In 1889, John Mathias Bernhardt founded the first industrial venture in rural Lenoir, North Carolina, which would later become the Bernhardt Furniture Company. Leveraging the region’s natural resources and local woodworking skills to strengthen the local economy, he opened his factory with vast ambitions and twenty-five employees. log flume for transporting timber john mathias bernhardt, … Continued
Imagine a world with no original design. Where everything would be a copy and nothing would be new. This notion seems like a dire warning from “Atlas Shrugged”, but is not an unrealistic prophecy in an environment where creativity and originality is not encouraged or protected. emeco 111 navy chair fabricated with 111 recycled coca … Continued
ikono chair Something exciting is happening in the tiny Central American country of El Salvador. —In this nation of just over six million people, a grassroots movement is afoot to bring its bourgeoning creative scene to the forefront. Against a backdrop of crime and poverty, a band of progressive and socially-conscious architects, designers and entrepreneurs … Continued
Three simple words, “America Made Me,” elicit unique feelings and emotions in each of us. They may summon images of products: a Thunderbird convertible, a bottle of Coca Cola, or the classic little red wagon. Others may think of their immigrant grandfather or the hometown boy who became famous. The invention of the internet or … Continued
charles pollock – 1960 finding charles pollockplay video “I’ve always been fascinated by Charles Pollock. He created such a significant product, yet very little has ever been published about him. When I started my search to find Charles, I simply wanted to meet him and hear his story.” – Jerry Helling penelope chair After graduating … Continued
Cutting edge design, innovation, and technology were on display as thousands of visitors from around the world converged for the ninth annual London Design Festival. More than 250 events spanning 25 disciplines occurred around town during the festival. Doors to architectural masterpieces from past centuries were opened with a modern perspective, bringing the old world … Continued
Understanding design can bring everyday objects to life and give children a new view of the world. Design can turn on the light in a child’s mind and suddenly routine school lessons seem relevant in the real world. project introduction The design process can teach children how to create, how to communicate their ideas, and … Continued
studio 5 Twenty-five young designers were honored in a retrospective celebrating the fifth anniversary of Bernhardt Design’s innovative interdisciplinary studio with Art Center College of Design. The studio was initiated to give students a “real life, real time” experience from the initial client brief through the launch of a product in the market. Since its … Continued
sketch restaurant noé duchaufour-lawrance chair story play video Commissioned for diverse projects that vary in size from a perfume bottle to a hotel, Parisian designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance hassecured a trademark design language of merging fluidity with struc-tural forms. Founder of creative studio Neonata and recipient ofthe prestigious Maison & Objet Créateur de l’Année award, he … Continued
Bernhardt Design and George Little Management team up annually to sponsor ICFF Studio, which is presented each May during ICFF. The scholarship program is a juried competition created as a platform for young designers to showcase their existing prototypes to manufacturers, retailers, and the media. Studio has been a career catylyst for a number of … Continued
Brigette Bardot! The mere mention of her name still unleashes a million fantasies. A half century after her debut, Bardot resurfaces through the imagination of Spanish design star Jamie Hayon as a curvaceous and alluring seating ensemble. Viewing icons through anew lens is second nature to Hayon and has produced an acclaimed body of work … Continued
Sweden’s acclaimed designer Monica Förster taps into one ofher country’s most prized natural resources in the subtlegestures shown in her latest accomplishment, the Vika seatingcollection. In northern Sweden, braided rivers carve throughthe land creating an ever changing landscape alive with motion.Förster brilliantly captures the beauty of this geographicalphenomenon in the undulating shape of her new … Continued
Patrick Jouin has a special talent for altering the landscape of the human experience, from our view of Paris atop the Eiffel Tower to our dream state at night. He brings his unique aesthetic and underlying stories to fields as diverse as dining, commuting, shopping, sleeping and has even challenged how products are created. Now, … Continued
mistic for gaia & gino Levy has participated in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions around the world, and his work is included in the permanent collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris,as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Internationally acclaimed designer Arik Levy and Bernhardt Design have formed a long-term … Continued
During the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, Bernhardt Design paid tribute to the work of three generations of young designers ranging in age from 13 to 35. Showcasing the annual studio with Art Center College of Design, Tools At Schools, and ICFF Studio, Bernhardt Design continued their commitment of encouraging, supporting, and promoting young furniture designers. … Continued
London takes center stage in the design world every September with the opening of the London Design Festival. Over 300,000 visitors from 22 countries enjoyed a week of events celebrating fashion,design, art and all that is new and creative. The 2010 edition of the festival presented over 240 exhibitions open to the public, includingAudi’s spectacular … Continued
His work “Cries and Whispers,” which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art,was created for his niece Lilly after the death of his sister and was included in the original SAFE exhibition. Robb’s formidable bronze sculpture“Change” was commissioned as a parable for the revitalization of Scotland’s historic Clydebank.‘Golden Age’ served as … Continued
Harry met Claudia when they were students at the University of Applied Arts in San Salvador. Their rise to become design pacesetters in ElSalvador may appear to have been overnight, but they have been perfecting their skills for four years, as designers in a world where they not only create, but have to execute their … Continued
The Design Library at Via Savona 11, a favored local meeting spot in the Zona Tortona design district, was transformed into the home of Bernhardt Design during Salone Internationale del Mobile 2010. In keeping with the educational spirit of the Design Library, the traditional showroom approach of introducing new products was replaced by an exhibition … Continued
The artistic and creative collaboration between Spanish design star Jaime Hayon and Dutch photographer Nienke Klunder has fueled many of Hayon’s celebrated projects, but “Serious Fun” is their first as equal design partners. Creating a playful new fabric line forBernhardt Textiles represents their debut with an American company. funghi for metalarte The play-on-words captured in … Continued
London’s highly acclaimed design team of Fredrikson Stallard has received considerable recognition for their works of art and limited edition designs.They took on the formidable task of marrying the ideals of the art world with that of production furniture. The result was the Hyde chair, a simple unadorned piece of sculpture in leather and walnut. … Continued
Walking into the Bernhardt Design Chicago showroom, there is a feeling of leaving the Merchandise Mart and entering a space odyssey or the afterlife. Conjuring visions of another world, the combination of white-on-white mixed with the play of light provides an ethereal haven from the chaos of the city streets outside. go chair Using architecture … Continued
Bernhardt Design had the honor of creating a limited edition work for an auction on behalf of the MacDella Cooper Foundation. The foundation benefits war displaced youths, as was Ms.MacDella Cooper. Chaired by Christie’s, auctions in New YorkCity and San Francisco were held in conjunction with SurfaceMagazine’s 10th anniversary of their Avant Guardian competition supporting … Continued
A few steps off the busy streets of Zona Tortona, crowds of inter-national design fans discovered a calm oasis, Studio Light, which served as the home for Bernhardt Design during the Salone DelMobile. Located in the heart of Milan’s design district, Studio Lightis the permanent address of accomplished photographer Massimo Ferrari. The all-white space was … Continued