Henri Matisse is known for the masterful use of color found within his art, but there’s another world of his work focused on lines and shapes. For Milan Design Week 2023, Maison Matisse invited British designer Faye Toogood to interpret Chinese black ink on white paper from the book Dessins: Thèmes et Variations” by Matisse. Throughout its pages the artist repeatedly works over themes until the drawings reach a sort of natural equilibrium, completely devoid of color. The resulting Esquisses collection includes living room and bedroom furniture that pays homage to Matisse’s originality and the liberation expressed in these line drawings.

Toogood was the ideal person to tap for the collaboration, as Matisse has long been a source of inspiration for the designer’s work. Her 2017 “Assemblage 5” collection was dedicated to Matisse’s “Chapelle du Rosaire” in Venice. The collaboration with Maison Matisse, founded by the artist’s descendants, allowed Toogood to dig further into his influence, creating her own form-based vocabulary.

Photo: Delfino Sisto Legnani, DSL Studio

“With drawing as the start point, I worked on creating a library of gesture, line, and shape responding to motifs in Matisse’s sketches. I kept coming back to a series of table still life drawings Matisse made in the 40s. Fruits, vegetables, household objects, all rendered in his eloquent, essential line,” shared Toogood. “We ended up with more than 100 sketches and, initially just to catalogue them, we chose the best 24 and stuck them together in a concertina book. That format immediately suggested rugs and a blanket… and so those were there first pieces we developed.”

Photo: Delfino Sisto Legnani, DSL Studio

The Esquisses collection features Maison Matisse’s first objects in a striking palette of black, white, and beige. The natural wool rugs are made using only colors found in sheep, keeping the focus on the line and shape. Also in keeping with Maison Matisse’s simple core values, every piece within the collection is produced in Italy by talented craftspeople.

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Delfino Sisto Legnani, DSL Studio

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

Photo: Genevieve Lutkin

To learn more about the Esquisses collection, visit maison-matisse.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

In more design news from Milan Design Week 2023 at Salone del Mobile, LAND and The Italian Lab launched a street furniture collection: Il Salotto Milanese. The landscape architecture company and street furniture brand worked together to create a response to Milan Design Week’s challenge of using urban elements of iconic and sustainable design. Four pieces comprise the collection – a bench, a waste basket, and two seats – inviting you to take a moment to rest, have a conversation, or simply enjoy a beautiful day.

Il Salotto Milanese pulls from Milan’s energy and the iconic design elements that characterize the city’s public spaces. Through blending urban mining, craftsmanship, and design, the collection builds a unique outdoor experience. Special attention has been given to material choices that favor innovative, recycled, recyclable, durable, and resistant materials to reduce the products’ environmental impact as much as possible.

Colored cement with recycled aggregates and recycled plastic are the primary materials that make up Il Salotto Milanese. The plastic chosen is of high durability and resistance, made from local raw materials and waste aggregates. Meanwhile, the cement contributes sustainably to the circular economy thanks to the processing and reuse of residue from the plastic industry.

To learn more about Il Salotto Milanese, visit theitalianlab.it.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

I love following a home renovation and @thehohaus has been one that always stops me mid-scroll. The homeowner, @martine, has a really dialed-in vision of what she likes and how she wants her home to feel (to occupants and visitors alike). I love seeing her unpackage her treasured vintage finds or, most recently, her custom-designed rug being brought to life. She currently splits her time between Melbourne and Manila so both homes have been slowly coming together. I can’t wait to see a full reveal when the time comes!

Charles Eames once said “Toys are not really as innocent as they look. Toys and games are precursors to serious ideas.” Thus, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea to see this concept by @vjeko_design (formerly @wrenchbone) come to life one day: LEGO x Eames. We can only hope!

Photo by @ruy_teixeira

Photo by @ruy_teixeira

Photo by @ruy_teixeira

Photo by @ruy_teixeira

I was extra attached to my phone this week because all the exciting news coming out of Milan. The one that I can’t stop thinking about is the showroom by Objects of Common Interest at Nilufar Depot for Nilufar Gallery, curated by Studio Vedèt. The exhibit highlights the unique visual phenomena of iridescence and features several objects that convey the effect. Depending on where you stand, the time of day, and the angle you’re viewing from, the objects, which range from tables to floor lamps, constantly changes ever so slightly. It’s a very personal experience known only to the viewer, which makes the exhibition so captivating.

