A blurred line between art and furniture

Ever since Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Eames, and other iconic designers, the line between art and furniture has become blurred. Today, designers are elevating traditional pieces and transforming them with form and function that is sculptural; redefining how we think about furniture.

 

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Air Sideboard

Designed by Matthieu Gustafsson, the Air Sideboard is a wardrobe and sideboard designed to be placed in the centre of a room. Air Sideboard is a piece of furniture for storage that combines a graphic white framework with natural cane inlays that give the design a feeling of lightness and transparency.

Woven cane provides a sense of depth and one can only guess at what is hiding inside. The woven cane also serves to ventilate the cupboard - practical when storing clothes or electronic devices. Air Sideboard can also be used as a freestanding room divider, or placed against a wall.

Matthieu Gustafsson has a background in graphic design, furniture making and design and runs a design studio, focusing on furniture and industrial design. His roots in both Paris and Sweden have instilled a creative process that melds these two cultures together in his furniture.

Tablo Table

Designed by Magnus Lofgren, the Tablo tray table has a high rim to reduce the risk of spilling food or items slipping off. Tablo, is available in two heights and can also be used as a side table, to display plants, or as a set of tables in front of the sofa. The design is as decorative as it is practical and the Tablo table is perfect as a coffee or side table, or as a feature piece.

Educated at the School of Design and Craft at Gothenburg University, Magnus Lofgren achieved the Excellent Swedish Design award In 1995, and has his own design studio in Stockholm.

Extend Shelves

This shelving unit is designed to be a feature in any room. Extend allows the total length of the shelves to be adjustable to suit one’s needs. Matz Borgström has created a shelving unit that consist of two identical sections that can be pushed together or moved apart to alter their length. The sandwich construction of the shelves makes them rigid but light, with felt runners that ensure smooth, silent movement.

 

 

The airy, open design of Extend shelving makes it ideal for use as a room divider, where it can be closed or opened depending on the available space.

Matz Borgström studied industrial design and has been greatly involved in education, creating the Form department at Beckmans School of Design, and later as acting head at Umea University Industrial Design department. He is also a glass artist, with numerous exhibitions worldwide.

Arco Desk

It might seem simple, but the Arco Desk is a unique piece of furniture that is supported on trestles and has a glass worktop. The design features a support frame that is elegant yet stable, with a drawer accessible from both sides of the table.

American designer, Chuck Mack, has incorporated rounded edges and a smooth, tempered glass desktop. The frame is attached to the trestles by wooden plugs, and altogether, it is obvious that the Arco Desk has been designed by a skilled carpenter. Chuck wanted to someday elevate a trestle design to an art form that might be considered furniture and this was realised with the Arco Desk.

Chuck Mack, who is half-Icelandic, currently lives and works in Reykjavik. A self-taught designer and carpenter, Chuck has 5 rules that he believes in: Be original, give it purpose, make it work for it’s purpose, make it last and make it look good. All his designs derive from a practical and functional approach, finding solutions that work, and in keeping with his carpentry background.