June 10, 2021
28 Recent Product Releases Reflect New Trends in Global Design
With whimsical colors, soft forms, and recycled materials, product manufacturers around the globe lean into change.
Uncharacteristically candy-like colors distinguish this commercial-grade seating. The chair and loveseat are tested to withstand up to 100,000 double rubs.
EMBLEM. emblembuilt.com Courtesy Emblem
Companies normally respond to marketplace demand, but recent trends are reactions to world events. COVID-19 has inspired new outdoor solutions, climate change is driving transparency about production methods and materials, and the impact of social unrest is evident in color choices (brighter hues to boost spirits or muted tones to reflect sobriety). For further proof that products are reflecting these moods and moments, review the following pages.
Modular wedge-shaped steel backrests and armrests distinguish this bench seating and enable designers to easily configure
it around other outdoor elements. Available in Ipe, DSTMA, and Jarrah wood as well as powder-coated metal in a variety of colors.
LANDSCAPE FORMS. landscapeforms.com Courtesy Landscape Forms
This Nepalese rug is weather-resistant and handwoven using recycled plastic bottles to create durable custom patterns.
RUG ARTISAN. rugartisan.com Courtesy Rug Artisan
WHIMSY
Post-quarantine, the idea of escaping is so appealing that whimsy rivals function as a mark of innovative design. Edible-looking colors, anthropomorphic components, and interactivity are all vehicles for escape, as this sampling illustrates.
Matali Crasset designed this art and furniture collection to create “islands of generosity and comfort” for the interior of Renzo Piano’s atrium in the École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay.
MAC MOBILIER. mac-mobilier.com Courtesy MAC MOBILIER
RECYCLED
As designers encounter the same pressure as architects to specify sustainable materials, indoor furnishings made from recycled, recyclable, and renewable sources have proliferated. Here are some impressive new entries.
The 3D folds of this four-paneled tile create hollow chambers that increase its capacity to absorb sound. Constructed from recycled PET, it has a noise-reduction coefficient of.9.
TURF DESIGN. turf.design Courtesy Turf Design
Irish company Orior reuses the leftover marble cutoffs from its furniture production by sculpting them into useful, attractive bookends.
ORIOR. oriorfurniture.com Courtesy Orior
SOFT EDGES
Several new designs appear to be softening the edges of objects around us, from tableware to seating. The concept is apt at a time that other lines are also being blurred—think national borders and social hierarchies. Perhaps these products embody the changes we’d like to see.
Swedish acoustics brand Zilenzio Building partnered with Allsteel on several sound control solutions, including this wavy workspace partition, manufactured usingrenewable mineral wool. ALLSTEEL. allsteeloffice.com
While its rounded profile recalls Gaetano Pesce’s 1969 UP50 collection, this chair is a Yabu Pushelberg design made of foam and upholstered in a stretchy 100 percent wool fabric. It is available as an armchair, a medium sofa, and a small ottoman.
LIGNE ROSET. ligne-roset.com Courtesy Ligne Roset
You may also enjoy “10 Products Show Adaptability Is the Name of the Game”
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