When you think of Philippe Malouin and his portfolio of work, a strong yet simple use of shape is something that springs to mind immediately. Over the years, the designer has become recognised for this ability, honing his silhouette skills when creating collections for the likes of SCP and Established & Sons. Now, Malouin has masterfully applied his eye for a good curve to a range of home objects for Finnish brand Iittala.
Named Kuru, the collection is made up of ceramic bowls, a small glass bowl, and a glass vase. Most are circular in shape, while a shallow tray takes on more of a lozenge form. However, each piece is intended to provide a sort of organisational pedestal for your very best belongings – somewhere to show them off while also ensuring they are kept neat and tidy.
‘The initial brief required us to create a set of “home displays” – objects that are both sculptural and functional,’ says Malouin, who joins a long list of design heavyweights to have worked with Iittala since its beginnings in 1881. ‘The home displays can be experienced as a sculptural item or used in order to collect your personal effects.’
‘Elevating the items from the surface adds value to these objects and gives them the respect they deserve. I wanted to design a collection that helps people create centres of gravity in their homes and provides a place for precious objects and memories, regardless of the size of their living space,’ he added.
Malouin named the pieces in reference to the Finnish word for ‘gorge’, as ‘it represented the empty geometric space in the Kuru pieces,’ he explained. He spent months working alongside the brand’s craftspeople to develop this correct silhouette, and at the same time spending time experimenting with textured glazes, as seen on the outside of the ceramic bowls.
‘It was important to develop a design language that was our own as well as matching Iittala’s,’ he said. ‘The important thing to keep in mind was the quality and colours of the materials used by Iittala over the years.’
According to Malouin, this is most evident through the glass pieces – however, for the ceramics, they opted to take a more experimental approach, developing a textural glaze that was applied to the design after the slipcasting phase.
‘The textured glaze is new to the brand, yet I believe it adheres to its design ethos,’ he says. ‘It is such a challenge to design something new for such a strong and big design company. We are pleased it was possible to do.’
INFORMATION
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
-
Didn't make it to Alcova Miami this year? These are our 10 favourite thingsAt the third US edition of the exhibition, designers reinterpreted ancient traditions, artfully refracted light and encouraged sexual exploration
-
Inside the Melbourne exhibition which puts fashion renegades Rei Kawakubo and Vivienne Westwood in conversation‘Westwood Kawakubo’ at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne draws on the designers’ shared ‘spirit of rebellion’, curators Katie Somerville and Danielle Whitfield tell Wallpaper*
-
Vincent Van Duysen ‘inspired by modernism’ for Molteni & C’s outdoor furniture debutMolteni & C goes alfresco with two new collections and reissued classics, bringing its signature elegance to the great outdoors
-
First look inside Centurion New York by Yabu PushelbergCenturion New York is an expansive new space for American Express’ ‘black card’ members. Its interior designers Yabu Pushelberg give us a tour
-
Is this the most beautiful office in the world?Parisian creative agency Art Recherche Industrie’s new HQ translates a 19th-century landmark into a chic open-plan office worth leaving home for
-
Designer James Shaw’s latest creation is a self-built home in east LondonJames Shaw's east London home is Filled with vintage finds and his trademark extruded plastic furniture, a compact self-built marvel
-
Taschen tantalises with new edition of Jorge Pardo’s ‘Brussels Lamps’German publishing house Taschen launches a limited-edition series of five ‘Brussels Lamps’ by Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo
-
Edra’s outdoor furniture is an ode to the seaDesigned by long-term collaborator Jacopo Foggini, the ‘A’mare’ collection of outdoor furniture mimics shiny water, and was named 'Best Disappearing Act' at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
-
Peep inside Luca Nichetto’s Pink Villa in Stockholm, part studio, part showroomWelcome to the pink house that is the new Stockholm home to Luca Nichetto's team
-
These papier-mâché lamps combine craft with sustainabilitySustainability and fine art are the driving inspirations behind ‘resolutely maximalist’ London lighting designer Rowena Morgan-Cox of Palefire
