So often we see new design objects on the internet and it does’t take long before copies appear everywhere. Because of this, designers are searching for unique materials that helps them to stand out from their competitors. Craftsmanship is becoming more important. We need to move away from the habit of simply buying the next furniture piece as we are tempted by seeing it all around us. Instead we should fall in love with a piece, knowing we will admire it for the next years. It should be a piece that can be passed down to the next generation to admire.
Let me share with you a few designers and companies I discovered while preparing for this blog post.
Adam and Arthur via Dezeen Photo is by Victoria Zschommler
The design duo Adam and Arthur is a collaboration between Australian industrial designer Adam Goodrum and French marquetry artisan Arthur Seigneur. They designed the Exquisite Corpse collection that exist out of three handmade furniture pieces, bringing a new look to a classical straw marquetry, in vibrant, custom-dyed colors. Straw marquetry is a 17th- century art of creating hand-crafted decorative patterns from thin, flattened stripes of rye straw. They applied between 6000 and 14.000 individual, hand-dyed strands of straw, every available surface is clad in richly colored geometric patterns of straw. In traditional straw marquetry they only cover the front of the furniture. At Adam and Arthur every available surface has been decorated with the straw, which was laid with contrasting grain direction to create an additional illusion of three-dimensionality. They have developed techniques with custom tools which allow us to apply curved patterns to three-dimensional forms, with dazzling visual effects. It took a year and a half to make the three pieces which were sold to a private collector.
The name of the collection was drawn from the French parlour game of ‘Cadavre Exquis’, invented by the Surrealists in 1925. In the game, a player sketches a body part or other image on a piece of paper, before folding the paper to conceal what they’ve drawn and passing it on to the next player, and so on.
Forestbank Yumakano - photo Shot by Kusk
Yuma Kano, born in Japan in 1988, graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, Department of Design. After working as an assistent to artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, he established his design office, Studio Yumakano in 2012. He combines an experimental approach with prototyping-oriented process to design a wide range of things.
ForestBank™️ isn't simply lumber, but a material design that looks to find the variety of value in entire forests. It researches the problems and possibilities around forests, and rather than simply creating lumber, seeks to find the various value in whole forests, performing experiments and developing materials that realize that desire. These products are made from small trees, foliage, bark, seeds, soil, and other items considered worthless for construction or furniture making by mixing them only with a reactive mineral base and water-based acrylic resin that uses no organic solvents or volatile organic compounds.
These materials have patterns that vary depending on the angle and depth of the cut, creating a variety as fascinating as wood grain, and this is multiplied by difference in season, land, and other conditions of the forest at the time of harvest. The characteristic yellows and greens are the actual coloring of the trees, which are dyed by bacteria found in nature. The green leaves mixed in change to orange and brown as the seasons change. In addition, earth from the forest floor can be mixed in, adding browns and blacks, you can see the complex patterns of the cross sections of roots and seeds ordinarily hidden in the earth, and take notice of the different coloring that different species of trees have.
By looking at the ubiquitous nature of wood from a different angle and finding new value, a new material that condenses the whole forest has been found. This material can be shaped with ordinary woodworking methods, and applied in various fields like furniture and interiors. Plus, forests don't have to be its sole source. It can be made from waste pruned from trees lining streets, in parks, gardens, and from scrap wood from woodworking studios to create original patterns that tell a unique story.
Triscosta Cabinet by Christophe Côme picture via 1stDibs
Furniture and lighting designer Christophe Côme, born in Normandy in 1965, began his artistic career as a sculptor. Come’s original creations were sculpture and jewelry until mid-1990s, when his focus shifted to furniture. After visiting a glass studio in 1995, he began to incorporate glass into his designs, expanding his practice and creating a new expression for glass in furniture. Côme creates sculptural furniture and lighting design through his manipulation of industrial materials, resulting in objects that are elegant and timeless. He is elevating every day objects into work of art.
Côme incorporates hand-glazed tiles, enameled copper, colored glass and gilded wood into his uniquely handcrafted wrought iron forms. Côme’s tradition of juxtaposing the raw with the refined, all while maintaining the sophisticated, graceful style for which he is so well known. Combining the emotive qualities of studio craft with a classic modernist design style, his functional objects occupy the liminal terrain between craft and design.
