As I mentioned earlier, this week is Design Week in Portland and I had the amazing opportunity to check out some of the most talented artists and designers in our city. Design Week was created to celebrate the vast pool of creatives in the Portland area with the scope being, as OregonLive put it, from fonts and furniture to fashion and more.
In particular, I was most excited to see ShowPDX 2012. This collection showcases custom furniture that is beautiful, sometimes functional, but most definitely works of art.
When we arrived, we weren’t sure we were in the right place. The show is in a huge venue in The Pearl District with the 60 selected pieces scattered through out. The curator told us that on opening night, they had over 500 people in attendance. The space looked like it could easily hold that many people, but we were glad to have it mostly to ourselves.
I’ve included links to each piece I’m sharing as many of the artists do other incredible things and often have more details about the piece featured on their site.
Some of my personal favorites from the show include:
Recycled Skateboard Table Lamp by Maple XO
This unique lamp was created from the left over waste of skateboard manufacturing. I love that they saw a use for these remnants and the beautiful colors make for an amazing product in its own right.
I was particularly excited to see that Grove had created Scrap Squared for the show. I was first introduced to Grove last year at The Portland Bazaar; they make some stunning protective cases for laptop and iPhone devices. What I didn’t know was that Grove has also partnered with Maple XO to utilize the skateboard scrap in some of their product line as well.
This sculpture is made from the same skateboard material as the lamp, but with a slightly different execution. It was light and airy and the texture was outstanding.
One of the things that was clearly apparent in so many of the pieces was the attention to detail. The materials chosen and placed were very intentional and thought out.
I may or may not have drooled on this Novus Credenza, by Brooks Woodworks.
Okay… I didn’t really drool on it, but it was SOOOOO pretty.
Jason Kentta did more of a unique take on combining materials with Wrench Bench. It was drool worthy too.
Malachi Milbourn from Against the Grain Studio created this lovely set for their Milbourn Steampunk Collection.
The meticulous sanding and staining in so many of the pieces was wow… just WOW! The piece that really captured this is The Phoebe Table by Bob Huskey of Saturn Design.
The grain and stain is breathtaking, but the uniqueness of the table is that it can be custom configured to your space.
Each section easily rotates creating a truly one of a kind table.
Of course, my mid century modern heart did cartwheels when I saw The Belmont by Joe Gibson of Revolution Design House.
It’s take on the classic Adirondack was brilliant. Made from mahogany, aluminum, stainless steel and weatherproof vinyl, I think it’s almost too nice to stick outside.
It wasn’t the only retro representation either. This custom TurnTABLE by Ariana Budner w/ David Bertman was really fun.
And I would want it in the same room as this Vintage Drum Table by Artisanworks.
Not only has Randy Rooker repurposed a vintage snare drum from the 50’s with an acrylic table top, but the legs are cleverly designed drum sticks.
I know of a certain Purple Palace that could totally rock this Taco Pendant Lamp by Cassie Hibbert Design.
Seriously, I could go on and on and on.
If you are in the Portland area, I highly encourage you to check the show out. ShowPDX2012 as a part of Design Week will be going on until 2pm on Saturday, October 13th. However, the full exhibit will be on display until October 27th. And for complete details on the Design Week Events, you can check out their site here.
Are there any pieces that jump out at you? Could you envision any of these stunning items in your home? What’s the most unique home furnishing that you’ve seen out of non-traditional materials? I’ve got a new table runner out of something I’d never considered using before and I’m completely in love with it. Stay tuned…
Storypiece 
Helllloooooo Credenza! And The Belmont!! *fans self* Apparently our carpet is made from recycled coke bottles.
Wait… is that true about your carpet?! I’m so intrigued…
Totally! It’s made from recycled bottles – their eco friendly option. I’d love to say that we were aiming for that but the reality is we just liked that carpet and then found out how it was made. It’s by a company called Beaulieu. I can’t link up stories on it for you here b/c Akismet won’t let me. Smart spam blocker! Just google Beaulieu recycled bottles carpet.
Oh wait… apparently I can post them. Please delete my incessant double posting. Sigh. I’m sorry. WP is driving me batty today,
That is very cool!! The links actually came through into my pending comments folder so I was able to see what you sent. The place that we purchased our carpet from apparently sells it; I had no idea. I might have to drop in to see it first hand. We aren’t in the market for new carpeting, but when we are, I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks!!
Wow… each time I scrolled down I thought, “This is the one I like best. No, this is the one!” The turntable is amazing, as is the Adirondack chair and also that unbelievably designed Phoebe table! Thanks so much for posting these images! Now I hate all my furniture. (Not really. Okay, I hate it some.)
I know!! They were all so amazing. I’m sure I could find a spot for each one in my home. 🙂
My husband was really impressed with ShowPDX, too. He, however, forgot the camera. So thank YOU for taking some great pictures 🙂 Everything looks amazing, but I could live with that credenza for sure!
Oh no! I was feeling bad because I only had my iPhone to take photos with… the quality isn’t ideal. But I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. If you get a chance to go to the show, I highly recommend it. The credenza is even more amazing in person.
The steampunk, industrial table is beautiful… but then when I scrolled down, it was totally eclipsed by that wild, adjustable, rotating table thing. That is amazing!! I think I like the underside of it even better than the top!
I’m pretty sure your daughter NEEDS one of those lamps. Maybe a DIY version? You’re pretty creative… I can see you whipping up something??
Isn’t the steampunk one so cool?! I think the underside of The Phoebe Table has a little bit of a steampunk vibe too. I really like it in it’s own right. You can tell that the designer put some serious thought into the entire piece.
As for the lamp… we actually had something similar from a big box store. I LOVED it and wanted to use it in her room before we repainted it. But Tess was uninterested so I passed it along to a friend. And not too long ago she actually said, “You know what would look really good in my room? That lamp.” Gah!! I think we’ll be going in a different direction. 🙂
So bummed to have missed this! Thanks for the recap – such great pieces:)!
Thank! If you’re still interested, I think the show is going on until the end of October. It’s definitely worth taking a look if you have time. Also, I’ve been meaning to tell you congrats on the new place! It’s got great character and I’m so excited for your new adventure. Best of luck!!
I love the Steampunk stuff!!! And the Phoebe Table is incredible!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kelly!! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. The steampunk pieces were gorgeous; they did a great job with style without going off the deep end into crazy town. 🙂
Danielle, I want one of those recycled skate board side tables…so bad! I also love the drum tables. Such fun stuff! Thanks for sharing it with those of us not in P-town to enjoy it. 🙂
I think the skateboard pieces were my favorite too… something about the color and texture combo was just so very cool. Hope you’re enjoying your new area and finding some great local places to share with all of us.