CRAFT IN HAND

Earlier this year, I read an intriguing article about mid-20th century designer furniture that’s “dying”. The material from which those items were made gave way to 70 years of time and dripped like so many noodles of rainbow- coloured gum. In other cases, chairs burst foam or shattered altogether. They are collectibles that represent an era of designers experimenting with new kinds of plastic. It’s not limited to the last century. Pieces that are 3D-printed get yellowed or fl ake in a much shorter span of time.

Prior to this, I’d never given much thought to the longevity of furniture. In truth, how many of us look to buying home furnishings with the intention of passing them on to the next generation? Yet, we often have more of a relationship with these functional items than the art hanging on our walls. Which leads to the next question: Do things need to have investment value before we appreciate their curves and swooping lines, the genius in which two pieces of wood are joined, the engineering that goes into creating comfort?

Bobby Cheng, this month’s cover personality, can shed light on craftsmanship from the perspective of an architect ( Page 30). His resource library stocks, among its plethora of wood, marble, and fabric and rug swatches, samples of almost every stone type in the region. And that’s just the start of fi nding the right design for the project at hand. Elsewhere, we highlight the works of Japanese designers making waves at the trendsetting Milan furniture fair ( Page 36). Elegant, comfortable design will always be in demand; it’s just a matter of discovery.