Marfa Stance was built on the belief that surplus materials are not something to conceal, but rather something to celebrate. Those familiar with the British label will instantly recognise its modular, fully reversible outerwear, which combines sophisticated patchwork construction with an approach informed by artist Donald Judd's functional design philosophy. Judd lived and worked in Marfa, Texas, from which the brand takes its name.

Crafted in Italy by female-led factories using surplus Japanese and Italian nylon, wool, and cashmere deadstock, the pieces are both utilitarian and luxurious.

This month, seven years after its founding, the brand unveils its first furniture collection, designed in collaboration with Stephen Kenn Studio. ‘We've never believed design should live within one category,’ says Marfa Stance’s founder, British designer Georgia Dant, who describes the move as the ‘logical next step'.

A meeting of minds

The choice of Los Angeles furniture designer Stephen Kenn as a collaborator was a natural one, she recalls: his studio had supplied the furniture for the brand’s first New York flagship a few years earlier. Like Marfa Stance, Kenn embraces reclaimed materials, celebrating their history, irregularities and inherent character rather than seeking uniformity.

‘The way we think about a piece of outerwear, how it's made, what happens to the materials, how long it can live, how it can change with its owner, is actually very close to how Stephen approaches furniture,’ says Dant, who founded the brand in 2019 after leading men’s and women’s design teams at Burberry and Rag & Bone. ‘We share a belief in utility, longevity, and making something beautiful from what's already around us. This collaboration lets us take that philosophy somewhere completely new.’

For Marfa Stance, Kenn has created a series of three steel-framed chairs and a bench, each with a chunky seat upholstered in quilts made by Alabama’s Gee’s Bend quilters – a community of African American women living along a bend in the Alabama River in Wilcox County, where quilting traditions have been passed down through generations. Marfa Stance has collaborated with the community since 2022, transforming deadstock fabrics sourced from Italy into colourful quilted jackets and blankets.

‘When I first saw a Marfa Stance jacket I was transported back to some of my earliest days studying vintage military clothing,’ says Kenn. ‘The careful consideration and thoughtful details evoked an admiration and immediate kinship. I couldn’t help but wonder, if this jacket were a reversible slip cover, what would it look like?’

The chairs are the answer to Kenn’s question. Each is upholstered in a Gee’s Bend quilt and installed at a different Marfa Stance store – Montecito, Chicago, Madison Avenue in NYC, and Chelsea in London – inviting customers to experience the collaboration first-hand.

The chairs are based on two of Kenn's existing designs – the Inheritance Collection – with its blackened steel frame and cotton webbing and leather belts holding loose chunky cushions – and the Ease Collection, with its curved upholstered form made from a combination of different foam densities providing both structure and softness.

Following their in-store debut, the chairs will be available to buy online, with prices on enquiry.

Due to the unique nature of the quilts, each chair is one of a kind and made to order in Los Angeles by Kenn’s small team and local vendors, many of them family-run businesses in East and South LA. They are designed to be repaired and adapted, acquiring character through continued use. Marfa Stance hints that more home pieces could follow. For now, the chairs demonstrate a clever and considered brand expansion that carries Marfa Stance's emphasis on adaptability, craftsmanship and longevity from wardrobe to home.

As many contemporary designers increasingly identify as artists, making one-off furniture pieces that turn into collectible artworks, so the two creative disciplines mix and traditional boundaries dissolve. Design galleries show paintings; art fairs exhibit chairs.

The concept of ‘art furniture’ is not new, having emerged in the 19th century with the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movements and seen successive waves of exploration since then. Seating, in particular, has long been a vehicle for artistic expression that moves beyond function; alluring for its deep engagement with the human body, artists turn to the format as sculptural medium. Today, it feels like furniture has become a connective thread between the design and art worlds.

So as the behemoth Frieze contemporary art fair comes to London (on until 18 October), we scoured the booths of international galleries – squeezed into tents in Regent’s Park – to find the furniture bringing design to the party. Here are our seven top picks.

‘Bosa Bosa Chair 11’ (2026) by Rio Kobayashi

London-based Rio Kobayashi has garnered a following for his playful furniture pieces that often transform vintage finds with experimental carpentry and decoration. ‘Bosa Bosa Chair 11’, shown with Kate MacGarry, saw Kobayashi repair an antique oak swivel chair and decorate it with mini black and white brushes tied together with blue and red thread. The effect is part mohawk, part crazed broom.

‘Bosa Bosa’ means ‘messy hair’ in Japanese. ‘I liked the idea of repairing and transforming an old chair while adding something like hair to it,’ Kobayashi tells Wallpaper*. ‘Messy hair creates a particular sense of attachment – it can make you want to take care of someone or something.’ Kobayashi has also carved away parts of the chair, removing the dark varnish finish to reveal the raw wood beneath, and punching two holes in the backrest.

‘afterimage of beginning 026-642’ (2026) by Choi Byung Hoon

This ash wood and natural stone cabinet by Korean artist Choi Byung Hoon is presented by Busan-based Johyun Gallery. It appears as a stack of carefully balanced, sleek black boxes set in contrast with blocks of rough, organic stone; a dialogue between natural beauty and human intervention. Seoul-based Choi has carved out an important place in Korea’s art furniture market, and the gallery describes his work as merging the ‘practical object-ness of furniture’ with the ‘sophisticated aesthetics of art and a craftsman’s dexterity’.

‘Bent Around With Love Handles’ (2009) by Martino Gamper and Francis Upritchard

Turin-based Galleria Franco Noero presents an array of chairs by Italian designer Martino Gamper, including ‘Bent Around With Love Handles’, which Gamper designed with his wife, the sculptor Francis Upritchard, for an exhibition in 2009. A four-legged metal base is combined with a curved, plywood patchwork seat and bright green modelling clay sculpted to become bulbous handles.

‘Survival: Protect me…’ (2018) by Jenny Holzer

American artist Jenny Holzer makes literal statements with her work, wielding text through installation and sculpture to offer political and social commentary. In ‘Survival: Protect me…’, presented by Kukje Gallery, the words ‘protect me from what I want’ are engraved onto a bench made from dark labradorite stone. But what if what I want is to sit on her bench?

Bench by Giuseppe Ducrot

Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot makes work that draws on classical and Baroque styles, interpreting these through a loose and expressive contemporary approach. 'Panca verde' (2026), his glazed ceramic bench on show with Galleria Lorcan O’Neill, possesses a decorative grandeur, and wouldn’t look out of place at a palace or cathedral – which is apt, because Ducrot regularly makes pieces for churches and cultural institutions across Europe, including Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

‘Carbonated Express’ (2026) by Steph Huang

Steph Huang’s bar cart is not conceived as a design object, but the London-based Taiwanese artist did turn to the medium of catering furniture to explore systems of mass production and commerce in the food industry. The steel and aluminium ‘Carbonated Express’ cart – on wheels and with a wooden handle carved to look like a baguette – is part of a special presentation from London’s Public Gallery dedicated to Huang’s work, which also features a playful wall light made using a Perelló olive can.

‘Day Tracker’ (2025) by Anna Gonzalez Noguchi

A series of golden, powder-coated steel stools by Anna Gonzalez Noguchi is presented by Shanghai-based Gallery Vacancy. Each stool has a Japanese kanji character cut into its seat, which correspond to the days of the week – while also referencing elements or phenomena in nature. The work, which was showcased outdoors at the Liverpool Biennial last year, is dedicated to the Japanese-Spanish artist’s grandmother, who lives with dementia and regularly records the date and weather. The stools, presented at Frieze in a circle, can be connected or dispersed in different arrangements, reflecting the potential for confusion in those affected by dementia.

For Kasseem Dean, the Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer best known as Swizz Beatz, furniture and family go hand in hand. He remembers, as a kid growing up in the Bronx, the squeak of the plastic that covered his grandmother’s couch and the ritual that accompanied her record cabinet, which also conveniently concealed adults-only barware.

‘Furniture’s always been a language of family,’ Dean tells Wallpaper* from his home in Harlem, one of several the mogul owns alongside his wife, fellow Grammy-winner Alicia Keys. ‘For me growing up, it was like, “Come sit down, come have a talk.” But furniture was always to be respected as well.’

All of those memories, not to mention decades spent amassing one of the world’s most significant collections of Black art, have informed Dean’s latest venture, a furniture collection in partnership with the contemporary home decor brand CB2. The collection, which comprises furniture, lighting and decorative accessories, is appropriately named for the producer’s family: Casa Dean. ‘I didn't want to just do something just to do it,’ Dean says. ‘My thing was more like, if we're gonna do it, what's the concept? What hole are we filling? And how can this inspire people?’

Dean’s fascination with design grew as he found success as a teenager, first as a DJ and later, at the ripe age of 18, the producer of DMX’s hit ‘Ruff Ryders' Anthem’. Dean jokingly recalls decorating his first home: ‘At that time there was no taste involved. It was just like, is it expensive? OK, I need that couch. What's the name brand of it? Gucci? OK, let's get it.’

But as his renown grew, Dean began to develop his own taste. ‘My style has grown tremendously throughout the years from travelling and seeing different walks of life,’ he says. ‘I'm just a creature of culture.’

In the Casa Dean collection, those sensibilities manifest in the line’s variety of colours, textures and silhouettes. There’s a curvaceous chair in a woolly taupe shearling; a linear console table topped with red enamel; a green velvet modular sofa with a gently swooping silhouette; artwork created in collaboration with artist ​​Megan Gabrielle Harris; and bubbly barware in smoked crystal.

‘I love where I landed with the diversity of the collection and the colours and the palettes,’ Dean says. ‘That took guidance. That took being open-minded and not just coming in with the fake celebrity energy. I was more of a student.’

That’s because designing furniture didn’t come into the picture until recently. Keys’ nail tech, the celebrity manicurist Dawn Sterling, introduced Dean to a mutual connection at CB2. ‘Next thing you know, I was in Chicago looking at fabrics,’ the rapper jokes.

Working alongside designer Evan Jerry of Studio Anansi, the collection began to evolve. ‘Swizz was especially thoughtful about the experience of each piece. How does a sofa sit? How does a material feel? How does the furniture encourage people to gather and connect?’ says Andrea Erman, CB2’s senior director of design and development for housewares. ‘He was equally interested in the emotional experience of a space as he was in the visual impact.’

‘People take furniture so [lightly], but just with this hands-on process with CB2 and their amazing team that they surrounded me with, I really got a front-row seat to the movie called “furniture”,’ Dean adds. The Dean family even got a front-row seat: he and Keys would review drawings and photos at the family dinner table.

Each piece in the Casa Dean collection is meant to foster what Dean calls ‘the creative home’. There are items that especially resonate with him, like the ‘Lam-Louie’ credenza, named for his father, who also worked as a DJ alongside hip-hop pioneer Cool Herc, that doubles as a DJ set-up. And a chair that’s designed exclusively for solo daydreaming. His favourite colour, British racing green, pops up throughout.

‘I just want people to just tune into themselves with this collaboration,’ Dean reflects. ‘The world is moving so fast and there's so much uncertainty that when you sit on this couch, or when you plug your set-up into this DJ set, or put some ice in this amazing bucket, you're doing it to reflect yourself.’

To most, the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein will forever be associated with Ben-Day dot patterns, comic strip subjects, and whaams, blams, and pows. But Lichtenstein, who created more than 5,000 artworks in his lifetime, loved to experiment in other mediums, including printmaking, sculpture, film – and, as an auction at Sotheby’s proves, furniture.

Back in the late 1960s, Lichtenstein designed a brass and glass coffee table, one of which is part of an online sale happening now at the global auction house. The sale, which coincides with a blockbuster Lichtenstein retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art opening this week, sheds light on this rare part of the artist’s practice – and also offers collectors the opportunity to seriously level up their living room.

‘Roy really dabbled in everything, and so this auction as a whole really demonstrates his versatility as an artist, his boundary-breaking approach to art making,’ says Keith Lebel, an assistant vice president in Sotheby’s contemporary art department. ‘This table represents an unusual foray into furniture design for him.’

The table is an extension of the Lichtenstein’s ‘Modern’ series, a vibrant body of work created in the 1960s that moved away from comic strip subjects in favour of geometric Art Deco motifs. Like the Modern paintings, the table features energetic shapes, as with its rounded, D-shaped legs and horizontal bands.

While experts don’t know precisely why the artist designed the table, they do know that it was made in an edition of three. Lichtenstein kept it for himself and his wife Dorothy to furnish their home in Southampton, New York. ‘This is an object that they lived with,’ Lebel explains. ‘He thought of it as a sculpture, but it was not this precious item not to be touched. It was certainly used.’

The other tables have equally legendary provenance: one went to legendary gallerist Leo Castelli, who swapped a Dan Flavin artwork for it. Meanwhile, the third went to artist Donald Judd in exchange for a sculpture (it’s since wound up in a private collection). ‘The only people who have ever owned these are just remarkable figures,’ Lebel says.

The Modern table as it’s known is part of two sales drawn from Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein’s personal collection, one live in New York and one online-only. While the 21-lot live auction features works that will likely fetch in excess of $1 million, the online sale has markedly more accessible works, including the coffee table, which is estimated to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000.

‘I hope that collectors, both seasoned and new, will recognize this work as a really unique opportunity to acquire a work by Lichtenstein that is at once instantly recognizable and unusual,’ Lebel says. ‘It has that sort of old New York Art Deco glam that continues to be really appealing.’

Pow, even.

Selections from Reflections on Pop: Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein are now on view at Sotheby's Breuer headquarters. 945 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA

In October, London’s Gallery Fumi welcomes 'Companions’, an exhibition of friendly-looking wooden furniture designed by Lukas Wegwerth and Corinna Dehn. The pair, who first met while studying at the University of the Arts in Berlin, have conceived a family of furniture clad in shingles inspired both by animal scales, wings and feathers, and by the vernacular architecture of Wegwerth’s home region in central Germany.

Part of their ongoing ‘Armadillo’ series, the six new works include two cabinets, a sideboard, a birdhouse, a dining table and a stand-alone screen. All feature the collection’s signature shingles, but with new experimentations in tone, density, and pattern. The wooden elements are sourced locally, often recycled, and processed in the designers’ own sawmill, while the colours come from natural pigments and ebonisation as well as traditional oil paints.

Working together, Wegwerth and Dehn apply the shingles to wooden structures, pushing each other in directions neither would arrive at alone, to always surprising results. Here, they tell us more about ‘Armadillo’, their partnership and their collaboration with Gallery Fumi.

Wegwerth and Dehn on their creative practice

Wallpaper*: When did you start collaborating with Gallery Fumi?

Lukas Wegwerth, Corinna Dehn: About 13 years ago. It started with ‘Crystallizations’, a series of broken ceramics that are ‘repaired’ through growing crystals in the cracks of the broken vases. Working together with Fumi has given us the opportunity to explore this process further over many years.

W*: Gallery Fumi focuses on designers and artists who blend traditional craftsmanship and innovative technologies. Are there any other creatives in the Fumi family who you find particularly inspiring?

LW, CD: We are fans of the organic, playful and architectural works of [Athens-based design studio] Voukenas Petrides. We collaborated on the very first ‘Armadillo’ furniture with them. While they came up with a shape, we developed the material strategy for the piece: it was cladded with shingles that we repurposed from the façade of our barn that we were renovating at the time. And we’ve always been fascinated by [ceramicist] Johannes Nagel’s processes and artistic works; we also worked together on the ‘Crystallizations’ series with objects he made.

And of course, Max Lamb’s distinctive way of crafting and constructing across materials and techniques continues to inspire us. We love Jochen Holz’s playful and sophisticated glass works and Saelia Aparicio’s very free spirited furniture and objects, among others.

W*: How did you two start working together?

LW: I trained as a cabinet maker before studying design and started my studio organically while I was still studying. Wood as a material and the forests I grew up surrounded by always shaped my design works.

CD: I studied fashion design and worked in the fashion industry for many years. As senior designer for Y-3, I worked in close collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto’s design team, contributing to the menswear and accessories collections. Since then I have started exploring different ways of working in the design field, among other things facilitating design workshops in Berlin’s youth prisons.

After many years of helping each other out and collaborating on smaller and bigger scale projects, we started working together more closely.

W*: ‘Armadillo’ is based on the wooden shingle, and in particular, the rounded shingles are used in buildings in Germany’s Vogelsberg region, where you have a studio. Can you tell us more about these buildings, and what they are used for?

CD: The Vogelsberg region is a widely forested volcanic region in the midst of Germany. The abundance of beech and oak wood and the local stone shaped the rural architecture. Most houses are grounded on a volcanic rock foundation and constructed as timber frameworks. The wooden shingles act as a protective layer; they wear off over the course of many decades while the actual framework is protected from the weather. The exact application and shape of the shingles’ ‘nose’ differs almost from one village to the other and from craftsperson to craftsperson, but the basic principle is always the same. Shingles had been used in all types of buildings from barns to mansions, from raw to ornamented and painted.

We are mainly inspired by the most simple ones. Time and weather let these facades become silvery and vivid. The rain shadow of each shingle is also a potential home for a range of wild bees – so the entirety of the facades does not only look like an insect wing seen under a microscope, they actually become inhabited by wild bees.

LW: I grew up in the region, in a farmhouse clad in beech shingles. I did not pay much attention to it as shingles were so normal for me, but thinking back, I feel really related to this material culture and the natural, gentle and ever-changing appearance of those buildings.

The traditional shingles of vernacular architecture are very regular, while your designs come in all shapes and sizes – why is that?

CD: Shingles are an architectural feature – that application to furniture needed some interpretation to make things work and to recreate the emotion we are inspired by. It might be true that in buildings the application is more regular, but weather and time and the use of a non-standardised shingle also reduce the feel of order over time.

