A contemporary step forward for classic, Scandinavian-style seating; avian-inspired vases from France; sleek, minimalist dinnerware and decorative ceramics out of Belfast, and more. Check out five of the best decorative-object and furniture designs to recently hit our radar.
Alphabeta Pendant Uno
Luca Nichetto’s work represents a friendly mashup of Italian and Scandinavian culture in product, industrial, and interior design. Luca launched his design firm in Venice in 2006 after years of working with brands like Salviati and Foscarini and opened a second studio in Stockholm in 2011. Designs like this Alphabeta Pendant Uno bring playful color to any space. Find it in eight shapes in white, black, and virtually any other color you’d like.
Courtesy of Hem
US.HEM.COM/COLLECTIONS/ALPHABETA
BOB
Some of Stefan Borselius’s and Thomas Bernstrand’s best work is done together. Just look at BOB—the modular sofa from Blå Station. The Swedish design duo set out to create a comfortable, flexible seating option at a reasonable price, and thus this clever design (reconfigure it however you’d like—each module is 26 centimeters wide) was born. Both Stefan and Thomas are known for their functional design that pushes the envelope. Stefan studied furniture carpentry and design while Thomas’s training emphasized industrial design as well.
Courtesy of Blå Station
Derek Wilson Ceramics
Ceramicist Derek Wilson is committed to his craft, whether he’s putting his contemporary spin on something as everyday as a coffee mug or making sculpture. “My ideas spring from a complex blending of the abstract to the familiar, evident in both the functional ware and sculpture that I make,” he says in his artist statement. “My objects, in their color, shape, and materiality, reference the ideas of restraint, containment, and minimalism.”
Courtesy of Derek Wilson Ceramics
Les Oiscaux
French designer Pascal Mourgue started out designing furniture in the ’60s, but he’s worked on everything from sailboats for Cartier to crystal objects for Baccarat. In the ’80s his focus shifted to home furniture. Now you can find much of his work as part of his collaboration with modern furniture company Ligne Roset, including this simple yet elegant ceramic Les Oiseaux vase.
Courtesy of Derek Les Oiscaux
Lilo Armchair
Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola lives and works in Milan. After beginning her career with luxury label De Padova, she opened her studio in 2001 and has since grown her team to 40 employees. While you can find her work in international museums and with prestigious Italian companies, her ever-expanding line of furniture on her website, including this new Lilo armchair, is dynamic. The ambitious new Lilo recognizes Scandinavian style while expanding on the notions of color and shape.
Courtesy of Derek Moroso
