The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has extended the exhibitor application for BKLYN DESIGNS 2010. Exhibitor applications, now due MONDAY DECEMBER 7th, are available online at bklyndesigns.com.All Brooklyn-based designers are encouraged to apply! BKLYN DESIGNS’ celebrity jury is a great way for designers’ work to fall into the hands of premier editors and design specialists. For more information please call Auster Agency at 718.243.1414.

At this past Bklyn Designs, there was always a large crowd or a news crew investigating Scott Behr’s SideWired table. The concept behind the piece is important to anyone who lives in the Wired Age: organize and hide the wires of electrical devices by plugging them into the table. Finally, no more mess, no more tripping over wires, and no more knocking laptops onto floors.

BrooklynModern: How’d you come up with the idea for the wired table?

Scott Behr: It was an idea that I had been kicking around for a while and instead of focusing on the economy it was time to focus the company’s energies on creating something positive, useful and new. I use a laptop in conjunction with a monitor so I can have two screens. It was really frustrating having a really nice looking monitor and gear but the boxes, cords and cables attached to it totally cluttered the desk. Not to mention the cables drooping over the back of the desk, plus I need to take my laptop with me at times and I need a fast and easy method for undocking from the monitor. The desk solutions that were out there were plugly and nothing existed that had real cord management. The other thing was the lack of a convenient electrical outlet to plug something in temporarily like a cell phone, camera or even a vacuum cleaner.

BrooklynModern: Why do you think the the response has been so terrific?

Scott Behr: It’s one of those situations where a problem is isolated that you want to see solutions for. That problem is also shared by other people and they don’t quite realize they have it until they see the solution. Once people realized what the utilitarian design was behind the aesthetic design of the desk, a little light bulb would come on, “Oh why didn’t someone think of this before?” It was amazing to watch everyone’s reactions at the show.

Behr describes the manufacturing process. Courtesy of 3rings.

BrooklynModern: What is the table made of and what kind of welding do you use to construct it? What colors is it available in? What is the turnaround?

Scott Behr: The tables are made from 2″ x 2″ steel tubing. We generally TIG weld everything nice and neat but sometimes we get the MIG welder out. We make them in Blue, Yellow, Orange, Hand Rubbed Steel or Blackened Steel with a Clear Coat. Right now our turn around time is 30-60 days. We are looking at options to speed things up and bring the prices down. It is definitely in our business plan to make them much more affordable. You can download a spec sheet from our website.

BrooklynModern: Why do you like working in Bklyn?

Scott Behr: Better and bigger space for making things in Brooklyn is a big plus. We have a great courtyard outside that we use to work on projects. My commute is a 15 minute walk. There is a variety of the best industrial manufacturing shops representing so many different trades that are close by. A lot of really good work can be done here in a short period of time. It is also convenient to get in and out of the city. I loved living in the city but I feel I appreciate it more when I can step into it with a fresh face.

BrooklynModern: You are a business minded artist. How did you develop skill? Can you explain How Getting Things Done helped you?

Scott Behr: Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be an artist, a rockstar and a business man. Those seemed like good aspirations to reach for. When you go to art school they don’t quite prepare you for the real world. The first commission I ever got was with a designer in Atlanta named Jill Van Tosh. She asked me to send her an invoice for the deposit, and I was like what the hell is an invoice? Just give me the money. Pretty quickly you realize the need to educate yourself on the business end of the stick. You don’t have a choice if you want to keep your studio open.

I love reading business books and organizational self-help books.  One of the first books I read was Norman Vincent Peale’s “I Can” when I first started out and then came across the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. These books were written before the invention of the internet and email which created the need for a better way to manage your life and time. “Getting Things Done” is an amazing book.  The idea is to keep your head clear so you can be more focused and creative. The only way to do that is to relieve your mind of all the different projects, tasks and B.S. you have to deal with. The process is very simple and I have been practicing it for about 2 years now. It’s really made a tremendous difference in how I cope with stress, move projects forward and maintain a good attitude. I have a giant to do list but each thing is in its place, for the most part, and there is no feeling of being burdened.

BrooklynModern: What’s next?

Scott Behr: We want to add CAT5 outlets to the desks and explore the possibility of built in USB and FireWire hubs. We have some other projects in the works that are going to have the same effect as our SideWired furniture, but we are keeping those in the bag until we are ready to unleash them.

