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Shedding a Light on Deflation
In Store | Published on September 1, 2010
A client of Inform came in with an estimate the other day. It was dated November 13th, 1989. The client wanted to know if we would honour the estimate even though it was over 20 years old.
“I do not think we can do that” replied the salesperson.Yet upon further examination of the estimate, the salesperson replied:
“I can’t honour it, but I can do one better. $200 better”.
The item in question was an Artemide Tizio Classic Black Table Lamp by Richard Sapper. In 1989, the lamp was $655. However in 2010, Inform sells the exact same light for $431. That’s $224 less!
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Taschen | Passion in Print
In Store, Literature | Published on August 16, 2010
It all began with a young boy, Benedikt Taschen(above), selling his paintings of vampires on the sidewalks of Germany in 1970. Ten years later, through passion for images, words, photography, film, and support from his family and mentors, Benedikt opened a comic book shop in his native city of Cologne.
Benedikt as a boy, the first Taschen bookstore, their first publication, present day headquarters
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taschen books. They continue to stick to their credo: don’t underestimate or bore your audience.
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111 Navy | Recycle Happiness
Design Information, In Store | Published on August 12, 2010
The Coca-Cola Company and Emeco have combined their most iconic products, the Coca-Cola contour bottle package and the famous Navy Chair, to create a new chair made from at least 111 recycled plastic bottles. The aptly named “111 Navy Chair” debuted earlier this year at the 2010 Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, the top furniture trade show in the world.
“The 111 Navy Chair is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, constant innovation and originality in design,” said Kate Dwyer, Group Director, Worldwide Licensing, The Coca-Cola Company. “This latest addition to our line of rPET licensed merchandise underscores the fact that Coca-Cola bottles are valuable recyclables. It is another step in our vision to recover and reuse all of our bottles and cans.”
Nancy and Niels are in London and have spotted the 111 Navy. Pictured to the left is a London retailer’s display, below is at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel.
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Limited Edition Sigg Bottles | Coupland & Inform
Design Information, In Store | Published on August 3, 2010
A collaboration between Inform Interiors and Douglas Coupland for Vancouver’s Covenant House. As water is a beloved substance, ‘My hotel Year’ is a beloved story. Personally signed and numbered by Douglas, each ‘zine’ accompanies an Inform Interiors limited edition SIGG water bottle ($60.00 CAD).
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian fiction write as well as a play wright and visual artist. His first book, the 1991 noel generation X: tables for an accelerated culture, was nominated for the books in Canada first novel award, became an international bestseller and popularized the terms “McJob” and “Generation X.” Much of Coupland’s work explores the unexpected cultural shifts created by the impact of new technologies a middle class North American culture.
Persistent themes include the conflict between secular and religious values, difficulty in aging and taking on adult roles, ironic attitude as a response to intense media saturation, and pop mass culture.
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Nothing Grows Old Faster than the New | Briccole di Venezia
Design Information, In Store | Published on July 11, 2010
We found some interesting pieces at the Milan Furniture fair this year. Among them, Matteo Thun’s Briccole Venezia, a craggily beautiful table made from salvaged Venetian mooring posts. The manufacturer, Riva 1920, has always been open to experimentation when it comes to realizing their designs. Briccole Venezia is no exemption. This table is inspired by the Grand Canal in Venice.
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Annual Warehouse Sale
In Store | Published on May 25, 2010
You may have noticed a slight slow down in the blog the last week, it’s because we’ve been working so hard preparing our annual warehouse sale. An epic sale event that runs for three days. A time for us to shed some weight and prepare for all the new goods we ordered in this years fairs. Clients from all around come to see what great deals they can find (some even fly in just for this event).
We hope to see all who can make it there!
Click here to see the warehouse on Google Maps.
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Moleskine | The Importance of Doodling
In Store | Published on May 21, 2010
Many of my best ideas come to me lying in bed, letting my mind relax right before sleep takes me over. Often, I wake up knowing that just a few hours prior, I might have had a moment of genius, an epiphany that would could surely be a success, only, I can’t remember the idea itself. Some nights I visualize great displays of visual stimuli with particular details that tie the whole piece together – So many times I have wished that I had some sort of device to quickly and easily record these fleeting thoughts. Yes, I know that “there’s an app for that” but loading screens, chubby fingers that don’t tap where need be and the lack of a pen or stylus just do not inspire me, nor serve my needs in the way that I require. I’ve discovered Moleskine since.
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Designer Focus | Tom Dixon
Design Information, Designer Focus, In Store, Staff Picks | Published on May 10, 2010
A self-taught designer-maker from London England, Tom Dixon has combined the creative with the commercial throughout his career.
_He fell into design by accident when he found himself with “time on his hands” while recovering from a motorcycle accident. As an art school drop-out with no technical training, he taught himself how to become a designer-maker in 1983 after discovering welding when trying to repair his motorbike.
Dixon’s D-I-Y approach to design matched the post-punk mood of the early 1980s. Having made his name – but little money – by making and selling limited editions of his welded furniture – chairs such as the S Chair and Pylon Chair(above) – he tried his hand at retailing, by opening a shop, Space, to sell his products.
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Yamagiwa Lighting
Brand Focus, In Store, Staff Picks | Published on May 8, 2010The Yamagiwa brand has been bringing high end lighting to the masses of Japan for decades. Established in 1923 the received high acclaim for their 2007 Lighting Design exhibit in Milan for their works with well renowned designers and architects.
Working with a wide range of range of materials they focus on the beauty of the light itself and how it works with people and its environment. Many projects have focussed specifically on how lighting affects the way people work.
With products designed by Toyo Ito, Tokujin Yoshioka, Ross Lovegrove, Naoto Fukasawa, and Shiro Kuramata to name a few the collection is varied but well curated.
Purchase Yamagiwa lighting from informshop.com
Above the TEAR DROP table and pendant light by Tokujin Yoshioka is a beautiful glass orb hollowed out to encapsulate the light inside.
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B&B Italia Outdoor
In Store, Staff Picks | Published on May 1, 2010As the weather starts to warm and summer draws nearer, we all start to spend more time outdoors. This includes barbeques with friends and family or just plain relaxing alone on our balconies, decks and patios.
B&B Italia has some of the most beautifully designed and exquisitely built outdoor furniture to make you feel like you’re at a top class resort while being at home.
Springtime Collection
If you’re into warm minimal design and spectacular craftsmanship than this is for you. Designed by Jean- Marie Massaud the line has soft organic tables made from Crystal Plant mixed with dramatic day beds and chaises and sofas. The frames are made from aluminum and are powder coated in a weather proof polyester for years of durability, there is even a weather proof Mahogany table top.
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