Conceived in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., the annual Good Design Awards recognizes new consumer products in categories from building materials to electronics for their design savvy. The program is hosted by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies. Selections are made by an international jury of architects and designers.
Announced in December, this year’s more than 800 winners were culled from "several thousand" entries, its hosts say, and they run the gamut from revived midcentury furniture to a toast-shaped toaster. We review a few interior-focused favorites below.
OK, Konstantin Grcic for Flos
Designer Konstantin Grcic references the late Italian designer Achille Castiglioni’s Parentesi luminaire in his new adjustable pendant for Flos, OK. Like Castiglioni’s fixture, Grcic’s 6.4 lb. luminaire features a light element that slides along a floor-to-ceiling cable. In Grcic’s case, a slender, light-emitting disk runs the length of a steel cord anchored to the ceiling with Castiglioni’s spun-metal ceiling rose and to the floor with a weighted cone.
Eat.It, Wiel Arets for Alessi
Dutch architect Wiel Arets flattened conventional cutlery into a set of slim pieces that can be stacked three high. Created for Italian product-design studio Alessi, Eat.It is made of polished stainless steel and includes a full range of cutlery and flatware.
Multiplicity, Yves Béhar for Landscape Forms
Designer Yves Béhar created outdoor furniture system Multiplicity for use in urban, public spaces globally. The system features a bench and table, both with hardwood backs, seats, and tops, as well as a bike rack, LED bollard, and trash bin. The furniture is flat-packed and locally assembled to reduce the environmental impact of shipping, Landscape Forms says.
Xorel Cirque Couture, Carnegie
Embroidered rings add an extra dimension to Carnegie’s fashion-inspired Cirque Couture. Made from the company’s high-performance Xorel yarn, the PVC-free and Cradle to Cradle Silver certified textile can be used on walls and furniture accessories.
Trifold Table, Max Hauser Architect
British architect Max Hauser CNC-machined bends into a single sheet of metal that allows his Trifold table to folded by robots into its triangular form. Inspired by the art of origami, the table can be oriented vertically or horizontally to serve as a table or a stool. It comes in silver, gold, and black colors with a brushed anodized finish.
SlimStyle LED 60W, Philips
Last January, Philips introduced a pancake-flat version of the A19 LED replacement lamp. From the front, SlimStyle mimics an incandescent but its slender profile shows off the capacity of LED technology. The lamp measures 4.2" tall by 2.6" wide and fits an E26 medium base.
Alexander Girard Collection, Skyline Design
Ten textile patterns created by the late designer Alexander Girard make up this eponymous collection from Skyline Design, which feature images of typography, natural elements, and basic geometries on transparent, translucent, and opaque glazing.
