Design studio Neri & Hu launches furniture collection with De La Espada

View of grey, cream an brown living room with seating and gold low hanging chandelier
Shanghai design studio Neri & Hu's furniture collaboration with De La Espada made its debut in New York during ICFF in a special installation housed within the new luxury apartment building 345 Meatpacking by DDG
(Image credit: TBC)

One of our favourite design couples, Neri & Hu, has collaborated with De la Espada on a new collection of furniture, which they unveiled in New York during ICFF this week. The Shanghai-based duo has created 10 new pieces especially for the occasion, adding to an existing range, which will now all be produced by the Portuguese furniture makers.

The collection is everything we could have hoped for - a brilliant blend of Eastern sensibilities with De la Espada's expert,
contemporary craftsmanship. Some highlights from the varied range include a trio of tables that have been paired with geometric legs, an architectural two-tier desk or vanity table with a fold-up mirror attached, and a low-backed deep seat sofa, reminiscent of a Chinese opium bed.

Not ones to follow the design pack, Neri & Hu eschewed a launch in Milan's Salone del Mobile for New York, in tribute to their American roots. 'Launching in New York is somewhat like a homecoming for us, since we were both educated in the US, went to school close to New York and worked in firms in New York before returning to Asia to start our [architectural] practice,' explained Rossana Hu.

True to their multifaceted form, Neri & Hu also created a special installation within the new luxury apartment building 345 Meatpacking by DDG, which doubled up as their exhibition space for the week. The installation, which was hosted by The Future Perfect (our New York design destination of choice), cleverly divided the space into a more intimate environment.

Visitors made their way down a dark corridor lined with pigeon holes, which they peeked through to see sketches, renderings and models of other Neri & Hu projects, before entering the main space where the new pieces could be viewed. Coupled with the sounds of Shanghai's busy streets that were piped into the space and the raw brick walls of the existing building, the exhibition format brought to mind the inner and outer courtyard format of traditional Chinese houses.

The new Neri & Hu collection for De La Espada is available from The Future Perfect

Dark brown low coffee table

Some highlights from the varied range include a trio of tables that have been paired with geometric legs. Pictured is 'Trio Oval Coffee Table'

(Image credit: TBC)

Light wooden dining table with five dining chairs

The collection is everything we could have hoped for - a brilliant blend of Eastern sensibilities with De la Espada's expert, contemporary craftsmanship. Pictured are the 'Solo Table' and 'Solo Dining Chairs'

(Image credit: TBC)

Two chairs on a purple rug with small coffee table in the middle

Visitors to the exhibition made their way down a dark corridor lined with pigeon holes to find sketches, renderings and models of other Neri & Hu projects, before entering the main space where the new pieces could be viewed

(Image credit: TBC)

Dark brown chair and dark mirrored table

Coupled with the sounds of Shanghai's busy streets that were piped into the space and the raw brick walls of the existing building, the exhibition format brings to mind the inner and outer courtyard format of traditional Chinese houses

(Image credit: TBC)

Dark brown wooden tray desk

'Tray Desk' by Neri & Hu for De La Espada

(Image credit: TBC)

Watch Neri & Hu's installation came into being in this timelapse film

Circular light wooden coffee table

'Trio Round Coffee Table'

(Image credit: TBC)

Semi Circular wooden high table

'Trio Console Table'

(Image credit: TBC)

Small circular oak coloured wooden coffee table

'Trio Side Table'

(Image credit: TBC)

Three long mirrors with wooden thin frame

'Extend Mirrors'

(Image credit: TBC)

Sofa with dark wooden frame, white and grey cushions

'Opium Sofa'

(Image credit: TBC)

Dark brown wooden tray desk with drawer and mirror

'Tray Desk when it is opened'

(Image credit: TBC)

ADDRESS

345 Meatpacking
345 West 14th Street
New York

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.