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Collection by Patrick Sisson

Furniture Designs Made With Mind-Bending Materials

The story of modern furniture design can't be separated from material technology. Ever since Charles and Ray Eames discovered a molding process to create curvaceous pieces of plywood, innovations and new materials have inspired designers to give form to previously impossible shapes. Click through the slideshow for some of the latest innovations that have caught our eye, from sleek chairs made from wool to lamps hewn from lava rocks.

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Solidwool Chair Think of it as fibreglass from fleece, specifically those on the backs of sheep in the English countryside. Solidwool, developed by Devon designer Justin Floyd, turns the course material from one-and-a-half sheep into a smooth seat with untapped design potential.
Solidwool Chair Think of it as fibreglass from fleece, specifically those on the backs of sheep in the English countryside. Solidwool, developed by Devon designer Justin Floyd, turns the course material from one-and-a-half sheep into a smooth seat with untapped design potential.
Coconut Composite Board Visiting professors Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong and Devan Simumovich initially thought they would be spending time during their stay in Bangkok getting a coconut ice cream business off the ground. But after seeing the massive amounts of plant waste generated by curries and coconut water, they hit on the idea of creating composite boards out of the organic material, plywood-like pieces they would would emboss with laser-cut steel templates. "It’s a lowbrow material here,"says Wong. "Nobody is interested in having cocoboard in their home. But, if we can create a way for people who throw out coconuts in Bangkok to instead drop them off in a recycle center, [maybe we can] create a micro economy for waste coconuts."
Coconut Composite Board Visiting professors Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong and Devan Simumovich initially thought they would be spending time during their stay in Bangkok getting a coconut ice cream business off the ground. But after seeing the massive amounts of plant waste generated by curries and coconut water, they hit on the idea of creating composite boards out of the organic material, plywood-like pieces they would would emboss with laser-cut steel templates. "It’s a lowbrow material here,"says Wong. "Nobody is interested in having cocoboard in their home. But, if we can create a way for people who throw out coconuts in Bangkok to instead drop them off in a recycle center, [maybe we can] create a micro economy for waste coconuts."
Studio Formafantasma's lava clocks An experiment in geometric, occasionally brutal, forms, the "De Natura Fossilium" show, which appeared at London's Gallery Libby Sellers earlier this year, explored the possiblities of working with lava from the Mount Etna and Stromboli regions of Sicily. One of nature's orignal raw materials, the stone was turned into tables, clocks, and pure black glass.
Studio Formafantasma's lava clocks An experiment in geometric, occasionally brutal, forms, the "De Natura Fossilium" show, which appeared at London's Gallery Libby Sellers earlier this year, explored the possiblities of working with lava from the Mount Etna and Stromboli regions of Sicily. One of nature's orignal raw materials, the stone was turned into tables, clocks, and pure black glass.
Strata Bench for Landscape Forms It's hard to believe this sleek bench was fashioned from concrete. But according to designer Jess Sorel, a proprietary material blend and new molding technique gave him the freedom to play with the material. "I wanted to take the perceptions about what [concrete] should be and counter that," he said. "I wanted to create something with a visual edge and have it float like a cantilever. How do we push concrete so it's not a brutalist chunk of material, but instead something elegant?"
Strata Bench for Landscape Forms It's hard to believe this sleek bench was fashioned from concrete. But according to designer Jess Sorel, a proprietary material blend and new molding technique gave him the freedom to play with the material. "I wanted to take the perceptions about what [concrete] should be and counter that," he said. "I wanted to create something with a visual edge and have it float like a cantilever. How do we push concrete so it's not a brutalist chunk of material, but instead something elegant?"
EcoVet Furniture Not only does this Arkansas-based company employ military vets, but the company sources road-tested raw material from decommissioned truck trailers once used by Walmart or Sam's Club. A chair might utilize the leather from the driver's cab as well as steel from the trailer's frame. The only furniture that could hold more feel-good stories is a library shelf.
EcoVet Furniture Not only does this Arkansas-based company employ military vets, but the company sources road-tested raw material from decommissioned truck trailers once used by Walmart or Sam's Club. A chair might utilize the leather from the driver's cab as well as steel from the trailer's frame. The only furniture that could hold more feel-good stories is a library shelf.
Metallic Geology Created by injecting gas into molten metal, aluminum foam was utilized by London's Studio Swine to make a series of cloud-like cabinets. It's an interesting repurposing of a material that mostly has industrial applications, such as insulation.
Metallic Geology Created by injecting gas into molten metal, aluminum foam was utilized by London's Studio Swine to make a series of cloud-like cabinets. It's an interesting repurposing of a material that mostly has industrial applications, such as insulation.
Coiled Stool Designer Jonathan Muecke created these stools late last year utilizing an atypical mixture of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and resin. Looking somewhat like a traditional wicker at first glance, the piece plays with textile tubes to create a unique look.
Coiled Stool Designer Jonathan Muecke created these stools late last year utilizing an atypical mixture of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and resin. Looking somewhat like a traditional wicker at first glance, the piece plays with textile tubes to create a unique look.