But if we look at the other inspiration of our project, the animal skins, we see much more variety in size and direction of organisation around the body. A complex shape asks for more complexity and diversity of the shapes and sizes of shingles.

We were interested in combining these two realms – the vernacular building culture and the universal principle of scales in animal skins. Straight surfaces can be covered with rather large shingles, while curves need to be covered with much slimmer shingles in a wide range of shapes.

W*: This organic look, similar to scales and feathers, is reflected in the collection’s – and the exhibition’s – name. Do you see the various pieces as little creatures?

LW, CD: Yes, there is definitely a lively quality to the pieces. There is a dialogue between elements and shapes. The appearance differs from one piece to the other, sometimes the architectural references become stronger, in others the animalistic perception is more obvious. We think that a part of the animated perception is inherent to the material. Even a straight but weathered facade feels more animated with wooden shingles applied to it – so it seems to be coming from the shingle itself and is not only a result of their individual forms.

Additionally, we search for shapes that shingles can cover – it is actually not a material without limits. Certain shapes just do not go well with shingles, so we also follow the material logic on our search for shapes.

W*: What type of wood do you use for this, and where do you source the wood from? I believe you have your own sawmill in the Vogelsberg?

LW, CD: Sourcing is varied: repurposed beech shingles from our renovation site, oak beams from the repair of the timber framework, old handmade shingles we found stocked on the attic of our barn, leftover larch shingles from an architectural project that we worked on for the Crespo Foundation, an art foundation based in Frankfurt.

Making use of the sawmill is a part of the sourcing strategy for this project. It allows us to work super locally and process local wood. Vogelsberg’s vernacular buildings are defined by the local, natural materials: oak, beech, basalt stone for example.

The basalt also plays a role in our project. As in the buildings it serves to build out strong and durable details such as table tops in our case. We for example source the basalt stone from collection points to which farmers bring them when they become obstacles in their acres. This material dialogue that is very specific to the region is reflected in many pieces of the ‘Armadillo’ series.

W*: How do you work together to create these pieces? Corinna, you first work on the shingles and you shape and colour them yourself?

CD: The shingles are cut, shaped and coloured individually by hand. For some of the pieces the shingles are stained – I apply the stain in a way that creates colour gradients where different colours will blend into each other. Some pieces of the series are painted with linseed oil colours. We used these sometimes in a more transparent, light way where they are a nuance or hue of colour. Other times they are used in a way that they really cover the wood completely and highlight the texture of the different shingles.

We also investigated coloration techniques like ebonizing. This is a process using natural ingredients such as tannin, rust and lime which results in dark shades ranging from blacks and dark greens to dark browns.

W*: Lukas, you are in charge of creating the structures that will then be clad in the shingles. Where do you find the inspiration for the shapes?

LW: We develop the shapes together. Parts of the shapes are pre-planned, while many details develop over time and through experimentation. Covering the pieces with shingles requires starting at the bottom and growing the layer of shingles slowly moving from the ground up.

During the process of renovating my grandmother’s farm house, we visited a lot of farm house museums and looked at books about agricultural and vernacular architecture, traditional beehives and wooden toys. These were really strong sources of inspiration for us. We were looking for shapes that reflect the friendly and gentle attitude that we felt the shingle facades had – also something that is animate just as the facade itself is vivid and lively, seemingly but also in actuality by serving as a home for wild bees.

W*: Where are the pieces actually built? And how long would you say it takes to create one from start to finish?

LW, CD: Some were built in the Berlin studio, some were built in Vogelsberg studio. We decided to split the work following the seasonal advantages of working in the countryside. Colouring the shingles with the tannin, rust and lime required quite some space: it was perfect to use the garden and work outside. Whereas other pieces and steps of the process require different tools and machines, so working in the Berlin studio is then perfect.

A big challenge while working on the ‘Armadillo’ pieces is the slowness of the process. While it is really enjoyable to see the pieces grow and experience them becoming more and more animated, it takes a lot of time. A large piece like a cabinet will take 10 to 12 weeks from start to finish including the woodwork, the preparation of the shingles, the application and finalisation of all the details.

W: Do you have a favourite piece in the latest series?

LW: My favourite is a three-legged side table with a basalt stone top. I really love the material dialogue between the wood and stone. The shape of the structure and the variety of the different colourations of the shingles – I just feel very drawn to it.

CD: I love the high cabinet. I like its colours and the variety of the shingles – some have very beautiful gradients and others have very nice textures, so it really looks a bit like fur or feathers. A very gentle, friendly monster.

‘Companions’ by Lukas Wegwerth & Corinna Dehn, from 3 October – 28 November 2026, at Gallery Fumi, 2–3 Hay Hill, London, galleryfumi.com

Some of the pieces will also be part of Gallery Fumi's PAD participation, 13 - 18 October, 2026, Berkeley Square, Mayfair

In 1972, designer Peter Opsvik created the Tripp Trapp, a child’s chair designed to evolve and change over the years. The chair, with its signature angled profile, was simplicity itself, endlessly reconfigurable with slots to raise and lower the height of the seat and footrest, along with provision for a safety bar for smaller children.

The chair was manufactured by Stokke, founded in Ålesund, Norway, in 1932. Today the company makes all manner of child and baby accessories, from the timeless Tripp Trapp through to prams, foldable baths, baby bouncers and toys.

The MoMA collaboration taps into the museum’s close connection with contemporary design – and its all-important retail arm – by bolstering the Tripp Trapp story with a new version that adds colour, collectability and an element of abstract, artistic charm. Stokke and MoMA logos are included alongside Opsvik's signature, while the red, pink, orange and blue seating and footrest can be mixed and matched.

‘At MoMA Design Store, we believe in products that seamlessly unite exceptional design with everyday life. Inspired by MoMA's colour palette, this chair pays tribute to a landmark children's product in MoMA's collection, celebrating its enduring legacy while bringing a new expression of this beloved icon to families today,’ says MoMA’s Chief Retail Officer, Jesse Goldstine, ‘It's a collaboration that reflects our shared belief that good design is for everyday living.’

Wallpaper* spoke to Tor Opsvik, Managing Director of the design company Peter Opsvik AS, and son of Peter Opsvik, along with Stokke’s VP Innovation, Martha Jørgenvåg, about this enduring product and the new collaboration.

Wallpaper*: When did it first become apparent that the Tripp Trapp design was on its way to becoming an icon? Was it instantly acknowledged from the start, or did its reputation take time to grow?

Tor Opsvik: There was no single moment when it became apparent that Tripp Trapp was on its way to becoming an icon. However, in 1973, Peter demonstrated the chair on a television programme. Afterwards, the station's switchboard was flooded with calls from parents wanting to know where they could buy it.

From that moment, sales began to grow. Within ten years of its launch, more Tripp Trapp chairs were being sold annually than there were children being born in Norway and the chair was well on its way to becoming an international success.

Its distinctive silhouette and visual expression quickly attracted attention, and its place in everyday family life helped generation after generation develop a lasting connection to the chair. It was bringing children of all ages up to the family table.

Over time, it became clear that Tripp Trapp was more than a product. As the design gained recognition and its distinctive silhouette became embedded in generations of families, the chair earned recognition as a true design classic. Its ability to remain relevant decade after decade, without significant alteration, reflects the enduring strength and timeless character of its original design.

I truly believe timeless designs are often out of step with prevailing trends when they are introduced. They do not fit comfortably into what already exists. Instead, they present a new visual and creative perspective, gradually reshape their category and ultimately outlive the trends that once made them seem unusual.

Tripp Trapp is a good example of this: a highly original design whose distinctive visual identity has remained relevant for more than 50 years. Today, it is a widely recognised piece of applied art, with museum representation that serves as a reflection of such recognition.

W*: Have there been any major changes in the way the chair is manufactured or even designed over the years? Or has it remained very consistent?

Martha Jørgenvåg: Innovation is not always measured by how much a product changes. Sometimes it is measured by how little it needs to change. Tripp Trapp is a good example of this. The chair's iconic design has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1972, which speaks to the enduring strength of the original vision. Rather than constantly reinventing the product, the focus has been on preserving the qualities that have resonated with generations of families.

W*: Have there been other design and colour collaborations and experiments before?

TO: Not like this one. For us, it is important to preserve the integrity of an icon whose strength lies in the clarity of its design. This partnership feels both unique and exciting. The Tripp Trapp MoMA edition succeeds in celebrating and honouring the visual identity and enduring design significance, while adding a fresh perspective through reversible seat and footplates. Families can bring their own personality to this classic design and make it part of their home in their own way.

W*: How did the MoMA collaboration come about?

MJ: Tripp Trapp has earned recognition over more than five decades as an enduring design classic. Its inclusion in museum collections, including The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, reflects the iconic status the chair has achieved through generations of families and its lasting relevance in design.

In 2012, Tripp Trapp was featured in MoMA's exhibition Century of the Child: Growing by Design 1900-2000, which explored influential examples of design created for children throughout the twentieth century. Building on this shared appreciation for design, the MoMA team approached us last year with the idea of creating a limited-edition Tripp Trapp to celebrate this unique legacy.

Working closely together, MoMA and our own teams explored how MoMA's signature colour palette could be incorporated while preserving Peter Opsvik's original design. Inspired by the creativity and individuality associated with childhood, the resulting colour combinations bring distinct character and playful expression to the iconic chair, remaining true to the timeless design that families have recognized for generations.

Tripp Trapp Chair MoMA Edition by Stokke

Store.MoMA.org, @MoMAdesignstore, Stokke.com, @StokkeBaby

With their steel profiles, flush cabinetry and marble tops, the low-profile credenzas and elegant desks designed by Florence Knoll in 1961 revolutionised office design, consigning traditional clunky filing cabinets and heavy bureaux to the past. Sixty-five years later, a new collection by Sam Chermayeff for Knoll allows these classics out of the executive suite and into the home, where they have increasingly been put to use over the last decades.

‘If Florence Knoll was still around, she would’ve responded to the current climate by reshaping her own system to fit domestic needs. Back then, people didn’t put their socks in a Florence Knoll credenza, but she would’ve been like, “of course people do that now”,’ says Chermayeff, whose new ‘Knoll Chermayeff Storage’ collection includes a bookcase, bar cabinet, console, side table and coffee table.

Florence Knoll’s ‘2544’ credenza was inspired by her former mentor Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s minimalist principles, and Chermayeff has taken a similarly architectural approach to his debut collection for Knoll, pairing bold precision with various finishes that allow for personalisation.

The American-born, Berlin-based architect has a strong personal connection to Knoll: his father, Ivan Chermayeff, led Knoll’s rebranding and graphic standards in the early 1990s with Tom Geismar (and also designed the MoMA logo). ‘In my memory, there was a Florence Knoll credenza in my father’s office,’ he says. ‘I remember Massimo and Lella Vignelli also had one in their office/house. In both cases, I remember red things on top of them and flowers. My son will probably remember the toys in the new ones that we have.’

Chermayeff knew that a light touch was all that was needed to adapt Florence Knoll’s original modernist designs to our more flexible contemporary world. From the tall open shelving to the console tables with push-to-open drawers, each piece clearly belongs to the Florence Knoll lineage – an evolution, not a revolution. All are fully finished on all sides, with particular attention spent on their silhouettes, so the pieces are free to float and take centre stage in the room.

There are plenty of colours and finishes to choose from: the side table, for example, is available in five types of veneers, ranging from Ebonized ash to Oxford walnut, as well as deep red, green, and blue lacquers – plus seven different types of marble (either gloss- or satin-coated) for the tabletop. The bookcase is also available with clear class shelves, while the bar, which features a mirrored top half with glass rack, is particularly striking in Dark Red Ultra.

‘‎Florence Knoll was a genius in how she used materials,’ says Chermayeff. ‘I like to follow her way, and I think it's best when the top is lighter and the body is darker – but not too dark. In my mind, the most classic combination is chrome, maple veneer, and white marble. You get that feeling with many of the colours and light tops. But then there’s black stone, which really has something and is lovely to live with.

‘I love this system for being able to withstand a lot of different expressions,’ he continues. ‘It’s generous in that way, and even though I took it on a little walk, it’s still Florence’s thing.’

The ‘Knoll Chermayeff Storage’ collection will be available in the UK and EU in November 2026.

New York has no shortage of venues to view great 20th- and 21st-century design – the Cooper Hewitt, the Brooklyn Museum, the Met and the Museum of Arts and Design, to name just a few.

Less common, though, are places to view rarities, prototypes and other design B-sides in an archive-like atmosphere, outside the constraints of an exhibition thesis or a permanent collection. The co-founders of R & Company – one of America’s most esteemed collectible design galleries – are looking to change that by opening their long-time storage facility Building 86 to the public for the first time.

The 16,000 sq ft warehouse, located in a former machine shop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, housed the gallery’s permanent collection, designer archives, photo studio and administrative spaces for the better part of a decade. But co-founders Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman recognised an opportunity: ‘The idea of being able to share 30 years of collecting with our clientele seemed like a really great idea,’ says Snyderman. ‘Everything in this building has a story.’

Building 86 will be open, by appointment, to collectors, designers and the public alike. Items are displayed on towering shelves, in no particular order, allowing visitors to wander and discover. Here, you may bump into a work by a modernist titan. There, you may encounter a contemporary designer you’ve never heard of. It’s all meant to foster a sense of serendipity and discovery. ‘We have things from France, we have things from Denmark. We have things we’ve owned, collected, wanted, lived with, cherished, loved, found – you name it,’ says Meyers.

‘A bigger thing,’ he adds, ‘is we just get to have fun.’

Below, Snyderman and Meyers share their 10 favourite finds.

1. 'Sluggo' lamp by Wendell Castle

This is one of my favourite things of all time. Most people know Wendell for his work in wood. I sort of brought him out of retirement in a way about 25 years ago when he didn't have a gallery representing him. One of the things I found most interesting was this series of work that he created in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s. It was a very short period of time, about four years, that he took a break from working in wood and switched to working in fibreglass because he was inspired by what was happening with the Italian Radical Design movement through a show at MoMA called The New Domestic Landscape. He got tired, from what he told me, of ‘everything being brown.’ He wanted colour. Wendell also comes out of hot rod culture – he built racing muscle cars and things like that. He was always a car fanatic. This lamp is sparkly blue – It's like that hot rod color. He was also looking a the cartoons of the 1940s, like Sluggo from the Nancy comic strip. That has nothing to do with the shape of this. It's just like this odd, surrealist object, and it looks like a slug. It sits on the floor. It's a lamp, which only illuminates this little strip of clear plexiglass at the bottom, so it really doesn't function as a lamp – it just glows. The whole thing is absurd, and that's what I love about it. – Evan Snyderman

2. Modular cat toy by Verner Panton for Naef

[This cat] was produced by Naef, a great Swiss toy maker. But the thing is, you have to build and put it together by interlocking these six-sided cubes with these plastic clips, and it's really, really hard. So it failed as a product; it was supposed to be marketed to kids and the adults couldn't even put it together – it takes hours, and they're very fragile. It's harder than Lego, and so in a couple of years they stopped producing them. We have original boxes. We have original instructions. Obviously, if you can make the cat, you can make another shape. They came in different colours. Evan and I have been buying them for years, and we keep buying them if we find them – they’re that rare. We have sold them too and we've tried to buy them back. We have clients that bought them from us even in the '90s, and we've tried to buy back, and they won't sell them to us. No one wants to get rid of the good Verner Panton. – Zesty Meyers

3. 'African' Chair by Garry Knox Bennett

This chair is wild, and he was wild. Garry Knox Bennett was one of the early American studio furniture makers. He's a contemporary of Wendell Castle. He lived in Oakland, California. Coming out of school, he made very elaborate roach clips, like in the ‘60s, and jewellery. What he was selling became popular, and that's when he went into the furniture-making world. You can't see it in the photo, but there are these silver hand-hammered little nails that are on top of the seat. So it's very much like a combination of furniture and jewellery. A lot of his work has this kind of detail, this level of like very fine metalwork combined with eccentric, wild woodwork. He was quite a character. Most people don't know who he is, but I just find it really exciting. This is my own personal chair. I used it in my office for many, many years, but I just retired it because I didn't want to destroy it. – ES

4. Flat file by Poul Kjaerholm

Paul Kjaerholm mostly worked in Denmark, that was the country of wood carving, and he was a teacher at the Royal Academy. I don't know if he coined the term, but he called himself an interior architect. I've never seen a flat file executed by Danish cabinet makers. And the handles are so beautiful, and everyone that's ever bought them from us are only art collectors. And it makes so much sense. The handles are pine. Danish cabinet makers were able to do this. – ZM

5. 'Paramount' lamp by Lapo Binazzi

Lapo Binazzi is my favourite of the Italian Radical designers. He's the coolest person. He lives in Florence. He's 85 or so years-old now. He started Grupo UFO and was one of the most radical of the Radical designers. He did this series of lamps between 1972 and 1973. They were statements about Hollywood movie companies and the American dream. This one is about Paramount, with the mountain from the Paramount logo. This is part of our permanent collection. The base is ceramic, handmade by him, and then the umbrella is custom-made by an umbrella maker in Florence. He works with all these old artisans and people in the neighbourhood. These craftsmen are going away – like the handmade umbrella, this kind of thing doesn't really exist anymore. As pop-y and and funny as they are, Lapo’s lamps are also completely crafted. – ES

6. Model 4088 table lamp by Joe Colombo for Kartell

The top part of this lamp turns. This is a lamp in my own personal collection, but I've never had in one of my houses – it's just been in a box. There's a second version of that lamp that's much shorter, that was more heavily produced. I've only ever seen a couple of [this model] in my lifetime, so I bought it. I'm a giant fan of Joe Colombo. I'm a giant fan of the late '60s into the '70s and that sort of pop era. I love that he was that far ahead of his time, and it's great that we can put it in a vignette. – ZM

7. 'Codependent' light fixture by Katie Stout

This is Katie Stout at her best. This has individual shades. She mixes these forms together and calls them 'codependent', but it's only something she can create and think of in this way. It’s just stunning. The colours and the innocence of it– it looks like a little kid’s thing, it’s absolutely amazing. – ZM

8. 'Elephant Skin' candelabra by The Haas Brothers

This is a very early Haas Brothers work. We were their first gallery. And it’s huge. I mean, it stands probably three feet tall – it's almost Gothic in scale. This piece was made in 2013, around when we first started to work with them. They made a series of these large candle holders in bronze. It's sculpted out of clay and then cast into bronze. Each one is made in an edition of three. We sold all of them almost immediately. We acquired this one back from a client a couple years ago. It has the most beautiful patina on it. In fact, Niki Haas was here a couple of years ago and saw it. He was like, ‘Oh my God, we need to make these again. This is the coolest thing ever.’ They call them ‘elephant skin’ because they have this really interesting texture. They look like folded skin almost, like, soft and squishy looking, but they're obviously cast bronze. It's just beautiful. – ES

9. Five-piece sectional sofa by Roberto Matta

Roberto Sebastian Matta was a surrealist painter from Chile, and this is one of the few furniture pieces he ever made. He lived in Chile and then Italy for many years, and he worked with Gavina, which is the company that produced this. Eventually, Gavina was sold to Knoll, so that's why the Knoll factory then produced these.