I’ve been watching Jeff Sheldon of Ugmonk share the behind-the-scenes of his Gather collection coming to life, from being funded on Kickstarter to the manufacturing process, and am so impressed by the quality and attention to detail of this product. Every piece is made in Pennsylvania by local craftsman and the materials used – wood, felt, and steel – create a very Scandi-modern vibe for your desk space. The pieces click together with strong magnets and give a dedicated home for all the items involved in your daily workday. Preorders are currently open, and while the entire set will cost you $780, I see it as an investment to make in the name of productivity, which can be priceless for those really long days chained to the desk.

You heard it here first: one of my favorite artists Windy Chien is collaborating with Cast on a jewelry collection! The collection officially launches May 23rd so mark your calendars. Windy, who’s known for her mastery of knot work, translates her art into fine jewelry. There are eight pieces total, including earrings, rings, and pendants, and I already have my eye on a very Cartier-esque gold knot ring…

As the Lifestyle editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

With designs that excite the senses, the new Otto Studio wallpaper capsule collection designed in collaboration with artist, pattern maker, and designer Zoe Schlacter will turn any home – even rented ones – into an art gallery. Schlacter, known for their maximalist prints as home textiles, home accessories, and fine art prints, was excited to experiment with the process of creating wallpaper and decals. “Often, my home decor pieces feature non-repeating designs, so I was excited to have the opportunity to realize some of my concepts as repeating artwork,” they share. Using Otto Studio’s peel-and-stick wallpaper as a base, Schlacter created a set of designs “inspired by Op Art, Memphis Design, and eccentric forms from the natural world, like funky gemstones and out-of-this-world flowers.”

While the collection is certainly vibrant and bold, Schlacter can still envision the designs working in the homes of those who are perhaps a little color- and pattern-adverse. “I could see our wallpaper used as an interesting border or framing device, perhaps cut into an interesting shape to highlight a particular piece of art or feature of a room,” the designer muses. Alternatively, those who want to channel their inner maximalist can start small with installing the paper to a piece of furniture or lining the back of a bookshelf instead of taking over an entire wall. Wherever you place it and however large of a space it fills up, this wallpaper collection will command the attention of anyone who enters the room.

Zoe Schlacter

For more information about the Zoe Schlacter wallpaper collection, visit thisisottostudio.com.

As the Lifestyle editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

With electric vehicles shaking up the industry, the car buying experience itself is evolving at breakneck speed. Brands like Tesla have altered customer expectations, fashioning model showrooms rather than promoting traditional dealerships to woo curious buyers. Chinese automotive manufacturer Geely, the owners of Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Proton, and Lotus, is making a similar investment in support of their homegrown AI-operated autonomous robocar brand, JIDU, with a stark modern showroom designed to amplify the promise of an electrified and autonomous future.

Launched in 2021, the joint venture with tech giant Baidu is currently represented by the JIDU Robo-01 electric SUV, with a follow up Robo-02 electric sedan coming soon, each engineered with autonomous driving technology at the heart of their e-car experience.

The newly opened showroom in Shanghai consists of three areas spanning the first floor of a luxury shopping center situated in Lujiazui Financial Centre.

Fronted by a prominent JIDU logo across the showroom’s exterior, guests are ushered through two entrances connected into an illuminated tunnel hallway to eventually emerge into an austere metallic paneled, minimalist showroom with a large-scale multimedia installation engineered to alter content and lighting according to the movement of guests.

There are unmistakable similarities to an Apple Store interior, right down to the cushioned stools in front of a large screen display and long tables exhibiting JIDU’s branded accessories. The brand describes the interior design as inspired by pixels to evoke “associations with computer games, technologies, and AI.”

Inspired by the metallic finish of the ROBOCARs, the interior showroom is swathed in matte metal paneling.

The JIDU experience also incorporates a café attached to a foyer to display the brand’s ROBOCAR models and be greeted by brand ambassadors with refreshments in hand, before inviting entry into a studio area where potential buyers are welcome to peruse vehicle parts, color samples, and materials set across a massive JIDU purple-hued, monolithic table. Guests are welcome to customize their vehicle in realtime, with options projected live onto a large screen.

