Hasta La Ideas

Take your armchair outside with this clever riff on lawn furniture

Italian furniture designer Alessandra Baldereschi‘s work, while often surreal and usually ironic, is always completely functional. A moss chair lends a modernist form to an earthy material; a glass whale engulfs an indifferent fish. In her 2011 collection for Italian contemporary design company Skitsch shown recently at, Baldereschi gives the humble lawn chair a hefty dose of whimsy.

The FildeFer collection, practical, nostalgic and a little tongue-in-cheek, uses slim iron rods to deftly draw outlines of plush upholstery. Currently available in-store or by phone from Skitsch, it comes in gray, green, blue or white.

New York City’s minimalist custom bicycle builder

Finding inspiration in vintage track racing catalogs and archival images, Francesco Bertelli builds gorgeously minimal bicycles in his NYC workshop Biciclette Assemblate. The Italian transplant’s one-of-a-kind creations combine new, dead stock and vintage components found at flea markets, collectors, trusted suppliers, and of course, eBay. This scavenger style of sourcing parts allows Bertelli to stockpile choice components and later pick and choose the perfect parts for each individual build.

Central to the design process are Bertelli’s strict guidelines; he only uses classically lugged steel frames with track geometry, quill stems, chrome forks, and vintage cranksets—all accented with leather and wood when appropriate. Hand assembled, finished, and fine-tuned, the bikes are emblem- and sticker-free, in keeping with the builder’s extremely pared-down style.

Bertelli teamed up with Norwegian track frame manufacturers Viking (also an exciting new upstart) to produce his own frame variation in custom anthracite colorway. These framesets are available through Biciclette Assemblate for the admirers of the craft who wish to build their own, which Bertelli encourages. His site even includes a “how to build a bike” section, an online diary of Bertelli’s own build experiences and advice, plus piece-by-piece component descriptions.

To commission your own unique bicycle build, cop one of Viking’s Bertelli framesets, or to simply drool over previous builds, contact Bertelli through his site.

Additional reporting by Graham Hiemstra

An accessories vet reinvents classics in her debut handbag line

Italian-Brazilian accessories designer Paula Cademartori toys with tradition in her signature line of handbags, which bridge classic construction with modern silhouettes and unusual combinations of leather, suede, deerskin and the like.

Cademartori first studied Industrial Design at the Lutheran University of Brazil, then relocated to Italy where she studied fashion management at Milan’s revered business school Bocconi University. Cademartori continued her education at Istituto Marangoni, where she received her Masters in Accessories Design before becoming a junior designer at Versace.

Not surprisingly, Cademartori’s talents were first recognized for a shoe she designed for the Vogue Talents Corner, a project she was selected to participate in during September 2009 and landed her on Italian Vogue’s list of 140 Emerging Designers.

Devoted to ageless elegance, each bag features incredibly precise detailing, durable fine leather and custom-crafted metal hardware. The style names recall princesses and archetypal women like fashion editor and idol Anna Dello Russo, who was one of her first fans.

In addition to her seasonal collections, Cademartori also has Aristocracy, a made-to-order line featuring high quality crocodile leather and beautiful detailing.

Two luxury hotels introducing a welcome modern touch to classic Venetian style

In a place like Venice where nearly everything in the city has been featured in a postcard, the Bauer Hotel and Palazzo stand out for their surprising design, which I recently had the pleasure of exploring.

Built in the ’40s, the linear and austere façade of the hotel on Campo San Moisè creates a deep contrast with the picture-perfect cliché of a gondola gliding down the nearby canal. The decor of the wide hallways (a rarity in the compact town) reflect owner and art director Francesca Bortolotto Possati’s knack for integrating classic materials, such as marble, gold-plated candelabras, silk wallpaper and Murano glass chandeliers, with the clean lines of modernism.

A grand ballroom and lounges continue the opulent atmosphere, boasting more luxurious materials like ostrich leather, walnut root, marble and brass as well as a constant mixture of objects from different ages, including Moresque sculptures and Art Deco armchairs.

Bauer’s twin structure, Il Palazzo, is an 18th-Century boutique hotel offering guests the chance to experience the life of Venetian palazzo living. The views on the Canal Grande are unique, both from the De Pisis Restaurant (located at Canal level) and the Settimo Cielo—the highest terrace in town, providing a beautiful panorama overlooking the entire lagoon.

Each room in the Hotel and Il Palazzo is distinct, incorporating precious antiques, rare prints, small pieces of furniture as well as 20th-century paintings and design objects.

Prices for the Bauer Hotel span €200-900, and €390-8,000 for Il Palazzo.

Illy’s new compact espresso machine designed for the Internet generation

Y1, Illy’s latest coffee machine, is the result of three years of research and development led by Carlo Bach, art director of illycaffè, along with the firm MM Design. Made with an eye on the so-called “Y Generation,” its innovative and eye-catching compact design (it measures just under 10″ square) hides each component inside the little base, which doubles as storage for cups. Materials, such as aluminum, glass and stainless steel, not only lend quality but are recyclable too.

Of course clever design is only as good as the taste of the coffee it produces, which Illy’s metodo Iperespresso capsule system guarantees. Based on five patents and developed to allow the optimal extraction of coffee aromas, the system also makes the requisite velvety and long-lasting “crema.”

The Y1 sells online from Illy for the introductory price of $125 (or €160 in Europe).