Meet The Titans Of Taste

In 15 years, the object Rawsthorn is posed with here could change the way we dine. Called "The Festive Kitchen," this prototype from the Design Museum's collection by Frenchman Ronan Bouroullec and the Lausanne, Switzerland, design school ECAL is "an eating space of the future," says Rawsthorn. "It's light, portable and assembles in 20 minutes." At 30 feet, the model is a bit large for the average kitchen, she admits, "but you can see how a smaller version would be quite useful." Perhaps someday we will.

Reaching For Bliss

Rob Forbes, CEO, DESIGN WITHIN REACH

By his estimate, Rob Forbes spends two months a year on the road. He scours foreign cities for the latest design ideas, then writes up everything he sees in his trendsetting online newsletter. He also sells furniture occasionally. As founder of the San Francisco dot-com Design Within Reach (dwr.com), Forbes has become a design-world fixture in just four years. His bright idea: making high-end furnishings an option for people with not-so-high-end salaries. (Although, with its $3,500 sofas, DWR has earned the teasing nickname "DNQWR"--"Design Not Quite Within Reach.") "We're like Volvo or Saab," says Forbes. "Not everyone will want us, but people who want good value and high quality--that's where our business is." In the past two years DWR's business has spread from cyberspace to the real world, with 14 studios opening in the United States. As for Forbes, he spends as much time as he can on the waters of the Bay Area. That's him with his most prized possession: a 21-foot rowing shell by Maas Aero. "I could marry this thing," he says. "It's like mobile furniture. It's got everything I need."

Isn't It Post-Ironic?

Paola Antonelli, CURATOR, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART