Designer Spotlight: Inga Sempe

G'day everyone!  How 'bout ya'll raise your hands if you remember that monster Olympic-sized post I wrote on Tuesday?  Remember how it was the longest blog post ever in the history of mankind?  So, keeping that in mind, how do you feel about a slightly significantly shorter post today?  No go?  Hmmmm... what if I promise lots of pretty pictures?  Deal?  Deal.  Let's go. I have come to learn something recently which will undoubtedly shake you all to your core:  Ligne Roset carries several pieces of furniture.  True!  I know we all love to swoon over the Togo (I'm looking at you, Raina) but believe it or not, they actually have a very extensive line of lovely pieces.  And behind every line of great furniture stands a great designer.  Ok, they have several designers they work with but today we're focusing on one: Inga Sempe.

Ligne Roset unveiled it's newest piece, the Ruche, by designer Igna Sempe this week at the imm cologne

A simple, upholstered quilt is draped over a basic frame to create the newest piece.  And, since we're channeling Raina today, I will ask your thoughts please.

The Ruche is not Sempe's first piece for Ligne Roset, she has designed several including the Moel sofa and chair (shown above) as well as the Lampyre, the Long Pot, and Lunatique: a telescoping table.

Sempe's portfolio also contains this gem, designed for quirky Italian furniture makers, Edra

Edra let Sempe get away with these shelves as well, which, btw, I find delightful.

One of my favorite pieces by Sempe is this pleated hanging lamp for Cappelinni.  Designed in 2003 and still stunning as can be 7 years later.

I'm also enchanted with her high pleated lamp, also for Cappellini

And you know what, dudes?  That's all I've got for today.

Power Struggle

I've decided that a nutty three year old girl lives within Karim Rashid's colorful candy shell. Her name is Karina, and she likes to assert her tyrannical childishness by forcing him to indulge in attention seeking acts of blobby decorating, while using all the colors of the crayola rainbow. I can imagine it must be a PR nightmare trying to keep both halves of a schizophrenic designer together during photoshoots... does Karina pull at Karim's glasses and demand apple juice and Dora the Explorer?

Dear Karim, the pink Converse shoes Karina picked out for you are rather natty, but I'm concerned about those Alexander Girard tattoos... Oh wait, those are "your" designs. I think you have only yourself to blame for that judgment call. On the other hand, I'm kind of liking what she did with your extra special Fisher Price weekend house.

She's a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.

Kid friendly leather, soft rounded edges, and a magic marked up carpet, all suggest Karina's tiny helping hands. But what's up with the big red question? A plea for recognition, perhaps? A subliminal stamp on the room?

Toys and tvs in the bathroom -- a kid definitely designed this place. Plus, it's looking a lot like Yo Gabba Gabba up in this hizzy. You be the judge:

Can you even tell which one is the cartoon, and which is the house? I didn't think so.

Still, there are a few signs of adult life in this home. I'm sure this followed a major Karim/Karina showdown, wherein Karina whined for 678459 hours straight, and Karim plugged his ears and belted out some Moby tunes, which would undoubtedly destroy any child's will to power.

And then Little K let Big K have a grown up(ish) office space.

And also this artwork that keeps threatening to reveal some very adult information... or maybe that's just me.

I'm not sure which K is responsible for the world's most amazing diving board, or these glorious windows, so I guess I'll have to award both a shiny gold star.

I suppose K squared make a pretty good team, all things considered. The both share a love of dress up, and you know they like to get together and talk about Me Me Me. I'm really not sure why Karim doesn't just embrace his inner Karina, and shout it from the rooftops that he loves having a little girl inside him... Well, maybe not in exactly those words.

Dude, you're not fooling anyone.

(all photographs by Richard Powers)

Checkmate!

Hey dudes, I'm not here. Well, I am... but I'm not. Come find me over at From the Right Bank, where I'm guest posting for Ally while she moves cross country to Hotlanta. Did I just type that? Speaking of hotness, my guest post is about yummy checkerboard floors, like those found in this gorgeous restaurant designed by Jaime Hayon:

And speaking of yummy gorgeous hotness, I don't think Raina would let me live without posting a picture of Senor Hayon, hisself:

Not too shabby babes, not too shabby.

Monday marks the start of our annual gift guide, so ya'll come back now, you hear?

Happy weekend!