Eloy | Manhattan Home Design Reviews

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Barcelona Bench: Your Ultimate Leap Into Mid-Century Modern

November 30, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. If you’ve been wondering for a long time what a truly iconic Mid-Century Modern layout is all about, let us tell you that the answer is probably a Barcelona bench. This piece is not only famous for its representational value (since it’s a landmark in the history of design) but also for its functional and practical value. In this edition of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we want to bring you a little closer to this legendary piece that is part of the Barcelona collection and has been on the popularity and prestige charts for decades.

Let’s first take a look at its technical features: its frame is constructed of steel for stronger support and durable chip resistance. It includes a solid dark wood frame for durability, supported by four tubular stainless steel legs. Additionally, its tufted surface provides a comfortable seating area. In other words, from every point of view, it’s the kind of piece that’s suitable for any modern area that deserves modern furniture. You never want your friends and family who come to visit you at home to be without a stylish place to sit. Also, you can also use it to furnish your office or establishment.

Much More Than an Ordinary Design

The Barcelona bench’s design easily surpasses any modern bench design you can think of. It’s a piece that highlights the elegance of the minimalist, that takes the notions of “comfortable” and “ergonomic” a step further. If you combine it with the rest of the pieces in its collection, such as the Barcelona chair or the Barcelona sofa, you’ll be taking the definitive leap towards an MCM-style layout. Its added value lies in the fact that it was basically one of the designs that laid the foundations and marked the path towards what would become the reinvented modernism of its time.

Not for nothing is it a favorite piece even for Hollywood celebrities and magazine models who have been able to recognize in this design a feat and a first-class innovation. This is a timeless value that even today allows the piece to look perfectly adapted to the current times. In this regard, the Barcelona bench looks good in any time and space. Many people unfamiliar with modernism might even think that it’s a recently launched model, when in fact it has been transcending generations and cultural boundaries for decades. It’s no coincidence that it’s even exhibited in museums and international exhibitions.

If all these reasons are not enough for you to understand why the Barcelona modern bench is the piece that can help you to finally adopt a Mid-Century Modern style in your space, we invite you to discover them for yourself, giving it a try. We promise you that it could be your first step in conquering a style that is more on-trend than ever, and that, if you are an enthusiast just making your first moves in that field, after trying this bench you will never look at interior design and decor in the same way again.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | Flag Halyard Chair: The Ultimate Expression of Authenticity

November 23, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Originality… The jackpot that many interior designers and decoration enthusiasts seem obsessed with, but few actually get. Even some masters of furniture design like Hans Wegner dared to go further with pieces like the Flag Halyard Chair. In this Manhattan Home Design Reviews post, we want to let you know why this is one of the most legendary pieces in history.

That chair meant a break in the pattern of his designs. Until then, had been mostly made of wood, in a catalog that included more than five hundred models. Originality has a price, and that of the famous Dane was daring to try new materials and techniques that were reflected in a product that didn’t seem his creation, but that had successful results in every way.

flag halyard chair — The Flag Halyard Chair

Every person, even if they’re not lovers of interior design or don’t have much experience, is called to find their style, preferences, and be original as far as possible. Knowledge is not all, and although recipes tend to work very well in many cases, the mission will always be to find “your own voice” that guides you to achieve favorable and unique environments.

It’s not enough to just take note of what the greats have done, try to imitate their work, or walk the same path. Breaking molds, finding new techniques, and rethinking outlines are achievements that get visible in every aspect of the job.

The Meaning of Having a Great Chair

The living room is a key area when it comes to originality. It’s practically the most important place in the house, in aesthetic terms. It represents the cover letter of the whole place, and it’s the compartment in which your guests, friends, and family will put their attention first, and they will have that valuable first impression about your decorating skills.

Finding a Hans Wegner Flag Halyard Chair in your house is an excellent first sign for anyone who loves modern designs, especially if it’s a person with knowledge about the most famous pieces within this trend. Although it’s a very recognizable chair, it’s not the type of piece that you’d find in every modern environment.

modern chair — Hans Wegner Flag Halyard Chair

Arguably, the most common trend is to choose sturdy, overstuffed accent chairs with sophisticated upholstery and a style perhaps very close to that of the sofa you’ve picked. A Flag Halyard Chair replica like the one from Manhattan Home Design can work very well both indoors and outdoors.

Depending on each area’s configuration, the colors you’ve chosen, the predominant materials, and the lighting design, among other factors, a chair as striking as this can easily become the focal point. In other words, the most striking spot in the place, which will attract all eyes.

iconic chair — Modern Flag Halyard Chair

The interesting flag line woven that makes up the seat and back of the Flag Halyard Chair reproduction is one of its most remarkable attributes, but maybe the ultimate detail in all its structure and finishes is the sheepskin cover that sets it apart from any similar piece.

