Hasta La Ideas

Playful minimalism in the work of a well-rounded Spanish designer

Spanish designer JM Ferrero recently sat down during ICFF to discuss his singular vision in the areas of lighting, furniture, interior design and textiles. With a miniature version of his first lamp pinned to his sweater, I quickly learned that Ferrero (who’s helmed his own studio since 2003) might be serious about his work but he always adds a touch of underlying humor. His thoughtful approach even comes through in the naming of his atelier. Called estudi{H}ac, the silent “H” isn’t pronounced in Spanish, but without it the word doesn’t make sense. Ferrero chalks this up to the way he designs, weaving important design details into the overall scheme to the point they’re unnoticeable.

The industrious designer calls what he does “bespoke projects,” because no matter the client or field he’s working within, he customizes every design and experience. Rather than repeat work, he instead chooses to work with a new set of challenges for each project. But he does of course have some tendencies. Repeating patterns show up often, such as in the Tea collection he designed for the family-run furniture brand Sancal. Following the molecular structure of tea, Ferrero plays with the hexagonal quilted pattern in a series of chairs, couches and wall coverings—which can also double as a headboard.

His understanding of textile design stems from earlier work he did after graduating from college. Ferrero, originally from Valencia, moved to Barcelona and first worked with renowned designer Oscar Tusquets before joining the team at textile design firm Manterol, where he developed graphics and packaging. This experience not only laid the foundation for a keen interest in fabrics, but the packaging and graphic design side seemingly aided to his overall ability to design a concept from top to bottom. For SIE7E Jewels Gallery, Ferrero designed the jewelry brand’s boutique, website and most recently a collection of small home accessories using the reconfigured “7” he conceived.

The collection spans desk caddies to serving trays and includes a shoe horn, an object with personal meaning for Ferrero. A slight shoe fanatic (he wore leather Paul Smith oxfords with playful socks when we met), Ferrero takes photos of his feet in front of meaningful places around the world during his travels, which hang on the wall of his studio and serve as a conversational starting point for explaining his design inspiration. For example, the Tea collection reflects how much he enjoyed the afternoon tea experience during his years living in London.

One of his favorite countries to spend time in is Japan. Designing colorfully simple indoor and outdoor furniture along with conceptual bath fixtures that express the Japanese lifestyle, Ferrero also won Toyota Japan’s competition to design the interior of a new car. Honing in on the fact that for many, a car is an extension of their personality, his approach was to allow customers to personalize the car’s interior using a mix-and-match assortment of upholstery choices and colors. This has led estudi{H}ac a permanent place as a collaborator on interiors with Toyota’s European Studio.

While his first lamp, dubbed “Sister Lamp” was a playful nod to ’60s nuns with their oversized caps as the shade and a long rosary as the chain, his most recent lighting project for Vondom is a slightly glossier concept. Initially conceiving a collection of giant pot planters ideal for upscale hotel patios, when Ferrero presented the plans to Valencia-based Vondom they noticed a drawing where he had turned the shape upside down into a floor lamp, and commissioned the young designer to continue the series.

For Valencia’s new gastro bar, Cuina al Quadrat, Ferrero designed a space centered around the woven baskets women carry to the local food market—a symbol of the restaurant’s desire to deliver a high-quality menu at a reasonable price. The warm earth tones present an inviting environment, and the simple decor of plants and fruits allow the food to speak for itself.

Sincere and extremely hopeful for the future of Spanish design, JM Ferrero’s estudi{H}ac demonstrates the wide range of potential one studio can possess when focused on exploring new materials, styles and projects.

The Audi Icons series, inspired by the all-new Audi A7, showcases 16 leading figures united by their dedication to innovation and design.

History, science and design vernaculars in the work of an emerging Brooklyn designer

by Meghan Killeen

Engaged in the timeless debate of form over function, Brooklyn-based furniture designer Paul Loebach seamlessly reconciles the two pillars of design through his distinct approach to craftsmanship. “The forms of our material environment carry a collective meaning, just like a spoken language,” explains Loebach, continuing that his goal is to “communicate through my designs with as much impact as possible. Form and function are inseparable, so functionality is an imperative element of any good design.” With a hand in the past and a nod to the future, Loebach’s designs call upon the ingenuity of Americana and the curvy couture of neoclassicism, backed by progressive manufacturing tools and techniques.

Loebach’s historical homage shows in the simplicity of his American Shaker-inspired nesting tables, a trio of interlocking wooden step-stools painted in varying pop colors of green, blue and charcoal (available through Areaware). Loebach’s Great Camp Collection (available exclusively through Matter) is a throwback to the handcrafted, country chic of Adirondack furniture popularized in the mid-to-late 1800s. Using a four-axis CNC router, Loebach creates an organic-looking furniture set comprised of a dresser, credenza, chair and coat rack, engraved with the hand-hewn appearance of cross-hatching reminiscent of forest branches. CMYK color accents make the collection’s rustic re-interpretation contemporary.

