it is our great pleasure to invite you to the product launch of andreu world’s newest collaborations with our most iconic designers:
pearsonlloyd | introducing ruta
patricia urquiola | introducing nuez stool
andreu world + kvadrat | introducing glow
look forward to seeing you!
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Say the words molded plywood together and we immediately think of the classic Eames chair. Though its seat is molded to accommodate our posterior and is by no means uncomfortable, its sit-abilty is vastly improved by a cushion. However, emerging designer Hyeonil Jeong was able to take the same materials and create a seat that flexes to provide a cushier seat.
Jeong does use one material that the Eames, to my knowledge, never did: bungee cord. While his Caterpillar Stool has a more or less traditional frame, the seat is made from slats of CNC-cut molded plywood woven together with bungee cord, which acts like a shock absorber when you sit down on it.
“No matter how stiff each piece is, flexible relation makes an smooth flow. Its elastic connection allows an organic surface movement despite the rigidity of ply-wood material.”
I love how the seat, when unoccupied, arches upwards with all the slats fitting nicely into place and running smoothly alongside one another. But when you sit down the seat flexes to support you and the slats shift, forming a jagged layer underneath. I’ve been noticing a trend towards woven elements in furniture in general this year, but I’ve never come across a product that strings pieces of wood together to give the material a whole new functionality.
about perrin drumm
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Even after Salone Del Mobile is over, I’m still thinking about The Front Room’s presentation at Ca’Laghetto, Via Laghetto, which featured a number of remarkable designers, including the Rotterdam-based Earnest Studio headed by Rachel Griffin. For Milan this year she presented Swell, a series of stools and benches that put an emphasis on the production process by cutting costs at every stage.
“Upholstered furniture typically uses foam created in massive block molds and cuts it into smaller pieces that are added to a separate frame. Swell integrates these production elements by using the frame and fabric as the mold for the foam. This also allows the foam to acts as a binding agent, eliminating costly handwork.”
Griffin goes on to explain that Swell simplifies the production process. Instead of molding massive blocks of foam, cutting them down to size, gluing them to a wooden frame and then sewing the fabric on top, “Swell uses the fabric and frame as the original mold for the foam.” The result cuts down on production time and materials and, because the foam fills the fabric, “no material is wasted as cut-offs.” Furthermore, the foam acts as a binding agent between the fabric and frame so there’s no glue, extra adhesive or sewing necessary. And since the foam expands in the fabric in a slightly different way each time, every piece is unique.
Swell Stool and Bench are available from The Front Room’s online shop for $393 and $542, respectively.
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