Tropicalia

There were some wonderfully colourful chairs from Moroso at IMM: the Panna Chair by Tokujin Yoshioka, the rainbows of the Tropicalia chairs by Patricia Urquiola (above), and the Sushi collection by Edward Van Vliet, including the Donut pouf and the Spirocube rug. After the jump, the Replex Table by Oormerk is made out of old pieces of furniture, keeping memories and fine craftsmanship alive. What makes this table top so beautiful is the array of shapes that come together in a new context.

Orchid Inspired Chair

Designer Sebastian Gronemeyer took inspiration from the delicate forms of orchid leaves to create this unnamed chair. The smooth organic curves are actually quite ergonomic. Both the seat and backrest slightly flex to really mount you in when you sit. Tho thin, the reinforced fiberglass material is plenty strong. They’re supported by tubular steel rods mounted on rubber shocks for extra comfort.

Definitely an eye catching piece I could see fit in well with both modern and traditional homes.

Designer: Sebastian Gronemeyer

Seating for Every Shape Bum

Remember the story about Goldilocks and the 3 bears? While the bears were out, she helped her way into their house trying everything until she found the perfect fit. In hindsight she was on to something. We all want products designed custom just for us. The Wave Seat eludes to this old axiom and makes it possible thru the magic of nanotubes.

Imagine, future vehicles may have interiors that reconfigure themselves to each passenger. Conductive polymers infused with nanotubes stretch and contract when electric currents pass thru them, stiffening and softening where needed. This system is also perfect for hauling cargo, keeping things perfectly snug. In this day in age there is no point in having fixed layouts - 2 seaters, 4 seaters should be history. Wave Seat is an open source platform where users can create their own layout to facilitate conversation or privacy.

Designer: Jung Hoon Rhee

Mother/Child Dining

This dining table for mother and child is based on the metaphor of the special intimate moment of feeding your child. This feeling goes much deeper then just giving food; mother and child are almost one, as with the umbilical cord before birth. In this way the furniture has to be one too. Dimensions and form follows the function: table width is based on the length of my arm with the spoon towards the mouth of my child. I’m sitting sideways because that’s the easiest way to sit for feeding. Two sides of the table are completely closed; it’s impossible to join a third person. All these specific reasons that define form and finish do match completely with constructive needs.

Designer: Steenkamp Maartje

Bookcase Into A Bed

With new houses getting smaller and space being at a premium one young designer has come up with the perfect solution. Designer Karen created a bookcase that transforms into a bed. A mattress stands upright in four bits and forms the bulk of the bookcase. These surround five storage shelves which are suspended in mid-air by a wall mounted frame. The mattress sections are placed on the floor and slot together to form the bed - with two parts for a single, or all four to make a double.

Designer: Karen Babel

Picking This Apart

One tooth pick is nothing but hundreds of thousands combined and it becomes a marvelous piece of art. That’s because of a special characteristic we instinctually see - patterns. Wisteria was used to make this massive wood sculpture called Lune Blanche which means white moon. All those toothpicks… my teeth and gums are actually scared right now.

Designer: Ah-young Yi

Meltdown Chair, Perfect For Your Bum

Lets preface by saying DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. Truth be told, as designers I’m sure we’ve done something similar. I remember burning foam just to watch it melt and sizzle into some unrecognizable blob. Tom Price’s Meltdown Chair takes it a step further.

This chair is created by heating and pressing a seat-shaped former into a ball of polypropylene rope. The rope begins to liquify as it comes into contact with the heated former and, as it cools, it sets in the shape of a seat creating a contrast in form and texture to the remaining rope. No additional material has been added to make the seat - it is all made from melted rope.

Designer: Tom Price