Archive for the ‘Baby & Kids’ Category
Panton Chairs; What’s your flavour?
Monday, December 28th, 2009
Verner Panton went into production on his first Panton chair in 1967. That was the Panton Classic, a uniquely styled chair made of a rigid expanded plastic, and using cantilever technology. This chair is distinguishable by its shiny appearance due to the lacquered surface. Also, it is only available in Red, Black or White. The Panton Classic was the starting point for a long and successful line of Panton chairs, that now come in Junior (Child’s sized version), a set of Miniatures, and a more affordable version of the Classic known just as the Panton Chair which came in to production in 1990.

Red Classic Pantons being put to use
The advantages of the newer Panton Chair, other than it is about 1/5th of the price of the Classic, is that technological progress has allowed it to be made out of Polypropylene, and it is available in a wide range of colours. You can now get it in White, Grey, Orange, Red or Chartreuse. This chair has a matte finish, and is incredibly versatile. I find the chair surprisingly comfortable; I had assumed it would be cold, hard, uncomfortable and, well…plastic! But I have to say it is now one of my favourites, and none of my qualms rang true.

White Panton Chairs
The Junior Panton is exactly the same as the newer Panton Chair, just about %25 smaller. Perfect for children, and comes in lots more fun colours: White, Red, Orange, Light Pink, Light Blue and Lime (I wish they would produce these colours for us big kids!).
A great gift option for a Verner Panton fan would be the set of Panton Classic Miniatures. They are a 1:6 scale, and come in a set of 5. They are produced exactly as the originals were (materials, construction, etc.). According to Vitra, on average it takes 5 hours of manual labour to create these little gems!

As a final note, I came across the picture below while surfing the net. It amazed me the uses that Panton Chairs have been put to.  As you can see, these chairs have been customized, but what an interesting concept!  Enjoy!

Panton Chairs, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Chodovice.
Modern Twist Placemats and Coasters
Friday, October 23rd, 2009The Modern Twist Silicone Placemats are an enjoyable departure from the norm! Who’s ever heard of coloring on your placemat while waiting for dinner? Washable markers wipe clean for reusable fun at each meal. Modern Twist’s elegant mats and coasters help us stay stylish even when we’re messy. The FDA-grade hand-silk-screened silicone is designed for optimal functionality with an easy-to-clean surface.

Modern Twist Placemats and Coasters
Eames Elephant by Vitra
Friday, October 16th, 2009How cute is this!
Originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames in molded plywood, this adorable child’s stool/table/toy/best friend is now produced by Vitra in several different colours of plastic.  See more about Vitra Elephant by Charles and Ray Eames.





