Hasta La Ideas

The backrest of this chair by Dutch designers Oato seems to be simply wedged between its criss-crossing legs.

Stuck Chair is made from oak with a backrest of blue powder-coated steel. The seat is lodged firmly in place by the chair legs that pass diagonally through it.

In fact, the legs are secured by screws where they intersect with each other and the steel backrest, with the holes then filled to reduce their visibility.

When discussing the concept behind the design, chief designer Stefan Tervoort told Dezeen: “We are interested in a more poetic side in design, so a more conceptual, shape driven approach, but still we are interested in reproducibility.”

Oato received an honourable mention for Stuck Chair at the Thonet-initiated ARC12 Chair Design competition in Utrecht this August.

See all our stories about chairs.

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by Oato appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen promotion: Italian furniture brand Arper is launching two chair collections at a new showroom in Clerkenwell, London, which opens tomorrow.

Above and top: Saya collection by Lievore Altherr Molina

The first collection, called Saya, is designed by Barcelona studio Lievore Altherr Molina and features oak veneer chairs with hourglass-shaped backs.

Above: Saya collection by Lievore Altherr Molina

The Juno collection by designer James Irvine features lightweight plastic chairs cast in a single form, which are are available in a range of colours and styles.

Above: Saya collection by Lievore Altherr Molina

The Arper showroom is located at 11 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5PA.

Above: Saya collection by Lievore Altherr Molina

Here’s some more information from Arper:

Arper launches new Juno and Saya chairs to the UK market

Treviso-based furniture design company Arper open their London showroom in September 2012 and present its two new collections: Juno and Saya. These two collections differ quite dramatically in terms of style and material yet both are entirely reflective of Arper’s commitment to systems and adaptability.

Above: Juno collection by James Irvine

Saya – design by Lievore Altherr Molina 2012

Saya takes its inspiration from nature and a sense of ‘home’ – it evokes feelings of warmth through its material and life in its form. It’s a striking and unique graphic sign, rendered in wood. Its graceful curves resemble that of a small animal – a deer – with four legs and an arching neck. Arper sees the chair as something of a manifesto, an ode to wood and a celebration of the organic. It’s about using fluid, expressive lines to create something inviting. The shape of the chair’s back is a gesture – like a spread of the arms to invite an embrace.

Above: Juno collection by James Irvine

With an oak veneer, Saya’s colour finishes include natural, white, black, ochre, teak and three shades of red which complement individual or group use. Designed with residential and corporate uses in mind, Saya fits into every environment like all Arper products. The legs are also customisable in the Arper tradition in wood or chrome.

Above: Juno collection by James Irvine

Juno – design by James Irvine, 2012

Juno is Arper’s vision for the future of the plastic chair – with the design concept closer to that of a solid wood chair. It is Arper’s first piece made entirely of gas-assisted injection-molded polypropylene. Cast in a single form, it is incredibly light in silhouette, weight and impact. It is simple and uniform but not without personality – an exciting expression of the technology used to develop Juno, whilst remaining true to the fluidity and beauty of all Arper products. Juno is all about efficiency and versatility. It’s ideal for both residential and corporate environments, both indoor and outdoor. This singular, simple shape is available in five colors – white, sand, anthracite, orange, yellow – with closed or open back, with or without armrests. It can also be customised with sleek upholstery for the seat and backrest, with all variations stackable to allow for large-scale use and storage.

Above: Juno collection by James Irvine

Living Systems

Arper’s approach revolves around the historic notion of ‘Living Systems’, a theory that studies how different elements, affected by context and interaction, create spontaneously organized structures. In applies to Arper’s approach to the design of new products but also to the way these products are presented, interpreted and expressed. Arper’s intention is to create products that can adapt and interact with the context they are intended for. Saya and Juno represent different – but balancing – aspects of this. An open-ended and generous design approach allows for an exchange between the environment and the product. The products are only finished when their context has been decided.

The post Arper launches Saya and Juno chairs
at new London showroom appeared first on Dezeen.

Every table, chair, lamp and light switch in this furniture collection by Italian designer Loredana Bonora is covered in crocheted yarns of cotton, PVC, plastic tape and even washing lines.

Bonora made the red and white chair and hat stand (below) by crocheting barrier tape that reads ‘work in progress’, while the decorative circular pendant is made from the plastic wire used for washing lines.

The pale grey chair has rings of crocheted cotton irregularly spaced on its legs and a plume of large black feathers on the seat back.

The white table and white chair are both crocheted with PVC.

