BEND SEATING / FARMHOUSE CHAIR
Bend is a furniture design studio founded by entrepreneur and designer Gaurav Nanda.
The studio’s seating collection is quite impressive. Featuring a geometric wire design, each seat is intricate and ornate with strong midcentury influences. Yet the collection feels modest, without a lot of shine or polish.
Our favorite from Bend is the Farmhouse Chair. It has a certain rustic charm that’s hard to resist. Here’s a closer look.
Before heading out west to LA, Gaurav, a Detroit native, honed his skills as a designer for General Motors. He also helped design Clocky, the ingenious alarm clock that jumps off your nightstand and runs away beeping to make sure you get up.
To learn more about Bend, or see the studio’s entire collection, visit its website. You can also follow Bend on Facebook and Twitter.
JAMES PERSE / LIMITED EDITION PING PONG TABLE
At least once a year, James Perse Los Angeles - the California-cool clothing and furniture label - blows us away with a limited edition item. In years past, these have included surf boards, beach cruiser bikes, and dog beds, all designed in the company’s trademark minimalist approach with incredible attention to detail.
James Perse’s latest limited edition release is a ping pong table. This is no ordinary ping pong table - it’s a piece of art. It’s hand-crafted from environmentally farmed solid teak. It’s also pretty functional. When the net (which is leather bound, by the way) is removed, the table transforms into a sleek dining or conference table. Here’s a closer look.
To learn more about James Perse, visit the company’s website.
James Perse on LOSANGELIST:
PHASE DESIGN / CINI CHANDELIER
Self-taught designer Reza Feiz founded Phase Design more than a decade ago. Feiz takes inspiration from mid-century master architects like Pierre Koenig, Richard Neutra and John Lautner, creating simple and minimal designs that have an enduring contemporary quality.
Our favorite from Phase Design is the Cini Chandelier. It’s named after the porcini mushroom, which serves as the inspiration for the chandelier’s shape. Its sculptural, geometric structure creates dramatic shadows when it’s in use. Here’s a closer look.
The Cini Chandelier is accompanied by a matching floor lamp.
To learn more about Phase Design, visit the company’s website. You can also follow Phase Design on Twitter and Facebook. To see some of Phase Design’s offerings, visit Twentieth on Beverly.
ENVIRONMENT FURNITURE / WHEEL DINING TABLE
Many companies are all talk when it comes to environmental sustainability. But Environment Furniture actually walks the walk. The company uses sustainably-harvested wood and reuses discarded and salvaged materials to create rugged, elegant furniture collections that respect and preserve the environment.
One of the materials Environment Furniture uses most in its designs is peroba wood, which the company reclaims from structures that are abandoned or scheduled to be demolished.
In 2003, Environment became the first furniture company to establish a reclaimed peroba exporting operation in Brazil, where the wood was a common building material used in construction.
Environment Furniture also recycles vintage cotton canvas from old military tents and reclaims it for use as durable upholstery.
Our favorite from Environment’s collection is the Wheel Dining Table. Its utilitarian design gives it a very rugged, industrial look that complement its rustic texture perfectly. Here’s a closer look.
Here is a quick glimpse at a few other items from Environment Furniture’s impressive collection.
To learn more about Environment Furniture and its commitment to using materials with low environmental impact, visit the company’s website. You can also follow Environment on Twitter. Visit Environment’s showroom on Beverly to check out the company’s furniture designs in person.