JIDU punctuates the buying experience with a cushy and comfortable VIP salon. Future plans will allow buyers to watch their JIDU vehicle leave the garage from a large screen, drive up to the showroom guided by autopilot, then roll up to open their new car’s doors to welcome passengers on their AI-guided maiden voyage.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Gerhard Richter, one of the most important painters alive, announced his retirement from painting in 2017. A selection of his “final paintings” are currently on view at David Zwirner Gallery in New York. The biggest surprise is the 3 rooms that follow, where Richter proves that at 91 years old, his artistic re-invention is unstoppable, exhibiting 76 drawings from 2021-2022 and sculpture produced this year. It’s an exhibition of celebration, new pathways, and fresh questions.

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

Gerhard Richter’s name is synonymous with his high-valued abstractions on canvas. Each work is produced with a variety of squeegees that Richter uses to deposit, smear, or remove paint in countless layers (see clips of that process in the video at the end of this article).  It’s a continual process of destruction and creation that always offers something complex and new with every viewing.

Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting), 2017

These “Abstrakte Bilder (Abstract Paintings)” began in the 1970s and concluded in 2017. The last painting is here (above) on its own wall. But visitors would not know that it was the last painting unless they were told. Standing in front of the work, it doesn’t feel like a triumphant final chord of a symphony – it doesn’t feel like an “ending.” This may be because the painting wasn’t deemed as “the last painting” by Richter until after it was completed, but also, Richter’s paintings have never felt like destinations, they feel like continuations.

Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting), 2016

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

The smaller works from 2016 are the most captivating in the room, many on wood rather than canvas, inviting a different and cleaner scraping of paint down to the bones of their support in sections.

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

After announcing his retirement from painting, Richter has devoted his practice to “drawings.” But don’t expect a version of the paintings on paper. The 76 drawings on view here are a surprising re-invention and framework for discovery.

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

Each drawing is on regular A4 printer paper and range from 2021-2022. The earlier drawings are hazy pencil rubbings with fine lines. Later works from 2022 are dynamic dried puddles of black ink, dissolved graphite, and a now-evaporated clear liquid. These too contain hard lines that add an order, gravity, and depth to the chance elements. All are hung chronological (eagle-eyed visitors will note that the “first work” on display is in the second room, playing with a sense of time), giving a trackable metronome of time, progress, and moments of pause across the 76 works.

Gerhard Richter, 3.Nov.2021, 2021

Gerhard Richter, 19.9.2022 (4), 2022

Gerhard Richter, 21.9.2022 (8), 2022

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

Measuring nearly 10 feet tall, the glass “3 Scheiben (3 Panes)” from 2023 interrupts your walking path in the second room. Richter has worked in glass sculptures since 1967, often showing these works in conversation with paintings. In the video produced by David Zwirner Gallery below, Dieter Schwarz makes this incredible observation about the work that is both clear and reflective.

“You see through it, and it’s almost nothing. But still, there’s something between you and the world, and the other side of this sculpture. This in between makes you reflect, throws you back at where you are and doesn’t let you go your usual way. It interferes with you.”
– Dieter Schwarz, Curator & Author (excerpt from video below)

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

The final room isn’t what it seems. “Mood” 2022 consists of 31 colorful framed works on paper that are all copies of originals. Richter created the originals with colored ink on paper and later reproduced them as ink-jet prints that are nearly-indistinguishable from their originals. The copies were first shown adjacent to their originals in 2022 at Foundation Beyeler, but here they are shown alone. They are conceptional, confident, deceptive, and yet completely honest. Again the organization of the exhibition is exceptional – where visitors must navigate around the glass sculpture to enter this room. It’s as if we are entering an alternate reality of reflection and simulation, announced by the glass.

Gerhard Richter, 8.1.2022 (2), 2022

Gerhard Richter, 5.1.2022 (4), 2022

Installation view, Gerhard Richter, David Zwirner, New York, March 16—April 29, 2023

David Zwirner Gallery produced this must-watch 20-minute video featuring a walk-through with David Zwirner, Dieter Schwartz, and clips of Richter in his studio.



On the occasion of this exhibition, Gerhard Richter and David Zwirner Books is publishing a new limited-run artist’s book titled Gerhard Richter:100 Abstract Pictures available here.  An artwork in itself, this “book” holds 100 glossy images that are the result of Richter’s experiments with colorful liquid enamel on glass, paired with randomly generated text formations. Like all his work, it’s beautiful, confounding, and offers the highest reward for those willing to look longer.

