En and Is is a design duo all about balance. They participate in a variety of exhibitions and contests, many of which they win or get recognition, and balance this with a constant eye towards innovation and experimentation. The above pictured Shine exhibits their emphasis on balance as well: it is constructed from wood and plastic in an effort to make it fit in comfortably with the decor at home or at work. The plastic sits on top of the wood like a delicate shell and the two come together to produce a strong yet delicate design. This chair is the latest design from a slew of stools, lamps, fruit bowls, candle holders and everything in between.
Henry Ellis-Paul is a young London-based designer whose pieces reflect a youthful mindset tempered by determination and perfectionism. His pieces are modern and minimalist in tone. The above pictured Stripped chair is part of a furniture set that emphasizes both ergonomics and modularity, being comfortable and versatile. It is a result of months of research and testing to achieve a perfect balance between funky style and useful furniture. Ellis-Paul’s pieces have been featured in many design industry magazines and websites, including Habitat BBC and 100% Design. His other work encompasses a wide variety of applications, including a Tap Meter that gages how much water is used by a family and graphics for card game packaging.
g-led is a design collective that uses open exchange, experimentation and research to bring out each member’s most creative ideas and designs. They intend to improve the human habitat using innovative methods of design production, and want every product to be both useful and fun. The above pictured Pandora chest of drawers illustrates the creativity of this group. It features three drawers that can open independently of one another from any of the four directions that they face. This allows Pandora to be brought into the center of the room rather than placed and forgotten in a corner.
Petprojekt‘s goal is to give us ways to treat our furry friends to hip, stylish and fun toys and accessories that won’t break the bank. Affordable chew toys and fuzzy catnip mice run wild at Petprojekt, and they hope to share some of the fun with Fido and Fluffy. They strive to achieve a level of quality and innovation in their products so that customers can purchase the toys in confidence. All of the members of the Petprojekt team are pet owners themselves who use the Petprojekt products, so safety is their top priority. The fun, colorful and unique products at Petprojekt include the endearing Chewbie chew toy pictured above.
Hoerboard specializes in furniture for the novice or expert DJ in all of us. Mix tables, workstations and turntables can be purchased from Hoerboard that all feature a streamlined, modern flavor. They craft custom-made stations that will fit the equipment that the DJ already has, so as to incorporate music and style into a single unit. They are experts at hiding all wires and cables within the body of the workstation to reduce clutter. The above pictured workstation uses natural grain wood that is bent in a graceful curve to accommodate a wide range of turntables, laptops and other DJ necessities in its sleek form.
British-born and Amsterdam-located designer Adam Farlie is a creative spirit who plays with the way furniture has become such an integral part of our lives. He manipulates the familiar objects around us to bring something new to our interactive living experience. All of his pieces use human psychology and emotion to become more than just a functional installation. The above pictured Vessel One bed captures the nighttime sounds of its past occupants in an audio recording. It is meant to be played back in times of loneliness, curiosity, or wistfulness. These types of intimacy and evocative emotion is brought out in all of Farlie’s pieces.
Italian designer Paolo Torelli experiments with form and material to produce modern furniture that is simple yet eye-catching. He has several furniture pieces in production as well as many designs and creative ideas just waiting to become reality. Using everything from au natural wood to latex to cork, Torelli manipulates colorful materials to create objects that shape the world around them, not the other way around. The above pictured Crooked stool uses bright colors and an overstuffed form to bring whimsy and joy into any modern home.
Philipp Beisheim is a German designer with an eye to the younger generation of modern interior fashionistas. He aims to challenge traditional individual-object interactions with alternative designs. Experimentation and manipulation are the tools he uses to create furniture that is counter-intuitive yet retains enduring properties that speak to the emotions and behavior. His latest project Inflate Table, pictured above, was created to inspire youth to avoid stores like Ikea and instead purchase furniture that is unique and innovative. It acts as a protest against the consumer society, and its inflatable element is inspired by the hippie movement of the 1960s.
Dropi and Dogg is the name of the chair and ottoman pair designed by Icelandic designer Einar Ólafsson. Ólafsson has been on the modern design scene for years, and his wisdom and experience have come together to produce a set that works in almost any modern setting, from a lounge-type nightclub to a chic office waiting room to a lofty living room. The plush polyurethane foam and playful bent Birch plywood that make up the materials for this chair and ottoman set are iconic. Fully customizable fabrics and veneer finishes make this chair as unique as your inner designer, and whether alone or as a set, Dropi and Dogg will instantly transform their surroundings to become more sleek, stylish, and urban.
Hafedh Nefti is a designer under 30 to watch. He is fueled by constant inspiration in the objects and people that surround him, and has dedicated years of experience to crafting sleek, modern pieces. His pieces feature a similar thread of fluidity and precise lines that makes them ideal for a modern and minimalist setting. The youthful eye that Nefti brings to his craft infuses his work with sensitivity and intuition. The above pictured Nelly table lamp evokes a sense of solitary strength and determination with its curved shade balancing perfectly on a thin but sturdy chrome base.
Jeongseob Kim is an edgy young designer who wants to shake up how people view furniture. His goal is to change perceptions. A TV is not necessarily a rectangle; a chair does not have to have four legs. He wants to go back to that very moment when these assumptions were created and mix up the impressions by breaking through stereotypes. The above pictured Bubble table is inspired by the increasingly smaller units that make up matter, atoms, subatomic material and on and on until infinity. It inquires how these small units come together and form solid material, and its conceptual abstraction works both as a piece of art or a functional piece.
Lawnge has created an organic lawn chair that conforms to human contours and appears as if it is a natural extension of the landscape. Perfect for any garden, yard or park, these lawn chairs are as unique as it gets. The form itself is designed using principles of ergonomics for the ultimate in comfort, and it is meant to be placed in the sun for the contrast of sunlight warmth and the softness of the grass. Meant to be “comfortable artwork”, each lawnge installation is custom made to compliment its surroundings and varies the material, placement, size, and shape based on the client’s needs.
