Two is Company…

August 07 · Furniture Designs, New Products, Uncategorized · Black Walnut, dresser, furniture design, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, Microslab, new designs

In July we introduced you to JOHNHOUSHMAND‘s first dresser, the No. 0237. But since one is the loneliest number we decided to create a beautiful companion piece, the No. 0237.1, a darkened Black Walnut dresser with six drawers and a light Black Walnut microslab.

We believe that balance is important in design as with anything. The fluid shape of the microslab brings a nice tenderness to the rigidity in the grid of drawers. Both polished and practical, No. 0237.1 will keep your clothes tidy and out of the way.

Our Newest Team Leader

August 01 · Uncategorized · John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, News

The world at JOHNHOUSHMAND was just made even better by the wonderful addition to our team of Shari Lebowitz. Shari has come aboard as our General Manager and the changes are already happening in terms of new systems, better organization, a pleasant facelift to the showroom, and smoother operations in our production process.

Shari has had her own interior design business for 15 years, as well as a serious stint in the world of business management. On top of that she has a great spirit and amazing demeanor. She is a true team builder, a design expert, and a savvy businesswoman.

At the top of Shari’s priorities are streamlining our processes and opening up the showroom to more visits and interaction with architects, designers, and clients. With Shari’s vision we will make the JOHNHOUSHMAND team more dynamic and capable of handling our increasing amount of work and commissions from all over the globe, both art-as-furniture as well as architectural commissions

Expect to see more great changes in the future, watch our website, and look forward to emails with exciting new visions.

Good, better, best, never let it rest….

The New Black

July 26 · Furniture Designs, Uncategorized · dresser, ebonized oak, furniture design, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, Microslab, new designs, Spalted Maple, wood

Introducing a seamless fusion of form and function, the No. 0237, JOHNHOUSHMAND‘s first dresser, with ebonized oak and a bleached spalted maple microslab.

Organization is key in any home, be it a tiny New York apartment or a beautiful home in Colorado (which, coincidentally, is where this creation is headed), and so we thought we could help with an elegant storage solution. At 54 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 32 inches high and with six drawers this dresser keeps clothes organized and within easy reach. Along with these spacious drawers we fabricated custom made hardware for this stunning dresser. Cut to precision out of blackened steel, these specifically designed pull handles add elegant detail and ensure smooth gliding when drawers are in use.

With two distinct finishes and six drawers, this dresser is sure to be a welcome addition to any bedroom.

Playing Our Cards Right

June 21 · Furniture Designs, Uncategorized · Cast Aluminum, furniture design, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, new designs

You know what they say: all work and no play makes Jack… or John a dull boy. That’s why we’ve started to blur the line between work and play with some of our specialty tables!

Like the Bowling Alley table that came before it, No. 1037, the Cast Aluminum Playing Card Table adds a personal touch to any room it’s placed in. From Go Fish to Rummy, this miniature Cast Aluminum table is perfect for any card game so get ready to lay your cards on the table.

“A Brick That Holds Beer”

June 19 · Asides, Uncategorized · eco-friendly, glass, good design, sustainability

One of our fellow eco-enthusiasts alerted us about a great idea in eco-friendly building materials: glass bottles! We came across this breathtaking million glass bottle temple in Surin province, Thailand called Wat Lan Khuat which has been built entirely out of empty Heineken and Chang beer bottles (Heineken giving the green color, Chang the brown) and concrete. Mr. Heineken himself wanted to develop bottles shaped like bricks to aid in this usage (pictured above right) back in the day but gave up on the venture. Others though have taken this inspiration and created beautiful, bright and eco-friendly bottle walls all over the world.

Soft Spot for Saddle Shoes

June 12 · Furniture Designs, Uncategorized · Black Walnut, couch, furniture design, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, Manhattan, new designs, Spalted Maple, wood

Side tables, low tables, dining tables, consoles, chairs, desks, benches, beds, shelving, oh my! JOHNHOUSHMAND has covered the spectrum of furniture for years but there has been one thing missing…until now.

Introducing No. 0156, the Saddle Shoe Couch with robin’s egg blue upholstery. Inspired by the classic shape and color contrast of saddle shoes, JOHNHOUSHMAND‘s first couch is structured with an elegant combination of Spalted Maple and Black Walnut.

Watch out for more unexpected designs in the coming months!

A JOHNHOUSHMAND Zen Garden

May 22 · Events, Furniture Designs, Uncategorized · acrylic, Cast Aluminum, furniture design, ICFF, JOHNHOUSHMAND, low table, Manhattan, new designs, wood

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend with the kickoff of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)! The JOHNHOUSHMAND team stayed up late Friday putting the finishing touches on our very own zen garden at booth #1122.

We wanted to let the natural beauty of our furniture speak for itself in a calming oasis. Using sand, stones, slate tiles, and moss we created a unique environment for our wood, metal and glass pieces. We even developed a special sand-paste in order to make a one-0f-a-kind flooring that looks like loose sand but can be walked across freely without breaking the swirling pattern.

Additionally for this special occasion JOHNHOUSHMAND debuted two new pieces! Both the Tattooed Acrylic Cicada Side Table and the Petrified Wood Low Table were noticeable show stoppers amongst the classics on show. JOHNHOUSHMAND was one of hundreds of exhibitors at the fair this year including Kohler, Jonathan Adler, Lindsey Adelman, Charles Pollock, Blu Dot, Artek, and many more.

Chutes and Ladders

May 10 · Architectural Designs, hous projects, Uncategorized · architecture, far out, JOHNHOUSHMAND, new designs, sculpture, workshop

You may have been wondering what the guys at the shop have been developing with this new system of armatures. Here is the newest prototype! It may look complicated. And that’s because it is.

These rollercoaster-esque columns, or as we like to call them “stems”, are a part of our newest architectural project. The possibilities really are endless when using these ultra-flexible and elegant winding forms.

One can’t help but be reminded of one of John’s sculptures from 2008. Ladder, seen below, seems to be at the root of our newest project! This sculptural quality can really seen as a thread through all of our pieces, be it architectural or industrial. Come see it for yourself at the Soho showroom!

JOHNHOUSHMAND / ICFF / 2012

May 04 · Events, Furniture Designs, Uncategorized · Cast Aluminum, dining chair, furniture design, ICFF, Interior Design, Javits Center, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, low table, Manhattan, wood

For those in the know, ICFF is a time-honored tradition, but for those yet to be acquainted with one of North America’s biggest tradeshows, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, here is a quick play by play!

ICFF annually hosts over 25,000 designers, architects, interior designers, retailers, manufacturers, developers, distributors, and representatives at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. This year the ICFF is hosting representatives from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and U.S. One part of the U.S. proponent? JOHNHOUSHMAND (for the second year in a row)!

We will be located at booth #1122 & and exhibiting a carefully curated collection of both never before seen pieces as well as timeless JOHNHOUSHMAND classics. Come join us!

Geometric Pieces, Organic Shapes

May 01 · Uncategorized

For our newest architectural project we’re experimenting with dynamic armatures. In the past we used to make ribbon shaped assemblies using CAD files. We would insert section ribbons and transform them, or unfold them. The shopbot then adds ribs and we glue it all back to create the shape. The new type of armature we are working with allows flexibility and pins together to hold its shape. Though it’s not as exact, it’s definitely much faster and more flexible as it can take the shape of any organically curving wood structure.

We’re excited about this new process and it shows! The guys at the shop have been having fun experimenting with the different shapes that can be created with these flexible structures.

Check out the video HERE to see how it works!