The Futuristic and Stylish Designs of Joe Colombo!

Joe Colombo was an industrial and furniture designer from Italy (not to be confused with the mafia boss of the same name) whose furniture designs are futuristic and fabulous. His body of work his extensive and features a number of different styles and types, but have a definite look that lets you know it’s a Colombo piece. See what we mean in today’s Designer Influence.

There are certain words that come to mind when checking out Colombo’s furniture pieces. Puffy. Bubbly. Soft. Curvy. Though he designed during the height of the Mid-Century, his furniture has a very 1970s and 1980s look to it, which is the first bit of proof that he was so forward-thinking. He might not be as famous or as well-known as other designers, but the proof is in how trendy the looks he was designing became in future decades.

One of his best known designs, the “"Poltroncina a Elementi Curvati” features a very recognizable and strong design. The thick back curves slowly into the arms, creating a chair that seems to be hugging itself and anyone in it tightly. He uses this design in a number of chairs in a number of materials. And with a corresponding ottoman, as well.

Other designs feature tables with wide, rounded corners and thick legs, a tube chair made of giant tubes and really plush, comfortable-looking dining chairs and lounge chairs. He really valued comfort, and also flexibility of pieces, having been known to cherish pieces that could transform for other uses. Again, at the end of the day, he was looking toward the future and how people would be using their homes in the future.

Born in 1930, Colombo died a pretty untimely dead at age 41 in 1971, else who knows what other designs we may have seen from him. But, he fit a lot into his life, eventually going on to design for many of the top furniture manufacturing companies, like Oluce, Kartell, Bieffe, Alessi, Flexform and Boffi. He also won lots of awards, and often exhibited his work at the world’s top art galleries. An influence he was indeed!

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Contemporary Designer Profile: Jamie Drake!

If you haven’t heard about Jamie Drake and his firm, Drake Design Associates, don’t feel bad. There are a lot of firms out there to be familiar with. But do try to remedy it as soon as possible. Drake’s style is unique, powerful and distinctly fabulous, and we think just about anyone could get a ton of inspiration from him and his work.

The first thing we notice, of course, is his love and talent with color. He’s not the first or only person to be skilled and talented with wielding color in its many forms and hues, but he’s definitely one of the first who’s done it with such style and grace. Most of the times when someone uses a lot of color in spaces, it’s done in a shocking or attention-grabbing way. Not so with Drake’s interiors. We’re not sure how he’s done it, but he’s managed to make even some of the glossiest and boldest hues seamlessly integrate into interiors so lovely, you hardly notice how bold they are.

Drake is a man and a designer not afraid of pattern, either. One of our favorite photos is of a guest bathroom where a rainbow checkerboard paint treatment was placed on the walls. It’s not jarring or too much; it’s just lovely. Other favorites are rooms all decked out in hot pink (yet somehow still relaxing) and a bright yellow that somehow still manages to let the neutral-colored furnishings be the star. We’ve seen plenty of designers who are able to be in cahoots with color, but hardly anyone who seems to tame it like this designer.

Like we said, he uses a lot of color, but not in a too bold or brash way. He uses color—in all its forms (furnishing, wall and art)—intelligently, and that really translates into highly personalized spaces that yes, look like a magazine, but also look like quite awesome homes.

From the biography on his website, we learn that Drake is one of those designers who was just born with the talent, but he didn’t let that stop him from getting a degree at Parsons in record time. Immediately starting his firm after graduation in 1978, he’s never looked back since. And for that, we’re thankful. And like all of our favorite luxurious designers, check out all those fabulous lamps he uses!

Swank Lighting is an amazing resource not just for the best vintage Murano glass lamps in the market today, but also a wonderful resource for interior design inspiration and a great place to get an education about past and present designers. Keep up-to-date with everything we do on our Facebook page and our twitter.