I love how it creates this whole living environment; it's a sculpture, but then it transforms into a sofa. But then you can turn it into, like, a fort. You can turn it into a whole room. You can make multiple installations out of it. I love the playfulness of it, and the fact that it's really a work of art masquerading as a sofa. This particular one, I bought from a woman who inherited it from her parents, and it had sat in her Upper East Side New York apartment since the 1970s. – ES

10. Bed by Joaquim Tenreiro

This is a single bed, I mean, you could use it as a day bed. If you notice on the front end where the footboard is, it tapers up, and the the headboard tapers up to to this beautiful sliver of wood. It has caning in the headboard, and it just shows Tenreiro's craftsmanship. It's something that we've never seen before. We've had one bigger one that was more of a full or queen-size bed. But he is, by far, the best wood carver in the history of Brazil. We own part of his archive. I'm a huge fan. He was born in Portugal and immigrated to Brazil. I think he's one of the best from the 1940s to about 1970s. – ZM

With its world-class concert halls and galleries, peaceful fountain court and large foyers wrapped in textured raw concrete walls, London’s Barbican is a haven for arts, architecture and design fans. Now they will be able to bring home a slice of the brutalist landmark’s aesthetics, thanks to a furniture collection by Made and the Barbican, available to buy now

Built in 1982 on the largest Second World War bomb site in the City of London, the Barbican was designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon as both a cultural and residential complex, and the new 23-piece collection finds inspiration not only in the estate’s public spaces – such as the concert hall and raised walkways – but also in some of its original apartments.

Explore the Made x Barbican furniture and lighting collection

The design team at Made, a homeware brand that aims to make high-end design accessible, worked closely with the Barbican, Europe’s largest multi-arts centre, sifting through its archives and researching the pioneering world of designer Miriam Howitt, who was tasked with creating five show homes for the development in the late 1960s.

Inspired by her travels to Scandinavia and bold Dutch interiors, Howitt’s work shaped the project’s direction, and resulted in a range of furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories infused with architectural references to the Barbican’s unique visual language of sculptural forms, modular layouts, grid structures and curved silhouettes.

‘The ambition was to create a complete product range that works both in isolation and together in an open living space,’ says Made’s in-house design team. ‘The final designs reimagine products, graphics and architectural details through a new lens, and into a cohesive product range that captures Barbican living: bold, considered and inherently social.’

The Barbican’s concrete architecture is softened by a recurring motif of semi-circles, often upside down, which appears throughout the complex, from the sills of the podium windows and the top-floor penthouse roofs, to fountains, stair towers, and the shape of the Frobisher Crescent apartment building at the centre of the estate.

In the new furniture collection, these signature curves can be found in the wooden side panels of the ‘Dual’ accent chairs, whose silhouette recalls the estate’s concrete pillars; the ‘Plinth’ coffee table, inspired by the sunken seating pods found next to the Barbican lake; or the ‘Curve’ lamp series, which echoes the Concert Hall’s tubular acoustic panels.

As well as the pick-hammered textured concrete (a massive undertaking that took nearly 17 years from the start of construction to completion), another key element of the Barbican is its heavy coffered ‘waffle’ ceilings – a concrete-saving structural grid that also creates a great pattern in the Barbican’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Their rounded square shape is mirrored by the ‘Coffer’ series of ceiling lights and wall lights.

Also available are two sofa designs, a dining table and chairs, and a wooden sideboard in stained ash. The warm colour palette found in the lights and soft furnishings, including moss greens and burgundy hues, is similar to the one Howitt used in her show apartments.

Accessories include a graphic cushion featuring the Barbican’s ‘boat edge’ balconies, as well as the ‘Brute’ retro deep-pile rug in ochre tones and white stripes. ‘In 1967, Howitt anchored the Barbican’s plain off-white flats with “show-stopping” patterned carpets,’ explains the Made design team. ‘By using bold colours to create visual weight, she ensured the spacious rooms felt grounded instead of empty.’

To celebrate the launch of the collection, Made will be creating a free immersive installation at the Barbican Centre in partnership with London Design Festival this September. Located at the Barbican Level G Hub Space, it will shine a light into the archives of the Barbican and the inspiration behind the collection.

Meanwhile, the Barbican is currently on the lookout for a designer to reimagine a bespoke range of up to 500 pieces of furniture across its public spaces, as part of a complete overhaul timed for its 50th anniversary. The competition is open to anyone, and proposals must be submitted online by the end of the month. Expectations are high – the original designer of the Barbican furniture was none other than Robin Day.

The ‘Made x Barbican’ collection, with prices starting from £32, is available at Made.com now , with selected items also available at the Barbican Shop.

1970s Italian design is having a moment: from little-known furniture pieces to legendary design experiments, lighting and even bathroom taps, the year's new launches were punctuated by reissues of pieces that help paint a picture of this unsung decade in Italian design.

The 1970s in Italian design were largely defined by 'Italy: the new domestic landscape', a 1972 MoMA exhibition that reflected on the country's culmination of creative excellence following the industrial boom that represented the post-WWII period in design. It was a look at Italian design at a time when Italian design was reviewing itself.

Italian design critic Paola Antonelli, the MoMA's Senior Curator of Architecture and Design, drew a comparison between the political and social turmoil of the decade, and the current times of uncertainty. Antonelli noted how designers in the 1970s (and those taking part in the MoMA exhibition in particular) represented 'a culture that was really worried about the future of society. It's really interesting to see how designs that stemmed from a complicated moment are now being celebrated with nostalgia.

'Italian design has always been great: it was fabulous in the 50s. It was even better in the 60s, and in the 70s, was still great, but with this undertone of anxiety.'

Antonelli also explains how the evolution of Italian design throughout the second half of the last century took projects beyond their aesthetic and functionality, but made them part of a bigger domestic ecosystem (something the exhibition documented well and can be found in examples such as Joe Colombo's Total Furnishing Unit. 'It was a moment of real fervour,' concludes Antonelli. 'It had to do not with products, but rather with new ways of life. '

Great 1970s Italian design reissued for contemporary interiors

Cigno chair by Vittorio Varo, for Visionnaire

Originally conceived in the early 1970s for Visionnaire's parent company IPE, the Cigno chair by Vittorio Varo was fittingly chosen to furnish 'Déjà-Vu', a listening room curated by Marco Morandini during Milan Design Week 2026, that celebrated the decade's cultural spirit through design and music.

Parioli Cabinet by Lodovico Acerbis

A 1971 design by Acerbis founder Lodovico Acerbis, Parioli is a piece that brings architectural modularity to storage furniture. The wooden structure (in ash or walnut) disappears behind the geometry of satin stainless steel doors, whose design define the design with an expressive aesthetic informed by rigour and movement.

Sintesi by Ernesto Gismondi for Artemide

The first Artemide lamp designed by founder Ernesto Gismondi, the Sintesi brings the bare functionality that defined 1970s Italian design to the fore. A few essential components define its design, that is both practical and versatile, with two profiles that intersect to create a standing lighting object (and a wall version based on the same system). 'It’s like a magic formula and finding it is never guaranteed,' said its creator.

Alcinoo by Gae Aulenti for Artemide

Gae Aulenti's 1975 design for Artemide merges an appreciation for artisanal techniques (the mouth blown glass sphere) with an industrial language (the metal cylinder holding it). A sculptural home for an essential lighting idea, the lamp is a shell for three lightbulbs set at its base. 'It was tough, Gae has strong ideas (...)' Artemide founder Ernesto Gismondi recalled. 'And the moment you switch the lamp on, you realise she was right: the character fills the room with tiny traces of light.

T35 Trio by Pierangelo Gallotti

The 1970s marked a turning point for Italian glass brand Gallotti e Radice, who celebrated their 70th anniversary at Milan Design Week this year. In 1975, it developed a method of joining panes of glass with a simple stainless steel joint, enabling larger and more structurally complex pieces, such as the ‘T35 Trio' – a three-part coffee table set designed by Pierangelo Gallotti in 1975 – now presented in an anniversary edition in bronze-tinted tempered glass and brushed silver travertine. Text: Laura May Todd

Papero by Cini Boeri for Codiceicona

Cini Boeri's Papero was conceived in 1971 and reflects the experimental approach to craft and industrial design that defined the decade. Shaped as a duck (from which it borrows its name), the lamp features two impact-resistant opal polystyrene pieces connected by a chrome-plated steel plate with a black PVC profile.

Fachiro by Marzio Cecchi for Gufram

Marzio Cecchi's 1975 Fachiro for Gufram reflects the more playful end of the decade's design spectrum. Harsh looking but definitely comfortable to sit on thanks to the soft leather construction, the design is informed by the work of Cecchi's couturier mother and his ongoing observations of nature, and how it can dialogue with design.

Pallino by Elio Martinelli

A 1970s design by Elio Martinelli, Pallino is both playful and minimal. Dubbed 'a curious lamp' from its creator, the design of Pallino brings to mind an inquisitive character taking a peek at whoever is on the other side. 'Reintroducing Pallino means bringing back into today’s homes a touch of the formal lightness and chromatic boldness that made Italian design great,' comments Emiliana Martinelli, President of Martinelli Luce. 'It means choosing an object with a story to tell, one that still looks ahead together with those who own it.'

Joe Colombo for Mamoli

Joe Colombo's design was firmly rooted in the idea that 'all the objects needed in a house should be integrated with the usable spaces; hence, they no longer ought to be called furnishings but ‘equipment.’ His Total Furnishing Unit was originally presented at the exhibition 'Italy: The New Domestic Landscape' and among a bigger design idea for domestic living, it introduced the humble tap not just as accessory, but as 'an integral part of both the space and the domestic experience'. Mamoli's reissue of the tap design is only slightly updated for modern use, and reflects Colombo's idea of a home based on functionality.

Tasked with preserving the heritage of his late father, legendary French designer Pierre Paulin, Benjamin Paulin has been clear that this design legacy is not static. Interpreting the late designer's ethos, Paulin set up Paulin, Paulin, Paulin with his wife Alice Paulin as a studio that expands the design world by connecting the original ideas with contemporary design and popular culture.

Among the latest initiatives is an installation to backdrop British record producer Fred Again.. and Mexican trio Latin Mafia's collaborative mixtape, '9 months & 50 hours', recorded at LagoAlgo, a cultural centre set within a 1960s building on the shores of a lake in Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City.

The artists installed themselves in the modernist architectural masterpiece with the aim of working on a collaborative mixtape, documented on a livestream on YouTube. The artists worked from the space, longing on Paulin's masterpiece which proved a fitting design to encourage creative brainstorming.

This installation is a fitting embodiment of the designer's original idea. Paulin conceived the Dune sofa as part of his radical vision for an interior design based on fluid landscape, rather than static objects. The modular system encourages freedom of movement and is designed with conversation in mind. While the piece was never produced during the designer's lifetime, it is one of his most celebrated works and an integral part of Paulin, Paulin, Paulin's celebration of his legacy and released in super limited edition.

'By accompanying Fred Again.. and Latin Mafia during the final moments of their creative process, Paulin, Paulin, Paulin continues its dialogue with today's leading cultural figures, placing its timeless designs at the heart of contemporary artistic expression,' reads a note from the studio introducing their involvement in the collaboration. This installation continues Benjamin Paulin's exploration of his father's legacy through popular culture, and music in particular.

Earlier this year, he launched Sounds Like Paulin, a cultural label centred on music with the aim of transforming 'the concept of the salon into an immersive sound meeting place – an environment capable of bringing together friends and artists who might never have crossed paths otherwise,’ said Paulin upon launching the initiative.

Watch: '9 months & 50 hours' by Fred Again.. and Latin Mafia, hour 26 of finishing the mixtape

For young people living in a city, square footage in a home can be hard to come by. Studios with storage space are gold dust, house shares may be a necessity, and moves may be frequent. After spending time with young adults living in central London, Ikea has developed a new furniture and accessories collection inspired by the realities of renting, moving home, and student life.

Adpatable and portable, Ikea’s ‘Kompishäng’ collection

Among the participating twentysomethings, they discovered consistent challenges: limited storage space, and worn-out moving boxes used in place of furniture. What they also saw was a small number of easily movable objects that had been carried from one property to the next.

The ‘Kompishäng’ collection features 12 designs, including a folding table/desk, stools that stack to become shelving or a display unit, a pick-up-able bookshelf-bookend combo, a hanging wardrobe organiser that can be carried like a bag, back-of-door storage, and even a collapsible jute plant pot.

The collection is designed to be durable and functional, with pieces crafted from materials such as solid pine, powder-coated steel, and canvas.

'It's designed to accompany life's transitions – equally at home in a first apartment, a family house, or even a retirement space,' says designer David Wahl, whose round side table is lightweight and folds flat.

To help ease the stress of transporting furniture across the city, there is also a bag on wheels, which can equally serve as a shopping bag or a picnic basket. 'We wanted to create furniture that could be moved with your body alone, without needing a car,' comments Ikea designer Wiebke Braasch.

‘Even if you move often, you don’t want your home to feel temporary,' says Dora Ding, Ikea product developer. 'We saw how carefully people chose the things they carried with them from place to place, and that insight shaped the collection. We wanted the collection to be portable but still have a permanent look: people should feel settled and considered.’

Shop the collection

Around the turn of the 20th century, the Lido, a seven-mile barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, was home to some of the grandest hotels in Europe. It inspired Thomas Mann to pen his novella Death in Venice there in 1912, and, two decades later, was so cinematic that it became the home of the Venice Film festival.

Even if you don’t have plans to visit Venice this summer, New York’s Galerie56 is offering the next-best thing – for design buffs, anyway. Now through 17 October, the Manhattan art and design outpost is teaming up with Italy’s prestigious Nilufar gallery on a new exhibition of design rarities called ‘Nilufar Grand Hotel, Vista Mare.’

The residency (Nilufar’s second stateside presentation with Galerie56) is a continuation of the Milanese collectible design powerhouse’s Milan Design Week show, ‘Grand Hotel’, in which gallery founder Nina Yashar reimagined the Nilufar Depot as if it were a sumptuous Old World resort. The New York version, similarly, uses design treasures to conjure a hotel – only this time, one set in the Lido.

‘I found myself returning to the atmosphere of Venice in summer – not Venice as a destination, but Venice as an idea: a place where architecture, water, light, memory and culture merge into a singular, evocative experience,’ said Galerie56 founder, architect Lee Mindel.

Mindel, working with the Nilufar team, hand-selected objects that conjured a sunny beach scene in the Lido – a place the architect first visited as a teenager. An ultra-rare, Formica-topped Carlo Mollino dining table, first designed in 1956, forms an imaginary lobby, flanked by a pair of minimalist wood ‘Miguelito’ chairs by Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Opposite the entrance, a golden ‘40s-era knotted rug designed by Swedish designer Barbro Nilsson forms an expanse of ‘sand’, while a round Fontana Arte cocktail table and whimsical Gabriella Crespi floor lamp evoke the sun and a cheerful beach umbrella, respectively.

Fans of Crespi, the glamorous multidisciplinary Italian designer who rose to fame during the 1950s, will find many delights here, from a carved-wood table lamp in the shape of a frog; to rattan furniture; to a set of gleaming brass drawers created for Christian Dior; to a futuristic metallic floor lamp that sprouts from the floor like buoys floating on the sea. Other design masters, including Gio Ponti, Martino Gamper and the Italian-born Brazilian designer Lina Bo Bardi, make cameos.

One of the most enticing items in the show is actually one of the oldest – a scroll-shaped mirror and shelf designed by Carlo Bugatti. Created in 1902 – a decade before Mann authored Death in Venice – the piece feels at once of its era and strikingly modern, thanks to a stenciled Art Nouveau iris border; embossed copper and mother of pearl decorative elements; and a small hinged cupboard that opens to reveal diminutive drawers and turned columns evocative of Piazza San Marco.

‘They are works of exceptional craftsmanship and beauty, but they also carry stories, cultural references, and emotional resonance,’ Mindel said. ‘“Grand Hotel, Vista Mare” is ultimately a celebration of those connections – an exploration of hospitality, elegance and the enduring romance of Italian design.’

