News from Materia @ Stockholm Furniture Fair 2007

ideas materialized

We are taking another stride forward in Materia’s design process with this year’s news. We will continue to embody the ideas of young, exciting designers and their creations, and we will be launching two new members in the wellknown Centrum and Obi furniture families. All with the aim of breathing new life into public spaces.

Praline Noir Bench
design: fredrik kjellgren
A balancing act between space and content, elegance and playfulness. Wellmade, unique features that radiate strength. Developed from an acclaimed degree project from the School of Design and Crafts (HDK) in the spring of 2006.

Fredrik Kjellgren (age 28) has degrees from Chalmers School of Architecture (00-05) and the School of Design and Crafts at Gothenburg University (03-06). Here he explains the background to the “Praline Noir” project.

“My grandmother loved beautiful objects. She devoured them with her senses. Roaming around her home, she let the objects tell their tales. There was everything in her home, from art to furniture – fancy cushions with glittering buttons, shimmering silk, plush that felt rough to the touch, handles draped with tassels that gently swung aside when you entered the room, mirrors, carpets, sculptures. Everything had a story, but not always a purpose.

I have drawn inspiration from the time I spent as a child in her home, where the historical and cultural wealth of the furniture was greater than its functionality. Those fancy cushions symbolise the historical, but not the practical, object from my background. They also prompt the simple question that has permeated the entire project: Can you sit on a fancy cushion?

In a gluttony of nuances, patterns and grades from Fanny Aronsen’s collection of fabrics, along with unique, soutache, metal and plastic vintage buttons, I have created a series of seats that offer more to the beholder and user than just a place to rest. The results are two seats. Praline Noir 6×3 and Praline Noir 5×5, made of small cushions with various types and kinds of buttons, where each unique part forms a variegated whole which is brought together by the wide but thin legs”.

Group of trees screen
Design: Form us with love
(petrus palmér, john löfgren, jonas pettersson)

“Group of Trees” is our way of effecting change in public settings. Out with those square-shaped room dividers on squeaking wheels – in with organic designs and a concept that encourages interaction. The parts that lock into one another consist of a repeated moulded wing made of sound-absorbing
polyester felt (PET) in two shades of grey. Group of Trees won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2006.

Gobble Coat Rack
design: thomas bernstrand

A cramped hallway and lots of outdoor clothing are rarely a good combination. Designer Thomas Bernstrand has managed to solve the problem in an ingenious and unique way, with hooks on elastic bands. The more garments you hook on, the more distinct the shape – like a tree changing its form and appearance with the seasons. Gobble has won the cDIM Design Award.

Centrum Medio armchair
design: kersti sandin, lars bülow

Sometimes moderation is best anyway. The latest addition to Centrum – our trendsetting conference concept range – is our armchair Medio, which satisfies everyone who has been calling for something midway between minimal and generous. Centrum’s comfort, openness and movement stimulate unconventional and creative meetings as well as candid and private dialogues. Centrum has been awarded the prize Excellent Swedish Design Award.

Obi Conference table
design: kersti sandin, lars bülow

Obi is the name of the sash that ties round the Japanese kimono. It is also the name of the joint that gives the Obi table concept its own distinct design identity. The new conference table looks light in spite of its generous size. There are numerous variations thanks to the recurring leg frame. The low border between the frames creates a robust construction and also provides welcome support for weary feet. Obi is available in varying heights and different tabletop sizes. The materials are HPL, chrome-plated solid steel and diecast, powder-coated aluminium.