The folks at HotelChatter came across this wild bookshelf when touring the recently opened Crosby Street Hotel in New York City.Here's what the had to say about it:"The polar bear bookcase is especially notable, since it totally dominates the room and is literally mirrored in a polar bear-shaped mirror on the wall behind it. Most guests and visitors to the hotel won't even see it, since it's located on the lower level in the reception area to the screening room"It's too bad most people won't see this one. It would have looked great on the sidewalk or in the lobby...
Comedian Patrick Borelli looks at that bottom of the book design barrel
On Nov. 18th comedian Patrick Borelli will be at the UCB Theatre in New York to perform “You Should Judge a Book By Its Cover” where Borelli looks at 30 of the wackiest book covers that he has encountered.Part of the show includes a video interview with Steven Heller, Rodrigo Corral and Chip Kidd, three of today's leading book designers. In this clip from the video the three designers briefly discuss the importance of book design then delve into some of Borelli's picks. Deservedly, the much talked about, Cooking With Pooh, leads off the discussion.Thanks to The Second Pass for...
Sit on This: The Libro Chair
Libro Chair, 1970. Polyurethane foam, vinyl, and steel, 37 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 48" (95.3 x 82.6 x 121.9 cm).This amazing chair lives at the Museum of Modern Art. It was created in 1970 by the Italian design firms Gruppo DAM and Studio Gruppo 14.The 10 cushions are adjustable so one can find their perfect comfort level while reading.Or, for the more adventurous, you can adjust your position as you make your way through your book. Divide the number of pages by 10 and flip a cushion when that page number is reached.Thanks to Rebecca at Booktagger for the...
How the Book Looked in Weimar Germany
Frans Maserell's cover design and illustration for the 1930 German edition of Upton Sinclair's A Captain of Industry: Being the Story of a Civilized ManA Journey Round My Skull has a terrific post, BLICKFANG: The Eye-Catching Covers of Weimer Berlin, featuring 25 book cover and related designs.Poster by Alex Keil, 1930The visual bounty comes from the 2005 (and unfortunately out-of-print) book Blickfang: Bucheinbände und Schutzumschläge Berliner Verlage 1919 - 1933 published by Holstein. The book is packed with over 1000 examples, many from the heavyweights of graphic design of the period.Would love to see this one reprinted or in an...
Happy Anniversary Billy Bookcase. OK, Maybe Not so Happy
Designer Gillis Lundgren and his progenyIn 1979 Ikea introduced the Billy bookcase. In 2009, there are over 40 million Billy bookcases sprinkled throughout the world. It is the best selling bookcase in the history of mankind. They're still producing over 3 million a year. Bloomberg has even begun an index tracking the cost of Ikea’s standard Billy bookshelf in 38 countries (in case you're wondering, it is currently cheapest in the United Arab Emirates and the most expensive in Israel.)In the UK, to celebrate Billy's 30th anniversary Ikea released some rather cool limited edition bookcases and other goodies that cater...