Afu Custom Furniture

 The Afu shop in Kolonaki, Athens

Knot series

Dimitris Tsigos is a very talented Greek architect. His latest venture is Afu Custom Furniture and he send us a letter for it:

In our latest enterprise, our objective
was to introduce to the public the results of our ongoing research in
the fields of advanced geometries and modern CAD/CAM methodologies.


Therefore we have opened up a concept store in Athens, Greece where we exhibit furniture pieces and objects designed by us.


To get a better idea of the concept and see all the designs, we are glad to present you with the following options:


1) Visit the afu store!


8 Haritos St. Kolonaki
Athens, Greece, 10675


2) Visit the afu website:


www.afu.gr


3) Visit the afu facebook page, by clicking on the link.


For all comments – enquiries please don’t hesitate to contact us:


info@afu.gr
T +30 210 7210148


Best regards,


Dimitrios Tsigos
Chief designer

Another Afu shop view

 The finished products look incredible - Usus series

Tractus series in the shop

 Fluctus series

IKEA 2010 catalogue favourites

I am a bit late in posting my favourites from the IKEA catalogue this year, but better late than never! I must say I am constantly surprised by how many things are still more expensive (sometimes with a big mark up) in Greece than other European countries. And I don't think the market size is the only issue here. Hmmm... Let's check out what attracted me this year.

The cover reminds me so much of a big doll-house...

The yellow wall and the red IKEA PS steel cupboard put a splash of colour I really like here.

The BAROMETER floor lamp (at the forefront by the white sofa) looks amazing - I think I need one in my living room...

The POANG armchair now comes with the Webbing seat in black - and my favourite wood colour, maple.

I love the wall colour (green of course, how surprising) and what they did with the photos and sketche around the door - brilliant idea!

This bed is great, with lots of storage room under it. The head board is an old - time favourite that returns, but the pine wood makes it hard to combine with my own (maple), so I am not getting it.

Another great bed, especially for kids-teens, but I'd rather have it in white.

Great set-up although it does feel a bit hotel-room like.

Green things - hurrah! The glass IKEA PS BRUNN vase is a new favourite.

The star of this year's catalogue, the PS MASKROS pendant lamp, designed by Marcus Arvonen is a masterpiece! And I am proud to call it my own!

Great price for these, and they do come really handy in the kitchen!

This entrance area is looking so cool. I might get one of these for my own hall too!

Formerly a kitchen/living room table, it now metamorphoses into a desk. Lovely.

Green wool carpet...mmm... what? Oh yes, I do have two cats... one can dream though...

The green panels might soon find a way into my living room and dining room too...

The KULLA pendant lamp looks very stylish in black.

Another great desk lamp, FORSA reminds me of the Pixar famous animated lamp.

All images courtesy of IKEA. This blog is in no way affiliated with IKEA and it's Greek representative.

Brushing with furniture - surreal design by Jason Taylor

Jason Taylor is a British designer with a surreal eye when it comes to everyday objects. I was particularly drawn to his "honey-I-blew-up-the-brush" furniture. They would be ideal if one could clean up the house with them too! Check his website for more quirky stuff.

Via designmilk

Furnidec Design 2008: The photos

I'm finally able to post photos (click on them to see them larger) of the area we made for the Design Event and the Pan-Hellenic competition for furniture design in Pavilion 14 of T.I.F. during Furnidec Business. My brilliant colleague Ioanna Papadopoulou designed the whole construction and I designed the furniture silhouettes decorating the walls (with the help of our talented Maria Papathemeli on Illustrator!). I also supervised the set-up.


