long-legged beauty

This morning MeinMann and I were looking at the new Ligne Roset showroom in Rome, and all of a sudden I saw something familiar. The pure lines of the “Scandinavian furniture” of our childhood. Palisander and burnished metal legs. In this case it’s Tanis, a desk by Ligne Roset, re-editing the CM 141 desk by Pierre Paulin, presented at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in the 50s.

This makes us even more proud owners of our palisander sideboard, an original one, manufactured by Musterring. What once was popular good design for the masses now becomes quite premium-price and bo-bo.

Long live Berlin second-hand stores!

Recycling furniture and collecting ideas in Berlin

Yesterday I looked at magazines to take with me on my easyjet flight on monday…and I was surprised to see the cover of Elle Decoration, British edition. First of all, holidaying at home. Exactly our plan for this summer! And secondly, green. Lastly, a 60’s sideboard. Tout se tient!

But let’s proceed with order. In the recent posts several themes were launched.

- Green glass…

- Green bookshelves…

- DDR design…

- German iconic brands of the 60s….

Well, Elle decoration seems to follow Aflatinberlin steps!

In fact part of the time spent holidaying in Berlin will be dedicated to the finishing touches and furnishing of the “cub” 60s flat. With items seen and collected over the past 2 trips to Berlin (with a little help from our friends in Viktoria Luise Platz), and with ideas pondered during the last 4 easyjet flights. Let’s see how all these items come together…

gazing through green glass

For some reason I am attracted to green glass. Not broken Heineken bottles, which sometimes on friday nights you can find right on your bike track in Berlin. I find watching light filtering through green glass mesmerizing.

Countless green tumblers are in our roman cupboards. And plates, of a nice emerald green. To me, drinking fresh tap water (great in Rome) in a green glass makes it even more refreshing.

And then I love books. And bookshelves. And Berlin’s green forests and lakes.

The consequence is pretty obvious. I fell for green glass also in Berlin.

My first finding was this pretty kitsch fruit-bowl, now detournée en vide-poches, bought with the objective to force myself to put keys, USB-key, purse, phone, japanese note pad and S-bahn tickets all in the same place. In a new flat it is just so easy to disseminate key objects (keys!) around and forget them since there is not yet a gravitational law of essentials. Two euros, at my favorite russian flea market. DDR design for the masses. The (other) lives of objects.

Once again, I admit it’s quite fleuri but you are now familiar with my personal theory on “occasional splashes of color – giving the mood of the season – costing next to nothing – and which have a practical use”. Fruit bowl, key bowl, you name it.

The second finding…you will find out about in August! It has something to do with a previous post on Salone del Mobile bookshelves, love for crafted items (like those DDR benches),  green glass  of course…and with a little help from our Viktoria-Luise-Platz friends!

someone said greenshoots?

A young italian designer is proposing this bookshelf…it rings a bell with one of my latest second-hand raids in Berlin…(continued)

Berlin second-hand vs Salone del Mobile

Yesterday I browsed through D di Repubblica, a beautiful saturday magazine. If you check the picture at page 192 of the current issue, N* 643, there is a very nice banquette or little bench, metal long legs and purple velvet upholstering. The bench and the dormeuse are part of the Lobularia collection by Poltronesofa’, you see them in pink on this Repubblica photo. It’s nice, isn’t it? Well…you’ll see the real thing now!

Here’s my most recent Berlin second-hand treasure.

In January my friend Dorita – another second-hand stores junkie like me – and I went to my favorite second-hand shop in Berlin to collect a beautiful 1950s cat brooch, obviously a nice feline present from MeinMann. And I fell in love with this banquette…all alone, sitting pretty in a corner of the shop…

It was produced in 1960, it has its DDR stamps on its wood seat chassis. The legs are made of black iron. I find it has incredible grace. Quite surprising for GDR design. Well, in fact I discovered that there were two banquettes and I had to have them both, I couldn’t possibly leave one behind. Dorita supported me in the decision making process and 15 seconds later the deal was done.

The following month, when our Flat was less dusty and the carpenters had almost finished their work, me and my brother went back to the merciful and fanciful furniture orphanage to collect our long-legged GDR beauties.

Of course the gray velvet upholstering is brand new and you know, it’s magic. It’s cangiante, nice italian word which describes how velvet plays with light. The size is perfect. You can have them at the end of your bed. Or like a mini-sofa on a corridor. Or next to the bow-window. Good design, good-good.

I wonder if the spanish – pardon, catalano – Poltronesofa’ designers did mention the credits to the DDR State-designers…

My modernariat pieces costed Eur 60 each, brand new upholstering included of course! The Lobularia banquette retails at 390 Eur.

Thrifty Berlin second-hand beats Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

Adopt furniture!

After Köln, Milan

Salone del Mobile in Milano, after Köln…less hype, more craftmanship. On the 80th anniversary of the bauhaus, the return of the well-crafted over the decorative, the fashionable, the redundant, the transient is good news.

I am looking forward to returning to that second-hand market in Berlin where I saw the most beautiful 1950s oval table…for just 50 euros…(it’s gone, I know, I know…). I am more into “pick and mix” rather than in Salone mood!

Look at the beautiful colors of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt cafe’…very much recycled stuff, I love it! (even it does not fit with The Flat)