I’ve never really covered Ethnicraft in much detail on this blog, but I’ve long admired its designs and have often recommended them to clients. So, I thought it was time I shone more of a light on the Belgian brand by sharing a look at its latest launches.
If you haven’t come across Ethnicraft before, it’s well worth adding to your radar. Established in Antwerp more than 25 years ago by friends Benoit Loos and Philippe Delaisse, it creates timeless pieces that blend form and functionality. Its main focus is and always has been solid wooden furniture, but over the years it’s also broadened its offering to encompass upholstery, smaller accessories and other materials such as metal and stone.
This autumn, the brand has branched out into wall art for the first time with its new ‘Layered’ collection. Inspired by Boomse klei, the clay layers found in Belgian subsoil, the compositions are formed from mineral pastes that are applied by hand to circular black metal frames. The results combine beautifully earthy colours with intriguing textures, and look wonderful displayed on their own or in groups.
Also new this season is range of poufs for indoor and outdoor use. All pair tactile fabric with sleek rounded shapes, and you can choose between soothing neutrals or warmer brown, ochre and copper tones that add a subtle pop of colour to your space.
Sticking with upholstery, the relaxed ‘N701’ modular sofa – one of the Ethnicraft designs that you might recognise, even if you didn’t know the name of the brand – is now available in a technologically advanced textile featuring cotton recycled from the fashion industry. It’s made in Italy using a flat-weave technique that allows movement in the cloth and brings depth to the surface, offsetting the sofa’s simple, low-slung shape perfectly.
Other updates to existing Ethnicraft series include a brown-tinted varnish finish for the minimalist ‘Bok’ dining chairs and table, and a sideboard for the grooved ‘Roller Max’ collection. The latter is perhaps my favourite of all the new additions thanks to its sophisticated air and elegant, slimline legs. There’s also a new wall-shelf unit in three different sizes for the ‘PI’ family, which mixes clean lines with organic shapes inspired by the natural world.
Finally, Ethnicraft has introduced two different sets of sculptural bookends: the ‘PI’ bookends, which sport graceful curves and can be stood either way up, and the pyramid-like ‘Grooves’ design. Both are hand-carved from sycamore or mahogany, ensuring no two pairs are alike, and make stunning decorative pieces in their own right.
Shop the full Ethnicraft collection online here, or find details of stockists near you here.
All images courtesy of Ethnicraft
Leave a Reply