In addition to numerous important private collections, Côme’s work is featured in Chanel boutiques in Paris, Beirut, and Shanghai.
In recent years, we have seen furniture pieces adorned with marble, reflecting the material’s revival. The Treasure Marble Cabinet from the Citco Privè Collection takes it further. Crafted from luxurious Nero Portoro marble, it features exquisite Verde Ming decoration and some golden studs.
Citco, an Italian company specializing in marble, which is hard and granite-like by nature, is capable of adapting to an environment like a second skin, enhncing the surface. Although rooted in an ancient material, Citco embraces a contemporary design language, treating each surface as a unique project. Through their work, they are continuously pushing boundaries to discover what remains unexplored within its depths.
Behind the LLOT LLOV brand is the studio for product and interior design as well as the producer of furniture, objects, lighting and surfaces. Since their foundation in 2006 by Ania Bauer and Jacob Brinck, the two Berlin based designers have established themselves internationally. One of their recognizable features is the reinterpretation of traditional arts and crafts brought into a contemporary design context.
An example of this is OSIS, an innovative surface finish using salt crystals and color pigments on wood. They work with MDF and maple or birch veneer.
The surface finish OSIS is an innovation developed by llot llov in Berlin and is 100% handmade.
They transferred the effects of osmosis caused by salt onto wood. The surface is glazed monochrome or multi-colored. Salt is spread on the wet surface in different techniques. Soon the natural process starts. Salt has the capacity of absorbing liquids from its environment and collecting pigments of paint at the same time. The results are determined by the different kinds of salt they use, humidity and length of reaction time. When combined with birch wood, the salt draws the pigment into the natural flow of the grain, emphasizing the unique features of the original material.
The color range and variety of pattern are as endless as its applicability.
Draga Aurel Heritage collection
Established in 2007 by Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow, Draga & Aurel is a multidisciplinary studio and workshop for art, collectible design, and furnishing items. Armed with a diversified background in art, fashion, and craftsmanship, Draga and Aurel are widely known for combining original methods with an artistic approach to materials and composition.
Pioneers in upcycling in the design sector, they began their journey by reinventing vintage furniture and objects in their own style and shaping the first Deshabillé and Heritage collections.
Vintage furniture pieces are restored and restyled by Draga & Aurel. Catrine buffet shown above is crafted from high-quality teak with a refined French hand-polished finish. The front is adorned with a combination of colors and sealed with epoxy resin. It has wooden legs with brass terminals and brass handles. Every piece they restore receives a unique finish, showcasing a creative play of colors that results in an intriguing and distinctive look.
The story of Nestor & Rotsen began with Devi Vervaeke, whose passion for material development ignited during his formative years. Growing up as the children of an painter and the grandchildren of a skilled furniture craftsman, Devi and his brother Denneb were immersed in a world of creativity from a young age. Despite pursuing different educational paths — Devi as a contemporary classical pianist and composer, and Denneb as a graphic designer — their shared love for materials brought them together after completing their studies. In their quest to explore their artistic roots, the brothers embarked on a journey of material experimentation. Denneb nurtured the growth of their patina workshop, while Devi began sculpting with various materials. It wasn’t long before he discovered the captivating allure of ceramics, inspired by the textures, colors, shapes, and organic erosions found in nature. This revelation sparked a vision that soon blossomed into an extraordinary collection, unlike anything seen before — Nestor & Rotsen.
Natural materials, pure lines and artisanal techniques. Nestor & Rotsen combines a passion for art with craft and enthusiasm. The aim? To design and create inspiring objects & spaces that mirror the beauty of natural imperfection. Thanks to a passionate love for organic shapes, aesthetic artistry and hand-made luxury.
Nothing is more perfect then the imperfect geometric shapes in nature
Next time when you go shopping for some new furniture pieces; first fall in love, next is to ask yourself if it will be a piece for the next generation or just till the next trend will tell you to purchase something new. Look for something exceptional!
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