Endless Possibilities

August 21 · Furniture Designs, New Products, Uncategorized · acrylic, cicada, custom, furniture design, ICFF, Javits Center, John Houshmand, JOHNHOUSHMAND, Manhattan, new designs, side table, table, tattoo

In April we announced a new custom finish: Tattooed Acrylic and Wood. Now after months of experimentation and anticipation we are excited to present our first tattooed table: the No. 0238 acrylic side table with black legs and a cicada “graphic tattoo”.

We first unveiled this piece in May at our booth at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (see below). With a treatment like this tattoo the possibilities really are endless! The fill color, width of line, graphic, and material are all up to the imagination. As you can see here, we decided to emblazon our very first tattooed product with one of John’s favorite creatures: the cicada. You may know this mysterious insect from the cicada song that can be heard in the summertime in heavily wooded areas. We’ve learned to embrace cicadas even though they can damage and cause scarring to tree branches. Just like a beauty mark, we see this natural marking as something to be proud of.

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.

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!

Sticks & Stones

April 24 · Architectural Designs, News, Uncategorized · Black Walnut, Granite, Interior Design, JOHNHOUSHMAND, Luxury Residences, Manhattan, new designs, Reception Desk, Rockwell Group, the W, wood

They say first impressions last a lifetime – and we sure hope they do when you enter the new W New York – Downtown at 123 Washington Street. Our latest project, No. 0235, a Black Walnut dowel reception desk with a granite top, really is a statement piece.

Actualized in collaboration with our good friends at Rockwell Group, this bold and angular creation joined pieces by renowned companies such as Jim Thompson, Maya Romanoff and The Rug Company.

Ode to Robert Isabell by the Novogratzes

April 19 · Events · 9 by Design, Cortney and Robert Novogratz, Interior Design, Manhattan, Robert Isabell, Sixx Design

Robert Isabell House, Angel Franco, New York Times

by Angel Franco for the New York Times

On January 27, 2011, the JOHNHOUSHMAND team attended the ODE TO ROBERT ISABELL party hosted by Cortney and Bob Novogratz of Sixx Design. A world renowned floral designer and events planner who gave Studio 54 its sparkle quite literally one New Year’s Eve, installing 5″ of glitter on its floors, Robert Isabell passed away in the summer of 2009. The contents of this historic West Village home were auctioned off by Sotheby’s in December 2009, and the house was put on the market.

Robert Isabell, Interior Designer, New York Times,

by Sotheby's

A year and a half later, the Novogratzes presented their ODE TO ROBERT ISABELL party. The decor was as inspired and quirky as the home itself, with small clear chandeliers, bright chunky chairs, glass tables with chrome legs and artificial rose garlands hanging from the ceiling. In attendance were John Houshmand, glitter artist Camomile Hixon (whose piece “Pleasure Dome” sparkled above the crowd), and JH2 One Tree Home partner Jack Donenfeld.

Also present at the event was JOHNHOUSHMAND‘s No. 0103.3 Cast Aluminum Table, from which cocktails and wine flowed. The subtle gleam from the cast grain added another source of shine to the evening, complementing the mod decor, while the rich black walnut legs harked back to Robert Isabell’s Mid-Century and Minimalist art and interior collection. A great time was had by all!

You can view complete party pictures on Patrick McMullen’s web site, PatrickMcMullen.com

W Hotel New York Lexington Benches

April 12 · Furniture Designs · bench, furniture design, heart pine, Lexington, Luxury Hotels, Manhattan, New York, reclaimed wood, timber, W Hotel

As a followup to our last post on the W Hotel in Hoboken, we thought we’d share another piece JOHNHOUSHMAND created for the W Hotel New York Lexington Avenue. This pair of Extinct Old Growth Heart Pine Low Benches were constructed for the Extreme Wow Penthouse Suite terrace. These old growth heart pine timbers were reclaimed from renovated New York City buildings, saving this precious wood from being carelessly discarded. They now live a continued life as gorgeously minimalistic benches atop Lexington Avenue.

(photo from W Hotel New York)

Not only are these bespoke benches perfect for the out-of-doors, but also compliment indoor decor beautifully. The inherent history within these timbers lends character and meaning to their surface. Perfect for entryways, hallways, living rooms, or even at the foot of a bed, these benches will add charm and history to any part of your space.

Fish Sticks: NYC’s Nobu Showcases our Work

March 20 · Architectural Designs · Manhattan, Nobu, restaurants, Sushi, wood

The new Nobu restaurant on 57th St. in New York

The Nobu project was originated in the design world of the Rockwell Group, with an intention to bring the beauty and soul of wood into this very specific urban space. Of course the influence of Japanese aesthetics and their affection for wood was a paramount piece of the paradigm. From the slab wood and glass door nestled in a portal of black walnut “timbers,” to the natural edge wood bars and their complement of back-lit onyx panels, the entire project required a sculptor’s hand on the wood combined with an extraordinary degree of technical ability never before attempted.

The timbers – large and small – had to actually be made as hollow assemblies owing to the need to place lighting, air conditioning, and wiring within. End-grain pieces ranging in size from 6″x6″ to 24″ x 36″ were cut and super dried by microwave, and then laminated onto stable substrates to eliminate cracking and degrade failure. These end grain plugs were then deftly mounted in the hollow “timbers” which were then assembled into portals and towers. The glass door was made by radically reinventing the door-making process. We started by scuttling the engineers’ design of a steel frame with glass and slab wood sections affixed into the assembly.

Instead, a 4′ x 9′ glass door was made with extreme capacity hardware. A magnificent slab of black walnut was peeled in half, and the inside face of each half was scored lengthwise in consecutive slots or “kerfs” that went 3/4″ through the 1″ thickness, leaving the outer faces virgin. These kerfs were then filled with structural silicone and the entire inner face of each slab was buttered with the silicone as well, and the two slabs were clamped together with the glass in between. The kerfing eliminated any “memory” and reaction stresses the slab might have introduced, in effect neutering it so it would act as a passive decorative skin.

The project grew aesthetically and technically, resulting in a visual tour de force that could not have been accomplished without these radical interventions.