What: Gerhard Richter
Where: David Zwirner Gallery, 537 W 20^th St, New York
When: March 16 – April 29, 2023

All artwork images: © Gerhard Richter 2023 (16032023), Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner
All installation images: Courtesy of David Zwirner

David Behringer visits over 200 galleries every month to uncover and share the most exciting contemporary art in New York today. Subscribe to his exclusive weekly newsletter at www.thetwopercent.com and learn about his private gallery tours. And be sure to check out his YouTube.

For Milan Design Week 2023, Como, Italy based Draga & Aurel are back for the second time with a new project for Nilufar, an art and design gallery in Milan. Space Couture is a collection of furnishings that give Op Art and outer space vibes with vivid colors and reflective surfaces. “In this age of darkness, we need to be lighthearted, carefree, and ‘sparkling.’ With our new project for Nilufar, we want to impart these positive, luminous vibes,” say Draga & Aurel.

The pair looked to the 1970s for inspiration, when design and artistic experimentation were happening, a “period of rupture, fusion, and much creativity.” They immersed themselves into the optical illusions of the Op Art period, the blown up works of Jeff Koons, and other inflatable objects, like the Blow Inflatable Armchair by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, and Paolo Lomazzi. The resulting collection is fun and playful, with an ability to live in any decade.

The SABOT armchair looks straight out of the Space Age, easily at home in the Jetson’s apartment with its shiny surface coated in laminates and a glossy varnish. The BON BON appliques are like glowing, colorful candies that originally began as tables but have morphed onto the walls as lights. And lastly, the resin column CLAIRE LAMP gives nod to Victor Vasarely’s Op Art from the 60s and 70s with its fluted exterior, vibrant colors, and distorted geometry. The backdrop to the installation features custom Wall&Deco wallpaper that Draga & Aurel designed with colorful brushstrokes specifically for the show.

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Photo: Federica Lissoni

Space Couture was on display at Nilufar 25, Via della Spiga 32 in Milan from April 18 – 23, 2023.

Gallery photos by Riccardo Gasperoni.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

The furniture collection Henri Judin displayed at SaloneSatellite during Milan Design Week 2023 is searching for something. That something is the exact point that lies halfway between minimalism and maximalism, a place where the design choices aren’t too little or too much. Inspired by the built environment, city, pop art, and plenty of neon yellow, Judin’s collection hits the nail on the head.

“Neon yellow is mesmerizing. Working with the color has brought me memories I almost had forgotten. When I was a child, I loved most the clothes with neon yellow details in them,” Judin shared. “One winter, I got fluorescent yellow ice skates. I was bullied at school because of them as they were different from everyone else’s. But I didn’t care – I felt invincible with my skates. Remembering the joy and the empowerment, I knew I wanted to use the color in the collection. I hope the collection and the colors radiate joy for the people.”

Judin’s hope in sharing the collection in Milan is to promote his talents while testing the waters for new collaborations, commissions, and projects. The shared furniture pieces are commercially feasible, featuring a current yet timeless style. With wood as the primary material, each design feels refined but edgy with the addition of bright, saturated colors.

Pehku Daybed, Upholstery: Todo Mundo / Marja Laine Photo: Studiå / Henry Salmi

Judin’s Pehku daybed was created in collaboration with his best friend, Aino Sirje. In fact, it was one of Sirje’s first woodworking pieces and their first project together. The durable structure’s assembly is tucked away inside the wooden birch frame, leaving no visible attachments. Bolster pillows act as backrests when Pehku is placed against a wall and pillows when someone lays down.

Pehku Daybed

Pehku Daybed

Baby Sofa Table, Woodwork: Havune / Joonas Sauvula Photos: Studiå / anni.jpeg

Small but effective, Baby is a coffee table that can’t be ignored. The table’s top comprises four squircle-shaped blocks – each a different size and color. Each of the four pieces sits atop its own ellipse-shaped foot. Judin notes that he would love for Baby to grow into a table collection to suit more purposes.