Feathers have also been used to cover the bulbs of the two standing lamps, while the table lamps have crocheted shades.

The gold chair was made with the small wires used to tie up chocolates boxes,while the fluffy white chair was crocheted with wool thread.

Different crochet patterns appear in each piece of furniture, from simple circular designs on the white table to intricate flowers on the base of the recliner.

Nodi Contemporanei, which means contemporary knots, is Bonora’s first solo exhibition and can be seen at the Plusdesign gallery in Milan.

The exhibition continues until 10th November at Plusdesign, Via Ventura 6, Lambrate, Milan.

We’ve published lots of crocheted furniture on Dezeen, including a chair of resin-coated crochet flowers by Marcel Wanders and a set of handmade pendant lamps which decorated the Dezeen Super Store this summer.

See all our stories about wool »
See all our stories about knitting »
See all stories about furniture »

Photographs are by Carlo Beccalli.

Here’s some more information from Plusdesign:

On the occasion of the Start Milano’s incoming opening events, Plusdesign presents Nodi Contemporanei (Contemporary Knots), the first solo exhibition of the Italian designer Loredana Bonora. The show introduces a new collection of furnishings, tables, chairs, beds and lamps, entirely covered in crochet and artfully woven with unusual materials combined with traditional techniques.

Loredana Bonora covers the design icons, revealing new and unique personalities. Through the transparency, unexpected details and provocative combinations, she gives the furniture a new character, changing their the story and releasing them from their own objectivity.

With her crochet, Loredana Bonora does not redraw only the objects, but a whole world made of colours, feelings and soft lines woven with ability and extraordinary femininity. She draws on a scenario that belongs to her imagination and invites the observers to access a dreamlike dimension made of subjective feelings and emotions, free from all formal constraints.

Loredana Bonora combines the traditional technique of crochet with ongoing creative research and the experimentation of new materials aimed to design unique objects. Yarns of PVC, the red and white stripes work in progress tape, clothes hangers or packaging, but also more classic yarns such as cotton and wool, are skillfully woven maintaining the same ancient craftsmanship but overturning the traditional beliefs, taking a fresh and contemporary brand new personality.

Loredana is an Italian designer from Varese. She has been engaged for long time in a creative research that retrieves the traditional practice of the crochet to interpret the home furnishings in new ways. The use of non traditional yarns – such as plastic and raffia – and the experimenting of plot techniques with variable patterns, keep her updating this traditional handbuilt style with a contemporary taste.

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Loredana Bonora appeared first on Dezeen.

London design firm Studiomama is contributing an orange chair that has been remodelled from a discarded frame to the Stepney Green Design Collection curated by Dezeen.

Studiomama is run by Danish designer Nina Tolstrup, who found a pile of disused furniture near her east London studio from which she salvaged a selection of chairs.

The chairs were stripped down to their frames before new seats, backrests and armrests were added, then finished with colourful paint and upholstery.

The whole project was exhibited at new London gallery 19 Greek Street during last week’s London Design Festival.

Dezeen has been commissioned to curate a collection of products designed by east London creatives that live near to new housing development VIVO and we will be publishing more designs as they are added to the collection during the next month. See all the stories we have published so far here.

The designs will be on show as part of a collection of 30 works of art, fashion, sculpture and furniture celebrating local talent that will be exhibited at the Genesis Cinema in October and then donated to the VIVO residents – find out more here.

See all our stories about Studiomama »
See more designs in the Stepney Green Design Collection »
See all our stories about furniture »

Here’s some information from Studiomama:

Re-Imagine is a project born out of questioning our resourcefulness and our attitudes towards waste.

It builds on the Studiomama’s interests in expediency and re-using the existing, and speaks of our ability to see the potential in the overlooked and unloved.

As with Pallet Project, there is a message contained in ‘Re-Imagine’ and that is to inspire and encourage us to look again at the unloved furniture in our homes, streets and markets and to make it anew.

This is not just a sustainable approach to design and making, but a social one too; through working together with local craft people and pooling resources we can re-imagine the second-hand and redesign our everyday surroundings with our own touch of personality.

The post Re-Imagined Chair by Studiomama
for the Stepney Green Design Collection appeared first on Dezeen.

Creative takes on color brighten up Blighty

The London Design Festival is in full color this year, slapping Blighty’s austere environment with an array of vibrant furnishings. The creative takes on color found around the numerous festival locations speak out against the ubiquity of wooden wares, showing how sustainably-minded design doesn’t always have to point back to…

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