As a counterforce to the rise of fast production techniques and trend-driven style, many designers are revisiting crafts that have stood the test of time. With the Lan seating collection, Neri&Hu deconstruct a sofa into the typology’s composite parts to pay tribute to the storied tradition of textile-making. The collection’s defining element is a loom-like structure that vertically displays a swath of fabric to showcase its handicraft. Thanks to the elastic woven band at its base, this screen module doubles as a functional backrest for a seat — which can be accented with cushions and a small wooden side table element to accommodate everything from typing emails to a rewatching of 2017’s Phantom Thread.
Project Lan Seating Designer Lyndon Neri & RossanaHu of Neri&Hu, China Manufacturer Gan, Spain
In industrial kitchens, colour-coded cutting boards are used for different types of food: red for meat, blue for fish, green for vegetables. But why should commercial operations have all the fun? With Match, Ghent-based artist–designers Muller Van Severen introduce a playful system that rebels against the home kitchen’s typically muted palette by embracing bolder, brighter hues. Taking further inspiration from cutting boards, the cabinet fronts are made from high-density polyethylene, a waxy material known for being durable, water-resilient and easy to clean. These doors, which come in six colours that encourage mix-and-match personalization, can be installed on Reform’s own recently introduced cabinet line or on Ikea’s Metod range. Coordinating accents — including a marble countertop, satin gold aluminum handles and a brass kick plate that runs along the base of the system — serve as a luxe contrast to the solution’s utilitarian inspiration.
Project Match Designers Fien Muller and HannesVan Severen of MullerVan Severen, Belgium Manufacturer Reform, Denmark
While it serves as the social hub of many a home, the kitchen is also a busy workspace prone to clutter — two roles often at odds with each other. Valcucine’s Logica Celata resolves the kitchen’s ongoing identity crisis by closing up completely when not in use. With the wave of a hand, a busy cooking environment suddenly transforms into an elegant wall cabinet. Time to begin meal prep? Another wave and the system’s central panel silently rises to reveal ingenious features such as an integrated drying rack, built-in cooking board slots, hooks for utensils and a retractable pot filler. Three different models — Bar, Kitchen and Food Preparation — cater to a variety of activities with intuitive, ergonomic and space-optimized layouts developed after careful research and real-world study. So even when the kitchen is on full display, clutter is simply not on the menu.
Project Logica Celata Designer Gabriele Centazzo, Italy Manufacturer Valcucine, Italy
Two stunning kitchens and a handicraft-inspired seating system stood out in the Design: Furniture Systems category.