Baby Sofa Table

Tube Sofa, Woodwork: Seppo Auvinen, Upholstery: Todo Mundo / Marja Laine, Fabric: Lauritzon; Orsetto 012  
Photos: Studiå / anni.jpeg

Traditional made modern, the Tube sofa and Tube chair borrow elements from wooden spoke-back designs and combine them with voluminous, round shapes. Interesting and comfortable, Tube’s seating is a good fit for both homes and public spaces.

Tube Sofa

Tube Sofa

Tube Chair

Bunker Cabinet, Woodwork: Havune / Joonas Sauvula Photos: anni.jpeg

You definitely won’t miss the eye-catching Bunker cabinet. With bold neon yellow, it’s somewhat balanced by a wooden base of drawers. Of course that’s intentional, with the design play of proportions and contrast making it all the more interesting. Judin was inspired by a brutalist concrete building called Bunkkeri that lives in the Jätkäsaari neighborhood in Helsinki.

Bunker Cabinet

Bunker Cabinet

Pappagallo Chair, Woodwork: Seppo Auvinen Photos: anni.jpeg

Last, but not least, is Pappagallo. The wooden spoke-back dining chair takes from both modern and traditional design, resulting in a colorful piece of seating that Judin compares to a parrot.

Pappagallo Chair

Pappagallo Chair

To learn more about Henri Judin, visit henrijudin.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

An assemblage of colorful, confectionary lights illuminated a corner of this year’s Salone del Mobile 2023. Studio Thier & van Daalen’s GRID pendant lights are mouth-blown glass crafted into knobbly shapes resembling an assortment of super-sized hard candies (in fact, to this writer’s eyes, they immediately evoked fond memories of a favorite childhood confection alongside the bittersweet memories the shapes are associated with the fruit flavored treats) – literally a light-spirited manifestation of illumination.

Studio Thier & van Daalen explored various glass shapes and structures to fashion a mesmerizing array of imaginary projections and reflections illuminating from the bulbous, structured glass surfaces. An imaginative eye may see cloudy skies, rippling water, or morning dew glowing forth in a soothing and hypnotic effect glowing from these pendant lights onto nearby surfaces.

Photo: Studio Pim Top

Photo: Studio Pim Top

The bulbous handblown glass wares intentionally retain imprints of imperfection.

The round structure in the glass is created when the red-hot, almost liquid bubble is on one side pressed into the brutalist steel construction. Directed by the designers, the right combination of temperature, air pressure, and gravity leave a soft imprint of the structure in the glass.

When light is projected across the textured pendant glass, variances in roundness and thickness across the glass surface become visible.

To further enhance and complement the GRID pendant light’s enchanting light shaping presence, the studio developed a custom spherical LED spot (both dimmable and set to a warmly rated 2700°K) to accurately project light where desired, while also doubling as mounting bead.

Iris van Daalen & Ruben Thier

The GRID pendant light was on display at Salone del Mobile within the Dutch corner (aka, Isola Design) of the annual international design fair.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

With Earth Day barely in our rearview mirrors, there may be no better time to highlight ECONYL®, a brand that’s been reimagining what eco-design looks like since 2011. Design plays such a large, important role in our everyday lives – from products to systems to services – and the brand has always sought to connect with those doing the creating. While our abilities to design and buy new products are limitless, the planet’s resources are not. But with ECONYL®’s regenerated nylon it’s possible to have both. “Innovation is a key part of securing a company’s future. It should always be coupled with sustainability for representing a key driver of profit and long-term growth for many of today’s businesses,” said Giulio Bonazzi, president and CEO of Aquafil Group, the company behind ECONYL®.

When it comes to the ecological impact of a product, 80% is determined during the design phase, making it crucial that we examine how products are produced and consumed from the start. Using ethical, sustainable principles and materials is essential to moving closer to the end goal of a circular economy, and we can continue the journey by “designing out waste and pollution,” keeping products and materials in use longer, and regenerating natural systems. For these reasons – and many more – Aquafil is focused on collaborating with brands to reimagine products for a better future.

Photo: Aquafil

ECONYL® regenerated nylon provides the high performance and durability brands have been relying on since hosiery became popular in the 1940s. Since then, the extremely versatile material has expanded into interior design, automotive manufacturing, and beyond for its unparalleled ability to be stretched and molded. Standard nylon comes at a high price to the environment, but ECONYL®’s regenerated nylon is a kinder choice that can be made without sacrificing on performance or durability. The brand goes to long lengths to collect and recycle nylon waste that includes carpets, fishing nets, and fabric scraps. All of it is depolymerized back into its raw form – caprolactam – during a chemical recycling process. It’s then polymerized once more, resulting in 100% usable nylon that can make new products. And because it’s infinitely regenerable, it can all happen again and again and again.