'Grand Hotel, Vista Mare' is on view through 17 October at Galerie56, located at 240 Church Street New York, NY, USA 10013

It’s been decades since Knoll last added a bed to its line-up. The Pennsylvania-based furniture juggernaut, though, decided that it wasn’t an opportunity to sleep on much longer. Today, Knoll debuted a brand new bed design in collaboration with multi-hyphenate designer, Willo Perron.

Perron is one of the most innovative voices working in design today, with a portfolio that encompasses furniture, objects, sets, stages and brand identities for the likes of Beyoncé, Charli XCX, St. Vincent, Chanel and more. Wallpaper* even named Perron as our 2026 Designer of the Year.

No surprise, Perron’s latest project is just as fun. Called the 'Pillo' bed, the cushiony cot is an extension of the Los Angeles-based designer’s ongoing collaboration with Knoll, a partnership that launched in 2024 with the reveal of the 'Pillo' sofa, and that has since expanded to include lounge chairs, modular seating and – true to its namesake – pillows.

The bed is as inviting as it is a design statement, with a plush upholstered frame that blurs the boundary between pillows and bed. The headboard functions as a massive cushion, allowing loungers to prop themselves up to read a book or binge-watch their new favourite series.

The bed is neutral enough to work within a variety of contexts, ‘quietening and simplifying the bedroom,’ as Jonathan Olivares, Knoll’s creative director, put it. Buyers can also customise the upholstery colour to suit their space. Of course, it pairs perfectly with other items in the 'Pillo' family.

Perron, for his part, prefers to mix and match. ‘I don’t believe in uniformity and that extends to this bed – my pieces are designed to be a kind of functional system, but in an adaptable way where they can become unique to each person and each space through material, colour and context,’ Perron said in a statement. ‘I like seeing how people ultimately make them their own.’

The classic 1970s ‘Mah Jong’ sofa seems to be on Charli XCX's wish list. In her newly released song, 'Card Declined', her shopping list includes 'a handbag', 'a personality', 'a whole new life' as well as the Roche Bobois, hippy-coded sofa.

‘Mah Jong’ sofa: a 1970s seating landscape

The story of the ‘Mah Jong’ sofa started from an idea of German designer, painter, and sculptor Hans Hopfer, generally recognised for inventing the concept of a 'seating landscape'. His first designs, created in the 1960s for furniture company Mobiliar-Basar, included the ‘Bausystem’ (1965), a streamlined sofa bed design, and the ‘Mobiliante’ (1967), a unique piece that incorporated sofa, love seat and ottoman. Both concepts were based on an idea of essential forms, functionality and responding to the needs of modern life.

This experience led him to create the Mah Jong sofa, for French furniture company Roche Bobois, in 1971. A fully modular, ever-changing seating system, the ‘Mah Jong’ sofa was conceived to adapt to the constant evolution of domestic lifestyles. Bohemian in its execution and based on comfort, durability and flexibility, the ‘Mah Jong’ features a system of cushions upholstered in bold textiles; over the years, the sofa has been dressed by the likes of Kenzo Takada, Missoni and Sonia Rykiel.

For Hopfer, the creation of the ‘Mah Jong’ sofa coincided with the birth of his first child and a pivot towards thinking about a piece of furniture that would serve the life of a family. Initially dubbed 'The Forever Sofa', a name that is also a mission statement for a design piece, it was later renamed after the Chinese tile game its forms closely resemble. The design of the sofa is based on pure modularity, with a corner, back and flat bottom section, which users can combine into virtually infinite compositions.

At the time of its creation, it was an innovative idea to give people the agency to design their own sofa and living space through a series of pieces that could be configured in formats that best suit their users' needs. While the earlier models featured a more streamlined cushion design, over the years the sofa evolved with visible seams and irregular edges, looking like a refined DIY composition and enhancing its mission. Added platforms and outdoor versions (as well as adjustable backs) have expanded the design's scope within the home.

Defined by bold patterns that are often found in mix-and-match compositions and definitely better suited to large spaces, where compositions can truly bring to life its creator's original idea, it is undeniable that the ‘Mah Jong’ sofa makes for an exciting shopping trip indeed.

roche-bobois.com

The foosball table – aka table football or baby-foot – isn’t typically associated with luxury or design, conjuring images of dingy pubs and bachelor basements instead. Irish luxury furniture house Orior has set out to change that with a high-end foosball table for the discerning games enthusiast. There's no tacky plastic in sight, no garish green – just a beautiful, handcrafted piece that's as functional as it is striking. It will be available to purchase via Orior's website.

The table's solid wood frame is bold and blocky, anchoring the piece in a warm, rich walnut. The playing field is the real showstopper: 'Irish Green' and 'Orior Crema' marble contrast with the wood – a refined reinterpretation of the Crayola-green felt found on a typical table.

The clean, architectural silhouette carries through in the satin steel-lined interior walls, which lend a industrial counterpoint to the marble and walnut, and in the satin steel rods that run through the frame, capped with solid cast bronze handles. The players are carved from oak and finished with leather detailing and lacquer, while the goals are wrapped in leather. These materials elevate the table into a piece that functions equally as a game and a collectible design object.

There's a story behind the launch – timed to coincide with the recent Fifa World Cup final: Orior's company leaders met as teammates on the Savannah College of Art and Design football team, where a shared love of the sport sparked friendships that would go on to shape the next chapter of the business. The foosball table stands as a tribute to Orior's origins.

Fashion designer Jil Sander made her first foray into furniture design in 2025. Collaborating with the German furniture designer Thonet, she brought her minimalist yet innovative approach to reinterpretations of classic Bauhaus designs by Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Now, she has added two new designs to the resulting JS Thonet collection: the ‘S 411’ lounge chair and the ‘S 1070’ table. Both pieces, rooted in technical developments, offer contemporary takes on classic designs and are available in ‘Serious’ and ‘Nordic’ editions, comprising more sober and lighter colours and finishes, respectively.

The lounge chair takes its framework from a Thonet factory design that dates back to 1932. Its distinct, S-shaped tubular frame combines an elegant cantilevered form with sprung upholstery and is paired with a matching footstool for comfort.

In her design approach, Sander sees herself as closely aligned with the Bauhaus philosophy of elevating everyday objects by marrying functionalism with minimalist aesthetics, but also with Marcel Breuer in particular. ‘It was important to Breuer to combine industrial techniques and components with attractive, high-quality traditional materials such as leather, wood, and tubular steel. He strove to reconcile avant-garde aesthetics with an appreciation for comfort. This approach showed foresight and makes all the difference in the market today.’

She adds, 'The chair appears to defy gravity, in a spirit of constructivism, as if floating freely in space,' she says. 'I wanted to achieve this weightlessness without the glitz of chrome, grounding the “S 411”.'

The JS Thonet collection’s new ‘S 1070’ tables, meanwhile, are an interpretation of a Glen Oliver Löw design from 2004, which itself nodded to Bauhaus designs – in particular, Marcel Breuer’s 1920s ‘B 9’ nesting tables.

Sander has taken the clean-lined piece and added her own finishes and colours, her glossy tabletop nodding to the finish on a Steinway grand piano. ‘To me, colours are like musical notes that can speak to each other and resonate by association,’ she says.

Sander’s purist aesthetic echoes throughout the collection, as Thonet’s creative director Norbert Ruf notes: ‘Jil Sander’s designs have always represented laid-back, elegant luxury and her clothes are worn with pleasure year after year. [She] wants to use her products to convey a sense of value.’

thonet.de

Also in the JS Thonet collection

An often overlooked genre, outdoor showers are on the rise. Versatile and practical, they elevate outdoor spaces and offer both a pause from the heat and a practical solution to cool off in the Summer. A must-have poolside tool, we also like the idea of an outdoor shower as an indulgent, refreshing addition to a garden space.

We look at five recent outdoor shower designs that we'd like to have in our backyard right now.

Five outdoor showers we love

FormaLibera by Pierattelli Architetture for IB Rubinetterie

FormaLibera is a modular and customisable outdoor shower system by Pierattelli Architetture for IB Rubinetterie that is both a minimal design and an ultra-accessorised functional object. The idea, the architects explains, comes from showering in unconventional outdoor settings, from a field to a remote beach. From this, a first concept featured a portable version that comes with a dedicated kit and case to be easily transported and used anywhere. Evolving into a freestanding or wall-mounted shower system, FormaLibera is defined by accessory bars, soap holders and multi-purpose supports.

weareib.it

Pool by Roca

One of the leading bathrooms and faucets companies globally, Spanish brand Roca is expanding its offering outside the washroom and into outdoor spaces with Pool, a new shower that combines a minimal design with the company's expertise. The elegant, sleek outdoor shower is designed with versatility in mind, imagined for both residential environment as well as hospitality and wellness spaces. The minimalist silhouette is available in both wall-mounted and freestanding and a palette that will bring a joyful touch of colour to your garden.

roca.com

FFQT by Formafantasma for QuadroDesign

For their outdoor shower for Italian bathroom specialist QuadroDesign, Formafantasma decided not to reinvent the wheel, and instead to play on the genre's most intuitive iteration. 'Sometimes a design is effective when it is at its most subtle state, what stands out, are the services it provides,' say the designers, perfectly describing their concept. The outdoor shower is simply a stainless steel support onto which a standard hose can be installed: an ingenious way to make the most with a simple gesture.

quadrodesign.it

Bold by Natalino Malasorti for Cea Design

Cea Design's Bold by Natalino Malasorti is the result of extensive technological research to create a freestanding outdoor shower that is both minimal and powerful. The elegant stainless steel body is resistant to corrosion and the adjustable showerhead allows for options that include a rain jet or aerated rain jet, wider or closer.

ceadesign.it

Outdoor Shower by Cristina

This outdoor shower by Italian bathroom brand Cristina was conceived to be an unobtrusive, discreet presence in an outdoor setting. Its sinuous minimalist design is characterised by a freestanding design paired steel for durability and withstanding being exposed to all climates. Products like this outdoor shower affirm the brand's mission to offer 'solutions designed not to revolutionize, but to evolve what already exists sustainably and consciously.'

cristinarubinetterie.com

Today, two seemingly disparate worlds collide: the vibrant universe of British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE, and Dunelm, the UK's largest homeware retailer. As of today (8 July 2026), the pair are launching a summery new collection, available online and in selected stores.

Anyone familiar with Ilori's work will know that his visual language is joyous, often built around vibrant shades and geometric patterns (as seen in his recent London exhibition, ‘Joy Through Resistance’, and his Milan Design Week collaboration with Veuve Clicquot). That sensibility runs throughout the 40 pieces in the Dunelm collection, which spans furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs and soft furnishings, with prices ranging from an accessible £9 cotton jacquard hand towel to a £799 king-size boucle ottoman bed.

Ilori felt a personal connection to Dunelm's origins as a market stall in Leicester, having grown up around his parents' local supermarket in north London. ‘What struck me about Dunelm's beginnings was their love for community,’ he explains. ‘Growing up in a working-class environment, community was everything for my family. There were similarities with this and Dunelm's beginnings as a market stall – how they sought community.’

That focus runs through the collection. Many pieces draw on the diverse communities that shaped Leicester's textile industry across the 20th century, with floral patterns referencing national flowers from countries including India and Pakistan, in a nod to the city's Asian, African and Caribbean cultures. This commitment to authenticity extends to the campaign photography, which features real Dunelm employees.

Shop the collection

A handful of pieces have emerged as favourites among the design team and Ilori himself. The ‘Sweet Flows’ swivel chair (£299) is a colourful, pattern-rich armchair that he says ‘instantly makes you want to smile’. ‘Home interiors can be quite serious, so I chose a colourful palette and vibrant pattern that is immediately engaging. It sparks joy and stands on its own as a piece of art. It's also really comfortable!’

The ‘Bell LED’ lamp (£65), meanwhile, feels ‘very playful and nostalgic’, Ilori continues. ‘It's a classic and timeless piece that would feel at home in the 70s or 80s. There are also elements that feel quite art deco.’

The ‘Net Floral’ duvet cover set (from £16) reimagines the classic British net curtain with floral motifs, while the ‘Gerbera’ cushion (£26) combines crewel wool embroidery with a geometric floral pattern. The ‘Kaleidoscope’ floral round rug (from £135) is a handmade, 100 per cent wool piece with a textured, bobbled finish, and the ‘Half-Log’ sideboard (£599) brings a sculptural silhouette to life with a warm oak finish and chrome legs.

Both Ilori and Dunelm frame the collaboration around the shared belief that good design shouldn't be reserved for a select few. ‘I think it's important we design objects that are rich in storytelling, that speak to people in different ways and that celebrate unique ideas,' says Ilori. 'I hope this collection brings joy into people's everyday lives.’

Yinka Ilori's collection for Dunelm is available to shop from today.

Today (8 July 2026), British designer Faye Toogood unveils her latest collection. ‘Bone, Roll, Slump’ comprises furniture pieces that have an air of the archaeological about them – objects that feel found or unearthed rather than made.

The first chapter, ‘Bone’, centres on a dining collection inspired by mudlarked bones and fossils. At its heart is the ‘Bone Table’, a monolithic superellipse carved from solid oak. Asymmetrical in form, it is available in an eight-seat version or a smaller, more circular table for six.

Rather than being lacquered, the oak is oiled, preserving its natural texture and allowing the material to age gracefully. Four circular piercings punctuate the tabletop, recalling the oversized timber plugs once used in traditional joinery. They expose the oak's vertical grain while anchoring the surface to its stout, rounded legs. The swollen, sculptural profile of those legs, shared by the table and its chairs, reference knucklebones – once used in games and divination.

The ‘Bone Chairs’, meanwhile, stand on two solid legs, adopting a primal stance. Beneath their tactile exterior lies a timber frame sculpted with wool, coconut husk and natural latex – upholstered in bouclé as standard, with other fabrics available. The family comprises a dining chair, an armchair and an oversized ‘Jumbo’ armchair.

Where ‘Bone’ feels excavated, ‘Roll’ is more contained, while retaining the collection's preoccupation with weight, volume and organic geometry. Three-drawer consoles and single-drawer bedside tables take the form of rounded timber lozenges resting on stout, trunk-like bases or, alternatively, cantilevering from the wall. The grain follows the curvature of each piece, while finishes include golden oak, rich walnut and ash stained in ‘Chalk’, ‘Putty’ or ‘Malachite’.

The collection concludes with ‘Soft Slump’ – asymmetrical, bagel-like lounge chairs which appear to collapse gently into themselves. The effect is achieved through an unconventional construction: rather than stretching upholstery taut, around four metres of fabric are gathered and cinched, a bit like the drawstring of a duffel bag, creating deep folds. Set atop either hand-forged, dimpled steel legs or industrial castors, Toogood insists these are also the most comfortable chairs she has ever made.

'Bone, Roll, Slump' is unique, intriguing and pleasingly tactile – a quality that makes it feel both contemporary and somehow elemental.

Pieces from the collection can be purchased from Faye Toogood’s website.

If you love vintage furniture and British heritage design, this one's for you. Pre-loved furniture marketplace Vinterior is joining forces with British design house Liberty London on a five-piece capsule collection, launching today (1 July 2026), which pairs meticulously sourced midcentury and modernist furniture with fabrics drawn from Liberty's archive.

The collaboration is led by Liberty's head of design for home and interiors, Genevieve Bennett, who selected each furniture piece with specific fabrics in mind. The result is a tightly curated edit that bridges the design philosophies of both brands: Vinterior's commitment to circular furnishing and Liberty's century-and-a-half tradition of textile innovation.

Our favourite pieces from the collection include a ‘Cassina Maralunga’ two-seater sofa, originally designed by Vico Magistretti for the Italian manufacturer Cassina, now upholstered in Liberty's ‘Shadow Stripe Weave’ in ‘Amalfi’, a pattern drawing on Futurist and Vorticist influences. Equally covetable is an early 1970s ‘Alky’ chair, designed by Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelli, finished in Liberty's ‘Zig Zag Velvet’ from the ‘FuturLiberty’ range, a jacquard velvet referencing early 20th-century design and the energy of jazz-age dance.

The collection also features two 1960s Vico Magistretti ‘Carimate’ chairs, sourced from Vinterior's archive and dressed in Liberty's densely embroidered ‘Mount Stitch’ fabric in ‘Acacia’, a woodland and mountain-inspired print that pops against the chairs' red frames. A 1960s Swedish ‘Lamino’ footstool is covered in Liberty's ‘Cravat’ fabric in ‘Scarab Lacquer’, chosen to complement its curved silhouette, while a vintage 1960s beech standard lamp is finished with a bespoke Liberty lampshade in ‘Ottoman Spot’ velvet, a design inspired by a 19th-century artwork unearthed in the Liberty archive.

‘[Liberty’s] designs have outlasted trends for over 150 years, and the pieces in this collection have done the same. That's the spirit this partnership is built on: timeless design, beautifully made, built to last,’ says Vinterior founder and CEO Sandrine Zhang Ferron.

‘We were naturally drawn to fabrics from our FuturLiberty and The House of Liberty collections, inspired by the same 1960s-70s periods as the selected furniture pieces – each fabric felt perfectly aligned in history and aesthetic,’ adds Bennett. ‘Sculptural, curved silhouettes juxtapose dynamic geometrics, charming scenic landscapes and bold textures.’

With just five pieces available, this collection is unlikely to stay on the market for long. Shop the furniture below for a rare opportunity to own a timeless piece of design history, reimagined for the present.

