Crystal Palace at Montage

As I mentioned on Monday, I was at a fabulous design event in Boston. Hosted by contemporary furniture store Montage - the event celebrated their new association with Swarovski's Crystal Palace lighting line. Guest of honor was one of the today's most iconic designers: Tord Boontje.

The 2008 Swarovski Crystal Palace collection includes new designs by Paul Cocksedge, Front Design, Saha Hadid, Studio Job, Piero Lissoni, Arne Quinze, Fredrickson Stallard, Marcus Tremento, Marcel Wanders and Tokujin Yoshioka.

Here are some pieces that are currently available, as well as party shots:

Blossom by Tord Boontje - Designed for the 2002 Crystal Palace collection. A twisted, bejeweled branch inspired by the natural world and emotional association with crystal.

Closeup of Ice Branch by Tord Boontje - Originally designed for the 2005 Fashion Rocks event, the piece sets the stark clarity and regularity of Swarovski crystals on a freeform and naturalistic branch, creating an intricate form.

Sparkle Shady by Jaime Hayon - "A dazzling interplay of solidity and mutability, Sparkle Shady features a series of light shades covered in a textile and crystal "skin" The result is that the shade can change shape, creating an ever-surprising, ever-changing living installation".

Glitterbox by Georg Baldele - an inventive exploration of the prismatic possibilities of crystal, lit from the inside with LED lights. As described by Baldele "A huge block of ice, floating in the air, glittering from inside and out."

Crystal Skull by Fabien Baron. First launched in 2005 for Art Basel, Miami. The aim was to transform and elevate the perception of the skull - from symbol of death and danger to object of beauty.

Blossom by Tord Boontje

Tord was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me talking about his work and inspirations. Studio Tord Boontje was founded in 1996, in London and now located in Bourg-Argentai, France. Tord seeks to create designs that are as broadly accessible as they are enticing. "Modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary doe not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses." Tord has designed products for Alexander McQueen and Target - quite a range!

I asked Tord who he designs for. His answer? His daughter, who is now 8 years old. He also spoke of an 80 year old Irish woman who contacted him about his work after reading about him in The Guardian. How cool is that! On a personal note, I would say that for all the exhuberance of his designs, his personality is wonderfully calm. The epitome of the phrase "still waters run deep".

Exterior shot of Montage, while driving

Photography by Linda Merrill