Three Layer Cake

Owners of high-end interiors have always enjoyed having unique accessories to complement their industrially produced foundations.  “Industrially produced” in this sense isn’t necessarily negative, it’s a reality.  The industrial steel structure used for some sofas, like the best-selling Charles sofa (left) designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, is a departure from the traditional wood frame and associated artisan-work but not a step down in terms of quality.  Nor would we consider artisan territory the production of the interesting forms in synthetic materials, like the injection molded foam seat of Christophe Pillet’s Y’s Chair (right) for Cappellini, or the plastics of Kartell.  In our interior accessories, however, while the mass-produced piece passes, if of iconic-status, a one-off or handmade piece has also always been appreciated.  Now, this piece is practically demanded, or at least the ‘charm’ emanating from such a piece is highly sought after for our interiors. 

Eckart Maise, Managing Director of the Vitra Home Division, summarized the trend toward craftsmanship in industrial production very well:  integrating the richness of the common memories and cultures [craftsmanship] into industrial production and modern technology.  For Vitra, this is embodied in the Polder sofa by Hella Jongerius, with its hand-sewn Nepalese buttons.  

The trend toward craftsmanship in furnishings is also a search for the high-quality object produced using traditional methods, often by artisans, for a modern application.  Consumers feel reassured by the small detail of imperfection or irregularity which catches the eye and alludes to a relationship with a human, not a mechanized, producer.   In our interiors it expresses warmth, personalization, careful research, openness toward other cultures, a connection with a person or a group of people on a micro-level, a personable level.  In the context of today's technological, digitally-imprinted, modern interiors, the piece which shows signs of craftsmanship is the refuge from the frenetic city-life which is fast becoming the norm, rather than the exception.  For those who still live outside of city centers, craftsmanship is the affirmation of a slower pace of life, a sign of authentic quality.
 

Doshi Levien's installation "My World:  The new subjectivity in design" commission by the British Council is the best example around of craftsmanship introduced to Western design.  Pictured here is one component of the installation, the Matlo.  Their brief explains:  "Most Indian households use a rounded terracotta drinking water vessel — a matlo — that cools water to 14° below ambient temperature without refrigeration. Doshi Levien’s matlo is a slip-cast version which has evolved to incorporate filtration and could be batch-produced from a mould. They propose it as an environmentally sound alternative to bottled water and electric coolers. 

Craft relies strongly on intimate knowledge of materials, and this knowledge is easily lost in manufactured products where production is separated from design. Doshi Levien intend with all their work to reintroduce this link and to increase the role of serendipity and experimentation in mass production. They also hope to ‘promote respect for craft in parts of the world where the hand is the machine’."

Krä , which means "moon" in the language of the extinct Selk'nam tribe of Tierra del Fuego, is also the name of a young design trio which debuted at Salone Satellite in April 2006.  Their product is a light-container produced in clay by Chilean artisans.  Hand made of clay and fitted with a light, their light sculptures explore the ethnic roots of their land.  Alvar Light Container, left.

Jonathan Adler states in his Manifesto, "We believe in Aid to Artisans ".  His Pot a Porter line of pottery is produced in Peru by artisans.  The relationship was made possible by U.S.-based non-profit organization Aid to Artisans which helps artisans find a market for their own products or their skills.

Polder Sofa, designed by Hella Jongerius for Vitra combines elements of Nepalese craft and handstitching to an industrially produced sofa.  Hella, of Jongerius Lab , likes "the challenge of using industrial means to create an intelligent product with a high craft quality".

The R & Y Augousti interior accessory is a modern adaptation of a traditional Philippine technique of inlaying.  When the Augousti's began their label fifteen years ago, they kept the fifteen artisans who were working in the factory they bought to continue.  Their quality and design is unmistakeable, although many have tried unsuccessfully to reproduce it over the years.  

Thai product designer Anon Pairot incorporates, whenever possible, his cultural identity in his products by using traditional woodworking techniques and local materials to produce seating for the contemporary market.  Pare Lounge chair (left).

French label mat&jewski , by designer Hervé Matejewski, produces trademark feather lamps using the art of handling the feather, le maniement de la plume, a craft which is enjoying some renewed interest in the fashion world.  The producers of his lamps are trained in the art at specialized trade schools.  Detail of lampshade (right).

Japanese designer Suzumi Noda , known for her traditional knitting work, launched a new furniture line in Milan this year.  It combines her knitted work in the structure of furniture with simple clean lines.  In the past, she has also used the knitting of hundreds of individual labels on upholstered pieces as a way to personalize them.

Shelley Simpson, founder of Mud Australia , is anything but industrial.  Simpson works with a talented team of individuals who hand make all of Mud Australia's fine porcelain platters in Sydney.  New colors are introduced periodically for her simple and striking pieces.