Shop the pieces

When Roy Halston Frowick – the Iowa-born fashion designer better known as ‘Halston’ – designed a garment, he wanted to make it ‘more simple’, ‘more American,’ and ‘more contemporary’, he said.

Halston took a similar approach to his office design, located in an International Style skyscraper designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) in Manhattan. With its vertiginous Fifth Avenue views, red carpet, glass expanses and mirrored walls, the HQ embodied what made the designer the clothier of the 1970s: minimalism, freshness and a healthy dose of sex appeal.

The office also featured minimal chairs specially created for the fashion designer in 1979 by Charles Pfister, who led interiors at SOM for 15 years. The furnishings echoed the modernist qualities of the skyscraper they were in: a gleaming tubular-steel frame and a cantilevered profile that supported the sitter just so.

Though the chair design had the potential to become a design classic, it remained a one-off for Halston’s office. Nearly half a century later, though, SOM has dusted off the design and revived the chair in partnership with Ikonstudio, a contract furniture company owned by Teknion (an earlier collection resurrected designs from Louis Kahn’s archive).

Just like Halston’s own seats, the ‘SOM79’ chair features a hand-polished chrome frame and dark leather upholstery. Ikonstudio, however, has reworked it slightly, to align with contemporary manufacturing techniques, ergonomic principles and sustainability standards.

The company has also released a complementary ‘SOM79’ table, which features a matching tubular frame that, when viewed through the transparent glass tabletop, creates the form of an ‘H’ to honour its original patron.

The chairs were teased in May 2026 at New York Design Week as part of the Afternoon Light fair, and launched in June during Chicago’s Design Days. They are now available to purchase through Ikonstudio, to be specified in homes, offices and hospitality spaces.

And there is more in store for SOM: later in the year, in tandem with Form Portfolios, it will launch a new archival collection with the American furniture company Haworth.

‘These works emerged from a moment when architecture firms were deeply engaged in every aspect of the built environment,’ said SOM partner Julia Murphy in a press release, ‘down to the scale of the chair’ – a philosophy, clearly, that has never gone out of style.

So much time is spent thinking about adult-sized furniture that it is easy to forget the needs of children. A new exhibition at the design museum MK&G in Hamburg, 'Mini Furniture: Chairs for Children' (14 June to 1 November 2026), aims to change that.

The show looks at 130 child-centric chair designs across two centuries, with a European focus. It demonstrates how designers have taken small humans into account – in both practical and playful ways – and how those kids have engaged with chairs over time.

The designs span traditional high chairs to modernist creations bringing ‘high design’ to the younger generations. There are also chairs that are designed to support children’s social and creative development – showing that furniture can help us grow.

‘Children are not only an important part of our society, they are also the current and future users of the designed world,’ says Simon Klingler, the exhibition curator. ‘Yet design history is still predominantly told from an adult perspective – a perspective we are keen to broaden.’

‘We have observed that children would rather spend their time playing, exploring and moving around than sitting down,’ adds Klingler. ‘This is why we’re interested in chairs as companions, figures of identification and, at times, even playmates.’

The exhibition is arranged in four chapters: ‘Variety’, ‘Form: From High to Low’, ‘Function’ and ‘Colour’.

‘Variety’ displays the overall breadth of children’s chair designs, put in their historical context – from a miniature version of Marcel Breuer’s iconic B34 (3/4) cantilevered armchair (1929) to the Lou Lou Ghost (2008) by Philippe Starck, the ‘baby’ version of the Louis Ghost.

‘Form: From High to Low’ contrasts two distinctive children’s chair types rooted in practicality: the stool and the high chair. While low stools adapt to a child’s height, the high chair brings babies and toddlers up to the scale of an adult table, with a focus on safety and security.

Many high chairs show the potential for adaptability, like the well-known Tripp Trapp chair – originally designed by Peter Opsvik for Norwegian furniture-maker Stokke in 1972. ‘Its construction is so adaptable that it can be used from early childhood as a high chair through to adolescence as a regular seat, demonstrating how thoughtful design can grow alongside its users,’ says Klingler.

The exhibition’s ‘Function’ section is dedicated to chairs that go beyond seating and embrace play, while the chapter on ‘Colour’ looks to the role that colourful furniture plays in children’s wellbeing and psychological development.

‘The exhibition demonstrates that children’s chairs are far more than simply scaled-down versions of adult furniture – they constitute a distinct field of experimentation for materials, colours and design ideas,’ says Klingler.

During the process of research and curation, Klingler was surprised by how long modular and adaptable concepts have been around. ‘A hundred years ago, designers were developing high chairs that could be adjusted to different ages and needs by folding, repositioning or turning individual elements,’ he says. ‘Many of the issues we discuss today under the headings of sustainability and flexibility were already being explored in the design of children’s furniture at a very early stage.’

One of the exhibition’s key insights, says Klingler, is that good design is not an abstract concept, but an integral part of our everyday lives from the earliest stages of childhood. ‘It influences the way we perceive and engage with our surroundings, often without us even realising it.’

Here is a look at nine chairs from ‘Mini Furniture’.

Children’s high chair by Gebrüder Thonet, c. 1900

This beech, plywood and rattan high chair displays the elegant and innovative bentwood approach that Thonet became celebrated for. It features an inbuilt tray for food, that can be folded back, as well as a foot support.

Armchair by William Birch for Liberty & Co, c. 1900

This Arts and Crafts design in oak and rush shows how even long ago, children’s seating needs were being carefully considered and designed for, with a high-quality approach similar to adult furniture. Antique dealers have noted that these chairs would sometimes have inlays in the back panel depicting scenes from nursery rhymes.

Children’s ladder chair by Erich Dieckmann, c. 1925

Dieckmann, an important furniture designer of the Bauhaus alongside Marcel Breuer, designed this children’s wooden and linoleum chair in the 1920s. Rectilinear and minimalist, the chair doubles as steps that can be used to reach high shelves or surfaces.

Correction Chair, unknown maker, 1931

This English chair in mahogany is an example of how chairs were used to correct children’s posture, or otherwise harnessed as a disciplinary tool at school or home – a version of the ‘naughty step’.

Eames Elephant by Charles and Ray Eames / Eames Office, 1945

While the American husband-and-wife design duo was experimenting with moulding plywood into everyday furniture, they envisaged a group of animals for children to sit on and play with. The elephant has since become iconic, and is now manufactured by Vitra in recycled polypropylene or plywood, in a range of colours.

Rocking car by Hans Brockhage, 1950

‘I am intrigued by furniture that blurs the boundary between sitting and playing,’ says Klingler, referring to the rocking car designed by German artist Hans Brockhage. ‘These designs challenge conventional ideas of furniture by encouraging movement, interaction and imagination.’

The Rocking car is purposefully playful and inventively adaptive. Shaped to resemble a car, and move like one with its wheels, the wooden piece has climbing ladders at the front and back; once turned over, it becomes a rocking chair.

Zocker by Luigi Colani, 1972

Conceived by German industrial designer Luigi Colani, the bright orange Zocker chair reflects the bold style of the 1970s as well as the increasingly popular use of plastic for furniture. ‘I am particularly fascinated by the Pop Design creations of the 1970s,’ says Klingler. ‘Zocker conveys a sense of playful functionality while also evoking slightly nostalgic visions of childhood.’

Ergonomic studies informed the boulder-like design, resulting in a multifunctional chair that can also be used as a seated desk, a lectern-style shelf or a toy. Colani released a slightly modified version for adults a year later, but the design was first and foremost for children.

Ring of seats by Ginbande Design, 1991

This sculptural piece – which almost looks like a surrealist artwork – seats three children on an upholstered donut-like circle, complete with wooden backrests. It encourages social interaction and play – and has hopefully, over time, let to the cementing of a few friendships.

Hippo by Wolfgang Rebentisch, 1993

A colourful, geometric interpretation of a rocking horse, Hippo – designed by Rebentisch for children’s furniture maker Stokke – confidently invites play and movement.

There has been a loosening up of upholstery in recent years. Where tightly tailored forms once dominated, furniture with ruffles, skirts and softer silhouettes has become increasingly common. At this year's 3 Days of Design, Vitra offers its own interpretation with 'Bascule', an easy chair by Berlin-based Studio Πthat combines fashion-inspired upholstery with an adjustable suspension system hidden beneath its surface.

Named after the French word for 'seesaw', ‘Bascule’ features a generous seat wrapped in a loosely cut textile cover that drapes around the frame like a jacket. Beneath the upholstery, however, lies a mechanism developed by Vitra's engineers that automatically adapts to the sitter's weight, allowing the chair to move smoothly from an upright position to a near-horizontal recline.

'Like a cross between a swing and a seesaw,' explain designers Lisa Ertel and Anne-Sophie Oberkrome, who took the new mechanism as the starting point for the design. Concealed within the armrests, it responds to subtle shifts in body weight with a gentle rocking movement supporting a range of sitting positions, regardless of the user's size.

When it came to upholstery, Ertel and Oberkrome looked to tailoring techniques from the world of fashion – originally developed for ease of dressing and freedom of movement – and translated them into the chair's design. During development, fabric was draped directly onto working prototypes to observe how it responded as the chair reclined and returned upright. Different textiles produced distinct fold patterns and surface textures, emphasising the chair's changing form.

'It always got exciting when movement came into play,' say the designers. 'As soon as “Bascule” moved, you could see how the fabrics responded – where they stretched taut, where they fell loosely and where folds formed.'

The result is a chair whose appearance shifts with use, lending it an air of effortless nonchalance.

‘Bascule’ can be customised with fabrics chosen in a single colour or in combinations of two different hues for the inner and outer faces. It comes in a high-back version with an integrated height-adjustable neck cushion that adds to its anthropomorphic appearance, or as a low-back model. Bases are available in aluminium swivel and wooden versions.

The comparison to clothing extends beyond appearance. Conventional polyurethane foams and permanently bonded components have been replaced with materials and construction methods designed for repair, replacement and eventual recycling. Cushions are made from recycled fibres or V-Foam, a material developed by Vitra and BASF that the company describes as the world's first economically recyclable polyurethane foam.

The approach reflects Studio Œ's broader interest in honest, long-lasting design, with components that can be separated and returned to the circular economy rather than discarded.

Vitra sees Bascule as a design equally suited to domestic interiors and workplace lounges. For Studio Œ, meanwhile, it continues an approach focused on repairability, material honesty and longevity.

'For us, the comparison with a jacket couldn't be more fitting,' says Oberkrome. 'A favourite jacket you love to slip on, one that is soft, familiar and simply comfortable.'

‘Bascule’ will officially launch in September 2026, but a preview is on show at Vitra's Copenhagen showroom during 3 Days of Design (10-12 June). There, the chair is presented beneath a tent-like canopy of soft fabric within what the brand describes as an immersive sensory setting.

Vitra, Klubiensvej 22, Pakhus 48 2150 Nordhavn Copenhagen

vitra.com

When you think of the quintessential office chair, chances are you picture Herman Miller's 'Aeron'. When it launched in 1994, it rejected the foam-and-fabric conventions of office seating in favour of advanced suspension technology. It was more than a chair, it was a serious piece of kit – the product of an experimental ethos that Herman Miller shared with figures like Charles and Ray Eames.

More than three decades after it changed office seating, the ‘Aeron’ is evolving again, this time to reflect a further shift in how we occupy our working environments. Today, the company has announced two new colourways, material innovations and expanded size inclusivity for its flagship ergonomic seat.

Since its debut, the 'Aeron' has been synonymous with neutral tones – 'Onyx', 'Graphite', 'Carbon', 'Mineral' – cool, professional looks calibrated to the offices of the 1990s. Colour on the original ‘Aeron’ was always limited; early versions applied pigment only to the Pellicle suspension mesh, leaving a jarring contrast with the neutral frame. Material advances now allow a single consistent tone across both frame and Pellicle – a seemingly small detail that makes a big difference.

Two new, bolder hues now join the line-up: 'Jasper', a warm, earthy olive that leans into the biophilic design trend sweeping modern workplaces, and 'Nightfall', a deep midnight blue. These tones reflect a looser, more informal relationship with work – a merging of lifestyle and office.

‘Our research suggests that strategic use of colour can have a powerful effect on workplace engagement and individual productivity,’ elaborates Joseph White, director of design strategy at MillerKnoll. ‘Saturated colours in cohesive environments have the capacity to change our respiration, our blood pressure and even our body temperature.’

The 'Aeron' has always been a material innovator. In 2021, it became the first chair in Herman Miller's portfolio to incorporate ocean-bound plastics. Now, the aluminium base has been redesigned using generative engineering tools, shedding nearly two pounds without sacrificing durability. Combined with increased use of post-industrial recycled content and bio-based nylons, these changes are estimated to reduce the chair's global average embodied carbon footprint by 12 percent. ‘By using the right materials, in the right amounts, in a product built to last, Aeron shows what circular design can achieve at scale,’ says Gabe Wing, MillerKnoll's vice president of sustainability.

The 'Aeron's' ergonomic credentials, meanwhile, remain firmly intact. A sci-fi-sounding roster of technologies – PostureFit SL, Harmonic 2 Tilt, 8Z Pellicle – work in concert to support the body. The chair has also been updated for greater size inclusivity.

With over nine million chairs sold and a replacement rate of just 0.055 per cent, the 'Aeron's' longevity may be its most telling quality indicator of all.

The updated chair makes its public debut at Fulton Market Design Days in Chicago, 8-10 June 2026. UK customers can purchase the 'Aeron' here.

Fanciness is something that’s resonated with Jeremy Anderson since he was a young boy growing up in suburban Minneapolis in the 1980s. He remembers his mom gingerly removing cube-shaped crystals that hung off the family chandelier and, with characteristic Midwest practicality, placing them in the dishwasher for a cleaning. He remembers noticing the silky damask patterns on mattresses and yearning to play dress-up with dolls.

‘Boys don’t play with dolls,’ Anderson recalls of the prevailing attitudes of the time. Now, with a solo show of lighting, furniture, mirrors and vessels on view in New York with the prestigious London design dealers Gallery Fumi, ‘I am giving myself permission to tap into that energy in a way I really couldn’t,' he says.

The show, titled ‘Held In Light,’ is Anderson’s largest solo presentation to-date. He works primarily in ceramics, a medium he discovered while still in high school. After co-founding the renowned lighting studio Apparatus, Anderson returned to ceramics about six years ago, a career transition that’s allowed the W*400 designer to plumb even deeper creative impulses.

Anderson’s work takes familiar objects and furnishings and transforms them into something more otherworldly and whimsical. Rotund stoneware vessels are ornamented with blooming petals and fins that give them a friendly, creature-like sensibility. Ceramic chandeliers and lamps are ornamented with ceramic beads, a move that evokes traditional lighting while giving them a delightful anthropomorphic quality, like a swinging fringe haircut.

‘I am very inspired by classic forms and shapes. It’s about putting my creative voice on those shapes and making them feel more modern and weird,’ Anderson says.

Gallery Fumi’s founders took notice. For co-owner Sam Pratt, who grew up in Sierra Leone, it was the hand-made quality of Anderson’s work and their universal ability to stir up memories that gave it a particular resonance. ‘There’s an unusual sculptural thing [inherent to the work]. I also see something African about them,’ he says, adding ‘Just as important is Jeremy the person.’

For the ‘Held in Light’ show, Anderson has amped up the scale of his work with a selection of 21 pieces that include a dining table, cabinet and a daybed. Each features a bronze frame, cast to appear at once delicate and brawny, and embedded ceramic slabs painted in Anderson’s signature, meditative stripes.

One of the most eye-catching pieces is a new daybed that blends fantasy with a certain pomp. It features a French horsehair mattress covered in a silky Zak + Fox fabric (a gussied up version of a traditional mattress) and bolster cushions fashioned from a 19th-century homespun fabric.

The works are displayed as part of Gallery Fumi’s New York residency at Gallerie 56, an exhibition space in the podium of Herzog & de Meuron’s ‘Jenga’ tower at 56 Leonard Street. In a full circle moment, Anderson would often drive past the building when commuting to his studio in Brooklyn.

‘So much of what I make is tapping into memory and being able to play in a way I didn’t feel like I was able to when I was young,’ Anderson explains.

‘That’s why the making process and being hands-on is so important to me,’ he adds.’ That’s what it’s all about.’

'Held in Light' is on view at Gallery Fumi's New York residency at 56 Gallerie through 3 July, 2026.

To mark two decades since Kristian Byrge and Peter Bonnén founded Muuto in 2006, the Danish furniture brand has crafted a new piece in collaboration with Copenhagen studio Spacon: the 'Close to Heart' chair, launching at 3 Days of Design on 10 June 2026. Produced in a limited edition of 150 pieces, each made in Denmark from extruded aluminium, the chair is equal parts rational and romantic, with each of its profiles shaped like a heart.

The brief was framed around Muuto's anniversary theme, 'Next Chapters in Scandinavian Design', and thus came with a clear warning: avoid nostalgia. Rather than looking back, the question posed was what tradition becomes when designers push at its edges – a question that led the Spacon partners, Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, Malene Hvidt and Svend Jacob Pedersen, to the chair's motif.

The heart emerged not just as a symbol, but as geometry. 'It has that perfect triangle on one side and then the double curve on the other,' says Hvidt. 'So the shape itself has this beautiful contrast between sharpness and roundness.' Immediately legible, it grows increasingly complex the longer you study it. 'The shape goes from something very simple and quite childish into something diverse and sophisticated when you really dig into what it offers.'

The choice to realise the chair in extruded aluminium echoes this conceptual tension – a material typically associated with industrial coldness, pressed into the service of one of culture’s warmest symbols. The designers, however, do not see this as a contradiction to be resolved. 'The warmth of the heart and the coldness of the aluminium should join together as you get further into the project,' says Pedersen. 'Aluminium has a lightness to it. It's mouldable, so it fits very well with the heart typology and its curved lines. So in the end, it makes more sense than the immediate contrast suggests.'

