Modern Furniture Blog

Modern Furniture Blog

Modern living rooms

Modern living rooms

About Alexander Calzadilla

Alexander Calzadilla is a Cuban male originally from Philadelphia, who has happily called Miami his home since moving here at the age of 15. He attended Southwest Sr. High School and Florida International University, ultimately receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. While in college, he began working as a paralegal for the Law Offices of Jeffrey E. Reichenbacher, a position he kept for seven years after graduation. He subsequently worked at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Associates before landing at Costa Nursery. After distinguishing himself with many accomplishments, he was promoted to the position of Director of Specialty Products, which included the orchid, bonsai and lucky bamboo departments. When Alex was first put in charge of the three departments, they ranked near the bottom. By the time he left Costa after seven years, Alex had transformed the floundering departments into unqualified successes, posting record earnings, sales and profitability. In 2008 Alex was named the Costa Employee of the Year. Alex now puts his formidable prowess as a businessman into his newest venture, Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC, serving as Managing Partner.

About Avant-Garde

We offer home furnishings and decor for every area of your home,both inside and out, always striving to bring you the most current design elements being used by today's top designers, at a fraction of their retail cost. Whether you are completely redecorating an area of your home, looking for the perfect accent piece to finish off an existing room, shopping for a unique gift, or simply "window shopping" to get design ideas, Avant-Garde is the place to go for everything modern & contemporary for your home.

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Friday, October 19, 2012

All about lighting:

All about lighting:

Today I am writing about lighting and its many forms and shapes and the uniqueness each piece carries.. Lighting is perhaps the most important piece to any room, it can make or break any design and its possible its exclusion in discussions can make a great design seem only passable. The use of wrong lighting can make any thousand dollar room seem like a flea market buy.. Lighting can either match the decor or serve as an accent room piece.. one very common room design has modern contemporary furniture with traditional glass chandeliers or pendant amps, the end result usually being stunning, that is if the match was made ahead of time and by designers who know just how much is enough or not enough... 

Enjoy the pics and post...

Vederlicht Lamp by Daniel Hulsbergen

A childhood fascination with model glider planes led Daniel Hulsbergen to create the Vederlicht (featherlight) pendant lamp.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Says Hulsbergen, "Back then these planes cost too much for me to buy and I only could look at them in the shop. The small kid in me is still there so I took the technique and material for making a glider and used it to design a light."


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The Vederlicht is made of Balsawood and Oracover, the same material used to cover the wings of a glider, which "gives the lamp it's ultra light weight."


Circles and Countercircles Chandeliers by Troika
Studio Troika have created two lights for the newly refurbished London home of The Royal Society of Arts.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Chandelier with 12 lenses
Inspired by the work of early Enlightenment scientists and the manipulation of the very substance of the light itself, Troika's chandeliers act as key components of the architectural refurbishment scheme designed by Matthew Lloyd Architects.


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Says Troika, "The principles at work in both chandeliers, namely the diffraction and controlled scattering of the light, is reminiscent of the early experiments of Sir Isaac Newton and the later Augustin Fresnel, while signifying a quest for deeper understanding which found a natural resonance with the values and legacy of the Royal Society of Arts, founded in 1754."


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The chandeliers use large fresnel lenses to shape the light generated by high power LEDs on the outer edge into geometrical patterns projected onto the ceiling, "thus contributing compelling decorative elements to the surrounding spaces while providing the necessary illumination levels."


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Single lens chandelier
The Grand Staircase chandelier (above) is comprised of a large 1.2m diameter fresnel lens, rimmed by a white Corian ring, and suspended in front of a rose-gold plated cradle housing 9 high power LEDs.


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"As the white light generated by the LEDs passes through the lens, a pattern of 9 overlapping rings is created, adorning the ceiling with a unique crystalline rose."

 

Valerie, My Crystal Sister Chandelier by Lucas Maassen


Lucas Maassen has created a crystal chandelier using DNA as the starting point for the design.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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Valerie, My Crystal Sister is a crystal chandelier that will be presented by Dutch designer Lucas Maassen, in collaboration with global healthcare company Roche, for the new Confrontations: Contemporary Dutch Design exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum.


