Dishing About Italian Design

Karim Rashid, one of today's most prolific product designers, informally spoke at the Furniture Fair in High Point on the secrets of Italian design and why our domestic environments are not as up to speed as our work ones. To Rashid, the word design connotes invention, whereas when you are borrowing from history, you are merely styling. Italians he said, embrace experimentation and innovation.

"The Italians have a human desire, a material desire and a historical desire to make something beautiful and innovative," he said, "Design is about enhancing the evolution of our physical world."

The youth culture is demanding different products from what their parents wanted. Inspired by (and hooked on) design icons like iPods, they are demanding that their homes be as efficient and technically evolved as their offices. This is driving new types of products -- and the embracing of new materials.

TOP: Design icon Karim Rashid is joined in the discussion by PURE CONTEMPORARY Editor Diane Burley. Both are sitting on Rashid-designed "Skoop" stools by Bonaldo.

Flap Table by Bonaldo offers compact round table -- with leaves that flip up and surround the original.

Technorati Tags: Bonaldo, Karim Rashid, Italian Design, Modern Design

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