New Zealand's Definitive Design Destination

Comet Lamp by Tom Dixon

Chaise Lounge by Front Design

Champagne Cellar by 5.5 Designers

At the Milan Furniture Fair earlier this year French champagne house Veuve Clicquot invited three top designers to create an innovative piece of furniture based on their new DesignBox. The outcomes were on display in the Zona Tortona area of Milan.

English designer Tom Dixon's Comet Lamp referenced the comet that was sighted in the Champagne region of France in 1811; the same year that produced an exceptional vintage and the first year that the modern champagne style was pioneered by Veuve Clicquot.

Swedish collective, Front Design created a pixelised landscape that form their static sculpture. The grid work of boxes join together creating a comfortable seating arrangement.

5.5 Designers Champagne Cellar referenced the traditional brick walls that form the walls of cellars. Each DesignBox "brick" contains a bottle, with the entire storage unit holding just enough champagne to keep the enthusiast satiated.

For more information visit the Veuve Clicquot website here.

Favoured for his often fantastical designs, Marcel Wander's Venus Chair launched by Poliform at this year's Milan Fair, again shows the decorative appeal of Wander's designs. The textured floral pattern on the chair's exterior is a typical example of the designer's keen passion for vintage ceiling plaster-work. The soft leather seat and swivel base make the overall design even more appealing.

Poliform is available locally here.

Designed by Alfredo Häberli the Aki chair and table were launched by Danish manufacturers Fredericia at the Milan Fair. Characterised by the single wooden "back-bone" that defines it's structure, which is flanked by soft and comfortable fabric cushions. All making for a striking and unique chair. 

Fredericia is availalbe locally here.

New from Driade at the Milan Fair, the Hotbox is designed by Miki Astori. Interior drawers and shelves are constructed in ebonised teak, while the curved exterior is encased in ebonised aluminium silver.

Driade is availalbe locally here.

Stockholm based designer Nils-Ole Zib launched his new Zap Chair for Källemo at this year's Milan Fair. A chrome steel frame supports the compressed moulded ash seat, and has vibration dampers making the chair noiseless.

For more information go here.

Italian fashion house Byblos have added a limited edition furniture collection to their range. Designed by in-house creative director Alessandro Mendini, the collection takes classical lines and blends them with vibrant upholstery and paint.  The pieces bring to mind a Memphis design take on styles favoured by Marie Antoinette and various kings named Louis.

For more information visit their site here.

OnSite Studio/ Sebastien Wierinck presented the 02/03 Chair and Table at last months Milan Furniture Fair. Constructed from interlocking angled panels, allowing the peices to be free of nails and glue.

To learn more about the studio's work go here.

The silver finish on the Sellerina armchair is so fantastically intense you would think it was in fact aluminium as it's name suggests. The chairs are however covered with a beautifully soft leather, typical of all the leather-work from the Italian manufacturer Baxter.

Baxter is available locally at Cavit & Co.

Carlo Colombo's Mito chair for Arflex epitomises classic craftmanship with the hanging sling chair. The seat of the chair is created from cowhide, supported by a light and stylishly polished crome-steel structure. Stitching down the back spine of the chair adds a decorative appeal.

Arflex is available locally from Cite.

Created from molds based on paper shopping bags, the Bag Stool by Belgium designers Quinze + Milan present a unique idea for both indoor and outdoor seating. Cast in either concrete for outdoor use, or a combination of concrete and wood fibres for a lighter indoor model.

More information visit their website here.

The Le Soleil pendant light by Vicente Garcia Jimenez reminds me immediately of The Guggenheim Museum in New York designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

With each of the shades bands reflecting light upwards, any downward light is defused by the various coloured shades.

Foscarnini is available locally here.

The Alex Schmind designed 5 Pack light has adjustable suspension between it's shades allowing differing light levels to emit between each shade. 

Ingo Maurer lighting is available locally here.

Another great idea for the fledgling architect or designer, Villa Julia comes flat packed with easy assembly instructions. The five phase process involves assembly, personalisation, decoration, occupation and disassembly.

Constructed from cardboard, the erected playhouse is designed to be coloured and decorated by using crayons or markers, allowing each Villa to take on the decorating tastes of the budding designer.

Magis is available locally here.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of  the great Salvador Dalí, Spanish company Barcelona Design are paying homage by producing limited edition pieces from the surrealists past furniture collection. All items are finished in black, with aged black patina on casted brass, black marble, darkened gold leaf, and dyed lime wood satin for upholstery. The collection will be available in limited numbers of 105 of each item, reflecting the age that Dalí would have been in 2009. I am totally in love with all of these pieces. This is the 'furniture as art' trend at it's very best.

For more information go here.

Designer Anna Von Schewen had a traditional Club chair in mind when she developed the idea of the Dress chair. By employing  tailoring techniques she has created and elegant waistline by gathering the leather, which has resulted in a beautifully feminine chair.

For more information go here.