The aluminium has also been anodised – a finish that shifts the material's character even further: 'It's a bit more exclusive, and it has that quality where it absorbs all the surrounding light and colours in a beautiful way, which gives it a softness that we were very fond of,' explains Carlsen.

The 'Close to Heart’ chair sits within a broader strategic project that Spacon has been developing with Muuto around the anniversary and its 'next chapters' – one centred on the relationship between technical rigour and emotional resonance. 'Muuto has a highly professional team that constantly works with innovation in manufacturing. Meanwhile, they also have a love for aesthetics and sensory experiences – the feelings we can create through design,' says Hvidt. 'So this furniture is really about the meeting between system and feeling – or as we put it, "How can we make a system learn to feel?"'

Spacon's own philosophy runs along similar lines: a deliberately interdisciplinary practice spanning architecture, interior design, art and craft. 'We’re not being bound by one tradition or one historical way of doing things; [we try to be] more expressive and culturally open,' says Carlsen. For her, this is the 'next chapter in Scandinavian design': 'It's about taking inspiration from the core values of Scandinavian design – pioneering, thinking in new ways, building and creating – but being less restricted by traditional design language.'

The heart – that most universal of motifs – turns out to be an unexpectedly rigorous design proposition. Yet for Hvidt, the ambition behind the chair is ultimately a simple one: 'We're looking forward to people sitting in the furniture and hopefully having it bring smiles to their faces and spread some love.' As far as next chapters go, it’s hard to argue with that.

3 Days of Design runs in Copenhagen from 10-12 June

At Rho Fiera, during Salone del Mobile 2026, French designer Thélonious Goupil and Italian furniture brand Campeggi – a specialist in convertible furniture – took the foldout bed to new extremes. ‘Bienvenue’ is a compact wooden box that unfolds into a ‘guest room’ complete with bed, duvet, pillow and privacy screen.

Closed, the unassuming shell of stained and varnished birch plywood can serve as a stool, a step or a surface. A bean-shaped handle on its side makes it easy to lift; slide one panel away, and what's within is revealed. Out emerges a self-supporting foldable headboard and a Lycra-covered mattress, inflated via an electric pump, that expands into a complete sleeping space – including a partition to offer a sense of enclosure that places this well beyond the territory of the traditional portable bed.

The name, meaning ‘welcome’, signals the intent: ‘Bienvenue’ is imagined as a next-level solution for the overnight guest. Tongue firmly in cheek, it combines hospitality and design ingenuity – an optimistic proposition for an era of shrinking square footage.

The project grew from a conversation between Goupil and Guglielmo Campeggi at the Small Small Space gallery in Milan, where Goupil had exhibited ‘Paysage Industriel’, a series of lamps that also appeared on Campeggi's stand at the fair. Their conversation turned to a shared question: how do we inhabit spaces that keep getting smaller, and can well-designed objects help rekindle the art of welcoming others within them?

Goupil, a graduate of Ensci-Les Ateliers who trained at Ransmeier and Jasper Morrison, has long worked at the intersection of utility and cultural observation – an approach that extends to his co-direction of Collections Typologie, a publishing house devoted to the study of ordinary objects (from boules to the camping tent). Campeggi, meanwhile, has spent decades building a portfolio of transformable furniture. In ‘Bienvenue’, both sensibilities converge: an object that is as functionally impressive as it is culturally resonant.

Danish design company Gubi partnered with Italian rattan specialist Bonacina 1889 to reissue two designs by Italian modernist Tito Agnoli. The ‘P3’ lounge chair and ‘P3S’ chaise longue were first conceived in 1964 for Bonacina 1889 and feature the designer’s distinctive formal clarity.

Trained as a painter under Mario Sironi, Agnoli enrolled at the Milan Politecnico as an architecture student, before becoming assistant to Gio Ponti and later Carlo de Carli. From the 1950s, he worked with some of the most cutting-edge companies of the time to create furniture and lighting that encapsulate the modernist spirit of the mid-20th century through precise lines and modular thinking.

His long collaboration with Bonacina 1889 resulted in several chairs that explore the structural possibilities of rattan, cord and woven surfaces. The ‘P3’ duo of chairs encapsulates his linear thinking, with a structure based on a minimal metal frame supporting the rattan weave. ‘The brilliance of the “P3” lies in how it conceals its complexity,’ explains Elia Bonacina, CEO of Bonacina 1889. ‘Every curve demands precise control of tension and weave, yet the final form feels sculptural and effortless. It flexes with quiet strength and reveals the full expressive potential of rattan.’

‘What makes this collaboration powerful is the clarity of intention,’ says Marie Kristine Schmidt, CEO of Gubi. ‘Bonacina brings profound material knowledge; Gubi brings a contemporary, international lens. With absolute certainty in our respective expertise, the outcome feels inevitable.’

Over the years, the Danish company has become known for its sensibly curated reissuing of design icons of the past, from legends like Pierre Paulin, Mathias Rasmussen and Gianfranco Frattini among others. It is also no stranger to rattan furniture, having brought back to life Gabriella Crespi’s ‘Bohemian 72’ furniture from the 1970s.

‘This partnership grew from a shared love of rattan and a deep commitment to design,’ confirms Bonacina. ‘We worked closely, exchanging knowledge at every stage, shaping a result that reflects both our identities while speaking clearly to the present.’

The Gubi x Bonacina collection starts at £999
gubi.com

In the canon of design, one region stands apart – defined by a visual identity as distinctive as it is sought after: Scandinavia. Following the early 20th century, the Nordic countries became known for marrying modern industrial design with social-democratic ideals, producing objects that were simple, functional and affordable – and which continue to command an outsized place in the design conversation today.

Denmark remains a particular bastion of this tradition. The country industrialised later than many European counterparts, and traditional craftsmanship retained its influence even as modernism took hold, yielding a design sensibility that achieves something rare: minimalism with warmth. That influence has since permeated broader visual culture, felt in everything from Apple's product philosophy to the aesthetic of contemporary apartments, cafés and interiors worldwide.

The Danish design boom of the 1930s to 1960s gave rise to a remarkable generation of studios and manufacturers – many still deeply relevant today – responsible for some of the most classic objects of the last century. Ahead of 3 Days of Design 2026, running in Copenhagen from 10-12 June, we turn to the stalwarts of Danish design.

Carl Hansen & Søn 

Founded in 1908 in Odense, Denmark, Carl Hansen & Søn is perhaps best known for producing Hans Wegner's evergreen ‘Wishbone’ chair, which has remained in continuous production since 1950; other celebrated Wegner pieces include the ‘Shell’ chair and ‘CH25’ lounge chair. A champion of sustainably sourced wood and traditional craftsmanship, the brand's catalogue reads like a greatest hits of Danish modernism.

Fritz Hansen 

Established in Copenhagen in 1872, Fritz Hansen has achieved the feat of turning furniture into cultural artefacts – foremost among them, perhaps, are Arne Jacobsen's ‘Egg’ and ‘Series 7’ chairs. The brand collaborates with architects and designers to create icons found across the world – in airports, offices and living rooms – among the most recognisable objects of the 20th century. Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson and Arne Jacobsen's ‘Superellipse’ table remains a masterclass in collaborative design, while Jaime Hayon's ‘Ro’ chair is a welcome addition to the roster.

Gubi

Gubi occupies a glamorous, slightly more maximalist corner of Danish design, making it a top choice for interiors that call for personality alongside elegance. Founded in 1967 by Gubi Olsen and Lisbeth Olsen, the Copenhagen-based brand helped revive the furniture of Mathieu Matégot, as well as produced the ‘Masculo’ chair by GamFratesi and the ‘Multi-Lite’ pendant by Louis Weisdorf. The catalogue has since grown to include the ‘Bestlite’ lighting collection by Robert Dudley Best and Matégot's ‘Tropique’ chair.

&Tradition 

Founded in Copenhagen in 2010, &Tradition stewards classics by the likes of Verner Panton, Viggo Boesen and Flemming Lassen while simultaneously championing emerging talent, harbouring a curatorial approach that respects heritage without being beholden to it. Panton’s ‘Flowerpot’ lamp is possibly among the most recognisable pieces in the collection, accompanied by classics like Arne Jacobsen’s ‘Bellevue’ lamp, Boesen’s ‘Little Petra’ chair and Anderssen & Voll’s ‘Inland’ sofa.

Louis Poulsen 

When it comes to Danish lighting, one name stands above the rest. Louis Poulsen has been shaping the meaning of light since 1874, but it was the brand's partnership with architect Poul Henningsen that sent it stratospheric – the resulting ‘PH’ series, engineered to minimise glare, remains one of the most sophisticated lighting systems ever devised. Verner Panton's ‘Panthella’ lamp and Arne Jacobsen's ‘AJ’ floor lamp round out an extraordinary archive. Based in Copenhagen, the brand continues to work with leading designers to produce luminaires that treat light as an architectural material.

Fredericia

Founded in 1911 in the Danish town of the same name, Fredericia is a furniture house with a roster that’s grounded, tactile and human – favouring longevity over trend-chasing. It includes Børge Mogensen's ‘Spanish’ chair, a rugged piece that has lost none of its authority since 1958, as well as key pieces from Hans Wegner and Nanna Ditzel. More recently, Space Copenhagen's ‘Palette’ and ‘Spine’ collections have added a compelling contemporary layer.

House of Finn Juhl 

The designer Finn Juhl arguably introduced Danish modernism to America, and this Copenhagen house exists to honour and preserve his body of work. Every piece – from the ‘Pelican’ chair to the ‘Chieftain’ – is produced with total adherence to Juhl's original vision, using the materials and techniques he specified. These are poetic objects, each as much sculpture as furniture, with upholstery floating free of the frame, as was Juhl's style.

Georg Jensen 

Since silversmith Georg Jensen opened his Copenhagen workshop in 1904, the brand has been synonymous with jewellery and homeware inspired by natural forms, which feel alive rather than geometric. The ‘Blossom’ pitcher, ‘Acorn’ cutlery, ‘Bernadotte’ serving collection and Henning Koppel pitcher are among its most beloved works, each underpinned by handcraft and material excellence.

Alexandre de Betak launched his modular sofa, ‘Le Takbe’, during NYC x Design, in collaboration with Paris gallery Pierre Augustin Rose's New York space in SoHo.

Over the past three decades, under the banner of his Paris-based creative agency Bureau Betak, de Betak built a global reputation for masterminding some of fashion’s most spectacular shows – from Dior’s delphinium-covered hill in the Louvre’s courtyard and the ethereal Berluti show, where shoes floated through the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, lifted by oversized white balloons, to Saint Laurent’s glittering spectacles beneath the Eiffel Tower. After founding the company in 1990, he produced more than 1,500 runway shows, installations and events that blurred the boundaries between fashion, architecture and art.

In 2023, de Betak opted to take a step back from the company to concentrate on his personal dreams as a designer and artist, creating ‘spaces of radical stillness where the viewer is not spectator but subject’. Working out of a mews studio in London’s Marylebone, his obsession with the tension between ancient and contemporary, low-tech and high-tech, remains constant. Recent works include a large-scale light installation coinciding with Frieze London 2025, and Chashitsu Hikari Schürli, a site-specific light sculpture unveiled during Gstaad Art Week in February 2026.

Alexandre De Betak’s sofa for Pierre Augustin Rose

The origins of the 'Le Takbe' modular sofa are deeply personal for de Betak, who first designed it for his own homes around the world, conceiving it for an informal way of living – for lounging, gathering, playing, and meditating, without hierarchy or prescription.

It is formed of a low platform, on which cushions can be freely arranged and rearranged, adapting to the rhythms of daily life. This first edition with Pierre Augustin Rose introduces removable backrests, offering a more structured seating configuration while preserving the openness of the original. The design is available in two sizes – a conventional rectangular sofa or a more expansive square shape – and two fabrications, either wool or linen, and it can be configured as a daybed, sofa, or something in between; a small landscape within a room, shaped by whoever inhabits it.

Founded by Pierre Bénard and Augustin Deleuze, who were later joined by Nina Rose, Pierre Augustin Rose draws from the legacy of 20th-century masters while remaining resolutely anchored in the present. Their work reflects a refined balance between memory and invention, with form, proportion and materiality approached with precision and restraint. Rooted in a passion for singular environments, Pierre Augustin Rose creates collections that are both bold and nuanced, where furniture becomes a vehicle for atmosphere as much as function. At its core lies a clear ambition: to project a distinctly French sensibility into a contemporary, international context.

pierreaugustinrose.com

First conceived in 2020, Max Lamb’s 'Economy' chair started as an experiment in waste reduction – a theme that has recurred throughout the London-based designer’s practice. Its original form was hand-cut from polystyrene foam using hot wire and is the result of a series of prototypes that led to a structure that left as little waste as possible on the workshop floor. ‘It's taking what some people perceive to be artisanal into something more industrialised, much more practical, pragmatic and efficient.’

Case in point, the chair now makes its large-scale production debut, as part of Swedish design brand Hem’s furniture collection. The new edition, dubbed ‘Min’ is made of pine, a material that perfectly matches Lamb’s intuitive process. To produce it, individual timber elements are cut at diagonal angles and split to become the legs, back and seat, an exercise in material efficiency that speaks to Lamb’s ability to combine a distinctive design language with a particular attention to the possibilities of an object’s construction.

Max Lamb's Min chair for Hem: an exercise in reduction

Creating the chair involves a rigorous process of reduction: 'the design itself has been conceived to use almost half the quantity of material that would be required to make the same chair with square legs,' explains Lamb. 'By cutting the legs in half diagonally to create triangular legs, you end up with two legs for the price of one – or two legs from the amount of material it would normally take to make one.

'What gives the chair its personality and character is not necessarily about using as little material as possible. Rather, it’s about making one piece of material go twice as far as it otherwise would if the legs were square.'

Lamb's practice has historically been focused on hands-on making: his work has ranged from metal furniture bent by hand, to cutting up a tree to make a seating series, to taping up cardboard into chairs. 'The Min Chair has been developed and refined over a lot of iterations: all of the development and prototyping happens within my workshop,' he explains. 'Because I’m first and foremost a maker and run a workshop-based practice, I am able to refine the design in real time. I want to make sure that the design is responsive to material, the properties of the material, and the production process.

'The design is a consequence of the making process and my endeavour to achieve these efficiencies in production and material usage. The outcome is a chair that has personality, has an aesthetic, but that aesthetic and that personality are consequences of those endeavours to efficiency.'

Following a preview at Maison & Objet Paris in January, Lady Deirdre Dyson's 'Mélange' rug collection has now arrived at her flagship Paris gallery, and will land very soon at the London gallery too.

True to its name – ‘mélange’ denoting a mixture of different and often incongruous things – the collection is wonderfully varied and unpredictable. Rather than pursuing a single overarching theme, as Dyson typically does, she has embraced pure creative spontaneity.

The collection comprises seven distinct carpet designs, each entirely self-contained yet united by a shared spirit of play and wit. That spirit is expressed through a language of geometric and kaleidoscopic forms, and a palette rooted in warm taupe neutrals punctuated by burgundy, purple and burnt orange.

'I decided to move away from any preset objective and relied entirely on a random design process from ideas that just popped into my head,' says Dyson. 'There are references to past works using overlays and floating shapes, while some carpets appear figurative and others more angular and geometric. What did become evident is that the designs are characteristically mine.'

'Crystal' features a jagged graphic border evoking refracting light, punctuated by black silk highlights. 'Safari' plays with dramatic vertical frequency-like lines broken by earthy two-tone stripes. 'Triptych' and 'Moulin' share a centrifugal energy – the former setting animal-print triangles in burnt orange and camel against grey; the latter layering transparent triangles over a rich burgundy and purple ground.

'Glassy Greens' conjures the illusion of floating shelves rendered in delicate sea-green silks, each balancing a contrasting rectangular form. 'Pouch', true to its name, is a tactile, curved design with a fluid silk outline in layered taupe neutrals that lends it an almost three-dimensional quality. Rounding out the collection, 'O' is a purely geometric study in 100 per cent wool, in which overlapping rectangles, squares and circles are enlivened by an accent of deep framboise.

Most designs incorporate fine silk woven alongside Goodweave-certified Tibetan wool, handcrafted by Nepalese artisans. All pieces are made to measure, tailored to individual specification and available across a broad spectrum of colours – a fitting final note for a collection that, in Dyson's words, she hopes offers 'something for everyone'.

Deidre Dyson galleries are at 554 King’s Road, London SW6 2DZ; and 12 Rue des Saints-Pères, 75007 Paris

It was a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York that planted the seeds for architect and designer Hannes Peer’s latest collection for the Italian brand SEM. ‘On the museum’s top floor, there’s an entire room filled with the work of Louise Nevelson,’ recalls Peer, who was taken with the American artist’s stacked wooden assemblage sculptures from the 1970s. ‘That was the moment I decided to go all-in on this idea.’

That idea, specifically, was to translate that sculptural language developed by those midcentury artists into a contemporary collection of monolithic wooden furniture. The resulting collection, titled ‘Core’, is composed of eight pieces wrought in solid mahogany, rosewood and cherry – each defined by an abstract, carved façade. ‘The form of the pieces is rather simple,’ Peer explains of the concept, which also sought inspiration in the wooden volumes of the French designer Pierre Chapo, American sculptor Leroy Setziol’s rhythmic wall-hung carvings and artist and artisan Jean Touret’s tactile wooden surfaces. ‘But at the same time, the bas-reliefs are very intricate.’

