A Visit from Sight Unseen

Our friends at Sight Unseen, Monica and Jill, paid a visit to our East Village studio. Check it out!

Observed

I wish the objects I create could have a temporal quality like theater, but Design, in its nature, is static. I encourage people to fill their designed lives up with food, music, love, and people. As much as I admire a good vase, it is not until the vase is filled with flowers that it becomes vital.

Sometimes, if we stay observant, the drama comes naturally. The other day, I walked through my dining room and the light was streaming in the windows. The leaves were off the trees, the light was bright, and a shadow from the windows cast across a panel hanging on the wall.

The panel is a project from a few years ago. I wanted to work with text so I asked my friend Fayette Hickox to write something for me. The piece was originally intended to be a tablecloth, but in the end I hung it on the wall. I told him I wanted it to sound like the last paragraph of a great book, and it does. Fayette wrote a beautiful piece about remembering people. And there it was illuminated in the fall light, with Thanksgiving coming, and it made me thankful.

Collab Competition Philadelphia

Last Monday I was a judge at the Collab College Student Design Competition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Above is an image of us mid-judging, (l-r) Richard Kratchman, owner of Kitchen Kapers stores, Myself, Diane Minnite, Research and Collections Assistant in the Department of European Decorative Arts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Carla Diana, Senior Interaction Designer at Smart Design, and Diane 0’Donnel, who has sold contemporary design since the early 1980’s.

Collab, an organization started by my friend Lisa Roberts, is a group of design professionals dedicated to supporting the Philadelphia Museum of Art in its effort to collect modern and contemporary design. They run an annual student design competition in conjunction with their Design Excellence Award. This year the award is going to Alberto Alessi, and the competition focused on tabletop design. You can learn more at http://www.philamuseum.org/collab/, or go check out the winning entries on display at the Museum - through April 10, 2011.

There were 85 entries making this the largest student competition I have ever judged. I love doing things like this. The students were so excited, and rightfully so, there was $1000 was at stake plus exposure to Alberto Alessi, and there were lots of fantastic entries.

Lisa Roberts, Collabs founder, and myself.

And the winner is ....

... this ingenious oil and vinegar bowl called Flow by James Read Hughes, an industrial design student at the University of the Arts. When the vinegar and oil separate the vinegar settles into a lower portion of the bowl forming a pattern, James designed a few different patterns. The solution was clever and beautiful and simple to produce. It spoke more to the nature of the food being served than the dish itself. Bravo.

Shout Out to Mom

If people ask me how I became a designer, I often credit my Mom, the artist, and Dad, the engineer. Together they were a parental perfect storm for my design talents. And Mom is still at it. Here she is, Lea Allen Gebauer, at her group opening last Sunday night in New Canaan, CT. The show was entitled Farm, and she showed two paintings she had done of her sheep.

CASA CLAUDIA

Harry Allen Design featured in the October issue of Casa Claudia Luxo, one of the leading Brazilian interior design magazines. Click here to see a full sized version.

BOOMsp

More catchup from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

At BOOMsp, October 21-23, I presented my work alongside an illustrious group of designers.

Here I am with fellow speakers Glauco Diogenes, Bruno Jahara, Ricardo Augusta Rodrigues, Sergio Rodrigues (the "Master") and organizers Suzi and Roberto.

The closing party took place at Marché, where they carry many of my REALITY products.

With the talented and lovely interior designer, Brunette Fraccaroli, who whispered in my ear "get close to me, its OK, I'm Brazillian."

All photos by Aaron Kawai.

Fernanda Marques

Fernanda is a successful architect and TV personality - she covers all things design on her show in Brazil. We first met in London at the Skitsch opening during 100% Design, and then again at this party in Sao Paulo during BOOMsp.

Photograph by Aaron Kawai

People Say, It's a Bowl to Treasure

Recent coverage of the peanut bowl in .Cent magazine, UK.

Rosie

Stopped by Rosie in New Canaan, CT last night to see our friends Rose and George Nammack, the owners. Harry Allen Design helped them with identity development when they opened. We designed their logo and helped them get the restaurant together. Now, seven years later, they were having an opening for artist Emilia Dubicki. I really liked the work, the place looked great, and Rose, as always, served up some fine food.

www.rosienewcanaan.com

www.emiliadubicki.com

Spotted across Elm Street in the design store, Mason, my Peanut and Walnut Bowls.

www.masonstyle.net

Modernism and Steuben

I attended two design world events last night. Jason Miller got the Young Designer Award from the Brooklyn Museum of Art at the Modernism Show at the 67th Street Armory in NYC. So I stopped by to see him, and see the show, which delivers some great design.

Barry Harwood, Curator of Decorative Arts at the BMA; myself; Jason Miller, the honoree; and Jason's business partner, Andrew Yang.

Jason's work can be very tongue-in-cheek, but the result is often a "beautiful" new design vocabulary. I am particularly fond of his Ogel vases. Show here with the original Lego prototypes.

Totally fun crowd at Modernism. Alan Greenspan was there, as were designers Amy Lau, and Bill Sofield. Journalist/publisher Suzy Slesin had a booth, as did my friends Mark McDonald and George Gilpin. Mark was still using a set of display shelving I designed for him maybe 15 years ago!

The thrill of the night was meeting Marc Jacobs at Modernism. I designed his BANG fragrance bottle, but never got to meet him, so I just marched right up and introduced myself. I am happy to report that he is very nice, and excited about the bottle. No pics unfortunately.

I also stopped by Steuben, the great American luxury glass producer. They were launching a collection with my friend, Ross Bleckner. They have been collaborating with artists as well as designers in recent years. Steuben glass lends itself to art projects - it is a very unique material worked by master craftsmen, and I know from experience that they can do almost anything you ask of them.

Ross Bleckner; and Robert Nachman, Steuben's Creative director; and myself

Hot crowd, as usual, at the Bleckner event. Lots of artists including April Gornik, and Jack Pierson, who I met while he was checking out my "Sticks and Stones" decanter set.

One of the most spectacular pieces at Steuben was this red screen. Seems like red might be the new black. Ross' molecular patterns translate well into the refractive, transparent medium of glass.

Ross' web site is www.rbleckner.com and Steuben is www.steuben.com

Vlogged in London

London Design Week - Brompton Design District. from thedesignvlog.com on Vimeo.

Skitsch London -100% Design - September 2010

Harry Allen Design featured at the entrance
of the Skitsch store on Brompton Rd
September 23, 2010




Harry and Renato Preti, the owner of Skitsch (and one of the nicest guys in design), waiting for the party to get started.



The party begins...

Skitsch Launches "Home" at 100% Design

Skitsch launched "Home" at 100% Design in London in September. "Home" is our new storage system based on the icon of a house. It can be purchased whole, or in parts, and configured as you like it. It is available at Skitsch stores in London and Milano, and for delivery in Europe at www.skitsch.com.

Interior Design Magazine

Harry Allen Design's Pipeline in the September issue of Interior Design Magazine.

Sunday New York Times

Pig Spotting (Slide 8)
www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/magazine/31FOB-Domains-t.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss

July In Brazil

Playing catchup here. Brazil in July for the BOOM design conference in Sao Jose do Rio Preto.

BANG

WALLPAPER October 2010

Michael Reynold's amazing story in the October Wallpaper
Featuring creased paper "sets by artist, Simon Schubert, www.simonschubert.de
And two Harry Allen Design products
Pipeline, for Dune, and Pickup, for Areaware
View the PDF on our web site