SR Hughes

Designers on Hand for Evening Event

JayE — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:01:36 +0000

Last night SR Hughes was proud to participate in Center 1: Inside Modern Design. We like to work but we LOVE to party. Our events provide our clients, fans and new faces a chance to experience all we have to offer in a fun and relaxed environment. Folks stopped in for a cool drink, good conversation, and serious swag bags featuring t-shirts and gift certificates to Black Optical. Brookside, once named the Restless Ribbon, was abuzz with cosmopolitan activity. The weather was exceptionally beautiful for a luxurious stroll from our neighbor to the north, Valcucine, on down to Aberson Exhibits – now featuring the Russel Young show. Our designers were on hand talking shop – new fabrics, current trends and design inspirations were all hot topics.

A piece of burled wood sets the stage for this color-story; Inspiration comes from many places.

Our design team presented before and after pictures which left me and so many others wondering, “now how’d they do that?” The answer? Mix extensive design experience, innovative modes of creative thinking and a “delight the client” focus to achieve something truly amazing.

Our designers also presented an in-store museum depicting the evolution of style.

Contemporary Circa 18th Century

Contemporary 21st Century

: The Evolution of Seating

Thank you everyone who attended last night’s soiree. For those who couldn’t make it we definitely look forward to seeing you at our next function!

Stephanie Odegard visits Tulsa

LauraS — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:21:45 +0000

Renowned Rug Designer Stephanie Odegard to Speak at Philbrook Museum April 15 on “Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility”
Presentation in observance of Earth Day‘s 40th anniversary

Internationally renowned rug designer Stephanie Odegard will speak at the Philbrook Museum of Art at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15. In observance of Earth Day, Odegard will present “Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility.”

Recognized as one of the interior design industry’s leading figures, Odegard will illustrate techniques used in the hand-knotted rug industry of Nepal as well as share highlights of her journeys in remote places with traditional artisans. The presentation will demonstrate her pioneering designs and environmentally sustainable practices and how a socially responsible business provides for and enriches a dignified way of life for artisans and their families.

From 5:30-6:30 p.m., Odegard will demonstrate her process, and visitors will have a chance to enter a vegetable dye identification contest in the Patti Johnson Wilson Auditorium, Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road.

Philbrook and SR Hughes, the Tulsa interior design studio and showroom that is the sole Oklahoma dealer for Stephanie Odegard hand-crafted rugs and home accessories, are partnering to bring Odegard to Tulsa.

“Stephanie Odegard is leading the way for socially conscious carpet manufacturing today,” said Brian Hughes of SR Hughes. “She helped revive Nepal’s carpet industry in the late 1980s by commissioning and importing Himalayan wool rugs, and she continues to be a force today in helping developing countries promote and preserve their traditional artisan crafts. Tulsa is extremely fortunate to have this award-winning designer come to speak at Philbrook.”

Odegard and her company also are deeply committed to the RugMark Foundation in its fight to end illegal child labor in the worldwide carpet industry. All Odegard® carpets bear the GoodWeaveTM label by RugMark, which assures that no child labor was used in their making.

Odegard has received numerous awards for her design talents and for her commitment to social progress and philanthropic accountability, including the 2009 ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Individual Product Prize, the 2006 Mountain Institute Award for Excellence in Sustaining Mountain Livelihoods, and the 2004 Aid to Artisans Award for Innovation in Craft. She also was named a 2004 “Giant of Design” by House Beautiful Magazine, and received the 2001 Peace Corps Association Business Symposium Award for Entrepreneurship.

Tickets for Stephanie Odegard’s April 15 presentation at Philbrook Museum are $7.50 for adults; $5.50 for seniors (age 62+), and free for youth 18 and under. For more information, go to www.srhughes.com or www.philbrook.org.

Art for the Heart

BrianH — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Why not give a little art from the heart to your valentine? There are plenty of great ways to do it. One idea is Kokoro — a beautiful light sculpture from Ingo Maurer – the world-renowned wizard of light. You can check out Kokoro and many other of Ingo’s ideas right in our showroom. Another way is to check out his one man show from the Cooper Hewitt museum. The catalog from the show is a book full of great photos and a series of interviews of Maurer which buoy the spirit of any person with a creative bone in his or her body. Enjoy the scuplture simply for its warmth, its sense of humor, its beauty. Dig deeper and read more about the story behind the MaMO Nouchies series of lights and the spirit which compels the artist. Whatever you give your loved one this Valentine’s Day … give joyously and lovingly from your heart … and you’ll be right on the mark.

Oh Canada! The design link on the skating rink.

JayE — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:55:21 +0000

We’ve admired the work of Omer Arbel for quite some time. Several of his lighting and electrical designs for the Canadian company Bocci have been featured in our showroom and are beginning to grace local homes and businesses with their beauty.

Omer Arbel's 21 Series installed at Yokozuna restaurant in downtown Tulsa

The 21 Series captures the magic of light, suspended within folded pieces of a simple ceramic. This diffused light is soft and organic. Another phenomenal design from Arbel is the 14 Series. Hand-blown glass globes illuminated by tiny halogen bulbs create very dramtic displays without becoming weighty.

Though each sphere weighs over three pounds their placement and effective diffusion of light evokes feelings of weightlessness.

Arbel’s most recent design was in conjunction with artist Corrine Hunt. The 2010 Olympic medals are ingeniously designed and beautifully crafted pieces of art that speak highly of the power and quality of design from Canada.

The front of the medals display graphics reminiscent of totem poles

Though the Olympic Medals are not available at SR Hughes, we are proud to represent Bocci and the creative work of Omer Arbel.

Not so Silly to Wassily

JayE — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:27:11 +0000

It’s not so silly to Wassily this time of year. As part of the Knoll Classics collection, the Wassily chair is now on sale: 15% off orders through February 7th.

The Wassily chair was designed in 1925 by Marcel Breuer - a modernist master who taught at the Bauhaus and Harvard. The use of tubular steel was a big innovation in furniture design during this period. Another of our favorite architects and designers Le Corbusier made great strides with this material in his iconic LC designs. The inspiration for the chair came from the bicycle, also a supportive form of tubular steel. I see a close link with Le Corbusier’s LC1 chair design. Wassily’s design supports a seated body with a minimalist juxtaposition of materials: lightweight steel and straps of saddle leather. Other Marcel Breuer designs in the Knoll Classics collection include the Laccio tables and the Cesca chairs.

The Cesca Chairs by Marcel Breuer

Laccio Tables by Marcel Breuer

Get a Piece of Mies

JayE — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:10:38 +0000

The Barcelona chair was designed in 1929 by the famous architect Mies van der Rohe. MOMA approves and so do we: this is a timeless classic. In 1948 Florence Knoll, a good friend of Mies, aquired the production rights. Offered today exclusively by Knoll, the Barcelona chair is produced to the exact specifications of the original design. The frame of Barcelona is availble in either stainless steel or chome. Each frame is hand-polished to a mirror finish. The upholstery is all hand-tufted and welted. Forty individual leather pieces (all from the same hide) make up the seat and back covers. A Knoll Studio logo and designer signature is stamped on one of the rear legs.

“Get a piece of Mies” during the Knoll Classics Sale through February 7th at SR Hughes.

Jens Risom: What is "Good Design?"

BrianH — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:07:52 +0000

Risom has summed up his philosophy in these ways:

“Good design means that anything good will go well with other equally good things – contemporary or traditional.”

“Design is Problem Solving. Good design therefore is a good solution that satisfies many requirements. While furniture must be attractive in appearance, the detailing, materials, execution and craftsmanship that go into the overall design must also be of a very high standard, whether the product is mass-produced or made by hand.”

“Good design” for furniture can be fun, functional, high quality, and beautiful. It withstands the test of time. But its really saying something when a man who designed his first chair with Knoll in 1941 is still working in the contemporary period: he released a collection with Ralph Pucci International in 2005! Fun, functional, high quality, beautiful, relevant? Absolutely! Its Good Design!

One Great Piece

BrianH — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:37:59 +0000

Once upon a time people saved for what they wanted, a valid if antiquated concept. Especially for young people just starting out in their home, purchasing a few significant pieces of furniture or a rug and adding to them over time is a good plan. Too often, people are driven by price when selecting items for their interiors. They end up with rooms full of things that are flimsy, faddish, and unacceptable after a few years. Classic design, whether contemporary or traditional, is just that, classic. Taking into account a little wear, it will look as good fifty years from now as it does today. But looking good is not enough; you need superior craftsmanship and materials if your money is to be well spent. Your sofa won’t last long if it isn’t tied eight ways underneath all its sumptuous fabric. Although there is a trend today toward inexpensive throw-away style, you will be better served by stashing your money under your mattress and waiting until you can afford something timeless in design, carefully made and of the best quality.

KNOLL CLASSICS SALE

LauraS — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:51:57 +0000

KNOLL CLASSICS SALE
Save 15% on the Knoll Classics Collection February 1st – 7th

The Knoll Classics Collection includes products designed by Harry Bertoia, Marcel Breuer, Florence Knoll, Warren Platner, Jens Risom, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen.

Think about it. CLASSIC – a good investment.

The Tulip Chair

JayE — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:20:25 +0000

The Tulip Chair was designed in 1957 by the famed architect Eero Saarinen. The same genius that incarnated the Gateway Arch in St. Louis designed this classic modern dining chair. Exclusively produced by Knoll Studio, the Tulip chair has proven the test of time because of its intrinsic beauty and Knoll’s exacting reproduction to Saarinen’s original specifications. This piece found its way to MOMA in 1969 – truly a work of functional art. Tulip is available in White, Black, and Platinum colors. You may choose from a wide array of fabrics, upholstering the seat only or the entire inner shell. Be committed to the classics.