Designer Phillipe Starck sitting on floor surrounded by wooden chairs
COURTESY © ELENAMAHUGO

New Furnishings and Fixtures Celebrate Circularity and Craftsmanship

Concerned with climate change, waste reduction, and extending product life cycles, manufacturers are pivoting toward ingredients and production methods that reflect greater quality and care.

There’s been a notable uptick in furnishings made from recycled content and natural materials, as well as items marked by a heavy emphasis on craftsmanship. The first wood chair that French designer Philippe Starck has developed for Spanish brand Andreu World is one example that checks a few of these boxes. It also marks a dramatic personal shift for the designer, who once said plastic was his favorite material. Change is good.

Designer Phillipe Starck sitting on floor surrounded by wooden chairs

01. ADELA REX

The first ever Philippe Starck design in plywood, Adela Rex is part of Andreu World’s 100 Percent Pure Wood project, which includes furnishings made in part or entirely with wood from reforested trees on land the company owns.

ANDREU WORLD andreuworld.com

detail of ellis benching interlocking leg system

 02 ELLIS BENCHING

A Best of NeoCon 2021 Gold winner, this system features an optional solid maple pegboard, in line with a trend of inserting handcrafted elements into conventional office settings.

MANTRA INSPIRED FURNITURE mantrainspiredfurniture.com

upholstered sheepskin lounge chair

 03 LET LOUNGE

Danish manufacturer Fritz Hansen released this special edition of Sebastian Herkner’s upholstered lounge chair in chrome-free sheepskin to showcase the company’s expert craftsmanship. 

FRITZ HANSEN fritzhansen.com

wooden nesting tables of multiple sizes

 04 STEMN NESTED TABLE SERIES 

The simple design of these tables highlights their method of construction and versatility as stools, seats, and side tables. The patented bracket hardware is available in two finishes on any of the five styles.

FYRN fyrn.com 

gold toned interior displaying polycarbonate chandelier

05 MELT 

Tom Dixon’s polycarbonate luminaire merges craft and technology in an otherworldly design that references both blown glass and molten lava.

TOM DIXON tomdixon.net

pink and green table.

06 ROPLEY OCCASIONAL TABLE 

Part of studio And Objects’ new Invisible Collection, this ceramic table draws heavily on the Neo-Classical style of the Swedish Grace design movement.THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION theinvisiblecollection.com

white table lamp displayed near some small plants

07 ARTIFOX 

Developed in a collaboration with lighting manufacturer Gantri from a blend of biodegradable, corn-based resins, the Artifox table light is a modern and mindful update of the plastic mushroom lamp from the 1970s.

ARTIFOX theartifox.com

Aeron chair by herman miller

08 AERON

Ingredients in the popular Herman Miller office chair have been reengineered to include ocean-bound plastics. Through a collaboration with NextWave Plastics, the company has committed to using recycled content in 50 percent of its materials by 2030.

HERMAN MILLER hermanmiller.com

brass ceiling light

09 HOLLOW

A smooth rotation mechanism for directing the beam distinguishes this interactive luminaire designed by James Van Vossel. The tube-shaped light source can be slid open to 90-, 60-, and 45-degree angles.

MODULAR LIGHTING INSTRUMENTS supermodular.us

white ergonomic Move Chair

10 MOVE

A winner of this year’s Best of NeoCon award for sustainability, this ergonomic chair by New Zealand–based manufacturer Noho is made using ECONYL’s regenerated nylon, which is 100 percent recyclable.

NOHO noho.co

red and white tables made from marble and travertine

11 POPPY

Mambo Unlimited Ideas’ marble and travertine center and dining tables emphasize natural materials and handcrafted style.

MAMBO UNLIMITED IDEAS mambounlimitedideas.com 

wooden lamps

12 COROLLE

Handcrafted by French designer Baptiste Lanne (a former Philippe Starck employee), this chiseled walnut table lamp draws on his Japanese-inspired wood sculptures.

SWADOH swadoh.com

black floor lamp
black wall lamp

13 KEGLEN

After the success of the BIG-designed Keglen LED pendant in 2017, Louis Poulsen extended the line to include table and floor lamps as well as wall sconces.

LOUIS POULSEN louispoulsen.com

green and white dragon wallpaper behind mirror and credenza

14 SCALAMANDRÉ X NUWALLPAPER

The 92-year-old textile manufacturer’s reputation for classic patterns and craftsmanship now elevates an affordably priced, self-adhesive, easily removable wallpaper.

NUWALLPAPER wallpops.com

gauzy sheer curtains

15 STORYLINES 

Woven from natural linen, wool, and cotton, or with man-made fibers, Kvadrat’s new collection of sheer curtains features a changing atmospheric palette thanks to its diverse materials.

KVADRAT kvadrat.dk

wooden chair displayed in front of wood-look wall.

16 ISO-LOUNGE

Jasper Morrison designed this bent plywood update of a 1930s-era lounge from small-batch London manufacturer Isokon, an early producer of Modernist furniture. Though it boasts a historical pedigree, technical advancements mean Morrison’s version is more responsive to a user’s movements.

ISOKON PLUS isokonplus.com 

felt grid ceiling treatment with integrated lighting

17 TRELLIS 

Besides combining illumination and sound control in one fixture, Trellis is made with 50 percent recycled postconsumer PET felt. It’s also free of Red List chemicals and has a Declare label.

LIGHTART lightart.com

geometric tiles

18 HONEYSUCKLE

Sisters Georgie Smith and Hilary Gibbs make decorative tile by printing images on upcycled postconsumer materials such as their special PaperStone, which is made of 90 percent recycled melamine and 100 percent recycled paper, which gets saturated with petroleum-free resins.

LIVDEN livden.com

carved wooden stools and chairs

19 HIGH, CRESCENT HIGH, BOWBACK, AND COAL SHOVEL STOOLS 

This furnishings collection showcases manufacturer Thos. Moser’s legacy of traditional joinery, which is currently enjoying new interest.

THOS. MOSER thosmoser.com

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