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Says Maassen, he began the project by raising a question: "is it possible to use the biological process that created me as a design process to create an object?"

After several months together with Roche, he successfully crystallized synthetic DNA fragments (which are present in Maassen's parents). A magnified glass version of the resulting crystal, only visible under the microscope, was then produced by Vienna-based crystal manufacturer Lobmeyr. 1000 such pieces then formed a crystal chandelier.


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Maassen continues, "Ultimately, this project is about the visualization of life. DNA is the basic code of life, an essential part of every organism."

The chandelier was named for the sister Maassen never had because his parents' marriage ended too soon.

Thinking of her, he called the project Valerie, my Crystal Sister, giving the chandelier the name his parents would have chosen for him had he been a girl. The chandelier, and thus, their 'crystal daughter', was assembled by Maassen's parents in a performance on June 12th at the Vitra Design Museum.


Naturoscopie
 
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Naturoscopie III mirror
Each of the Naturoscopie III objects functions like a photographic black box, a developer of images and emotions (see also the tables below). "The perception of a landscape, of a changing sky, a sunset or an aurora borealis is supported by the partial, moving and coloured vision of a photograph printed on aluminium and concealed inside."


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Naturoscopie III coffee table
"What is important here is not the image itself, but the impressions contained in a past moment, in a souvenir kept alive thanks to the object which houses it and the lighting system implemented."


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"The LED spots alternately dance across the printed surface. The photograph is never totally visible. The experience of the object thus becomes progressive, leaving the spectator free to project himself into his own sensory memory."


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Naturoscopie IV light

A cloud appears to have been captured within Naturoscopie IV, above. "This image is created by the activity of the alveoli and their differential depth inside the object. The cellular framework thus creates progressive shadow effects, imitating the shape of a moving cloud through optical and kinetic effects."

Naturoscopie will be shown at the Galerie BSL stand (G12) at Design Miami/Basel, in Basel, Switzerland from June 12 to 17, 2012.


 
LightDrive Table Lamp by Raj Singh, David Lee, and Steven Peltier
Radast Design has turned lamp design on its head with a light source in the base.




A high output LED module is housed in the base of the lamp. Using a specially designed optical waveguide, which works the same way as fiber optics, light is transferred to the top of the lamp where it's diffused into the room.


(Click the images below for full sized images)


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The heat from the LEDs is safely and effectively dissipated within the base of the lamp. Steven Peltier, Radast Design co-founder explains, "we literally turned the design of the lamp on its head. By placing the light source in the base, we not only solved how to safely control heat, we also opened up a whole new world of possibilities in lighting design."


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AG Modern lighting concepts
AG Home Goods

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Modern spaces...

Modern spaces...

Today I am talking about modern spaces and the items that make them the space we feel cozy and at home with... We have all seen minimalist design and its dry and not cozy feel.. Well here are some modern contemporary designs that add flare and make us feel more at home in the traditional setting.. I love the way they look and we will all love the way they feel to us..


Enjoy the pics and post


A Mixed Modern Space

Last week we talked about mixing modern, and this beautiful space does just that. The exposed wood ceiling and the unique wall designs create the perfect canvas for an influx of modern furniture.
The modern living room has a bright white tufted sofa that is paired with a tulip side table and white lounge chair and it leads to a modern dining table surrounded by modern classic chairs. The kitchen has the same bones that are accentuated by modern cabinets, appliances and furniture.
What do you think of this modern space? Is this a place you can see yourself living in?

The Wave Chair In Action

Sometimes when you see an item in a different setting than on a website, you see the true beauty of the product. This is exemplified with the Wave Chair, and is especially helpful for those that may be skeptical about acrylic furniture. Because seeing the Wave Chair in this setting helps you envision how gorgeous it will look in your modern home!
Made of high-quality acrylic, the Wave Chair is a modern lounge chair that adds high style and drama to a modern living room. Use the chair as an accent piece to a contemporary sofa and coffee table and the Wave Chair will undoubtedly be the star of the show. Plus, the materials of the Wave Chair are completely recyclable and environmentally conscious!
What do you think of the Wave Chair?

