BE2017en

PHILOSOPHICAL
OR SUBSTANTIVE?
The briefing of the designer sets out the working framework. This might
be more or less sharply delineated.
The design might take the material as its starting point. At MMood this is natural
oak. The briefing is both philosophical and functional. “The design must
be multifunctional and should chime with the current zeitgeist. A piece of furniture
is a solitary object in space and time. The consumer should be able to
position it and use it however he likes. Other objects are placed around this
piece. It’s up to the designer to rise to the challenge of giving a particular function
(e.g. a table) a ‘surprising’ form.
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At Joli everything begins with metal and the briefing becomes much more
complex. The task is to create lifestyle design families: tables, chairs and cupboards
(frames) suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The added challenge
is multifuncitionality. “The new consumer lives in a smaller space and
does not have money to throw around. These days, it’s is no longer a question
of a villa with a swimming pool; it’s more likely to be an apartment measuring
between 60-120 m². A garden with a patio is now a very small garden or a
balcony. Outdoor furniture must be able to stand outside for the whole winter,
due to a lack of storage space. So outdoor furniture still has to look good when
seen through the window minus the blue sky and the cushions.”
At Moome, the briefing is substantive in nature: the piece of furniture required,
its comfort level, and possibly its functionality are clearly defined. Beyond this,
the designer has carte blanche (shapes, materials), and is not hampered by
financial or other preconditions.
ETHNICRAFT – BOK / DESIGN: ALAIN VAN HAVRE
“This means that he can give free rein to his
creativity. One crucial thing for us is whether or
not he can think about the tactility of a product.
Can he make a piece of furniture ‘strokeable’?
In this respect, we set the bar very high. This often
comes down to a detail. A brilliant example
of this is the Camu sofa: here Roel Vandebeek
has created an innovative geometric design alternative,
at a visual, functional and emotional
level. In addition to that, there is the detailing on
the loose back cushion. The five vertical seams
on the side are executed in an almost sensual
cross-stitch. This is a ‘love at first sight’ factor.
It’s hard to describe; you have to feel it, experience
it.”
MOOME – CAMU / DESIGN: ROEL VANDEBEEK
TRIBU – MOOD COLLECTION3207
DESIGN: STUDIO SEGERS