Core77

We often blog about auto design and furniture design because--and I don't have the official stats on this, but in my perception--auto design is the largest, most corporate and most industrial of the industrial design offshoots and furniture design is the sexiest. Sadly, the two fields rarely see any project overlap.

Until now, anyway. What you see here is a gearshift knob for the new Volvo C70 designed by Thonet, the firm founded by Michael Thonet, who basically invented the bentwood process. (Even non-designers will recognize the iconic Thonet Chair above, although Thonet the company actually refers to it as the Viennese Cafe Chair or Chair #14, kind of like how what we call Chinese Food, the Chinese just call "dinner.")

"The curved shape of the lever conveys lightness and reflects the design language of the floating centre console. It is crafted from the finest oak, beech or walnut wood and available as a limited edition that is hand made in an elaborate multi-stage process."

Also, quick history lesson--Michael Thonet invented the bentwood process back in the 1800s, and Chair #14 has been in production since freaking 1865. I point this out because I saw a blog entry showing the chair that said "Does this remind anyone of Eames?" Folks, that's like saying, as I recently heard on The Daily Show: "Oh, Ricky Gervais--he plays Steve Carrell's part in the British version of 'The Office.'"

via mocoloco

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