See It In Action: The Soho Stool

On Monday, we blogged about mixing modern with other styles, such as traditional and rustic, and there were some modern classic stools that were used as an example. To wrap the week up over here at the Inmod blog, we’ve got those chairs in stool form – and we’ve got them in action in a stylish modern-transitional kitchen.
The modern stool is the Soho Stool, which is a highly accurate reproduction of the Navy Emeco Stool. Made of aluminum with a brushed finish, these modern classic stools are stylish and timeless. They work well in any modern setting, including this kitchen above.
What do you think of these stools?

Xert Yourself

You won’t overexert yourself by creating the perfect modern dining room with the Xert Buffet Console and the Xert Narrow Shelf.
These sleek storage pieces have durable stainless steel frames, available in the finish of your choice. The shelves are made of frosted glass for a chic, dramatic look. What’s great about the Xert Series is that they add optimum style while providing storage and display options.
In addition to the two items shown here, there are so many other items in the Xert Series, made by Zuo. There is a bart cart, a chair, an entertainment center – so many pieces that you could essentially Xert your whole house out, if you love the styles that much!!
Which Xert piece is your favorite?

Modern spaces and some modern pieces,

AG Home Goods


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Modern contemporary random items...

Modern contemporary random items... 

Today I am featuring random items I happen to see in blogs, magazines, etc that I think simply pop out and are memorable.. And if I think they are memorable, I guarantee all of you will as well... 

Enjoy the pics and post...

A new nightlight.. or accent light



In conjunction with award winning designer Derrick Hurst, Ghost Nest is pleased to be announcing their bold new lighting product, Geode. It’s not a simple picture frame, or a simple accent light – it’s a dynamic way to light your space while showcasing and illuminating your image.  Help us bring our project to life on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/Vh7dLn


There are three features that make Geode unlike anything else.  Each frame is interchangeable and so is the image contained within, Geode unplugs and glows for 6 hours (and recharges once plugged back in) and due to its angular nature, Geode has seven unique resting positions. Geode is 5”x5”x4.5” and is constructed of plastic and aluminum.  The removable frame is a soft, matte finish silicon, while the body is a white opaque, glossy polycarbonate.

Pablo Lighting: 


Yo! Only a few days left to get an awesome-looking light for your awesome house from those awesome folks: Pablo Lighting! Until October 15th enjoy 15% off their light fixtures that are modern but sport a ton of personality.  This a is a sign from  a site I fully recommend great lighting ideas here.. Amazing

6 Amazing Vases



There’s no denying the freshness that flowers bring to a space — modern or not. The problem with flowers is they need a place to stay in! Don’t just let flowers dry up and wither outside of vases — grab a few modern ones that will bring as much pattern and color into your home as the flowers themselves. Here are six awesome ones:
  1. Alex Marshall Studios Cylinder Vase
  2. iittala Aalto Vase 6.25
  3. Areaware Brush Vase
  4. Alex Marshall Studios Sphere Vase
  5. notNeutral Flora Vase Set
  6. Ferm Living Wonderful Vase 1
Amazing vases that are great accent pieces for any home... 


8 Interior designs that just bring out color...

No matter your own personal tastes or style, there’s something arresting about a bold, pop of modern color in an interior. Have you ever wanted to add some to your space? We see gorgeous looks all the time through the blog, and plenty of these gorgeous architectural spaces have interiors with killer pops of color. We’ve rounded up eight recent great looks:

Specht Harpman’s West Lake Hills Residence

Stuart Sampley’s Newton Remodel

NOVA architect gallery: Mon Cheri Urban Life

Banging & Bold Modern Kitchen Inspiration

Hatch Works’ Dan Cave

Swedish Design For Sale

Birdseye Design Architecture’s Dwell-Ing



Modern contemporary ideas..

AG Home Goods






Avant Garde Interior Design Ideas

A House that Transforms

Trip from Miami to Miami Beach

Domain Auctions at GoDaddy.com

Domain Auctions at GoDaddy.com

Miami Beach Art Deco District Slide Show

Modern contemporary showplace and home of Avant-Garde Home Furnishings, LLC, Miami, Florida