In fact, its reclined-beach-chair-look is probably because it was conceived on a sunny summer afternoon by the sea but, its details, like that soft, delicate finish and the leather-upholstered cushion that set it apart from other rest chairs, reaffirmed it as the original piece that the genius Danish set out to create.

The Togo Sofa: An Irreverent Design? | Manhattan Home Design Reviews

November 15, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Michel Ducaroy’s Togo sofa has been the talk of the town for generations. Over time, it became one of the undeniable benchmarks of the Mid-Century Modern style, and there are those who cannot speak of modernism as a trend without mentioning this particular design. It’s worth a close look for a moment; That’s why, in this installment of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we want you to think with us about why this piece can be considered “irreverent” for the context of its time and why it still looks so original after several decades since its launch.

It’s true that since it first appeared, many people had something to say about the Ducaroy sofa, mainly because it was unlike anything they had seen before. The French creator knew that at that time (1973) the way of designing sofas was too tied to certain guidelines, paradigms, archetypes, and market rules. For this reason, practically all modern sofa models had much in common and fell into the same category due to their great similarities. Many innovated in materials, details, and sometimes superficial aesthetic aspects, but no one had taken such a risky leap.

Overcoming Barriers

After the launch of the Togo sofa, many were intimidated by being in the presence of an object that was tremendously ahead of its time. It was a fascinating, interesting, novel… the type of sofa that you wouldn’t expect to find in a living room, but that was still appealing and with an undeniable magnetism. Its popularity spread, and as soon as consumers, design enthusiasts and lovers of modernism discovered the benefits of this piece, they began to testify to its greatness. In a few words, it can be said that using a Ducaroy sofa is a very particular experience: it’s like sitting on a cloud.

The pillow shape that makes up its structure was its main hook. The author himself said that the design was “a tube of toothpaste folded over on itself like a stovepipe and closed at both ends”, a description that represented a direct testimony of that irreverence to which we have been referring, which aroused the fascination of the users. It didn’t take long for people to discover that the Togo sofa’s raison d’être had nothing to hide: it was a model made for comfort, in which you can sit or lie on all day, that looked amazing from any angle, and from the first glance you already knew that it wouldn’t go out of style so soon.

The three densities of high-quality polyether foam that make up the body of this model are combined to make the frame and deliver an ergonomic design for true enveloping comfort. The Togo sofa has very outstanding details, such as its superior craftsmanship, and its soft and durable chenille fabric, stain resistant and easy to clean. The sofa ended up becoming the favorite of children, pets, adults, and the best friend of your guests in the house and even the office. In conclusion: it’s an irreverent sofa, yes, but in the best way imaginable.

The Michel Ducaroy sofa and many other models are available in the Manhattan Home Design catalog.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | 5 Reasons That Make The Arco Lamp a Desirable Product

November 9, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. When it comes to iconic designs, the Arco lamp has a lot to offer. Not in vain is it one of the best-selling and most prestigious products in the world. In this edition of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we want to explain that point and simply give you 5 reasons why this design may be exactly the modern floor lamp that you were hoping to find on your way:

1.- It’s a highly functional design. And we mean it. It seems incredible how a floor lamp design can adapt so well to environments as different as the study, the living room, the dining room, and even the bedroom. As you can see, since it’s a fixture created to improve task-based lighting, you can use it for specific activities and make these places even more efficient.

2.- Its Carrara marble base. For some, it may seem like an extravagance, but the truth is that the function of this amazing piece of marble is not only aesthetic: it’s also what gives support, firmness, and balance to the entire structure of the lamp and makes it much easier to move, thanks to the hole that its designers very cleverly added. Also, haven’t you seen how beautiful it looks?

3.- Its dimensions. Very functional floor lamps usually have large dimensions, and this is no exception. In fact, it is its 95-inch height (at the highest part of the arch) that allows it to efficiently provide overhead light. This is something that, at the time of its launch, was not seen in any other lamp in its category, especially since the user can move freely around its reflector head, thanks to its wide distance from the base. It is a lamp that will make things easier for you.

4.- Its imposing steel arch. When you see it gleaming in the middle of your living room or any other area you decide to use it in, you’ll understand why this steel arch has so much aesthetic value. Its shimmery finish will add sparkle, pizzazz and a touch of rare elegance to any layout it’s a part of, which is an amazing bonus. The combination of stainless steel with Carrara marble also represents one of the most outstanding successes of this design.