Here’s the media blitz on his table: interiordesign.net, psfk.com, nerve.com, core77.com, brooklynbased.net, readymade.com, mediabistro.com

Check out the rest of Scott’s work at totalmetalresource.com. He can be contacted at: Total Metal Resource, Inc. 51-55 Nassau Ave. Suite 1C – Brooklyn, NY 11222, Tel. 718.384.7818, Fax. 718.228.404, info@tmrnyc.com

]]> http://www.brooklynmodern.com/get-plugged-into-scott-behrs-sidewired-furniture/feed/ 0 http://www.brooklynmodern.com/bklyn-designs-videos-paolo-samko/ http://www.brooklynmodern.com/bklyn-designs-videos-paolo-samko/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 04:45:32 +0000 Brooklyn Modern http://brooklynmodern.com/?p=1452

In the above video, Design*Sponge, a site dedicated to home and product design, introduces the exhibitors of Bklyn Designs 2009.  While the narrator is impressed with the overall quality of the show, the work of Palo Samko has definitely captured her attention. His presentation caught my eye as well--I snapped shots of his table and asked a few questions.

The table is made from reclaimed wood that has been bleached, burned, and stained dark green. Incidentally, Paolo comes from a mountain town on the Czech/Polish border. I find it particularly amazing that he is a self taught builder and has no design school training. Rather, he’s inspired by 1920’s craftsmen, who were able to hand make complex structures like blimps, which you can see in the photo’s background. I wondered why he stained the table deep green, but it makes sense when you look through the window built in the top.

Set below the green surface, a shepherd stands with his flock. Perhaps the table is then meant to reference a pasture, where those who sit, can relax and enjoy the experience. Check out the rest of his work @ palosamko.com.

]]> http://www.brooklynmodern.com/bklyn-designs-videos-paolo-samko/feed/ 0 http://www.brooklynmodern.com/gowanus-lounge-mcbrooklyn-cover-bklyn-designs/ http://www.brooklynmodern.com/gowanus-lounge-mcbrooklyn-cover-bklyn-designs/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 21:28:58 +0000 Brooklyn Modern http://brooklynmodern.com/?p=1420

[Photo courtesy of Pepper Watkins/flickr]
Gowanus Lounge writes:
BKLYN Designs Weekend, which was held at a number of sites in Dumbo, drew thousands of people to take a look at products from Brooklyn designers. There were nearly six dozen local designers, whose work was spread out over four locations including St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Tobacco Warehouse, Smack Mellon Gallery and the DUMBO Arts Center. There’s a large number of photos posted on flickr by bvicarious and some from Pepper Watkins.

By Mike Chino
DRUMROLL PLEASE…The 2009 BKLYN Designs furniture fair proved to be an incredible showcase for sustainable design, and in recognition of our favorite green designs on display we’re excited to announce the winners of our first ever BKLYN Designs Editor’s Choice Awards! As we walked through the show we were thrilled to see fresh new faces and established designers alike unveiling an inspired assortment of locally-sourced designs made from recycled materials, elegant energy-efficient lighting solutions, and beautifully crafted furniture of every fit and form. Read on for our picks for the finest trends in future-forward design!

MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF MATERIALS: FUNATURE BY HUGH HAYDEN
Hugh Hayden’s fresh new line of FUNature repurposes plastic balls into a bright bunch of furnishing solutions. We were particularly impressed with his tennis ball chair, which is composed entirely of recycled tennis balls that have lost their bounce.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN: PAPER LAMPS BY LEVENT & ROMME
Levent & Romme’s elegant lamps consist of a single sheet of paper that has been laser-cut to let light shine through in beautiful patterns.

BEST STUDENT DESIGN: BUOY CHAIR BY EVAN DEWISTAN
Evan Dewistan’s Buoy Chair is a delightful piece of seating design that allows for a great range of mobility, encourages good posture, and is assembled without the use of any glue or fittings.

BEST KID’S DESIGN: BAMBOO KID’S FURNITURE BY ARGINGTON
Our editors were thoroughly impressed with the fit and form of Argington’s sustainably crafted kid’s furniture.

BEST OF THE SHOW: TRANSFORMING TABLE BENCH BY ECOSYSTEMS
Ecosystems’s transforming table bench stole the show with its innovative space and resource-saving design. Crafted from reclaimed wood, the multi-tasking furnishing easily transforms from a comfy bench into an expandable table.

Congratulations to all of our editor’s choice winners! Stay tuned for an in-depth look at each award-winning project in addition to more great green designs from show!