March in Leipzig means Book Fair. One of the oldest and most important in Europe the 2009 Leipzig Book Fair ran between March 12 and 15. And attracted over 147,000 vistors. The Leipzig Book Fair prides itself on being more than just an industry meeting point, and during the Fair over 500 public readings took place as part of the “Leipzig liest” festival. And we at smow joined the fun. On the evening 14.03.09 our Leipzig (smow)room once again hosted a reading with subsequent discussion. Guest
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Fernando the Fish, Talulah the Toucan, Elihu the Elephant and Omar the Owl – four irresistibly cheeky chronological creatures born in 1965 from the imagination of master clock designer George Nelson. The “Zoo Timers” from Vitra not only brighten up any room, but make learning telling the time playful and enjoyable. George Nelson studied architecture and mad his name in furniture design, but was also a highly talented graphic designer. His “Zoo Timer” wall clocks at first attract your
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Last week the (smow)team made their annual pilgrimage to the CeBIT communications and IT trade fair in Hannover – not as exhibitor but as curious visitors and passionate techies. And while we looked for ways to improve our on-line service and to offer even more features, we found our attention being continually attracted – and occasionally astounded – by the furniture behind and around the stands. And over the course of the visit we had plenty of time and opportunity to draw up a list of our
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The bed “Siebenschläfer” from the Moormann (Design: Christoffer Martens, 2007) is beloved for the simplicity with which it can be constructed. The individual frame elements needing only to be slotted into one another. However, what happens when the carpentry firm responsible for cutting the parts holds the plans back to front? – Then one gets an unplanned innovation, albeit one that causes several “Am I being stupid?” moments for smow customers. Those who are quick of the mark, however, can
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It may be a few months old, but as relevant as ever: The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film. During the festival in November 2008 smow sponsored, in conjunction with Vitra, the Industry Lounge. Within the festival hub – the Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig – industry visitors, VIps and the media were offered a quiet and relaxed atmosphere in which to hold business meetings, hold – or overhear discussions – or simply to relax and unwind. The Industry Lounge
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With the design for his „Wallflower“ wall unit for Jonas & Jonas Designer Markus Honka has placed the emphasis not only on a flowing, functional form that presents an almost transparent effect, but also on a quick and simple assembly. The units can be assembled without any tools: No screws, no drilling, no problems. Wallflower is composed of one or two supporting legs and "Elastic-buffers" on the rear side to provide stability. The "Wallflowers" are perfectly suitable for today’s
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To end 2008 some tips – and inspiration? – regarding some of the new products that will be gracing the smow selection in 2009. Sadly we can’t present all our new products here – because at this stage even we don’t know how the year will develop. However, by subscribing to the (smow)blog RSS feed or simply regularly visiting smow.com you won’t miss out. Rattan chair from Lampert The rattan furniture from Lampert is the perfect companion for the long winter months. In, for example, the
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The discussion around originals and plagiarisms in designer furniture it is not only a dialectic excercise but a real problem for many produces and retailers of licensed furniture. In the previously mentioned article "The Original" by Rolf Fehlbaum we provided a gentle introduction to the theme: That the problem is very real can be seen in the regularity with which cases are heard before various courts. In 2006, for example, an Italian furniture company was banned from calling the
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The first snow of the years has fallen, the Christmas window displays are finished and the nervous hunt for the “perfect” Christmas gift is well underway. And so sometimes the best decision is simply to relax in front of the Internet and choose extravagant, amusing or simply, simple gifts for your nearest and dearest. In a small pre-Christmas series we the smow blog team will present a few ideas and treasures from the (smow)catalogue, which will hopefully ease you search and bring a smile to
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Welcome to the (smow)blog. Why are we blogging? For us at smow this blog is an opportunity to present new information, exchange ideas and experiences and to offer an informed, behind the scenes view of us, our suppliers and designers. Many of our designer furniture pieces are established classics with which their owners have grown-up, matured, loved, lost and loved again. At the same time the dynamic in the designer furniture market is such that new products are continuously being presented
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