In developing ‘Core’, Peer’s intention was to centre the process of handiwork – a discipline he sees as increasingly rare in 2026. Peer was born in the mountainous northern Italian region of South Tyrol – known for its long tradition of wood carving and carpentry – and his work is deeply informed by that culture of making he was surrounded by growing up.

However, when confronted with the realities of production, he quickly realised that the scale of the pieces – coupled with the fact that they are editions, rather than one-offs – meant that it required a more digital approach. ‘We designed everything in 3D, including the imperfections in the wood,’ the designer explains. ‘It was almost as if we were hand-carving it digitally.’ The forms are then milled using a CNC carver, which translates those digital reliefs into precise cuts in solid wood.

Yet, to complete the pieces, a master craftsperson finishes each one by hand. ‘We needed our own Geppetto,’ Peer jokes, referring to Pinocchio’s creator in the Italian fairy tale. Each element is refined by a carpenter, who then treats the surface with a beeswax finish to achieve the collection’s warm, honey-coloured tone. ‘It’s very digital, but at the same time extremely handmade,’ notes Peer, ‘which I think is quite an interesting metaphor for 2026.’

Among the collection is a monumental pedestal cabinet featuring shifting patterns that include a gouged wood grid, concave circles and repeating chevron motifs. There is a dining table, whose diamond-shaped base is zig-zagged with gouged wood sections that look like a series of carved strata, as if the surface had been cut back to reveal its layers. Peer also designed two wall-hanging panels, which strip away the functional aspect of the collection and crystallise it into purely sculptural art.

Peer presents the collection at the Spotti Milano showroom on viale Piave. The presentation, titled ‘Hardcore’, was conceived alongside SEM’s founder, Claudio Spotti and stages the collection in a stripped-back setting, highlighting the essential materiality of the carved wooden forms.

From 18 April 2026, 10am to 7pm, Spotti Milano, Viale Piave 27, 20129 Milano

sem-milano.com

In today's wellbeing-focused culture, awareness of the importance of sleep has never been greater. Sleep is connected to longevity, recovery and productivity, and people are more conscious than ever of how much they are getting.

Swedish bedmaker Hästens has long been ahead of the curve, viewing a bed not merely as a piece of furniture but as an ‘instrument’ that restores you. It is a philosophy the brand has pursued since its founding 170 years ago, long before sleep became a cultural talking point.

Now, in collaboration with designer Ferris Rafauli, Hästens is doubling down on that conviction: that what you rest on makes a profound difference to the day that follows.

This thinking underpins the announcement of two new 'sleep instruments' – the Grand Vividus and the Drēmər. The Grand Vividus was first introduced in 2020, with the Drēmər following as a second expression of the same philosophy. Both underwent significant development through 2024 and 2025, and have been arriving in selected partner stores since late 2025. 'A bed holds you, but a sleep instrument restores you,' says Jan Ryde, fifth-generation CEO of Hästens. 'The new Grand Vividus and new Drēmər bring that pursuit to an even higher standard.'

So what elevates these instruments above an ordinary bed? The Grand Vividus is handmade in Sweden from natural materials – horsehair, wool, cotton and flax – with up to 600 hours of craftsmanship in every piece. In true Scandinavian spirit, every material, layer and refinement either contributes to restoration or is removed. Nothing is superfluous.

The Drēmər applies the same principles, addressing key pillars of better sleep: support, sleep climate, quietness and recovery.

Hästens' broader argument is that the cultural conversation around sleep still doesn't go far enough. Rest, the brand contends, is the hidden variable behind how we live – and the object at its centre should be a tool properly optimised for its purpose.

Easily recognisable thanks to its detailed simplicity and strong Japanese influences, Federica Biasi’s work ranges from beautifully crafted wooden coffee tables to kimono-inspired ceramics. So when the young Milan-based designer was commissioned by De Padova to create a new armchair for its 70th anniversary, she seized the opportunity to weave her contemporary sensibility into the long and storied legacy of the Italian company.

‘The collaboration with De Padova comes from an encounter between different worlds, from people meeting and sharing visions,’ she writes. ‘The project reflects a dialogue between cultures, in line with the vision of its founder Maddalena De Padova, and marks the beginning of a meaningful collaboration.’

While Maddalena De Padova mostly looked to Scandinavia for inspiration, Biasi continues to draw on subtle Asian influences for this project. A reinterpretation of Japan’s archetypal floor chairs, ‘Edda’ is a perfectly balanced piece that both extends and redefines the language of the historic brand.

Unlike its traditional predecessors, it does have a pair of very short legs at the front; they are part of a simple black frame with two round bars that slope down backwards. Supporting a white upholstered section slanting in the other direction, it creates a design full of movement and dynamism.

The ‘Edda’ armchair ‘is a design that appears essential, yet holds a depth made of stories, details, and rituals’, says Biasi. ‘The stitching that defines its volumes, the soft padding, and the solid wood supporting structure come together in carefully balanced proportions conceived for contemporary interiors, where comfort and minimalism meet.’

Available with removable fabric, leather or velvet, the ‘Edda’ armchair is on display during Milan Design Week 2026 at the De Padova showroom on Via Cecelia, 7; and the Boffi De Padova showroom on Via Solferino, 11.

Keep up with all the latest news from Milan Design Week 2026 with our live blog.

The collaboration between Hannes Peer and Minotti has brought the Italian architect’s work to new horizons, elevating and distilling his sculptural and architectural approach into a refined, ultra-engineered series of designs that bear signs of both the creative gesture and the accuracy of the production.

Seen through the lens of Minotti’s sense of clarity, Peer’s designs have been among the most striking examples of translating an artistic sensibility into a functional, elegant furniture object.

Their latest collaboration, unveiled at Salone del Mobile 2026, features the ‘Blaine’ table, an object that speaks to both parties’ sensibilities while adding a new direction to their respective practice. Featuring a sculptural, cast aluminium base, the table nods to the work of Henry Moore and the modernist approach to casting that was recurrent in Florence Knoll and Ray and Charles Eames’ work.

‘It has always been a dream of mine to design a piece that works in that direction, that on one side is very organic, but also rather restrained in form,’ Peer tells Wallpaper* ahead of the launch. The architect's collaboration with Minotti has resulted in pieces such as the ‘Emmi’ chair or the ‘Nico’ table, both bearing signs of a sculptural, free-handed thinking while working perfectly within the company’s portfolio.

With ‘Blaine’, Minotti’s painstaking approach to refining its projects took a new direction for Peer, who started with what he describes as ‘wild forms’, which were then ‘reduced, edited, talked about’ with the company’s team over several months, ‘without ever losing sight of the original idea. It’s amazing to work with the Minotti team, sometimes there are up to 30 people in the room, five engineers, the whole family shows up, I see it as a sign of love and respect for us designers,’ he says.

The pieces’ final perfection, he explains is the result of ‘many hours, many conversations, many people working together. It’s more similar to a bottega than a big company, there is something so beautiful about that environment.’

The two trestle-like legs forming the base feature a gentle curve and an opening that looks carved, rather than moulded, exuding a sense of artistic elegance that looks much closer to a piece of art. ‘To create a cast object is a huge responsibility,’ says Peer. ‘I was always intimidated by it because the matrix that you use to cast, it's forever. You cannot [mess] it up. You have to be very sure that that is the one.’

As the son of an artist, this language comes naturally to Peer: ‘I think I've known Henry Moore before I've learned to count,’ he recalls. ‘I am very proud of my roots, and I think that is something that I always bring to a project.’

The table’s base will be available in polished or painted cast aluminium, with a top in either marquetterie wood or marble. It is not an object that is visually quiet: its presence holds a room’s attention, like an artwork. ‘I think that we're all storytellers. It's very, very important that each and every design comes not just as a single furniture piece, but rather with an idea of a home or an environment, that approach is super important, and that's where we connected so much with Minotti, who share this vision completely.’

Lightness, minimalist rigour and precise silhouettes have been founding principles of Vincent Van Duysen’s work. Now the Belgian architect makes his debut into the B&B Italia collection with a new chaise longue that encapsulates his design ethos while offering a modern interpretation of comfort.

‘This collection explores how structure can shape comfort, and how comfort in turn gives meaning to structure,’ explains Van Duysen. The design is based on an elongated structure holding a rattan woven surface, which stretches into a loop to create a gentle reclining form. The material’s tactile warmth is at the core of the design, and it was chosen for its breathability and organic lightness.

The structure is conceived to remain discreet, as the seat’s sensuous curve is the star of the show. ‘Every piece begins with a gesture of structure, but it ultimately exists for the body and the way we choose to live with it,’ continues Van Duysen. ‘Sometimes a small detail can completely transform an object. A simple chamfer or a continuous line can redefine the way we perceive a familiar form. The project is about balance, between structure and softness, precision and comfort, architecture and the body.’

Find out more at bebitalia.com and vincentvanduysen.com

Follow the Wallpaper* editors’ updates from Milan Design Week 2026 with our live blog

Founded in 2020 by architects Francesco Zorzi and Nicolò Ornaghi and photographer Delfino Sisto Legnani, the Milan-based brand NM3 is a project grounded in radical essentialism.

Working exclusively with a single material, steel, the trio produce objects as severely pared back as flat, rolled sheets of metal will allow. A shelving system, for instance, is reduced to little more than a grid of reflective metal planes. It is therefore somewhat surprising to learn of the breadth of references behind their first collection with Visionnaire, the luxury Italian furniture brand founded by the Cavalli family in 2004 and known for its opulent, materially driven maximalism.

‘NM3 is based on extreme minimalism,' says Zorzi. ‘But in this case, we worked in an entirely different direction. Formally, we were looking at very different worlds, such as aeronautical design, late Renaissance sculpture, and the modernist architecture of John Lautner.'

Given those shared points of reference, it makes sense that the collaboration was steeped in a mutual appetite for art and culture. Visionnaire art director Eleonore Cavalli first encountered NM3's founders at Artissima, the Turin-based autumn art fair that runs concurrently with the electronic music festival C2C, staged within the halls of the former Fiat plant. ‘We share an enormous passion for electronic music and contemporary art,' says Cavalli, who was drawn to NM3 for the purity of their forms. ‘Their pieces remind me of 1960s American minimalism, artists like Donald Judd and Dan Flavin.'

For NM3, interpreting Visionnaire's visual language – known for its lavish use of precious materials, often paired with boldly expressive, almost theatrical forms – proved a welcome challenge. ‘Their material palette is much broader and far more complex,' Zorzi admits. ‘But it was refreshing to finally work with new materials and new aesthetic codes.'

The outcome walks a careful line between the two worlds, as Visionnaire's sensual richness is filtered through NM3's restraint. Comprising nine pieces that combine glass, stone, wood and metal, the capsule collection includes a coffee table formed from solid blocks of Moltrasio stone, upon which an asymmetrical slab of cotissi glass has been gingerly placed. ‘Cotissi are leftover scraps from glass production. When furnaces are cleaned, these residues remain as thick drops or blocks of glass,' explains Zorzi. ‘Here, they were fused into a slab with a broken, irregular profile.'

A bed, meanwhile, sits on a base of textured Villanova stone blocks, supporting a Macassar ebony platform in a rich chocolate brown. ‘We often joke that it belongs to an evil character in a James Bond film,' says Zorzi, noting that it could just as easily sit on the set of Nocturnal Animals, the Tom Ford-directed film partly staged within a brutalist-style home.

Made from an extremely lightweight aluminium structure, the chaise longue, ‘Blob', has an undulating profile that appears at once organic and algorithmically generated. ‘We began with a two-dimensional sheet and, through design and drawing, it evolved into a three-dimensional shell,' says Zorzi. ‘The process is identical to our usual approach, but the formal expression is different. It's alien, almost spaceship-like.'

The collaboration also gave NM3 access to a level of craft expertise they had not previously encountered. ‘We've never worked with anyone capable of this degree of detail and precision, while also being able to fully understand our design, and translate it into production so effectively,' says Zorzi, who refined the collection over the course of a year alongside Visionnaire's technical and production teams. ‘The dialogue was stimulating and genuinely beautiful.'

Visionnaire's network of craftspeople, formed of independent and highly specialised ateliers across Italy, has been actively nurtured since the 1950s, when Carlo, Pompeo and Vittorio Cavalli founded IPE, the brand's predecessor, in Bologna. This strategy has enabled Visionnaire to expand far beyond upholstered furniture, encompassing bathroom systems, storage and kitchens in a wide spectrum of materials and styles.

The collection will launch at 10 Corso Como for Milan Design Week, while Visionnaire will also present at Salone del Mobile and its Piazza Cavour showroom, where it will unveil a collection with Marc Ange, alongside a curated section titled ‘Wunderkammer'. The latter will take the form of a listening room and will host a reissue of 1970s archival pieces by Vittorio Varo. The momentum follows a major investment in 2024, which marked a turning point for the then-20-year-old brand. It enabled Visionnaire to overhaul its Milan flagship, plan new global outposts and expand its production capabilities. ‘I hope Visionnaire will always remain disruptive,' says Cavalli. ‘Our design language should never stand still.'

nm3.xyz, visionnaire-home.com

It’s no secret we are keen on the graphic forms and elegant output of Milan-based Spanish David Lopez Quincoces, whose ‘Ark’ chair for the leading Italian company Living Divani was one of our highlights of Salone del Mobile 2023.

López Quincoces co-founded Studio Dragó with Fanny Bauer Grung in 2010, after working with Piero Lissoni on interior design projects. Like Lissoni, he is a long-term Living Divani collaborator, producing nearly 30 different designs for the furniture maker, ranging from circular black ‘Nina’ metal stools and plush ‘Gala’ leather armchairs to ‘George’s’ iroko wood and waxed rope outdoor chairs.

‘Greene’ bed, by David López Quincoces, for Living Divani

At this year’s Salone del Mobile, López Quincoces and Living Divani will be showcasing ‘Greene’ bed, a new member of a design family started in 2019 with the ‘Greene’ sofa and armchairs, and continued in 2022 with the ‘Greene’ modular system.

Like its relatives, the new bed features delicate, enveloping curves, designed to ‘define a soft and harmonious presence within the space’ and ‘convey a relaxed, effortless mood, expressing a refined and contemporary elegance’.

Its slender lacquered tubular steel legs and fabric- or leather-clad trapezoidal frame are paired with a surprising headboard, which appears flat from the front but is in fact composed of a pair of concave curves, like the simple outline of a bird in the sky.

These curves are filled with two generous cushions (Living Divani is renowned for its top-of-the range upholstery, with goose down and polyurethane padding inserts), available in the brand’s vast range of fabrics.

Blending a rigorous structure with soft comfort, the ‘Greene’ bed is a dreamy example of warm minimalism.

READ MORE: what to see at Milan Design Week 2026

Named after a Japanese woodworking technique, produced by one of Italy’s leading furniture makers and designed by global design studio HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates), the new ‘Kumiki’ chair and armchair by Giorgetti combine traditional savoir-faire and cosmopolitan flair.

‘Kumiki’ collection, by HBA, for Giorgetti

After the ‘Hikari’ bar cabinet and ‘Kiranami’ screen, also inspired by Japanese design, ‘Kumiki’ is HBA’s third concept for Giorgetti. Inspired by a traditional Japanese technique that interlocks wood pieces without nails, screws, or glue, the walnut frame seats were conceived to showcase the beauty of the perfectly executed woodworking joint.

‘The chairs celebrate an honest approach to construction, expressed through exposed timber joints crafted using ancient methods that have been refined over centuries,’ says Kevin Shek, lead product designer at HBA Product. ‘Each connection is purposeful and visible, allowing the integrity of the craftsmanship to become part of the design narrative.’

Every joint between legs, crossbars, armrests and backrest is on show and deliberately perceptible to the touch, their handcrafted precision calibrated to millimetre tolerances for extra sturdiness. The structure itself recalls the Japanese Torii gate, a solid yet light presence defined by soft curves and a continuous interplay of narrowing and opening sections.

‘With “Kumiki”, I was interested in reduction, in allowing the structure to carry the identity of the chair,’ explains Chris Godfrey, co-CEO of HBA. ‘Every joint is visible because it has purpose. The dialogue between Italian and Japanese craftsmanship is not stylistic, but philosophical; it is about precision, restraint, and respect for material.’

Both models’ Canaletto walnut frames are available in natural, gray and dark finishes. The chair features a discreet recessed handle on the back that makes it easy to move around, while its upholstery is available in single or two-tone leather and fabric combinations.

The armchair version comes with a carefully designed recline and thick cushions in an elegant ‘soap bar’ tapered shape. Its visible lateral crossbars bring the volume closer to the ground and ensure greater stability (unlike the chair, whose crossbars are hidden to accentuate its verticality and lightness).

Along with other collaborations such as the Giorgetti Maserati Edition Collection, HBA’s designs will be on show during Milan Design Week 2026 at the Giorgetti Spiga – The Place space.

Kelly Wearstler, queen of the maximalist interior, will be at Milan Design Week 2026 to launch a new furniture collection designed in tandem with H&M Home. The Scandinavian brand is already renowned for its inspired fashion collaborations, but this is its first collaborative furnishings collection. It's no first for Wearstler, though, who has already notched up retail partnerships with the likes of Farrow & Ball, The Rug Company and Lee Jofa (not to mention her unforgettable dripping disco ball sculptures by Dutch art collective Rotganzen for her gallery initiative).

Partnering with the ‘best in class' across an array of mediums is in her DNA. And H&M Home makes a lot of sense in Wearstler's multi-faceted world. ‘Over the years, H&M has engaged in some incredible partnerships, from Karl Lagerfeld to Maison Margiela,' she says. ‘We wanted to be in that same boat. It was such an exciting opportunity.'

