Umlaute Designbureau has a mandate to create modern interior design that challenges on both the visceral and intellectual level. The unique elements of the basic interior building blocks – chairs, tables, dressers – are explored, and the functionality is put up against the newly created piece. Material is a highlighted part of the design process at Umlaute, as its textures and colors are used to establish beauty. The above pictured Sides Vase is made from acrylic and each side expresses a different color and design, while the below pictured Plixel colorful, module cabinet space is paired with the more muted and textured Recircle carpet.

Atelier XT is as indie as it gets when it comes to interior design. All of their products are hand made by the husband and wife team, both working hard to produce one-of-a-kind pieces that encompass that flea-market gem vibe. The bright, contrasting patterns found on most of the pieces is complimented by the wonky and rustic construction. Many of their furniture items are for or related to children, as they have young ones of their own. This husband and wife duo are clearly in-sync with one another, and you’ll feel that harmony in your own home if you bring in the indie-cool of their products.

ChocoMousse is a design boutique that focuses on unique, classy, and high-end production. They advertise their specialty as building exclusive designs with the finest natural beech, oak, or cherrywood, and this attention to quality shows.  The natural grain of the wood in the above two pieces is streamlined and made elegant by the slick form of the desk and the eye-catching form of the coffee table.  Any interior will finds its internal glow with the addition of one of ChocoMousse’s flagship pieces. The chic au naturel look of their creations is hip, trendy, and will be a versatile appearance for many years to come.

The Canadian-born Geoffrey Lilge is a design innovator. He has produced countless pieces of furniture and home accessories as the Design Director for Pure Design from 1993 to 2004, and during this time their collection was featured in the MoMA Design Encyclopedia. He has recently branched out to do his own work, inspired by the beauty and nature around him in his home town of Edmonton, Alberta. The above pictured L40 chair is modern, angled, and exudes attitude. His other work is streamlined and minimalist as well, and encompasses everything from tables made of solid slabs of maple to branch-like vases made of stone.

Arlinda Sheqiri describes her work as frozen music. The audience isn’t supposed to care about the singer, but rather the song. This inspired perspective has given this interior designer and architect an eye for the beautiful and melodious in our everyday experience of the space around us. She has done work for private firms, such as chair and restaurant design, as well as created schemes for a recreation center, a hotel, and a theater. Her interiors are spacious and follow a single theme that has many visual variants, similar to the melody of a tune being complimented by its harmony. Her work is innovative and unique, and she is one to watch in the future.

With a penchant for whimsical industrial and graphic design, Little House Lab is a refreshing ensemble. The lightness that this Florence-based design firm brings to their work is exemplified in the two pieces above:  with just a few bold details, these pieces manage to be unique, fun, and on the fresher side of modern.  Without being sterile, Little House Lab creates pieces that are ultra modern and usually white or highlighted by one or two splashes of color. The creative genius behind Little House Lab is the pair Emmanuelle Trentini and Filippo Cardarelli, who clearly have an energetic and dynamic relationship with form and function.

AUGE Design is a branch of an agency that describes itself as “a new generation…creating full-fledged projects across every contemporary communication discipline.” Their design work is on the more future-side of modern – it involves “design with something to say”, creating laser cut plastic tables and wall decor with cutout words. They produce social statements, such as the first table pictured above, or gift ideas such as the table pictured below. These pieces are edgy and creative, and their use of negative and positive space to create not only words but concepts and ideas is intriguing. AUGE also specializes in advertisement, typography, fashion, and more.

Three students of design got together and formed Hubero Kororo in 2005. Since then, they have been striving to bring out the unique expression of every piece they create, be it a product brand, a package, a shelving unit, or an outdoor space. They use their skills to craft unique interpretations of form and function that are amiable to the user but still complex and unique. They have won many awards and nominations, including being a final selection for Global Warming for Droog Design in 2008. The above pictured Drawerment uses old office drawers and affixes them to the wall, making it a light, poetic reinterpretation of a once cold office.

Inoda + Sveje is a duo consosting of Japanese-born Kyoko Inoda and Danish-born Nils Sveje. They bring educational backgrounds from ISAD in Milan and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture respectively. Their awards include first prize in the Pure Design Awards in 2002, a finalist for the International Furniture Design, Asahikawa, and a selected entry for the Hokkaido Good Design Competition. Their pieces have been on exhibit throughout Japan, Italy, Sweden, Germany and the UK. The minimalism and simplicity of their organic furniture is inspired by both of their backgrounds, and the duo is sure to have a bright future in design if things continue the way they are.

With humble beginnings as a cabinet maker, Gry Holmskov has expanded her skills to include design and creation. She graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in 2009, and has had many grants and traveling scholarships during her time as a student, including a sponsored DIS summerschool program. She is now both a freelance designer as well as a teacher at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. Her piece pictured above is titled Angel, and incorporates a minimalistic seat with no backrest and fanned out base. The silhouette is the inspiration for the divine name, and exemplifies all of Holmskov’s work – simple, industrial, and beautiful.

Clayton Oxford is a man with a mission. He is not only an inspired designer and entrapreneur, but he is also environmentally and socially conscious. His designs are crafted out of local material from his many sources of inspiration, from the Philippines to Indonesia, from Vietnam to Africa. He uses only sustainable materials and purchases these at fair market values, using profits to help struggling economies and local craftsmen in many regions of the world. The designs themselves are simply stunning, each one displaying an aspect of the locale in which it was born, but also embodying a rustic post-modern vibe that appears ahead of its time.

Enoc Armengol is a designer to watch. He has recently won the ADI Medal for recognition of the best industrial design. His work displays a classy urban vibe, and it is clear that he experiments with placing tradition and a future-outlook side-by-side in many of his pieces. The above pictured Folded Chair is inspired by origami paper folded into elegant patterns, while at the same time exhibiting highly polished black and white finish that is in tune with modern design. He is eco-friendly in his approach to design, combining new, recycled, and sustainable materials in order to minimize his impact on the environment.