Wally's World

Imagine tuning in to an episode of "Jeopardy" to hear this clue: This member of the Ford family is responsible for a number of classic designs. Many people would quickly buzz in with: "Who is Henry Ford?" But they would not necessarily be correct. Those familiar with Architex's new WBF2 Collection might have another answer.

Featuring 11 patterns, Architex's WBF2 collection draws inspiration from a different Ford legacy—that of designer Walter Buhl Ford II. Born to one of several Ford families in Michigan (but not a direct descendent of Henry Ford), Walter (Wally) Ford carved out a niche in mid-century modern product design, interior design, architecture, and branding under the umbrella of W.B. Ford Design Associates, which later became Ford + Earl Associates.

"Ford's work is very much within the pantheon of the great mid-century modern designers of Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, and Eero Saarinen, but Ford had a sensual side to his design that used the curve within the square beautifully," says Roy Marcus, an independent marketing consultant who worked on the collection. "Wally added curves and warmed up his work with color. This use of color and the curve gives humanity to what could otherwise have been very austere spaces. Mid-century modern is elegant but also can be cold. Wally's work is never cold. It's alluring and has a tremendous amount of charm."

A design team at American Silk, the mill that collaborated with Architex, began playing with photos and notes compiled during a visit to Ford + Earl's archives in Troy, Mich. Instead of being strict reinterpretations of Ford's work, each pattern draws inspiration and forms from his portfolio. The Radio Group references Ford's designs for Delco, once a leading radio manufacturer as Console, Current, and Frequency reinterpret old radio's speaker cloth. Carrel references a study carrel floor plan Ford + Earl created for the Thonet furniture company, while the hexagonal forms of Launch Day were inspired by two Ford projects: the new headquarters for Ford Motor Company and the gate for NASA's exhibit at the 1964–65 World's Fair. The varying rectangular forms of Building Blocks is derived from the interior and exterior of the National Bank of Detroit, another Ford + Earl project, and Coinage's linear design harkens the firm's work for the National Bank of Detroit headquarters. Rounding out the collection are Make Tracks (inspired by tire treads); Blueprint Floral (a tribute to Ford's passion for gardening); French Curve (showcasing a key tool in Ford's practice); and Where's Walter, a witty interpretation of a floor plan of the Federal Reserve Bank Building in Richmond, Va.

Further connecting to Ford's legacy, Architex is donating the designer's royalties from the collection to the College for Creative Studies (CSS) in Detroit, which has a pre-eminent transportation design studio and where Ford was a trustee, board president, and chair for more than 30 years. Ford, who with his wife Josephine (Henry Ford's only granddaughter) established a foundation that donated millions of dollars to various institutions and charities, would no doubt give this added bonus a green light. Circle No. 200