An Award Winning Year!
As we hurtle towards the end of 2022 we thought we’d take a look back at what can only be called an award winning year at Go Modern.
That’s because so many of our fabulous designs have been the recipients of some eye-wateringly impressive awards. So where to start?
Miniforms Soda tables
Sweeping the board with that many awards we had trouble keeping up, it has to be the Miniforms Soda tables. These beautiful Murano glass coffee tables are completely stunning. Greek designer Yiannis Ghikas makes them entirely in hand-blown glass. Soda has picked up everything from a double win at the last Dezeen Awards through to its latest, a prestigious design award from the U.S. based Edward Haimsohn.
Soda was created in Venice on the small island of Murano. It took the skills of designer Ghikas and three master glassmakers to give life to this 20-kilo work of art. And it was not a simple process. To create the hammered textured feel, the furnace had to be maintained at the same temperature throughout the process. The result? An eye-catching, single volume of glass featuring three large petals which form the base.
Following Soda’s 2022 successes, family run company Miniforms added two new colours to Soda’s line up. Look out for jewel inspired blue and amethyst, which join the original amber and petrol- green colours.
Novamobili champions sustainability
Our history with the inspiring manufacturer Novamobili goes back almost to the beginning of our inception as a retailer. We fell in love very early on with their stylish, modular furniture. Particularly their wardrobes and wall units.
Alongside inspiring design, we have also always been incredibly impressed with their commitment to working sustainably. Simply in a way that does less damage to the environment. And we’re not the only people to have noticed.
In October of this year, Novamobili received the prestigious Ecol Design Award from Recycla for its commitment to sustainability and proper waste management. They were commended for reducing their waste and carbon dioxide production. Alongside this was a reduction in fossil fuel and water consumption, plus the exemplary recycling of materials.
Novamobili constantly assess their impact on the natural world. Their furniture, for example, features the labels ‘Ecological Panel’ (which indicates recycled timber) and Carb2 – a California Resources Board certification. They, along with all our suppliers, also only use FSC approved (Forest Stewardship Council) wood.
In addition, they were one of the first furniture manufacturers to use water-based paint. And 2023 will see them moving to entirely organic water based paint. It is, therefore, “Bravo Novamobili” from us.
Pianca scales new heights
One of the newest companies to join the Go Modern portfolio is Pianca Design. The company was established in 1956 but are one of Italy’s best-kept secrets in the UK. They make versatile and sophisticated wardrobes and wall units with some of the shortest lead times in the industry. That’s because their ultra-efficient production is second to none.
Alongside wardrobes and wall units they also have a stylish collection of living, dining and bedroom furniture.
This year Pianca were given not one but two awards by the German iF Design Award organisation. Created in 1953, it’s one of the highest achievements in the design world, and an international symbol of excellence in design.
Designed by Raffaella Mangiarotti for Pianca, the Palu bedside table completely wowed us in Milan this summer. Its beautiful, gently curving solid wood frame is in canaletto walnut or ash wood. The round, rotating drawer leather lined. Palu is simply a beautiful piece of furniture, exquisitely crafted.
In addition to the bedside table, Mangiarotti also created a matching Palu bench. This works perfectly at the end of a bed or in a hallway. The optional Vienna straw shelf is great for shoes, books or smaller items.
Pianca’s second IF Award was for their Embrace bed.
Embrace was designed for Pianca by Stockhom based Note Design Studio. Which perhaps goes some way to explaining its minimalist Scandi vibe. Embrace also comes with a storage base option.
Concealed legs raise the whole bed a few centimetres off the floor. It’s a design technique that creates a subtle floating look. Which all goes towards creating a good nights sleep (always award-winning in our book).
So, many congratulations to the award winning Pianca and their creative design teams.
Bonaldo’s Blooming
From one of our newest suppliers, to one of our oldest. The inimitable Bonaldo. Year after year they produce the most incredible furniture. Always high quality. Always stylish. Often award winning.
This year it was the turn of French designer Fabrice Berrux to receive the accolade. We met up with this twinkly, happy designer a couple of years ago in Milan and his infectious joy in describing a design was, well… infectious. His award-winning creation for Bonaldo is called Anemone.
Berrux was inspired by nature for this design. Anemone is a coat stand shaped like a tree. Its six different unfurling branches act as coat posts. The material is extremely hard-wearing polyethylene, in seven matt colours or five different fabric colours. What’s not to love. And the award? The French Design 100.
Presented by Emanuel Macron, no less, it is an award for ‘100 objects and space projects that increase the influence of French creation on the international scene’.
At the time of writing, the 2022 world cup final has yet to be played but we’re wondering if Monsieurs Berrux et Macron will be celebrating yet another award on Sunday.
Congratulations to all our award winners. Here’s to yet more awards and excellent design in 2023.