LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 30, 2004 - Home Section


THINK GLOBALLY, LOOK LOCALLY

By David A. Keeps and Adamo DiGregorio

Five For 2005

The five latest design trends come from unexpected places. Brazilian and Scandinavian furnishings redefine minimalism with wit and style. Art Deco gets a revival with arrival of Austrian, and Hungarian Moderne. In our own backyard, California crafts, those stoneware bowls and wall hangings you thought would never come back, finally have. And there’s a New York-influenced, born-in-L.A. – we call it “New Angeles” –With a dash of Gotham glam and plenty of Hollywood drama.

3. Austrian-Hungarian Design Reform

What it is: Furniture and decorative arts from the late 1800s to the 1930s, a period that followed a simple design mantra: Decorate what you build, do not build decorations. Though part of one empire, Austria and Hungary maintained distinct aesthetics, says Wendy Kaplan, curator of “The Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and America, 1880-1920 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through April 3. In Austria, the Arts and Crafts Idea of simplicity “means furniture is pared down into a visually satisfying rhythmic geometry that looks modern but doesn’t hide the fact that it is handmade, Kaplan notes. The Hungarians “looked back to their own folk traditions and later developed a stream-lined Moderne look that linked Deco and Bauhaus styles.

Why it’s hot: For Arts and Crafts enthusiasts and Deco-weary designers, the exuberant flourishes in Austrian and Hungarian furniture are an alternative to the typical curves and angles of early 20th century furniture and echo the sophisticated silhouettes by such midcentury designers as T.H. Robsjohn-Bibbings and Edward Wormley.

What to look for: Many of Austrian Josef Hoffmann’s iconic bentwood designs are still in production and available online (www.eurofurniture.com). For vintage Austrian and Hungarian designs, try Szalon, the showroom of interior designer Judith Hoffman, which also stocks vintage glass and porcelain and period-inspired rugs. Szalon, Los Angeles, (310) 657-0089.