New design finds | March 2023

Apologies for the lack of blog posts during February – other projects (and life in general!) ended up taking priority. But it’s a new month and I have lots to share with you over the coming weeks, starting with my regular round-up of minimalist design finds and new product launches. This time around, there’s a classic shelving system updated for modern interiors, beautiful furniture with Japanese influences, wall coverings made from sustainable cork, and much more…

A reworked fifties classic from String Furniture

I’m starting with Swedish brand String Furniture, best known for its iconic modular shelving system created back in 1949 by architect Nisse Strinning and his wife Kajsa Strinning. It’s now added another versatile classic to its portfolio: the ‘Pira G2’ system, designed in 1954 by master cabinetmaker Olle Pira (1927-2018) and reinterpreted for 21st-century spaces by architect Anna von Schewen and industrial designer Björn Dahlström. Consisting of black or white lacquered steel shelves secured to extruded aluminium poles, with add-on cabinets, organisers and bookends in walnut or white oak, the updated version maintains the spirit of the original but is even more robust and adaptable. It can be freestanding or wall-mounted, with the poles extending to reach ceilings up to 318cm high, and it works brilliantly as a shelving unit or room divider. What’s more, the shelves and cabinets come in 70cm and 90cm lengths, and each can carry up to 50kg in weight.

The ‘Pira G2’ system is available to buy now, with prices starting at around £650 / €740 for a basic section.

A simple yet STRIKING coffee table from MOEBE

Next up is Copenhagen-based design studio MOEBE, which has just launched its first-ever coffee table. Made from FSC-certified oak and oak veneer, and available in 60cm and 115cm lengths, it combines nods to Japanese simplicity with MOEBE’s signature Scandinavian aesthetic. The cross-shaped leg frame creates a feeling of space, with the tabletop suspended along the middle and the corners kept free, while the low profile (just 30cm from the floor) adds an understated elegance. It comes flat-packed for easy transportation and the various parts are threaded together with a single brass pin, adding a beautiful and unusual touch without any unnecessary detail.

The ‘Rectangular’ coffee table is available from MOEBE’s webshop and selected retailers now, priced at £419 / €469 for the smaller size and £619 / €699 for the larger one.

Fine bone-china lighting from Berdoulat & Feldspar

Now for some design news from the UK, where Bath-based interiors practice and shop Berdoulat has teamed up with family-run Devon pottery studio Feldspar to create a beautiful bone china pendant shade and ceiling rose. Inspired by French antiques, the pendant echoes the wobbly profile of Feldspar’s main collection and showcases the qualities of the china – bright white and glossy by day, glowing from within by night. It also features delicate hand-painted accents in cobalt blue, ‘Geranium’ red or 24-carat gold around the top and base. The ceiling rose, meanwhile, takes its cue from the shape of Canelés de Bordeaux pastries, and indeed the mould used to make it is based on traditional pâtisserie tins. Both pieces combine an understated aesthetic with classic elegance and suit period and contemporary spaces alike. They’re available from Berdoulat’s website and shop now, with the pendant priced at £220 and the ceiling rose at £50.

Minimalist Japanese-inspired furniture from Ōragi

Also new from the UK is the latest collection by holistic furniture brand Ōragi, which I first introduced you to last year. The work of founder and designer-maker Joshua McGrath, it’s named after and inspired by the famous torii gate at Hakone in Japan, with strong yet elegantly balanced pieces that emulate its presence and harmony. There are high and low sideboards, two sizes of shelving unit and an eight-seater dining table, as well as smaller accessories such as coasters, placements and serving boards. All have a sculptural air to them and are made to order at Ōragi’s Stoke-on-Trent workshop; bespoke sizes are available on request, too.

You can view the full ‘Hakone’ collection here, with furniture starting at £845 and accessories at £28.

Sustainable cork wall panels from Naturewall

Naturewall is well known for its slatted wooden wall coverings and the British company has now extended its range with panels made from cork – an increasingly popular material in interiors and architecture thanks to its sustainability credentials and thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Intended to introduce texture and depth to a wide variety of spaces, the ‘CorkWall’ collection encompasses six designs inspired by places in Portugal, where the cork is grown. Options range from the striking ‘Cascais Natural’ to the more subtle ‘Porto Beige’ and marble-like ‘Lagos White’, and the panels are quick and easy to install with spray adhesive. All are made from regenerative bark that’s harvested, meaning no trees are felled, and are biodegradable and recyclable. What’s more, cork forests retain 14 million tons of CO2 every year and provide an important habitat for plants and wildlife.

You can view the full ‘CorkWall’ collection here. Prices start at £84.99 / €81.95 per panel, and international shipping is available.

A new interpretation of Fredericia’s ‘Hydro’ vase

Finally, I’ve always admired the striking shape of Fredericia‘s oxidised sand-cast brass ‘Hydro’ vase, developed by Danish designer Sofie Østerby in 2020, but at £500+ it’s well out of my reach. So, I was excited to see that there’s now a glass version with a much more affordable price tag. Like the original, it references the form of Ancient Greek vessels, but is hand-blown in Poland using crystalline lead-free glass. The rim is cut by hand with metal scissors to obtain the rounded profile, and there are two different heights – 20cm (£84 / €94) and 30cm (£125 / €141) – to choose from. It’s a beautiful reinterpretation of the design, and I love the airiness the different material lends.

All images courtesy of the respective brands above