when furniture becomes art

the utter, instant pleasure, that comes with a SLOW DREAMY recline.

Maria Pergay 1972 vs Rick Owens 2010 vs Rafael Cardenas 2011

In general, everybody has a pinch of poetry inside. Not everybody gets to see that, and that is the challenge: to light the light inside. But they can discover something about themselves by looking at the pieces. If they pass by and they stop, that means there’s a connection between the piece and themselves. (from NYT interview here)

What is it about stainless steel that you love?

"Everybody is scared of stainless steel, but we have a link — there is something deep inside between me and stainless steel. This material which looks so strong, hard and cold is sweet and not sharp, and it matches with everything. It is a good contrast for colors and other materials.

(taken from NYT interview here)

"I probably think of lines first, before going to my fairly limited roster of materials: plywood, concrete, marble, leather, fur, and antlers. I’m using alabaster for the first time. I’m not trying to do anything particularly witty or startling. I’m just trying to make something I can live with that summarizes some of the experiences and touchstones that mean something to me and to our generation."

- Rick Owens (here)









What is it that you find interesting about angular shapes?

Rafael de Cárdenas: Well, I'm not only interested in angular forms; I'm interested in the contemporary state, and it seems the fashionable undulation of curved surfaces has given way to the prismatic effects of angles. I particularly like their facility for creating distorted sight lines. Such indeterminacy suggests a dream state and enhances a mood.....

The collection stems from an interest in painfully simple triangular forms and using surface treatments in various ways to adjust 'volume'. Each form in the collection has at least one other version treated differently in terms of color and surface, suggesting various moods for each.

(read full interview here via Dazed Digital)






the utter, instant pleasure, that comes with a SLOW DREAMY recline.

Maria Pergay 1972 vs Rick Owens 2010 vs Rafael Cardenas 2011








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Y H B H S (card catalog) selection 24

Suzy Annetta, interior designer, HONG KONG

"Maria Pergay has managed to create art that looks refined, elegant and luxurious from a material that is normally considered cold and hard..."












“Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design”
by Suzanne Demisch.


Suzy Annetta writes, "In terms of art and craft intersecting, I’d have to say the monograph on Maria Pergay comes to mind immediately. “Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design” by Suzanne Demisch. I love this book and find so many of her pieces so inspiring because he work is so unique. She is truly an artist. Pergay has managed to create art that looks refined, elegant and luxurious from a material that is normally considered cold and hard. Truly inspiring."



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(buy it here)

"At a recent auction, after two of Maria Pergay's 1970s steel chairs sold for seven times their high estimate, an observer told The New York Times that was "the most exciting bidding of the sale, because it was fashion." Over Pergay's 50 year and-counting career, her sophisticated objects, furniture and decor have brought her a following that has included Salvador Dal', Pierre Cardin and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, but they have only recently gained recognition among design collectors, curators and aficionados.

Maria Pergay: Between Ideas and Design is the first in-depth survey of the designer's remarkable life and work. Beginning with the 1950s and continuing to the present, it features over 200 photographs of interiors and furniture, archival illustrations from her personal collection--most of which have never before been published--and a candid interview. The end product is equal parts authoritative reference, source of rare insight and aesthetic journey into the lifestyle of the cultural and social elite of the late 60s and early 70s."
(text via artbook)





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Suzy Annetta, of STUDIO ANNETTA, is lover of early 20th Century design — especially the French designers — Suzy is highly influenced by this aesthetic in her work. However, she also draws inspiration from nature, fashion, the decorative arts and her travels. Suzy believes in not following passing trends but in using harmonious elements to create a symphonic environment. Whatever the style of the space she works with, Suzy strives to create refined yet comfortable interiors.








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