5.- Its iconic value. There’s no lover of the Mid-Century Modern style who has not heard of the famous Arco lamp by the Castiglioni brothers or who has seen dozens of models inspired by it. The Arco floor lamp is not only practically the most famous lamp of Italian origin in the world, but it’s also a benchmark within its style, which means added value for collectors, specialists, and admirers of good taste.

If these five reasons are not enough to understand why the Arco lamp should be in your home or office, we invite you to discover them yourself, giving it a vote of confidence and making it your new great acquisition. We assure you that you won’t remain indifferent.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | LC2 Chair: Much More Than You Can Imagine

November 2, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. We wanted to dedicate this installment of Manhattan Home Design Reviews to the LC2 Chair by Le Corbusier for several reasons: it’s an iconic piece, an incredibly elegant modern chair, and such a comfortable and ergonomic seat that its designer studied human anatomy when giving it form. There are some other reasons that you’ll discover throughout this text. We invite you to find out the wonders of this piece and to quickly and easily understand why it’s still much more than an accent chair.

The LC2 chair is a legendary design that’s part of the collection made up of other pieces of a similar nature. It’s filled with high-quality quilted upholstery to ensure great comfort, capable of lasting for generations and being part of any MCM style you want to integrate into. Probably, the decorative chair that most modernism enthusiasts would like to have in their spaces.

Few things are as pleasurable as sitting in a modern chair with thick cushions and upholstered in premium leather. There are many users who declare that they have experienced such pleasant sensations with this design and that, alone, is one of the reasons why it became one of the best-known references within its style. Today, displaying the Le Corbusier collection in your living room or office is a statement of style and taste for modernism. The LC2 Chair is one of the clearest examples of how and why a Mid-Century Modern design can be timeless and highly versatile.

The piece was designed in 1928 and stood out a year later, at the Salon d’Autumn in Paris. The collection of which it’s part was the product of the collaboration between Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Pierre Jeanneret. One of the features that have always attracted the attention and the eyes of all kinds of people is its interesting outer frame made of tubular steel. It isn’t something that is found in every model of chair or sofa, and that produces a great visual impact from the first encounter.

Many people who don’t have much experience in interior decor or don’t have much knowledge about furniture design may believe that these creations were made recently when the most overwhelming truth is that they are already well on their way to a hundred years since they came out to the market for the first time. This way, when a product becomes so relevant to the point that it has even appeared in comic strips, you know you are dealing with a legendary design. It’s exciting to discover that Le Corbusier’s LC2 chair is still in people’s minds as a key piece of modernism.

Discover everything this chair can do for your layout and your floor plan, especially if you accompany it with the rest of the extraordinary pieces in this collection. The Le Corbusier collection is available in the Manhattan Home Design catalog.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Florence Sofa: A Great Success Story

October 26, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. The most famous designs in history almost always have an interesting story behind them. The Florence sofa, introduced by Knoll in 1954, is no exception. In this Manhattan Home Design Reviews entry, we want to bring you a little closer to the history of this remarkable model, which currently reigns as the focal point in hundreds of houses and apartments around the world. Its history, fame, and acclaim it gained after its release made it one of the undisputed icons of Mid-Century Modern style in the twentieth century. It’s a timeless piece that anyone would think was created recently, when in fact it has been part of the catalogs of very important stores for several decades.

The first thing you have to know is whose idea it was. The person in charge of this piece is none other than the American architect and designer Florence Knoll. Users can usually find the piece in three different versions: one, two, or three seats. This facilitates integration with any living room since it’s even possible to combine them with each other to create more complete and functional environments. Many users combine, for example, two armchairs and a sofa, one with two seats and another with three, and so on. It’s a harmonic and simple piece, which faithfully represents the main features of modernism.

A Wonder Made For You

The metal legs of the Florence sofa were a novelty at the time since it was usual to find sofas with their traditional wooden legs, but Knoll wanted to break with this paradigm. The creator was known for demonstrating in her work a form of “total design”; that is to say, she was involved in each one of the aspects related to the piece, from its architecture to its manufacturing process, the material selection process, the type of fabrics that would be used, functional details, and any other topic. She was the kind of creator who didn’t like to leave loose ends. She was even involved in all aspects related to advertising and product presentation.

The structure of the Florence Knoll sofa is very interesting: it’s made up of an internal solid wood frame and an external frame made of metal with polished chrome tubular steel legs. As far as the cushions and seats are concerned, the upholstery is completely sewn and edged. Both the arms and the seat cushions are filled with variable-density foam, which provides an incredibly comfortable feeling for the user.

