6 Design Pieces We’re Using to Style the Perfect Reading Place

paul mccobb magazine holder

Fritz Hansen relaunched the classic magazine holder design by Paul McCobb from the 1950s. Photo courtesy of Fritz Hansen

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December 5, 2019

Magazine Holder by Paul McCobb

Designed for Fritz Hansen

Fritz Hansen Head of Design Christian Andresen calls this piece a no-fuss design object from the ’50s—one that continues to resonate. “McCobb was always playing with contrast, which you see here between the natural tactile fabric and steel frame.” Fritz Hansen updated the rack with a more contemporary fabric you can also remove.

“The design is truly timeless, plus it fulfills an actual purpose. The simple, stringent design could easily have been done today.”

sixtysix mag sarah lavoine double jeu chair

Photo courtesy of Maison Sarah Lavoine

Double Jeu Chair by Sarah Lavoine

Designed for Maison Sarah Lavoine Blue Collection

When designer Sarah Lavoine closes her eyes and pictures who might sit in her first-ever designed chair, she sees family and friends. Inspired by the sky, the Double Jeu Chair with armrests from Maison Sarah Lavoine’s Blue Collection is a beauty, with a steel structure and soft velvet coating. Sarah calls velvet a fabric that’s elegant and timeless.

“A chair, while a simple concept, can change a room, add character. I make my pieces to be timeless, so they can be in any room at any time.”

sixtysix mag karim rashid lamp

Photo courtesy of Karim Rashid Inc.

Cyborg Lamp by Karim Rashid

Designed for Martinelli Luce

Karim Rashid’s Cyborg Lamp, part of a collaboration with Martinelli Luce, is an LED polycarbonate table lamp with touch sensor that comes in an array of colors. 

“The real accolade is seeing my objects in average people’s homes, or to see a space realized, enjoyed, and experienced by people. Design is for people, not for museums.”

 

sixtysix mag christophe delcourt bookends

Photo courtesy of Collection Particulière

Bookends in Marble by Christophe Delcourt

Designed for SLO

Designer Christophe Delcourt and Jérôme Aumont, founder of Collection Particuliere, started with heavy, dependable marble when they set out to create SLO. As book collectors themselves, they also wanted to create something fun. The design is flexible (display the bookends horizontally or vertically) and also offers the illusion of bending.

“The thought was to offer the possibility to ‘play.’ One can easily renew the setting and discover the pieces under a different angle just by placing them differently.”

 

sixtysix-mag-infinito-modular-bookcase

Photo courtesy of Cassina

Infinito Modular Bookcase by Franco Albini

Designed for Cassina

Designed in the 1950s by the late Italian designer Franco Albini, Cassina has kept this modular bookcase in its repertoire since 2008 because of its iconic nature, according to Barbara Lehmann, head of the Cassina Historical Archives. When Barbara looks at the Infinito today she sees rhythm, organization, and lightness.

“The reduction of its elements to the essential together with its extreme versatility and modularity have made it successfully evergreen and a highly copied icon.”

 

sixtysix-mag-jean-marie-massaud-ilda-side-table

Photo courtesy of Poliform

Ilda Side Table by Jean-Marie Massaud

Designed for Poliform

French architect, inventor, and designer Jean-Marie Massaud says the Ilda side table was born out of a study of style involving forms and materials. The design marries traditional materials that represent contemporary European design with an unusual form to create just the right amount of tension for a strong visual impact.

“The tables are ‘true gems,’ with tops composed of marble or resin, while the bronze base is forged in an artistic foundry and finished by hand.”

This article originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2019 issue of Sixtysix with the headline “A Reading Place.” Subscribe today.