The actors of ‘notable shapes’ give a strong performance. Striking contours, precise forms, solid materials and clever references are characteristic of this trend: a festival of jewellery, table decorations, garden accessories and more.
A series of strong episodes
Sometimes it’s the little things, and we don’t just mean physical size. Finely worked jewellery by Sweet Deluxe anticipates the developments taking place elsewhere in lighting, tables and table decorations. The lines are drawn so clearly, whether on bangles or necklaces, that they can’t fail to attract attention. The exploration of circles stands out – the ancient Greeks found this the ideal shape, and we applaud this approach.
Borrowing and quoting
Clear forms combine classical and modern. One beautiful example is this fine greeting card by Haferkorn und Sauerbrey, where special colours in graphical patterns simultaneously draw on a Bauhaus mood and strike a contemporary note. Just Right also channels the past by incorporating Werner Stoff’s sixties candle holders for Hans Nagel into a new design. This classic in chrome and solid brass weaves a web of corners and curves across the table with candles towering above. The best part is that these candlesticks are individual modules you can combine at will.
Strong starring roles
There’s scarcely an item here without a striking unique feature. This standard lamp by Cozi Studio looks like a ginkgo leaf, and is made from multiple layers of wood veneer pushed to their limits. The original inspiration for this was a cloth that falls lightly when held and dropped – this ultimately transformed into a table lamp, standard lamp and pendant lamp. Here is an interesting combination of eloquent shape and natural inspiration, of the geometric and the organic. It’s a combination found in supporting roles such as the salad serving set by Danish design brand Skagerak, reminiscent of a stylised lotus flower.
The garden sets the scene
The world of plants inspires, but also benefits from this trend. The diamond-shaped watering can by Garden Glory holds up to 8 litres of water, yet is made from high-quality plastic so it’s really easy to carry. Another handy item is this lovely little trowel that makes planting simple. If anyone tells you gardening is too much like hard work, they probably haven’t found the right actors to cast in their garden display.
Sculptural highlights
Successful stagecraft springs from those special moments: from tension, empathy and surprise. These sculptural pieces have an especially strong presence. Claudia Herke from stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano confirms this: “The sculptural is reflected in many objects at the moment.” This increases the design possibilities and bridges the gap between art and design. Take for example the reinterpretations of vases that are all so strong they could stand alone as decoration, even without any flowers in them – although it would be a shame not to add some. Rosenthal uses a cylindrical base opening into a circular funnel with two colours reflected on the interior. What a clever display! The vase itself becomes a plant that opens up to welcome flowers. Both inside and outside vie for attention – and when the vase is full, the reflections elegantly unite form and content. In the end, it’s up to you as the director to decide how you’ll stage these and other remarkable shapes and show off their best side.