Designers can understandably be a bit apprehensive about using recycled material, but customers who have created with ECONYL® nylon are pleasantly surprised. It’s chemically identical to nylon sourced from oil, has the same performance characteristics, there’s no downgrade in quality, and the solution-dyed yarn is bleach and fade resistant. ECONYL® nylon can be used in any product where nylon 6 is used: apparel, carpets, industrial ropes and cables, sunglasses, and even as a filament in furniture or 3D printing.

Brands around the world are finding value in regenerated nylon for its high performance and lower embodied carbon than its oil-sourced counterpart. Its regenerative properties can empower designers to reimagine their creative process by designing with the end in mind. Encouragement lies not only in the replacement of materials, but also with the possibilities of products that can be easily dismantled and reused again in a circular economy. The creative opportunities and possibilities are limitless.

noho, a sustainable furniture company based in New Zealand, was on the hunt for a recycled, earth-friendly, raw material for an innovative chair design. ECONYL® regenerated nylon fit the bill, and soon a collaboration was launched by the two brands to create the noho move™ chair. “We love seeing ECONYL® nylon being used in innovative ways, especially now being sourced by an inventive company like noho, the first furniture brand in the world to see waste plastic as a long-term furniture solution,” said Bonazzi.

Designed by Formway, Lead Designer Paul Stevenson, shared, “I think we started working on noho move in 2014, and in all there were probably about three years of pretty intense design development, followed by two years of testing to meet furniture standards and get noho move ready for production.”

After observing the many different ways people use their dining room tables, the team came up with a plan for the chair. “We started building prototypes that had the types of movement we thought people would need. We saw a lot of leaning forward toward the table, so we wanted to make the seat respond to that by tipping forward with you. Lots of times when people were talking they would lean back to listen, then lean in to speak,” said Stevenson. “We know from our previous research that that movement is really healthy for your spine, so we wanted to integrate that as well.”

“For us, the idea to create a singular seamless motion was key, we really wanted to tie the movements together, and that’s where the idea for the auxetic shell started to come in, it had to be flexible but still supportive to fit people of different shapes, sizes, and ages,” Stevenson explained. Prototypes were then set up in people’s homes and filmed while in use. From the footage Formway was able to gather even more data about how people move during different activities to map out their posture and motions. In the end, it made for a better product that the user could comfortably enjoy.

The final challenge came when it was time to make the ergonomics aesthetically appealing in the home. Stevenson said, “We really wanted the chair design to be clean and simple so that it looks good at a dining table, but it still had to allude to the performance we had integrated. We wanted to show that it’s a moving, flexing, comfortable chair. I think we achieved that with noho move and I’m really proud of it.” The team at noho appreciated being able to work directly with the nylon scientists and technicians at Aquafil, with the two brands truly supporting one another throughout the process. noho move was successfully launched in 2020.

The noho move chair is a concrete example of how high design and the sustainability of ECONYL® nylon can coexist. “noho found meaningful alignment with Aquafil, as both our companies are on a mission to produce products that reduce harm to our planet through thoughtful design and the implementation of sustainable materials,” added Bonazzi. “The noho move chair is revolutionizing residential seating design by addressing issues of health, movement, multifunction, and sustainability in monumental ways, while also pushing the boundaries and performance capabilities of the material. This is part of noho’s DNA, and I firmly believe they will amaze us with other beautiful pieces of sustainable design.” You can make the noho move chair part of your own space through ECONYL®’s e-shop.

Moving forward, industries will continue to move toward sustainable ingredients like ECONYL® nylon. Bonazzi said, “The interior design and furniture industries, as well as the textile industry, will have to be sustainable both socially and environmentally in order to survive. There are lots of issues to be considered and lots of challenges to face. It will be a long and hard journey, but starting with the right materials (and for sure, ECONYL® nylon is on the top of the list) is part of the solution.”

Learn more about recycled, sustainable ECONYL® regenerated nylon and its capabilities at econyl.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.