes, who with his wife, run the 16th Workshop in Seattle, WA where they design and build hand-made modern furniture. I checked out their stuff on their website and love the use of natural materials, the supple organic forms, the Mod sensibility. In short, very PrairieMod. Check out 16th Workshop for yourself here.

Image copyright 16th Workshop

Case And Grain

PrairieMod reader, Paul R. sent me a link to an amazing furniture design studio called Case and Grain located in Los Angeles. Their custom work uses the beauty of natural materials and features clean lines and subtle forms. Check it out here.

Image via caseandgrain.com

Wisdom Furniture

PrairieMod reader, Kevin B., sent us a link to some really great furniture and home decor items designed by Wisdom Furniture, Inc. I'm especially digging the "Forest Floor" LED lamp. Check out all the items here.

Image copyright Wisdom Furniture, Inc.

The Artistic Furniture Of Charles Rohlfs

The Los Angeles Times recently featured an article on the new Charles Rohlfs exhibit at the at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA. Read about it here.

Image via LA Times website

Get Hinged

Some friends and I visited the Chicago Antique Market this weekend and came across some very cool stuff. One of the cool things we discovered was Hinge. Hinge is a design community of local Chicago artists, furniture designers and antique dealers that use found, reclaimed, vintage and natural materials to make a sophisticated selection of home decor items. Check out their site, mission and products here.

Image via hingedesignstudios.com

Room & Board Teams Up With Dwell Magazine

Room & Board + Dwell Magazine = a chance to win $10,000! Read details and sign-up here.

Image copyright Room & Board

Lloyd's Of Chicago

Join Unity Temple Restoration Foundation on their next Break::the::Box event with a visit to the S. Lloyd Natof furniture making workshop in Chicago's West Loop. Lloyd will present a collection of observations and commentary on Wright's furniture along with a tour of his studio. Lloyd is uniquely equipped to offer such information: as Wright's great-grandson, he has been living with and thinking about Wright's furniture all of his life. Tickets are $15 for UTRF members, students and seniors; $20 non-members. Space is limited to 25; registration required. Light refreshments and dessert will be served. Order tickets here.

Image via UTRF