From a larger-than-life armchair designed by Nika Zupanc for Dutch interiors brand Moooi to a coffee table made from an evolved version of papier-mâché by Bentley Home, Design Dispatch takes a look back at creative design concepts from 2023 that left an impression.
Solidwool chairs
UK company Solidwool creates furniture using a unique composite material made up of wool and bio-resin, born from the desire to “create something beautiful” using sustainable practices that are strongly connected to nature. The plentiful fleeces derived from Welsh Mountain and Herdwick sheep breeds, both of which are native to the UK, are used to produce a material that resembles “fibreglass, but with wool”. Read more here.
Bentley Home coffee table
Car manufacturer Bentley released a collection of pieces for the home under its interiors arm, Bentley Home, which includes a coffee table made from an innovative bio-material called micro-paper. In a collaboration with Italian company Paper Factor, the table presents with a marble-like veined effect, but is actually a solid surface material made from a compound of raw paper, in what Founder Riccardo Cavaciocchi calls an “evolution of papier-mâché”. Read more here.
Knitty lounge chair
Designed by Nika Zupanc for Dutch interiors brand Moooi, the Knitty armchair is a product of a playful sense of scale – the chair’s design is inspired by large ropes and knots used for anchoring ships, as well as the intricate weave pattern used in knitting. “These two seemingly unrelated things merged in my mind, and the Knitty Lounge Chair was born,” the designer said, who describes the chair as “really comfy, generous, and of course, hopefully also very iconic.” Read more here.
Woodio sanitaryware
Finnish brand Woodio created an ecological alternative to ceramic sanitary ware using a bio-material with the same name, effectively creating a toilet made of a solid wood composite which combines timber off-cuts with fossil-based polyester and bioplastic resins. “Our mission is to change the traditional material norms used in bathrooms and kitchens,” says Petro Lahtinen, the Founder and CEO of Woodio, whose design portfolio includes bathtubs and washbasins made with the same material. Read more here.
Salvage chair
A slew of discarded household objects and musical instruments, including a drum set, a trumpet and an electric guitar make up the unusual and asymmetric form of this throne-like chair, created by US-based designer Jay Sae Jung Oh for her series, Salvage. In a reference to waste culture, the designer hand-wrapped the assembled chair in fine cords of cowhide leather, creating a curious object that invites the viewer to wonder what lies beneath. Read more here.
Soft Serve table lamp
Swedish design studio Crème Atelier uses 3D printing and a biologically produced plastic derived from corn starch and recycled food packaging for the fabrication of its Soft Serve lamp, which blends elegance with playfulness to create a product defined by its “soft swirly shapes”, “warm magical light” and “soufflé-like aesthetic.” Sustainability is a central pillar for the brand, from the sourcing of its materials to the production process, all of which takes place in Stockholm. Read more here.
Main image: Moooi