Loebach also explores historical motifs with his foray into textiles, introducing a wool quilt (in collaboration with Jessie Henson) stitched together from laser cut felt and bearing the proverb, “Gather up the fragments, let nothing be lost”—an adage adopted by American quilters from the Civil War era and a philosophy that permeates many of Loebach’s own creations. Frequenting museums and flea markets, Loebach draws much of his inspiration from “the notion of ‘the unknown craftsman’ and the evolution of objects over time.” He further pays tribute to the pioneering spirit of Americana with his rococo wallpaper print, playfully dubbed “Yee-Ha!” (available through Studio Printworks) for its Texan imagery of gun-touting cowboys and industrial oil rigs set in a damask interlace.

With designs bridging themes of the past with current innovation, it’s no surprise that Loebach grew up “with a ‘hyper-awareness’ of manufactured objects,” descending from a family lineage of German woodworkers and industrial designers. Loebach’s grandfather built airplanes for the U.S. military and his father is a manufacturing engineer. Born against the industrial backdrop of Cincinnati, OH, Loebach studied Industrial Design at RISD before moving to NYC, where he apprenticed under fellow RISD alum and furniture designer John Davies. Loebach’s talent quickly earned him a roster of private clients as well as the attention of Williams Sonoma and Martha Stewart, leading him to set up his own “design laboratory” in a converted knitting factory in Brooklyn—an area that Loebach describes as the “hotbed of artistic and cultural creativity in the U.S.”

Loebach’s authentic approach to design continues to evolve, blending artistry with technology. Armed with a toolkit that is equal parts power tools and digital software, Loebach begins the process of design through a series of “impromptu investigations.” Loebach’s latest design, The Watson Table (which premiered at Milan Design Week 2011, pictured above) is an examination of how design and function inform each other. Referencing DNA scientist James Watson, the tables showcases his twin skills of deft tool mastery and artistic intuition with its helical shaped legs made from wood and carbon fiber, laminated over a 6-part plywood mold. Loebach’s says, “The most important skill I posses as a designer is my capacity to shift seamlessly between multiple, seemingly disparate modes of operation and thought.”

Paul Loebach’s new collection called “Glacier” will premiere at Matter Gallery during NYC’s upcoming design week, 14-17 May 2011, when he will also debut “Halo,” an LED chandelier designed for Roll and Hill at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

Inspired by the all-new Audi A7, Cool Hunting is highlighting a group of notable individuals that share a similar spirit of creativity in their approach to their craft. From architecture to paper art, the people we’ve chosen to profile all bring something unique to their work that positions them as future leaders in their respective fields and beyond.

Over the course of the next two months we’ll debut profiles of 16 leading figures, united by their dedication to innovation and design. Each week, we’ll profile two Icons, their work, and explore what drives them to create.

A study of everyday objects

Simple but telling, a visual taxonomy of price tags on the cover of “Usefulness in Small Things” cleverly sets the tone for the book, pointing out the subtle differences in a well-designed, but widely overlooked bit of industrial design. This meditation on little objects is the work of Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, co-founders of London design studio Industrial Facility, whose interest in the relationship between industrial design and the surrounding world is a cornerstone of their design practice.

The book showcases Hecht’s personal collection of mass-produced items of various sizes, shapes and purposes, all of which he picked up for under five pounds from mom-and-pop shops all over the world.

Objects we routinely pass by without a thought find themselves on center stage thanks to Hecht’s keen eye. With careful focus and brilliant diction, Hecht and Colin outline each object’s intended purpose, origin, design and the relationship between it and the user. Some of the objects have been designed to make life easier, some have been designed to innovate and some seem to exist without reason. Regardless of their original purpose, the collection now gives new perspective to these neglected objects for the perusal of fans of design for time to come.

To see for yourself, pre-order online at Amazon.

An Italian makes his way from star Cappellini designer to Red Dot Design Award-winner

Remaining mostly behind the scenes for much of his career, designer Marco Goffi has recently applied his vast industry knowledge and experience to his own practice, designing beautifully functional furniture that relate to the human perception of the senses. The Red Dot award winner spent much of this decade developing regular and experimental projects for Cappellini, where he served as the senior contract manager for eight years.

Winning the 2010 Australian International design awards and receiving a Red Dot honorable mention, Goffi’s “While” armchair is produced entirely in Italy and its elegant yet robust chrome structure can be completely disassembled for easy transport and to reduce space when necessary. The seat can be covered in non-PVC synthetic leather and fabrics by Kvadrat. Originally thought for the contract market, it can now it can be ordered in small numbers thanks to artisanal production.

A Red Dot winner for the Public Space category, the Fusillo bench is a modular seating structure that encourages social interaction. Made from polyurethane using roto-moulding technology, the beginning point is a three-pointed star with the bench portions twisting and radiating from there.

Our video from the Vitsoe headquarters in London highlights the Dieter Rams ethos

In this video Mark Adams, Managing Director of the iconic shelving system Vitsoe, discusses Dieter Ram’s 10 principles of good design during our visit to Vitsoe headquarters in London. Adams gives us unique insight into the history of the brand and its meaning to Dieter Rams, demonstrating how Rams’ principles relate directly to the style and success of the Vitsoe name.