The Milan show happened last month and it seemed like there was some life back in the industry. After a down year last year, creativity as well as ticket sales were up. An article in the NY times discusses some of the details and even highlights the favorite pieces from the show.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/garden/22milan.html

“Economic conditions have eased since then, and this year manufacturers seemed, if not more confident, at least less nervous. The visitor count rose to 335,354, according to the fair’s organizer, Cosmit, and many exhibitors acknowledged with relief that business was better than it had been a year ago. “There were signs of improvement,” said Rolf Fehlbaum, the chairman of Vitra, the Swiss furniture group. “And dealers were willing to order.”

There weren’t too many dominant trends to be seen, but a few were apparent. “Not surprisingly, there weren’t many clear trends or stellar products. The most interesting development was the emergence of what could be called superleggera — super light — style. Fluid, lithe and angular, these pieces looked like technocratic takes on the 1950s work of Italian designers like Franco Albini and Gio Ponti, one of whose chairs was called Superleggera. Typical were the chairs by Martino Gamper, Konstantin Grcic and Jerszy Seymour for Magis, as well as one by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi, and the elegant copper objects by Aldo Bakker for Thomas Eyck. Other examples included Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s spindly aluminum tables for Magis and their Lighthouse light for Established & Sons.”

We didn’t get a chance to go this year, but hope to next year. As far as modern furniture goes, this is definitely he place to be.

Looks like modern furniture design is still growing in popularity, on all fronts. Not only have sales of this style increased in the past 10 years in real furniture, but now in the miniature section of the home furnishings industry we have also seen a rise. New York Times did a great article on the subject in fact…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/garden/08mod.html?ref=garden

“As recently as three years ago, an Internet search for “miniature modern” or “mini modern” would have yielded few, if any, results. But today there are a number of blogs like Ms. Ferrara’s showcasing tiny modern interiors. There is also a Flickr group called Modern Miniatures, with 370 members — many from the United States, but also from Australia, England, Germany and Japan. And an increasing number of manufacturers are producing mini-modern homes and furnishings for people to create fantasy spaces that, at full size, would be too impractical or expensive to own.”

This shows a further acceptance of the modern furniture movement into our lives. And it’s not just that consumers have more options to buy mini models. They also make them…

“Like other mini-modernists, Ms. Schmidt often resorts to making furnishings herself — lamps out of beads, tables out of Lucite pillboxes and rugs out of place mats.”

Turns out crafts can be modern after all.

As part of our massive 2010 product adding party, we recently started selling MamaGreen outdoor furniture. These designs are incredible, the very essence of modern outdoor furniture. The clean designs and innovtive materials combine to create amazing products, all sold through our website.

They have sectionals, sofas, chairs, dining tables, dining chairs, loungers, daybeds and plenty of accessories. Basically, if you want to create a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere in an outdoor space, you can accomplish it with this line. Even better, you wood pieces are all made from reclaimed teak. MamaGreen is indeed Green afterall.

We’re thrilled to be carrying the full line of EcoSmart fireplaces. In case you haven’t heard, EcoSmart fireplaces are an amazingly efficient and effective heating solution for indoor and outdoor use. Fueled by a renewable green energy (Denatured Ethanol from biomass), they burn clean, don’t require ventilation, and are virtually maintenance free.

And since EcoSmart qualifies in the energy efficiency category under Obama’s bill, if you buy one in 2010 for a residential space you receive up to 30% or $1,500 in tax credits.

Additionally, purchase any EcoSmart product now through the end of March and receive 10% off the listed prices on our website. Here are the types of fireplaces we offer…

Designer
The Designer series combines modern style and function. Each is freestanding, comes in a variety of colors, and requires basically no setup.

Outdoor
Their Outdoor products are sophisticated, portable fireplaces. They’re weather resistant and provide plenty of heat for your outdoor socializing needs.

Built-Ins
The Built-In (Renovator) products are designed as built-in, wall mounted units. Once inside the wall they are unbelievably sleek and can even be engineered for custom installations.

Grates
For smaller and simpler solutions, try the Grate series. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use.

Burner Kits
These small burner kits can be incorporated into your existing items, as long as you follow the EcoSmart guidelines regarding placement and spacing.

We finally launched our new table designs and are excited to get some feedback and movement with them. One of the main objectives was to introduce some new materials to our products. With these tables, available as coffee tables, end tables, and side tables, we utilized some materials we haven’t before. Here is a description of each:

The Sino offers a sophisticated look. The overhanging top and optional drawer give grace and functionality to the piece. This model comes in a variety of domestic woods, some of which are FSC certified.

Made with reclaimed wood beams from torn down buildings in LA, blends rustic and modern into an compelling motif.

The openness of Ablo creates a very light, but assertive look. Circular tops form a nice juxtaposition to the angular base.