Kalon Studios: Beauty That Inspires Excellence
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 05.25.07
Inspired by the Greek philosophy of "kalon," meaning to have beauty linked with moral worth and usefulness, Kalon Studios extends this ideal to their work, making products that aren’t only beautiful in form but beautiful in concept as well. They've created a small collection of beautiful, modern, sustainable furniture -- a crib and changing trunk for kids, plus a chair and set of nesting blocks -- that are "kalon" in every sense of the word. Our favorite is "Isometric Chair (pictured above), featured at HauteGREEN last week (check out our Sneak Peek series for more examples of what was at the show). Made from bamboo and created with the precision of CNC (computer numerical control) manufacturing, we really like the way the the clean lines work really nicely with the beautiful, intricate engravings in the back (which are optional, by the way, if you don't like them). Kalon is a German/American husband and wife team -- Johannes Pauwen and Michaele Simmering -- and so they're fond of saying their work was "inspired in Berlin, made in Los Angeles", where they follow a sustainable business model that includes the local production, 100% post-consumer recycled paper and vegetable inks for printed materials and non-toxic finishes for their furniture. There are more pics (and a cool quote from their site) after the jump. ::Kalon Studios
"3 blocks" -- nested and separate
Politics are what they are and while the world sorts out the meaning of words and the direction of ‘progress’ we believe that on the individual level we can only endeavor to do our best and practice what we preach to the best of our abilities; it is the greatest impetus for change in our own immediate worlds, the most effective way to introduce change to the world at large and the truest form of social responsibility and empowerment.
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Look at the legs of those chairs... if that isn't too thin to be stable, I don't know what is...
I've looked all over for this product line in NYC and Brooklyn - couldn't believe no stores were carrying them. Finally ordered directly from Kalon. Let me just say the pictures do not do justice to how beautiful their products are! To the comment above - we ordered a set of dining chairs. They are definitely sturdy and actually some of the most comfortable (and certainly beautiful) chairs I've ever sat on. I actually use one in my office sometimes when I have to sit on the computer for hours. Anyway, I'm so happy we saved up and bought these chairs. We get so many comments and I'm proud knowing how green they company is as well. For all the companies out there claiming sustainability and trying to ride the trend - this company actually practices what they preach and they do it beautifully.