The items displayed by the Greek designers were mostly decorative pieces, but there were the big exceptions like chairs, tables and a seemingly intricate seating system, below, by Xristina Karakalpaki (it was her thesis as we found out ,and will be shown in Milan this April). The sundials are by Andreas Galanakis:


There were some interesting lamps by EON (Dimitris Birbilis and Alexis Oikonomidis), the unusual table at the front is again by Xristina Karakalpaki, the beautiful hangers at the back are by Kalliroi Spyridonos and the graphically inspired clocks are by Dionysis Pharaoh and Christina Papaleonida:


The bright green floor contrasted nicely with the red carpet and the dark grey walls. At the back, you can see the Pan-Hellenic competition for furniture design area, with the drawings and models of the contestants displayed in white "cuts" on the dark grey wall.


The desk at the front is by EON (Dimitris Birbilis and Alexis Oikonomidis):


And another panoramic view of the design area.

Special Event:Design of Modern Greek Furniture

Today opens the 2nd International Furnidec Business exhibition in Thessaloniki. It hosts, just like last year, the 3rd Design Show, which has known Greek designers exhibiting their work. In a specially designed space for this, in Pavilion 14, this special show is a celebration of design furniture and home accessories, outside of the usual commercial styles and norms.


Avant guard designers and architects project a special concept in objects concerning furniture. The prerogative for participation is the original idea and construction based on innovation, functionality and high standards in strength, style and unexpected forms and shapes. Most of the participating designers had previously shown in BARTESERA in Athens last month.



For the very first time, a Pan-Hellenic competition for furniture design took place, under the Helexpo-Furnidec co-ordination, in collaboration with the Greek Secretariat for Industrial Design. Any individual or team represented by a professional in the field of design and also graduate of any design school was eligible. There are 7 equal awards that will be given on Sunday. All the participants exhibit their designs and models along with their more well know colleagues, in Pavilion 14, in the special area designated for them.

The design of the whole space was done by my colleague Ioanna Papadopoulou, and we both supervised the set up of the exhibition space for the company we work for, Tetragon. I will post photos after the event.

The show is from the 25th until the 28th of January at the Thessaloniki International Fair grounds.

IKEA 2008 Catalogue - favourites

I'm late for this compared to other bloggers but the new IKEA catalogue has not yet arrived here - luckily it came to the office! So here are my favourite looks and items from it:

The Ektorp Jennylund armchair with the b&w chequered Stoarp cover is an instant classic. I like the pillow on it too.

This is a dreamy living room in b&w. It looks like the other side of the room from the previous pic. Again a great armchair, Lillberg, in its rocking version. The Granemo display with sliding glass doors is fab.

This year's big hit for me: The Mandal headboard: (dim 240X68cm_ lacquered solid pine wood slats on a metal frame. The photo shows three stacked one on top of the other. I am going to get it for my custom designed bed, it will fit perfectly on the wall behind it. Cannot wait for Christmas!
I also like this version of the Mandal bed, the storage underneath looks great and so does the coordinated storage cabinet in front of the bed. A very attractive proposition for the bedroom.

A very stylish b&w bedroom.I know the bed is in very dark brown, but the overall feel is b&w. Again the lovely chequered armchair is featured (see far left side). If I did this, I would try to find better looking black crystal chandeliers though - or even better forget them all together. The frames above the bed are the perfect icing on the cake!


Great looking wardrobe. It has the look of its more expensive Italian counterparts. And I'm a sucker for maple or birch wood.


The main color schemes of the IKEA catalogue 2008 for Greece are black & white, black, white and green and anything red! The photo is a great look for a home (or even proper) office. I might just make the wall in front of my desk a lovely deep burgundy red like this.


My all-time favourite kitchen from IKEA: the Ulriksdal doors in lacquered solid oak. Instead of the dark lilac wall, I would combine this with dark lime green-like my real kitchen is painted now.


Talk about green! Doesn't this green tile look amazing?


I got this rug for my kitchen! I always pick up cheap rugs for it as the cats mainly live there and they never last for long. The colors are great-they pop up at you!


I love these vases! They look so Renaissance in this photo. I might get them one of these days.


And finally the Varm pots - I got the big olive two-toned one on the far left (it was the last left that day) for one of my living room planters. The walls are going to be painted a very light olive green so it will match perfectly.