Ubi Modern Changing Table

It's Springtime and is it me, or is every woman I know of child-bearing age actually bearing a child? I have babies on the brain, and the perfect gift for new moms: the Ubi baby changing table. Made to sit on the floor in all its minimalist, bentwood glory, Ubi dispenses and holds the diaper in place while you change the little one. The design holds about 10 diapers. Available in a choice of five fabrics and two finishes. About $89.

Cradle to Cradle Baby Furniture

Loved this concept when I saw it with Stokke, and even more with the YiAhn Bassinet.

Via Inhabitots available at My Baby's First Furniture:YiAhn.

Sultan of Chic

Like many members of royalty, the Sultan of Chic ushered in 2009 with a lavish fete for the international elite; only, esteemed artist and furniture designer Albert Sultan hosted his grand affair on the world wide web. It’s now three months in, and the party’s still going strong. Sultanchic.com, a couture furnishings website offers high-end refurbished vintage accent pieces for the home. Sexy and sophisticated, the site itself is a work of art.

Sultan, 28, founded his couture home furnishings company in 2007 and spent over a year acquiring, designing and refinishing over 200 pieces. In addition to the bold and colorful collection of chairs, www.sultanchic.com also features a large selection of case pieces, including credenzas, cabinets, and dressers. Price points range from $2000 per pair of chairs to $8000.

 

Sultan scours the globe for rare vintage pieces of unusual shape and form and refashions them into show pieces, “bold accent statements that complement an overall design scheme.” As his work is both handcrafted and high quality, he caters to design professionals and furniture enthusiasts alike. The environmentally conscious consumer is also a target audience as his pieces and fabrics are made of recycled materials. And, because the furniture itself is older and not mass produced, it is made better.

“I take an existing piece that is already novel, and pair it with exotic materials to create something wholly new,” explains Albert Sultan.

After graduating from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor in Fine Arts and European History, Sultan traveled the world to study art and explore how various cultures and regions use shape, pattern and form. He then founded Sultan Designs, a decorative painting company that creates one-of-a-kind hand-applied wall finishes. Among Sultan’s high-profile clients are Barneys New York; Judy Kramer, the producer of Mamma Mia at The Plaza hotel; and the former CEO of Nobody Beats the Wiz. In fact, it was the Wiz’s CEO who gave Sultan a fresh perspective for a business by commissioning him to design an apartment on a shoestring budget with a one-month deadline. His experience of creating something from nothing inspired Sultan to launch Sultanchic.com.

“It started in the basement of my family’s estate on the Jersey Shore and became an obsession,” he quips. “I was learning how to carry over my craft as a decorative artist working in two dimensions to 3-D with furniture.”

He sources from vintage stores, dealers, and estate sales and culls fabrics from around the world. Typically, each element of one piece of furniture comes from a different part of the globe - the fabric from Australia, the chair from Minnesota, etc. The artful fusion of time, place and pattern is what gives way to his artwork. A Deco era chair becomes a throwback to the 70s; a classic French Napoleon chair is given a pop rock feel.

“I wanted to refine my technique further by assimilating influences to create something novel for the 21st century,” he adds. “I am going back to the past to create something fresh – yet timeless – for the future.”

“Sultanchic.com has a simple business model: take ordinary furniture and transform them into extraordinary pieces,” notes longtime client Esther Chopp, ASID interior designer. “What is unique is the thoughtful combination of shape, color and pattern that yield what is truly art.”

Royal Botania hoping to bring some R&R stateside

Carefree relaxation seems to be a rare commodity in the United States. Hopefully Royal Botania’s arrival to the US market will begin to change that, or more realistically, make it more enjoyable when we do indulge. The Belgian manufacturer designs and produces aesthetically refined outdoor furniture that addresses human needs, comfort and usability.

E-Z by Royal Botania

Read more from 3 Rings

-- allie

Tags: Royal Botania, modern outdoor lounger, classic contemporary, European design, outdoor furniture

Bamboo from Facundo Poj

From Facundo Poj -- 100% bamboo furniture. No screws, no nails, and non-toxic. See more!

-- allie

Tags: Facundo Poj, bamboo furniture, bent bamboo, bamboo bar stools, bamboo table

Doors go designer

Doors -- one of the last frontiers of modern design. My house is no different. In stark comparison to the rest of my minimalistic modern home, my interior doors are dark, heavy, and still adorned with the original knobs (complete with skeleton keys). A cape cod built in the early 40s, my first floor features no less than 5 doors from the same era.

I've contemplated sanding and staining them. And I know new knobs will make a difference, but I want something lighter, something without the bevels and intricate carvings.

 

Check out more designer doors from Iosa Ghini for Barausse.

-- allie

Tags: Iosa Ghini, Barausse, modern interior doors, contemporary doors, designer+interior+doors

Win a Harri Koskinen Block Lamp

-- allie

Tags: Harri Koskinen, Block Lamp, free giveaways, contemporary lamp, Lushpad

Emeco Gets Even Better

I didn't think it was possible, but the already perfect Emeco chair been improved upon. Check out its warm wooden seat:

Via R&S.

Mary-Louise Gustafson

Just a glimpse into the fairytale world of  designer Marie-Louise Gustafson, where desks recycle themselves, folded felt becomes a cushy footrest, a bench becomes a wheeled caterpillar and a chair turns the sitter into a princess in a dress with a flowing train.

See more at her site: marielouise.

Modern Stools

Eurotrend's most extensive line of stools: They swivel, adjust or stay in place. They are in wood, metal, upholstery, leather or all of these combined. They are with or without back. They have four legs or a base. They are custom finished.