Cork Furniture

Cork is one of my favourite materials for my interior design projects. I have used it as a floor material and I have seen a lot of other applications, but whole furniture made entirely of cork is rare. Now we can see that Campana brothers have created an interesting collection of cork furniture, "Sobreiro", for furniture manufacturer Época and Amorim, the largest producer of cork in Portugal:

Cork armchair, Photo: Nuno Sousa Dias © Estudio

Photo: Nuno Sousa Dias © Estudio

I would like to be able to touch them - cork has such a plesant surface. How do you like them?

What can be done with cork

Cork is one of my favorite materials, along with copper, glass and wood. I like its warm touch and flexibility. We have seen quite a lot of applications, but here below are a few more, presented at 

METAMORPHOSIS :

Cork shoes designed by Jasper Morrison for Camper 
source

Naoto Fukasawa - benches of different heights, which take advantage of the cool smoothness of cork in its contact with the human body. 
source 

Álvaro Siza - a nest of two cylindrical stools,
source

Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura's doorknobs
source 

More applications and design ideas with cork on my blog.

Cork Furniture - "a new creation from the fires was born"

 I have always liked cork as a material in interior design. I even have a project with cork tiles in the kitchen and livingroom of a client. But this story from Yellow Trace by By Erin Christie  inspired me further. All pieces from french designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s furniture collection made of discarded burnt cork have beautiful sculptural forms:

They are from the second installment for Made in Situ

The designed pieces are the fruits of my adventures, explorations of geological and biological textures, patterns, materials and their related techniques. Above all, my stimulation comes from human knowledge and sensitivity, linking to and embedded in each specific place.” Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

One Growing Trend in Interior Design

 I like cork - as my readers have already noticed :) And I am pleased to find that the use of cork in furniture and interior design as a whole is a growing trend! Today I saw the latest furniture designs by Tom Dixon - enjoy some of them here below:

 "In terms of a dream material, you couldn't really get a lot better." - Tom Dixon

The collection is even called The Cork Family :)

I have even used cork in one of my interior design projects and I know from my clients that many years after it was applied they are still pleased with the results!

Ideas for alfresco dining

A 3-in-1 Cooler Dining Table may be a great choice even if you do not own a pool.
 A Fruit Infusion Pitcher is something everyone will love, especially in the coming hot sommer days and evenings.
Some more useful staff:
Yeh Wall Table by Menu Cork Family by Vitra - Cork stools or side tables

DeckMATE Rail Tray
Add to Flipboard Magazine.

The London Design Festival 2013

Two trends that I notice and that I like very much: graphic design and
African-inspired design:

Darkroom So Sottsass cushions

A graphic cork installation by FAT architecture for cork producer Amorim lines one of the V&A's walkways. Photography: Ed Reeves source

Lights by Atelier de Troupe

source

Richard Brendon for Paternity

 Ade cushion, made with vintage West African wax cloth and part of a limited edition run. 

Hand-woven basket from Northern Ghana

,  All of these beautiful designs are part of Graphic Africa, an exhibition of African design at London’s Platform Gallery.

Another trend in interior design that is also noticed during London Design festival 2013 is the renewal of eclectic.

Inspiration from Cologne

Some of the new designs that I liked from the Cologne furniture fair:
 

Knoll

Karat, 

Ruche, new sofa designed by Inga Sempé for Ligne Roset

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And one Top Pick from IMM by Platform: "Jasper Morrison continued the theme of natural and luxurious textures with his ‘Cork Table’ for Cappellini".(above) - a statement that can very well be used also for the KAURI table and stools above the Cork table.

Trend: Nature Everywhere

As my blog's name suggests, trends are an important theme of my posts. And one of the main trends in our contemporary way of living: the wellness industry reaching an all-time high with a continued growth of consumer interest in health and wellness. That is so logical - because we all want to live in a healthy world and be well. So, we must design and create the conditions under which this becomes possiblе.

And as we learn more and more today, we gradually return to the basic natural resources - in furniture design we understand that it is better to use wood and cork in a sustainable way, rather than trying to replace them with artificial materials everywhere. Another area where we observe a growing interest in nature - in fact, a return to ancient traditions - is medicine and healthcare. According to many reports the trend is that natural medicine and the science of nutrition will stand at the forefront of the healthcare. 

Arnica montana

We are focused on the design and innovation of medical technologies, products, service systems and human experiences to solve a variety of healthcare challenges. On the other side, shoppers in particular are growing more critical of ingredients in traditional over-the-counter products. And they are seeking out more herbal and botanical additives, with an increase in usage from 13% to 25%, according to a recent research. Conventional pain relief methods, for example, frequently involve pharmaceutical drugs or medical interventions. While they offer quick relief, they are sometimes accompanied by extreme side effects or the risk of dependence. 

In addition to ingredients found in nature, customers are also looking for transparency in ingredient lists and clean ingredients, analgesic that offers clean, safe, and effective relief for a variety of aches and pains. When it comes to pain relief, people are also looking for alternatives to ingestible medications, for topical over-the-counter pain relief products like, for example, arnica cream.  The active ingredients in Doctor Hoy’s Arnica Boost Recovery Cream are listed as topical and external analgesics by the Food and Drug Administration. The formulas used are water-based and contain no parabens or toxins.

Another interesting trend - many people that are looking for safe ways to manage their pain, trying to take care of themselves, or rely on caregivers, at home, for as long as they can. Easily accessible and safe topical over-the-counter pain relief products enable consumers to lead active and pain-free lives. 

Everyone is talking about sustainable, equitable, healthy, and resilient design - of products and services directed to our everyday needs, including furniture and furnishings, cloths, food, healthcare... 

"DESIGN WITH NATURE" exhibition  at Salone del Mobile

I have posted a lot about cork in interior design - one of my favorite materials. Wood has been an all time favorite for furniture, only now we look for wood coming from sustainably managed forests. Bamboo's application areas are wide, including clothes and textiles.

Biophilic design is probably one of today's most likes trends in interior design - for the same reason: we want to live with nature everywhere around us. А beautiful example is this bathroom design:

Marca Corona

Considering even only these few mentioned areas of our lives, we should say that actually, Nature is not a trend at all, but a necessity and a true need of the human being.

Have a look at another trend from 2023 that will continue in 2024.