Milan Design Week: Kelly Wearstler and H&M Home at at Palazzo Acerbi

Through her eponymous luxury lifestyle brand, Wearstler has been designing objects since the 1990s, but she was keen to offer a collection at a more affordable price point, while still retaining quality and craftsmanship. Launching in 28 markets, the collection includes chairs, tables and lamps, as well as a series of tabletop items, ranging from wooden vases to drinking glasses. Anyone who has visited one of Weastler's luxury lifestyle-forward Proper hotels will immediately recognise her distinctive aesthetic.

‘We still had a lot of boundaries,' she says. ‘Every piece had to be modular, but it pushed us to be more creative.' While all the objects in the collection feel unique, Wearstler was also keen that they work with any environment. ‘I wanted to operate under the ethos of just offering great accessible design.'

To mark this double-debut moment, an installation, produced by Studio Boum, will be unveiled at Palazzo Acerbi, a 17th-century baroque palace that has long been closed to the public. Wearstler's excitement is palpable. ‘I wanted to make sure it was some place that could help tell the story of the collection. It had an emotional feeling for me, and it checked all the boxes.'

The palazzo, with its soaring columns and opulent frescoes, offers a striking juxtaposition with the collection's bold contemporary aesthetic. Building on concepts of routine, habit and modular synergy, the installation will include everyday objects, such as candlesticks, board games and clothing racks, which will form part of an immersive journey through the senses. ‘These objects are part of your daily ritual, and the way they all come together with texture and material, creates this beautiful tension,' says Wearstler. Materials were sourced from all over the world, using a mix of local workshops. ‘At my studio, there's always an attention to material, and we like to have a different hand at everything we do. When we design a hotel, we make sure we work with different workshops for every piece in a room.' Lately, India has proved to be a big draw for Wearstler, in particular, Jaipur and Mumbai. ‘I visited many workshops there and was just so inspired by that country – the culture, the people, the creative talent. You can just feel the energy.'

While her core philosophy has always been about creating beauty, there is a contrasting edge in her projects and personal style. ‘I would say my style is a free-spirited chameleon because every project is different, and every project is about the story. Whether it's a brand that we're designing for or a residential project for a family, we're still telling a love story.'

Kelly Wearstler H&M Home will be on show from 21-26 April at Palazzo Acerbi, Corso di Porta Romana 3, Milan. The full collection will launch in stores and online in September

Rimowa and Swiss furniture maker Lehni have announced a limited-edition collaboration – Rimowa Lehni – launching during Salone del Mobile 2026 – with two pieces of furniture designed specifically to store Rimowa cabin-sized suitcases at home.

These are the Rimowa Lehni Bench, an open-shelving unit that holds up to two suitcases side by side, and the Rimowa Lehni Drawer, a sculptural stacked-storage frame with a closed drawer for smaller objects. Both pieces, finished by hand at Lehni's factory in Zurich, are crafted in anodised aluminium in black or silver, and each shelf is lined with a scratch-resistant felt mat.

The partnership brings together two established names in aluminium craftsmanship: Rimowa has been creating its German-engineered luggage for over a century, while Lehni has been producing aluminium furniture in Switzerland since 1922. Notably, this marks the first time the furniture brand has adapted its modular system to create a purpose-built storage solution for suitcases.

Rimowa chief marketing officer Mathieu Plenier described the project as one that fuses both brands' heritages: ‘Together with Lehni we crafted made-to-measure pieces that perfectly marry our Swiss and German design backgrounds while celebrating our shared dedication to aluminium craftsmanship. This collaboration transforms the way our suitcases live at home, creating innovative storage solutions that are both purposeful and beautifully engineered.’

Lehni owners and directors Benedetta Agostini and Antonio Monaci called the result ‘technology and beauty applied to aluminium’, adding that it represents ‘a design product made entirely in Switzerland to the highest aesthetic and quality standards – characteristics that set both brands apart in the market’.

The collection will be presented at Milan Design Week at the Rimowa Lehni Visitor Centre on Via Achille Maiocchi 10, open 21-24 April 2026, alongside a curated selection of titles chosen by Swiss publisher Innen Publishing and a postcard-mailing station where visitors can send handwritten notes from Milan. A special window installation by local practice Studioutte will also feature at Rimowa's newly renovated Milan flagship.

The Rimowa Lehni Bench and Rimowa Lehni Drawer are each priced at €3,200 and will be available from 21 April on Rimowa.com and in select flagship stores globally

For American artist Dozie Kanu, Knoll was always a benchmark of design excellence. The Houston, Texas native was working across different design practices in New York City after graduating, and the company's work was a recurring theme; its essential contribution to the history of design was clear to him from the beginning of his career.

Ten years on, and the American company is now unveiling its first collaboration with the artist, a trio of tables that encapsulate his multifaceted artistic philosophy while speaking to the larger heritage of Knoll.

To be launched by Knoll at Salone del Mobile 2026, The Dozie Kanu Table Collection includes a console, a coffee table and a side table, characterised by a tasselled design in leather. Inspirations include an African drum, African ceremonial dress, and the fringed jackets popular in Texas Cowboy culture.

'True to Knoll design principles, Dozie's work expresses a singular cultural perspective that feels unmistakably contemporary,' says creative director Jonathan Olivares, whose first conversations with Kanu about the collaboration happened around the same time of his appointment as senior vice president of design in 2022. 'Drawing on a wide range of influences, he transforms reference into a kind of artistic alchemy. By approaching design through a sculptural lens, his pieces for Knoll animate space with a distinct attitude, while remaining direct in structure and function.'

Dozie Kanu: creativity at the cusp of cultures

This mixing of cultures is recurrent across the work of Kanu, who grew up in Texas with Nigerian parents, moved to New York at 18, and now lives in Portugal. His work – installations, exhibitions and the objects within – uses spatial design to explore themes of domesticity, memory and cultural belonging. Often created using found materials and scrap metals, the results of his practice shake up what is familiar through newly imagined forms.

'[Design] is an area where I feel like creativity for African diasporic people is present, but it's not fully pronounced in a lot of ways,' he notes. 'That's why I bring my upbringing and my biography into the work, and not only because it's what I really, truly know. It's where a lot of my truth comes from but I also think it's important for the history of design.'

He cites the African influence on contemporary art and sculpture in particular and the alienation that exists within that relationship – a territory that, he admits, he is still exploring through his work and beyond.

Dozie Kanu and Knoll

Having discovered his work in 2017, Olivares became a mentor of sorts for Kanu, essentially coaching him throughout the collaboration to give him the tools to create a series of objects that would work in a consumer-led sphere.

Olivares suggested that Kanu develop a piece from his 2021 installation Blood Type at Performance Space New York, an all-red room for which he created furniture that included a stool representing a rudimentary early ideas of the new table collection.

'[Jonathan] helped me understand how I should be approaching this, both fully understanding this landscape but also at the same time how to shake things up,' says Kanu. 'From there, we figured out a way to speak within these parameters.'

Another concern of the pair was that the collaboration didn't feel like a clash with Kanu's design-led artistic practice, which is why they landed on a series of tables. 'There's something that you're able to do with the table, you're providing a service, and there's something beautiful in the simplicity of that,' Kanu continues.

The original idea featured a reinforced steel bar structure on which a piece of leather was draped in a manner similar to a Nigerian drum, fringing down in a way that referenced 'the masquerade costumes that you would see in the villages from from where my parents were brought up.

'I felt like I was addressing a lot of biography with this particular story, which I think is important when thinking about material culture because of the absence of the black consciousness within [this area of design].'

Most importantly, Knoll was able to elevate Kanu's references while keeping his voice in the project: 'They found a way for me to speak as sharply as possible.'

He describes the final objects as being so precise as to become 'almost jarring': the way the tassels slightly hover above the ground, how they lightly sway as you walk past, it feels alive.

Despite being widely considered an artist, Kanu describes himself as an 'exhibition maker', a role that allows him to take a critical point of view through an aesthetically led practice. Coinciding with Milan Design Week 2026, Kanu will also be showing work at ICA Milano, in an exhibition titled ‘The Second Shadow. Dozie Kanu Mirroring Marc Camille Chaimowicz, with Shared Echoes and Kindred Spirits’, featuring his spatial response to the work of the late artist Marc Camille Chaimowicz, evoking the work of Jean Cocteau.

'There's an immersive quality to making exhibitions. You can pretty much fill [them] with any creative input or creative gesture that you would like,’ he reflects. ‘So the way that I look at this project is interesting,’ he adds of his Knoll collaboration, ‘because I'm curious to see what these objects from Knoll look like when thrown into the language of making an exhibition, and if the work is vibrating on a level where it can suspend your idea of it to the level of sculpture.'

doziekanu.com
knoll.com

Why should a bed be only a bed? It’s the question George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, of renowned design studio Yabu Pushelberg, asked themselves with ‘Lanai’, a new bed design for Poliform launching at Salone del Mobile 2026 that offers not only sweet dreams but also plush seating and practical storage.

The duo were inspired by the multiplicity of functions of the contemporary bedroom, which is used not simply for various horizontal activities but also as a cosy home office during the day (Mark Twain and Winston Churchill, who famously worked from their bed, were pioneers of this trend) or a private screening room in the evenings.

‘Transcending the idea of ​​a simple piece of furniture and envisioning the sleeping area as a complete space for relaxation, time for oneself and one's passions, and moments of conviviality,’ the new design expands the bed's functionality with modular elements that layer like a natural landscape.

Designed to take centre stage in the bedroom, the resulting piece of furniture comprises a series of organic volumes, perfectly balanced with the straight, geometric lines of the dark wooden headboard and frame.

This collaboration marks Yabu Pushelberg's debut with the Italian company. 2026 also marks a key year for Poliform, who will be at Milan Design Week with Multitude, an installation at its new Milanese space of Palazzo Clerici. staged like a hidden garden in the heart of Milan, it will be designed like a forest to discover.

Faye Toogood’s Poltrona Frau debut from 2024 is etched in our memories as a brilliant example of how a creative mind can shake up a traditional furniture company. Working with the heritage of the Tolentino-based furniture manufacturer, Toogood created a collection of curvaceous furniture that she described as ‘English Folk with Italian Horsepower.’

Dubbed ‘Squash’, the collection featured mirrors, rugs and an armchair which, Poltrona Frau CEO Nicola Coropulis said, ‘epitomised the essence of a Poltrona Frau armchair, effortlessly evoking feelings of comfort, innovation, and forward-thinking creativity, all ensconced in a cocoon of leather.’

Lie Low bed by Faye Toogood for Poltrona Frau

Poltrona Frau is now unveiling the next chapter in this fruitful collaboration, presenting Toogood’s Lie Low bed (with matching bedside table) at Milan Design Week. Toogood’s sculptural approach to furniture design meets Poltrona Frau’s precise curation of forms and materials, and the result is characterised by the designer’s signature ‘chubbyness’, with a sculptural headboard that makes the most of the leather company’s expertise in the material. Rather than stretched tight, Toogood chose to leave the leather to ‘crinkle and gather’, revealing a sense of informal comfort.

‘I have been working with the artisans at Poltrona Frau for a couple of years now, and there’s nothing they don’t know about leather craft,’ observes Toogood. ‘I want to celebrate the hands-on knowledge and skill of the workshop, but propose new ways of thinking about process and material. Rather than being perfectly taut, the leather of the Lie Low bed is wrinkled, giving it movement and malleability. It’s a bed that entirely embraces you.’

fayetoogood.com
poltronafrau.com

Designed by the Milan- and Amsterdam-based creative collective Controvento for Fendi Casa, the ‘Peekasit’ seating range, with its leather shell and soft padded cushion, made its debut in 2023, taking its cues from the fashion house's classic ‘Peekaboo’ bag. Two years later, it was joined by the ‘Peekasleep’ bed (also designed by Controvento), an enveloping leather-upholstered structure that oozed comfort and cosiness.

This year's Salone del Mobile sees the series expand further with the launch of the ‘Peekachill’ armchair, which is conceived as a more intimate counterpart to the ‘Peekasit’ collection.

Starting with the original seating concept, Controvento reimagined the ‘Peekasit’ armchair in a smaller, more compact incarnation while still preserving its defining identity, designing an object with sleek, sinuous lines and exceptional snugness, with extensive customisation options available.

Its construction reflects the precise, coherent and sophisticated portfolio of the studio founded by Gabriele Chiave and Verdiana Vannini, who set up the multidisciplinary collective after working together at the Amsterdam HQ of Marcel Wanders for five years.

When Wanders closed his studio in 2022, Chiave and Vannini took some clients with them, including Fendi Casa and Audi. Both found their time working for Wanders to be invaluable in shaping their current design approach.

Through the intersection of storytelling, craftsmanship, innovation and emotion, we create impactful designs that deepen bonds between people, objects and experiences across disciplines,’ they say. ‘At the same time, we maintain a human-centered approach in all our designs, ensuring that innovation is guided by awareness, responsibility and impact.’

Collaborators since 1986, the Brianza-based designer Giuseppe Bavuso and furniture maker Rimadesio have together produced a string of acclaimed designs, including the ‘Sliparium’ sliding doors – the first in aluminium and glass , for which Bavuso received the first prize at the A’ Young & Design Award in 1994.

The brand’s one and only designer, Bavuso has harnessed the skills learned as an architect and designer in the automotive industry to focus on creating products with a highly technical core. In recent years, Rimadesio has branched out from doors, panels and shelving systems to include complementary furniture, giving him carte blanche to come up with a variety of seats and armchairs.

‘Ori’ chair, by Giuseppe Bavuso, for Rimadesio

Their latest piece, ‘Ori’, is a solid ash chair with a striking zig-zagging backrest designed to offer comfort and quality without compromising on a strong aesthetic identity. It comes stained in two colour options, black oak and thermotreated oak, and its seat can be made of natural or black woven cord, or upholstered in fabric or leather in any colour available in the Rimadesio collection.

Showcasing the brand’s focus on high-precision, custom-engineered products, it is beautifully crafted by the brand’s expert woodworkers, who work from its high-tech, solar-powered production facility in Giussano. The care taken in crafting its wooden frame is evident in the backrest, as well as in the elegant joints between the legs and the seat structure.

'My design doesn’t shout – it speaks quietly, it is full of content but it does not want to be ostentatious: it aims to express a concept of a home for living rather than for display,' once said Bavuso of his work for Rimadesio. 'We have set ourselves the objective of expressing a precise vision of the home, a vision in continuous evolution but firmly committed to the fundamental principles of quality, purity of form and durability.'

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French designer Christophe Delcourt's latest creation for Baxter celebrates the spectacular organic motifs of Grove marble. This material is distinguished by its complex layered colours: across its dense background of warm brown and ochre tones runs a network of fine dark veins, a pattern recalling tobacco leaves or ancient weathered tree trunks. The stone is also dotted with softly defined milky white and ivory areas, resembling lichen growing on branches, or a dusting of snow on a barren forest floor.

Named ‘Zaho’ (after the Arabic word for ‘splendour’, ‘brightness’, or ‘radiance’), the new table lets the eye-catching Grove marble shine thanks to its subtle construction, with legs that unfold like pages of a book. Each angle reveals a unique shape and marble pattern.

‘Assembled in a corolla shape, the panels form an architecture like a millefeuille, sometimes with sharp edges, sometimes with soft, rounded lines,’ write the collaborators. ‘A base like a building, as light as it is monumental.’

The table is brushed with waterproof protective oil to ensure it survives long dinner parties intact, and is also available in a range of other, paler stones, including White Travertino and Bianco Gioia marble.

Delcourt is well-versed in highlighting the beauty of natural materials through his furniture designs: among his previous works for the brand is the ‘Lana’ table series, which showcased a matte Wildflower beige marble from Sicily.

baxter.it
christophedelcourt.com

At first glance, you might mistake this elegant tubular design for a simple riff on a Bauhaus classic such as Marcel Breuer’s 1920s cantilevered ‘Cesca’ chair. But a more careful observation will reveal that it is very much one-of-a-kind – a meticulously detailed creation by Nicos Zographos (1931–2023).

An architect and designer whose career spanned 60 years, Zographos was greatly influenced by the Bauhaus, worked under modernist master Gordon Bunshaft, and collaborated with some of the leading designers of the time, including Walter Gropius, I.M. Pei and Phillip Johnson. Today he is remembered as a perfectionist who endlessly refined his designs, producing bespoke – and now extremely collectible – pieces.

‘CH66’ chair by Nicos Zographos, for Karakter x Cassina

Case in point: Zographos' ‘CH66’ chair, originally designed in 1966 and reissued this year by Karakter with Cassina, a company whose first collaboration with the designer dates back to the 1960s. The design reverses the s-shaped Bauhaus cantilever, creating instead an equally elegant b-shaped seat using a continuous line of chromed tubular steel with gentle curves.

‘The chair is resilient, elastic, and so light it doesn’t encumber space with its mass. It was the closest I came to a pure and precise kind of chair,’ wrote Zographos of the ‘CH66’, today part of MoMA’s permanent collection in New York.

Its manufacturers describe it as ‘the essence of a chair, a calibrated balance between structural lightness and dynamic tension’, highlighting its rigorous and elegant silhouette that is the result of an in-depth study carried out in collaboration with the designers’ daughters Athena and Fotini Zographos.

The reissued chair, in respect of the original design, is made of four chrome or painted black stainless-steel tubes which have been bent and shaped with extreme precision and fastened with screws, intentionally left visible on the back to keep its upholstery in place. The seat and backrest, which have the exact same curve, are upholstered with fine saddle-leather available in a range of colours, secured with metal springs that ensure elasticity as well as comfort.