'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

The Berlin and Zurich based designers Valerie Otte and Agnes Ögren cultivate something you could call a long distance studio. Collaborating via Skype and e-mail the two managed to develop their ideas and realise a hormonic series of furniture, which they presented at this year’s Greenhouse during the Stockholm Furniture Fair for the first time.

'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

“The project explores both the mechanical-physical and the metaphysical aspects of opening and closing and of open and closed states. Both designers are fascinated by products which refer in some way to this and other grey zones of transition.”

'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

'Close to be open' by Agnes Ögren and Valerie Otte

to the Valerie Otte website

'Les French' by Studio Glithero

The London based Studio Glithero was founded by Tim Simpson and Sarah Gameren who met at the Royal College of Art. One of their latest installations is ‘Les French’, an series of furniture composed of cast bronze based and lightweight storage volumes.

'Les French' by Studio Glithero

“We first create ad-hoc configurations of bamboo, binding the joints with wound string, These frames are then sent to a bronze foundry and through a process of loss material casting, the fragile and unlikely structures transform to structural and permanent casts in bronze.”

'Les French' by Studio Glithero

“For the top part, with no predetermined idea in mind, we build the functional volumes of the furniture in response to the bronze pieces. Underlining the friction in permanence and value that takes place in the casting process, we wrap a lightweight fabrication in gum-paper strips.

The project is an exercise in process. It will grow to become a family of unique characters, that entertain a variety of principles for lifting volumes from the ground.”

'Les French' by Studio Glithero

'Les French' by Studio Glithero

All pieces available at Gallery Fumi.

to the Studio Glithero website

'Drawer Shelf' by Keiji Ashizawa

The Japanese designer  Keiji Ashizawa created this elegant chest of drawers, whose stackable units can be slided seperatly on a simple rail system. The enhanced surface offers adiitional shelf space.

'Drawer Shelf' by Keiji Ashizawa

'Drawer Shelf' by Keiji Ashizawa

seen at Daily Icon

to the Keiji Ashizawa website

'Unit' by Nosigner for 'AWA'

The Japanese Designer Nosigner started a new collaboration with the Tokushima Wood & Bamboo Industrial Cooperative Society Confederation and founded the new wood furniture brand ‘AWA’. Their new collection will be presented at this year’s Designtide in Tokyo.

'Unit' by Nosigner

“Tokushima was once called the country of Awa, the tradition of wood furniture was initiated by ship builders. Thus, AWA decided to go back to its Tokushima woodworking roots to form this new and yet traditional project to bring Japan’s wood working culture into the future.”

'Cartesia' by Nosigner

'Cartesia' by Nosigner

'Cartesia' by Nosigner

more Nosigner products @ Architonic

‘Kanpyo Udon’ – packaging by Nosigner

'Ehrfurcht' ('awe') by Pour les Alpes

Under their newly founded label ‘Pour les Alpes’ the Swiss designers Tina Stieger and Annina Gaehwiler presented their collection of furniture at the Mint shop during this year’s London Design Festival.

'Ehrfurcht' by Pour les Alpes

The collection ‘echos’ is an award-winning furniture serie of the ‚echoes’ competition announced by the Swiss Arts Council ‚Pro Helvetia’.

“The three chests of drawers have been created in close cooperation with five different artisan craftsmen from two Swiss regions, Grisons and Appenzell. Shingle-making, wood-carving and lace-making: artisanal techniques, which are still present in the Swiss alpine region and above all, deeply rooted in everyday life.”

'Neugierde' ('curiosity') by Pour les Alpes

“The individual objects are a tribute to the Swiss Alps and are, in a formal and symbolical way, referring to an identity rooted in the alpine culture. They are telling exceptional new stories, which awake familiar memories but still offer enough space for own interpretations. The names of the pieces of furniture are ‚Ehrfurcht’ (reverence), ‚Neugierde’ (curiosity) and ‚Sehnsucht’ (desire). They all describe a personal point of view of the alpine surroundings.”

'Sehnsucht' ('yearning') by Pour les Alpes

to the Pour les Alpes website

'Pure' by Pastoe

The new cabinet system ‘Pure’ by the Dutch manufacturer Pastoe lives up to its name. This is the result of the cabinet’s clean lines and exquisite finish –the cabinets come with finishing tops that are only 16 mm thick. There is a choice of standing cabinet or hanging cabinet, with a variety of dimensions. ‘Pure’ comes with doors, flaps or drawers; with or without one of the two types of handle.

'Pure' sideboard

'Pure' chest of drawers

more Pastoe products @ Architonic