Pump Up the (Water) Volume
The analog audio gear of the ’80s is the concept behind Decibel, a new collection of bathroom lighting, fittings, and hardware from Waterworks Studio. Faucets resemble phonograph arms; tap fixtures look like volume knobs (from $820); and the chrome, nickel, and graphite finishes create a visual beat all their own. 800-899-6757.
Feeling Torn
The daring wizards behind the design group Snarkitecture are applying their barely there aesthetic to a line of wallpaper.
Enjoy a bit of white space? Then you’re probably a fan of the New York studio Snarkitecture. Since founding it in 2008, Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen have created installations, sculptures, and furniture that draw careful lines of connection between design, art, and architecture—rarely using any color. The group’s 21st-century takes on minimalism are often beguiling: a shelf that looks like a chiseled block of chalk, a seating system for a museum that resembles a giant folded noodle. All in white, of course. Their latest pushes ephemerality to a new level: a design for another young practice, Calico Wallpaper. Part of Calico’s series of collaborations with progressive designers, Snarkitecture’s Topographies collection (a riff on the traditional landscape mural) consists of layers of hand-torn paper that were photographed and digitally printed onto customizable, made-to-order panels. This time, their work comes in four, albeit subtle, hues. From $32 per square foot; 718-243-1705.
Meet L.A.’s Avant-Garde
A new gallery lets local talent shine.
In Los Angeles, land of hyphenates, there are singer-dancers, actor-directors, and, more recently, a multitalented duo of design gallerists: publicist-consultant and decorator-tastemaker. That’s design power couple Sean Yashar and Oliver M. Furth, respectively, L.A. natives who just launched Furth Yashar &, a roving exhibition space devoted to local talents who “elude categorization,” Yashar says. “Right now we’re really glutted with creativity,” Furth adds, “and a lot of these ideas are leaving.” It’s also the only place in town that focuses solely on collectible contemporary works. Their first show, in March at the Pacific Design Center, showcased Stefan Bishop’s sculptural furniture, including totem-like wood shelves ($55,000). The fragrant hint of redwood wafting through the gallery was a prelude to their next endeavor: a unique scent by perfumer Haley Alexander van Oosten. “She’s an artist who works in the invisible,” Yashar says. “And that’s very exciting to us.” 323-592-3216. —Janelle Zara
