Off the grid

“Although quite voluminous, the seats of the [Wire collection] act like chameleons,” says Muller Van Severen – the Designer(s) of the Year for the September edition of Maison & Objet Paris. “When the sun shines through them, they become invisible,” they add. A series of objects created for Solo House – an architectural home set within 100 hectares of natural landscape in the north of Spain (designed by OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen), the seats are an exercise in balancing transparency and strength. The gridded form creates an abundance of welding points, while keeping a basic shape of a mattress that is then folded. While originally conceived as outdoor furniture, the seats can also be used inside.

Breaking boundaries 

Design duo Atelier Caracas – based in Venezuela – are inspired by ‘masters’ of Italian design and the radical stage of design of that era, which featured a far less serious approach and used unlikely materials across a plethora of furniture and interior designs. Noticing little experimentation with upholsteries in collectible design, Atelier Caracas started playing around with the idea of incorporating classical textile and upholstering methods into strident and colourful geometries, creating pieces that explore the boundaries of colour, sensuality and construction. Their Home Office collection features a three-piece ensemble, comprising a chaise longue, a globe-shaped bar and a container box. The pieces in the collection merge subtle tones with unexpected pops of colour, curved and organic shapes with strictly geometric corners, decorative elements with smart functional gimmicks, and traditional upholsteries with unexpected fabrics. The result is a series of unconventional and innovative pieces that concurrently nod to modernity and vintage design.

Traces of light 

Lidia Covello’s whimsical Bōru screens feature two separate sheets of OmniDecor glass joined together, where the glass acts as an architectural element and function – dividing yet allowing one to see through space – but also as an independent furnishing item that looks to define a new type of interior design. Inspired by the designer’s adopted homeland of Japan, the screens reflect one’s need for harmony and freedom. Its sinuous shapes are discreet, transparent and fluid – just like light that passes through glass. 

Heart of Glass

The Cassina Perspective is the brand’s approach of combining innovative new products with its iconic collections, yet it also allows for collaborations with special partners: in this case, a duo of vases designed by English designer Bethan Laura Wood and produced by Venetian hand-blown glass experts Venini. Colourdisc is a perfect synthesis between centenary art and contemporary design, featuring a fruit bowl and a cylindrical flower vase. They each comprise a series of coloured compositions of discs and diamonds in Murano glass, cast in metal forms and placed around a brass volume – and available in two light finishes. One can even choose to add an optional blown glass vase in amber or horizon blue for an additional pop of colour (and to make it easier to fill up with water for flowers). The colours of the decorative glass are sourced from the Venini Archive, and they overlap and create a third shade. When hit with sunlight, the colours reflect on the vase to create a kaleidoscopic effect. 

Natural beauty 

Some of the most loved furniture designs are now being recreated in outdoor editions as more people begin to favour indoor/outdoor living. Minotti’s latest outdoor collection features some of its indoor favourites – including, as featured here, the Sendai family of seats designed by Inoda+Sveje, complete with elegant and airy lines. The Sendai Cord Outdoor features an upholstered volume, stylised through the skilful use of cord in colours including ecru, burgundy and dark brown, and reminiscent of the nautical themes of summer. The light aesthetic of the chair creates a harmonious contrast when combined with bulkier seating systems, with a swivel system that is completed by a natural teak finish.

Play time 

The new In & Out rug collection designed by Deanna Comellini for GT Design is inspired – just as its name suggests – by the hula hoops of our childhoods. The series of circular and oval-shaped rugs features a ribbed texture that has been handmade using a non-toxic technical yarn, and is resistant to wear-and-tear, UV rays and even bacteria. Hula Hoop is available in circular and oval models and across seven colour combinations, including: Penny, a brick-shade red with white and orange accents, created as an ode to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company trains’ colour scheme; Racing, alluding to British Racing Green, the official colour of British race cars from the early 1900s; and Jet, a metallic grey recalling the shade of an airplane’s fuselage. The versatile rug collection can be adapted to any type of indoor and outdoor space.  

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House of Nordic Design

With its exhibition ‘NoDe’, House of Nordic Design brought up-and-coming Danish designers and artists to the forefront. The list included Kibun, Sia Hurtigkarl and St. Leo – all of whom approached the theme of nature in different ways. The pieces were showcased on a barge in the Copenhagen harbour. After the festival, these creations were displayed and available to be purchased through the eponymous online platform. “We believe that Danish interior design has a unique expression and a quality which should be celebrated and shared with the world,” says Natalia Sánchez, founder, interior designer and curator of House of Nordic Design.

Louis Poulsen and Home in Heven

Louis Poulsen revealed artistic and whimsical interpretations of the iconic Pale Rose Collection, inspired by heritage designs from Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen, two of the renowned Danish brand’s most prolific collaborators. Each piece is crafted by Breanna Box and Peter Dupont – founders of Home in Heven, best known for its recognisable details such as horns, swirls and tentacles – in collaboration with Elliot Walker of Blowfish Glass in Stourbridge, UK. “Henningsen’s approach to design is a big inspiration to us, as is his pure energy for life, taking what was old and making it his own,” say Box and Dupont.

Il Mercato by FRAMA

Highlighting the connection between nature and food culture, multidisciplinary brand FRAMA – known for its lifestyle objects and homewares, interior architecture and design solutions, furniture, lighting, scents and skincare – brought people together and fostered a sense of community with this exhibition that also addressed topics such as food supply and global food infrastructure. “The kitchen is a place of nurturing and care, where food is prepared with love and attention to detail,” says Niels Strøyer Christophersen, FRAMA’s founder. “Il Mercato embraces our passion for local produce and represents a sense of togetherness and connection.”

A new chapter for Audo Copenhagen

The two renowned Danish brands MENU and by Lassen have announced they are joining forces to become Audo Copenhagen. With minimalist shapes and a timeless aesthetic, their collections of furniture, lighting and accessories (including the Kubus series by architect Mogens Lassen and The Tired Man by Flemming Lassen) epitomise the best of Danish design. Taking place in the penthouse of Audo Copenhagen’s boutique-slash-hotel-slash-cafe-restaurant, the ‘Fence’ exhibition was presented during 3daysofdesign by rising stylist Colin King and his frequent collaborator, New York-based floral artist Alex Crowder of Field Studies Flora. The duo honoured nature through a sculpture comprised of a single element – the common reed, phragmites australis.

New Works

In collaboration with Lotta Agaton Interiors, New Works presented the show ‘A poetic Disclosure’, which was inspired by the balance and serenity found in Japan. Inviting viewers to slow down and see the beauty in the smallest details, the brand organised a tea ceremony conducted by IO, a small Copenhagen teahouse owned by Yukiko and Simon. The scenography of the showroom created contrasts between hidden and exposed, darkness and light, mystery and clarity. The new Shore seating series designed by Joel Fjällström and the Tana wall-hung storage series by Rikke Rützou Arnved, along with the Covent Residential sofa and new versions of the Bukowski chair with seats in French cane, were some of the pieces featured.

Images are courtesy of the brands and designers

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