The Florence sofa is also a highly durable piece. Probably, the secret of its greatness is the simplicity that it demonstrates combined with its great quality and the great experience that it can give. It’s a design made to last for many years, which also represents one of its best added values. Rarely you would find a modern sofa with such versatility, elegance, and comfort. The range of uses and places you can use it is so wide that it ranges from minimalist, professional, and casual formal decorations to work environments, offices, studios, and hotels. A piece made for users who know how to appreciate high-class designs.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Barcelona Chair: a Product Fit for Royalty

October 18, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Few people know that the Barcelona chair was created with the care that goes into a design that will be used by royalty, as the king and queen of Spain were expected to visit the German Pavilion to witness the International Exposition where these creations would be released. For this reason, architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe knew that he was facing an unprecedented degree of pressure in his career since he not only wanted to deliver a piece that lived up to expectations, but also one that had valuable meaning within the world of design, and was specifically framed within the modernist trends that dominated the market and the taste of users in an increasingly accentuated and evident way. It was under this premise that this and all the pieces of the Barcelona Collection made their appearance for the first time in 1929. In this edition of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, you will learn a little more about the importance of this piece and why it became so relevant.

Although little less than a century has passed since that event, it’s still surprising that the chair continues to be so popular and, above all, the fact that over the years it has won so many merits, to the point that many see the piece as another celebrity, taking into account that due to its prestige it has constantly appeared in series, movies and audiovisual productions in general, magazines, and innumerable layouts for enthusiasts and professional staging projects in interior decor. The influence is undeniable and the iconic value of these models has already transcended several eras and generations.

Traits of a Great Piece

The Barcelona chair and the ottoman that complements it are pieces that many would like to have in their spaces. For most specialists, the scissor shape in which its legs are arranged is inspired by the design of curule chairs, a type of folding seat with curved legs and no back that served as a chair in the days of the ancient Roman Empire for high-ranking government authorities. The van der Rohe design, which he co-developed with Lilly Reich, would turn heads not only for that kind of detail but for its minimalist flair, sleek geometric lines, and top-notch materials used in its construction. It was an extraordinarily successful combination of form and function.

barcelona modern chair — An Iconic Modern Chair

Other features of this masterpiece include its frame constructed of superior grade steel for stronger support and resistance to chipping, corrosion, and rust, its cushion surface with individually cut and sewn leather panels for optimum detailing and quality; full tufting of all appropriate seams, and a heavy-grade leather saddle straps that color-match the upholstery. Both sides of the leather straps are finished for extra strength.

As you can see, the Barcelona chair is much more than a popular modern chair and much more than a best-seller product: it’s a transcendental design with a legendary history that has made it prevail for many decades as one of the most influential pieces of the Mid-Century Modern style.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The LC3 Chair By Le Corbusier: Much More Than an Accent Piece

October 12, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. The majestic versatility of the LC3 Chair by Le Corbusier is something that can be seen with the naked eye. When your eyes fall on its tubular structures and its finest leather finishes, you realize that it’s a model that will look good in practically any environment with any decorating style, but especially in a Mid-Century Modern or Industrial layout. Much of its appeal is visual; for this reason, in this installment of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we want to introduce you to one of the most famous chairs in the history of design and explore a little the reasons for its greatness.

Some people underestimate accent chairs as unnecessary or merely an optional addition, which is true only in certain cases. Everything will depend on the number of people who usually use a space and how often they do so. The truth is that an accent chair like the LC3 Chair can be key not only to achieving a higher aesthetic level (especially if you have included the rest of the pieces that make up this collection in the floor plan) but also because it would add that additional seat that you have surely missed many times. In other words, a piece like this can be precisely the key for your floor plan to be complete and functional.

An Iconic and Valuable Product

When people say that a design is “iconic” they say it not only because of the importance of the product alone but also because of the relevance of its creator. Le Corbusier is known not only for his amazing pieces but also for the knowledge he imparted and his achievements in the field of architecture. They were creations that exuded greatness in every aspect due to their originality, cutting-edge ideas, and the innovation they represented. They were pieces so far ahead of their time that, amazingly, they still look like newly created designs today. In fact, many design enthusiasts have no idea that this is a piece that came onto the market almost a hundred years ago.

When you come across an LC3 Chair in any living room out there, waiting room, or lobby, remember this: it’s a chair that has stood the test of time for many years and has been conquering new generations for decades. Its permanence and evolution over time are probably the most infallible proof of its importance.

In addition to all of the above, a Le Corbusier 3-Style Chair will also be memorable for the incredibly comfortable usage experience it can bring. Your friends and family will carry it in their memory as a pleasant seat that they felt very comfortable in, that looked amazing in your area, and that demonstrates your fine taste for the best of modernist style!

