New and Not Improved
Naples Coffee Table from Meridian Furniture
“Wow them with the glamorous and artsy look of this Naples coffee table. This beautiful table features a sculptural look that conjures up thoughts of fine art displayed in a museum. This cement topped coffee table features a grey textured feel with a brushed brass base for a look that’s nothing short of stunning. Use this contemporary table on its own, or pair it with the matching Naples end table for a total room style boost.”
Irwin Viner - Creative professionals in disciplines ranging from performing arts to interior design often talk about how people com up with the same “new idea.” A toy company executive once said, “Assume that 10 people in the industry all have the same idea. Half of them will rush to try to get that idea to market, and two of them will actually get to market.” You see this in movies all the time: in 2012 there were two Snow White movies released (The Brothers Grimm: Snow White and Snow White and the Huntsman), and in 2022 there are two pets-with-superpowers movies (DC League of Super-Pets and Paws of Fury: the Legend of Hank).
It’s bad enough for creative people to have to complete against one another, knowing that any new idea is already being worked on by others. But this post is not about new ideas and people racing to get to market. In interior design, it would be great if there were two similar, fabulous new chairs or new beds or new consoles introduced this year. But too often new furnishings are shameless copies of earlier classics and have nothing to do with new ideas racing to reach production.
The Naples Coffee Table above is an item that I just learned about through a promotional email from the manufacturer. Compare the Naples to the side table that’s in my apartment bedroom (in photo below).
Personal favorites: Argenta Lucite Lounge Chair (Pace Collection) and Bocci Table (Brueton)
Someone thought it would be a good idea to take the classic Bocci design by Jay Stanley Friedman and try to make something new and improved. But instead of making something better and more delightful, the new version squashed the leather-clad cone to a graceless, squat table and turned the amazing trio of solid stainless steel balls into a dull brushed brass base. Something elegant was turned into something clunky. It’s because of this shameless industry copying and knocking-off that makes me very protective of our IWI design clients who may not have a knowledge of classic designs and industry staples that have stood the test of time. I’m compelled to steer them to more authentic and creative design alternatives, oftentimes ignoring the new and going to auction or vintage vendors for the better “new idea.”
I happen to have two classic items in my bedroom, and ironically both have been refined and made new, but not improved. Check out my earlier post on imitations of the Argenta Lucite Lounge Chair (see the original in my bedroom picture above): go to KNOCK-OFFS: FASHIONS VS. FURNISHINGS.