Moth Chair, aka Flutterby Chair. Mid Century, Modern Inspired steel and Canvas Sling Chair!

One day while staring at my vintage B.K.F. Hardoy (Butterfly) chairs that I'd owned for many years, I started to think about how I could cut them up, reconfigure them and make something new, yet that would still have a familiar vintage mid century vibe.
I sketched out the various configurations on paper, and eventually decided that the best way to truly know if it would work was to just start cutting! I didn't have the heart to cut up an original, but was able to find reproductions.



*Disclaimer: No real butterflies were harmed in the making of this chair!

The shape is a hyperbolic paraboloid, in which the user straddles the seat, almost like a
chopper motorcycle or vintage banana bicycle seat bicycle (which were major influences in the design) Anyone who's owned a BKF Hardoy butterfly chair can tell you that it's actually quite
comfortable to sit "crooked" in it. The pockets are great for storing books, magazines, newspapers, TV remotes, phones etc.

Check out a cool mpeg 360 view (Thanks Patrick!)
http://s26.photobucket.com/user/ollin_trujillo/media/Blog%20Posts/ollintujillo_moth_chair2_zps1a2479db.mp4.html

This chair is perfect for an industrial artist loft, Atomic mid-century house, outdoor lounge, or as a reading chair. Stay tuned for a matching lamp and a pillow attachment! Please let me know if you plan to use it outdoors, and we can do a powder coated finish and water resistant canvas.

I live in Los Angeles,CA near the garment district. I can basically make any color combo you would like. Please contact me and we can discuss it.

Available on Etsy, or contact me directly.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/156173513/moth-chair-aka-flutterby-chair-mid      

Strut Coffee Table, my take.

It's been a few weeks since I've posted, so I thought I would share this coffee table I made for a friend this last week. It's made of steel angle and square tubing with oil rubbed bronze painted finish, and walnut plywood with a clear satin finish. We were going for simple and clean, with a warm-modern feel.

Send an email if you want one built to suit you, thanks!

Abstract Organic Live Edge Burl Coffee Table-TAKE 2!

So after finishing the other table for my pal Glen, he nearly had to pry it from my hands. I had it in my living room for a while until we could finally find a time to meet up, and I really fell in love with it during that time.

It was a bit too big for my space though, so I've been keeping an eye out for another similar one ever since, and I finally found one at my super top secret thrift store location! I had to shoe away these two guys that were looking at it over my shoulder as I was looking at it, (poor thrifting etiquette tsk tsk). Even though I told them I was going to take it, those sneaky guys tried to go above my head and talk to the shop owner about buying it. Little did they know, I've been going there for over 15 years! So Ha! take that! Thrifting karma!

Since the owner hooked me up, I was in no position to haggle. Oh well! I still got a great deal though. A few weeks later, I dropped it off at my friend Fernando Garces' shop to have it refinished, I think it came out great!

Isabel Marant Store, Los Angleles

I stumbled upon these photos somewhere on the internet of the new Isabel Marant store in LA. It looks like it's pretty closeby, near the Beverly Center. I'm really in love with the interior, I am going to have to make a point to go see it in person. I will try to find out the designer of this space, they really nailed it with this project. It's difficult sometimes to explain a design philosophy, and they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I feel like it is totally my "style". I love the raw concrete floors, the use of steel, the wood shipping crate coffee table, the burl wood chair,the BKF Hardoy (butterfly) chairs, the use of the natural plywood to create the sculptural niches, the Jean Prouve potence lamp, the use of the bold accent colors...I love everything about it! If anyone knows who to credit the photos to, please email me and Ill update the post. Thanks!

Dual-Purpose Dining

It's been a while since my last post, but I assure you, I've been hard at work!

A couple of months ago my friends Priya and Brendan (see my previous post Upcycled/recycled writer's desks http://otrujillodesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/upcycledrecycled-writers-desks.html ) contacted me about another possible project that was right up my alley.

They had aquired a neat vintage 60's sort of danish looking wood coffee table with what looked like 6 "petals" and it also had a neat gold inlay pattern on the top. They were using it in their dining area, and the scale and shape of the table were perfect for the room. They had plans to create some built-in banquette seating along the back wall, so Priya had the idea to create a table that could function not only as a coffee table, but as a dining table as well. She was very interested in the sort of "vintage-industrial-chic-look".

These last few years have really been a time of solidifying my design philosophy, and really getting a grip on the things that characterize my "style" so to speak. A lot of people label themselves as modernists, minimalists, traditionalists, classicists etc. but I suppose when it comes down to it, I'd like to think I am a pragmatist above all else.

Years ago, when I was really interested in vintage airstreams, I remember one trailerite in a video interview was explaining how "everything (in his trailer) has at least two functions". This has stuck with me ever since, and I suppose that statement plays into many of my designs today.

Anyway, back to the table :)
So I started with a few sketches in my sketchbook, and we talked/emailed back and forth. We eventually decided on one concept in which there were basically 6 legs when in coffee table mode, and three legs when in dining table mode.  This turned out to be ideal because the table had 6 petals, and also ideal because of the inherent stability of having the three legs.

I was lucky to score these metal stacking legs from the metal scap yard. They were used to store long pieces of metal around the yard. I snatched up 3 of them and soon the table started to take shape.




It actually turned out better than we expected, as it turned out it looked cool in several different configurations.




This last holiday weekend, Priya contacted me and informed me that they were going to have some friends and family over for dinner on Sunday night, and that they would like to have a dining table to eat on! So Saturday was the final push to get it finished. Sunday night, Priya made an amazing beef stew and we all got to enjoy dinner on the table. It was a great experience, and thank goodness the table didn't collapse or anything! I only had my cell phone, so I'll have to post a better final picture later, but I was pretty happy with the way it turned out...

Abstract Organic Live Edge Burl Coffee Table for Glen!

I finally finished this table for a good friend, and I thought I would post some pictures. He had this vintage burl wood slab that used to belong to his aunt, and he asked me to make a new base that would be more updated and that would compliment the shape of the table top. He had a lot of great memories attached to this table. He said he remebered playing with his hotwheels on it as a small child. I was honored to oblige him. I drew up the base on the computer and that helped me to figure out all the various angles. In the end, we decided to go with a Marine Varnish for the wood top, since he might be using it for his outside patio sometimes, and we went with an oil rubbed bronze powder coated finish on the base. I think It came out pretty cool. I haven't really seen anything else like it... enjoy!

 



Upcycled/recycled Writer's desks

This was a project that I did back in March, 2012. I met Brendan and Priya through some good friends, and they commissioned me to build these 2 desks. Brendan is a writer, and the two had recently moved to a house in Silverlake, Ca. Brendan had a room staked out for his office with a window and a great view. We decided on building something super simple and modern, he also liked the worn/industrial look, and didnt mind if the desks looked "well worn". I sketched something up and we agreed on the dimensions. We agreed on 2 desks in an "L" shape. Brendan also hosted a weekly pocker night with his buddies, so we designed the desks so that they could be pushed together and used as a card table. After stewing on it for a little bit, i decided to check the local Habitat for humanity restore to see if they had anything I could use. Score! 2 matching Oak solid core doors!


I snatched up those doors, and hit my local scrap metal spot. I decided to use 1.25" square tubing. It felt right, and looked pretty good proportionally. Next, I fabbed up some frames.



Next, I started to cut the tops to size...



Getting closer...



Added some adjustable feet.

 

Here they are just before I delivered them. I still have 2 left over door pieces that we might eventually make into rolling carts that fit underneath the desks. I think they turned out nice.