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Bellini Sofa: The Answer To Your Style Needs

October 5, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. We cannot underestimate the iconic and functional value of a piece as amazing as the Bellini sofa. If one thing is certain about Mario Bellini’s vision of modular sofas, it’s that they should be practical, with design pushed to the limits of versatility, raised to the next level of functionality, and with enough technical capabilities to make lovers of creativity go wild. In this Manhattan Home Design Reviews entry, we tell you why this revolutionary design may be just what you need for your living room.

And it’s just that its name wasn’t born by chance or abstract ideas: it’s rather a direct way of making it known that the sofa can be transformed as much as the user wishes. It’s a feature present in the very concept of its design and in each of the details of its mechanism. Through its hook system, each module can be assembled or removed very easily, thus giving the piece the advantage of being many designs in one: linear sofa, corner sofa, sectional, or even use the modules separately as individual seats if the person prefers.

mario bellini sofa — The Mario Bellini Sofa

Revolutionary Ideas For Modernism

One of the reasons that have made the Mid-Century Modern style so famous is its emphasis on practicality and the value of functionality. It’s easy to love the practical value of a piece of furniture when you have a sofa like the Bellini, not only because of how well it works and how appealing it looks but also because of how extraordinarily comfortable it feels, thanks more than anything to the agile way in which its top-quality materials are used. The Italian creator was very clear about this, and he openly wanted to please an audience that increasingly demanded more and wanted to see how far industrial technologies were capable of producing wonders suitable for the resurgent lifestyle.

The post-war era brought about many changes in the world society’s lifestyle, and this was directly reflected in the aesthetic style with which people decorated their houses, apartments, offices, and companies. Everyone wanted to show that modernism was also part of their personal or business philosophy, and that was much easier if they included iconic products that represented the best and most remarkable of that style.

It was in this way that, over the years, the Bellini sofa ended up conquering more and more tastes and generations, becoming one of the MCM legends and a mandatory reference in its catalog. Currently, many people declare themselves admirers of this design and many of them are probably unaware of the fact that it’s a sofa launched in 1972; that is, half a century ago. In any case, regardless of the years that pass, it seems that the Mario Bellini sofa will continue to shine in the catalogs of many stores as one of the best-selling, respected, and sought-after sofas for many years to come.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Protractor Desk: a Wonder In Your Home Office

September 28, 2022February 22, 2023 Eloy

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. The modern furniture catalog is so large and diverse that, when you think you’ve seen it all, some other wonder always arises, whose existence you didn’t suspect, but which most likely has all the potential to become the new star of your layout. The Protractor desk, designed in 1949 by the Italian architect and designer Carlo Mollino, is probably one of those amazing products that you knew nothing about and now you can learn in detail and decide if you’ll make it one of your most prominent and spectacular work tools. Learn more about it in this fascinating new article from Manhattan Home Design Reviews.

This design, which can easily be the focal point of any layout in which it’s used, is a modernist icon within its category. The Protractor desk is considered a masterpiece for the way its structure is supported. Two solid wood beams hold its wide 15 mm thick tempered glass top, one of the keys to its elegance and strength. This glass plate is held by raised stainless steel support buttons, which give it greater strength and resistance.

Much More Than a Modern Desk

From the first moment you start using it, you’ll realize that it’s a first-class piece, which only with its aesthetic value will enhance the appearance of your work environment in a surprising way. We live in the era in which the home office has gone from being an option to being the only alternative for millions of people. In fact, after the onset of the pandemic, many became so used to doing their jobs from home that they now consider it the only possible way to accept new contracts.

After all, the benefits of being able to set up, decorate, organize, and manage your own office are too great to ignore. If the time has come when you need to start putting together your home office, can you imagine a better way to start doing it than with a piece as impressive as this one?

One of the most appealing aspects of this model is its aerodynamic flair, purely minimalist, with a structure that totally breaks with the archetypal desk to deliver a model worthy of the talent, creativity, and ingenuity of an experienced architect, who knows well how to use the space and materials in original and interesting ways.

Some details, such as the stainless steel bolt sleeves that hold its five drawers, unify them and connect them with the top of the piece, and the drawer with an open face, also covered by a 15 mm glass panel, are what give the ultimate extraordinary touch and make it different from any other type of modern desk.

The Protractor desk is a much more stylish piece than you might expect from a wooden desk. Its walnut wood components, of superior and hypnotizing beauty, are something that will inspire you every day during your working hours and will make you feel that more than in an office, you’re in a space made to suit your personality.