Friedman Benda in New York is currently presenting Formation, the first US gallery exhibition by Italian design studio Formafantasma. Opened to the public on June 6th and running until August 1st, the show signals an entry into the American gallery landscape for Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, whose studio has built a reputation for research-driven work grounded in material and cultural investigations.

Comprising tables, chairs, and lighting made primarily from Cherry wood and brushed aluminum, Formation centers on the idea of the archetype, specifically the typical pieces that make up the language of the home. ‘One of the words that kept on emerging from our conversation with the gallery was the idea of the archetype,’ Farresin explains at the show’s opening in New York. ‘There is an element in this group of works, which is the plank. That’s the most basic archetype where you construct furniture. And that’s where the collection originated.’

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

formation: friedman benda becomes a living space

The works by Formafantasma are composed within Friedman Benda’s gallery to recall a living space, though it is intentionally reduced in language. The designers note that Formation makes no attempt at theatricality. Instead, there is an attentiveness to proportion and placement. Each element draws from the familiar forms of chairs, shelving, and tables without directly reproducing historical models. ‘We wanted to address the domestic environment.’

The lighting pieces serve as an especially pointed reflection on how archetypes evolve. Made with flat LED panels encased in wood and metal, they mirror the ratio and glow of laptops and mobile devices. ‘Instead of the bulb, the new archetype of lighting is actually the panel,’ Farresin notes, describing our changing archetypes. ‘The iPhone, the laptop. That is the lighting that affects most of our lives.’

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

Material conversations and cultural inheritance

The choice of Cherry wood is central to Formation. Sourced from a lineage of American cabinetmaking, the material speaks to a larger cultural inheritance. Trimarchi and Farresin reference the Shaker tradition, Frank Lloyd Wright, and George Nakashima, not just for their aesthetics but for the clarity of their values and their dedication to material truth. ‘The decision to work with Cherry wood is also a reference and an homage to a lot of American designers we love,’ he says. ‘The work has been informed by the fact that we are here in the United States, showing our work.’

Against the warmth of the Cherry wood, brushed aluminum appears cool and precise. More than formal, this contrast speaks to Formafantasma’s interest in how older materials might coexist with the language of digital culture. The two materials remain distinct, yet they are in constant dialogue across each object.

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

textiles in the domestic environment

Subtle textile elements appear throughout the exhibition as acknowledgements of domestic labor and memory. ‘A lot of textile work is often overlooked in the domestic environment,’ the designer continues. ‘I’m thinking about table linen. And white is very subtle. We thought it was beautiful to include that. It made us think about the work of the many women that informed our life.’

The inclusion of these textiles introduces a softer, slower register to the space. They draw attention to touch and surface, but also to the social histories embedded in fabric which have long defined the heritage of furniture-making.

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

installation view courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma | photo by Izzy Leung

project info:

exhibition: Formation

design: Formafantasma | @formafantasma

gallery: Friedman Benda | @friedman_benda

location: 515 W 26th St 1st Floor, New York, NY

on view: June 6th — August 1st, 2025

photography: © Izzy Leung, courtesy Friedman Benda and Formafantasma

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David Lynch artifacts, from movie props and unfinished scripts to his very own cameras, musical instruments, furniture designs, and even a custom director’s chair, head to auction. On June 18th, 2025, starting at 10am Pacific Time in Los Angeles, the David Lynch collection auction event by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies takes place. It is part of the auction company’s and network’s Hollywood Legends series of archival collections from the industry’s revered figures. For the David Lynch collection auction, the event presents over 450 items that come directly from the filmmaker’s home and personal possessions.

The sale hopes to offer a look at his creative life through the personal artifacts he used to use and work with in his everyday and cinematic life.  The items originate from his film projects, his personal woodshop, and his art studio, so much so that they include props, art supplies, furniture he designed and built, and equipment from his music recording studio. In fact, the handmade coffee table, one-of-one conference table, and homemade wheeled cabinet the filmmaker designed are in the auction event. Other items connect to his other films and personal interests, such as a set of four prop menus from the Winkie’s diner location in the film Mulholland Drive. There is also a boomerang-style sofa of the same model seen in the 1997 film Lost Highway.

Twin Peaks – The Return Screen-Matched Nuclear Bomb Framed Photo from Gordon Cole’s Office behind David Lynch | all images courtesy of Julien’s Auctions

From film prints to custom director’s chair

Several items in the David Lynch collection auction relate directly to the filmmaker, artist, and musician’s work as a director. One lot features his very own custom director’s chair he used during productions (it even has his name on the back). Another item is David Lynch’s personal 35mm film print of his first feature film, Eraserhead. This print of the 1977 film is significant because Eraserhead launched his career.

It achieved a cult status, playing as a midnight movie for years in cities and establishing his signature filmmaking style. The auction also includes many items connected to his series Twin Peaks. One lot contains a red curtain and a black-and-white zig-zag rug from Lynch’s home. These pieces match the design of the Black Lodge, an important and otherworldly location in the show. Another item is a large, framed photograph of a nuclear bomb explosion. This photo appeared in the office of Gordon Cole, the character David Lynch played in Twin Peaks: The Return.

Art Studio Chair and Stool of David Lynch as part of the collection auction

Objects include original finished and unfinished scripts

The David Lynch collection auction shows his life outside of film as well. Take the espresso machines and bean grinders, which hint at the filmmaker’s appreciation for coffee. The auction features several musical instruments, including a Parker Fly electric guitar he used on his solo albums. Another instrument is a custom five-neck console steel guitar that was designed by David Lynch and built by luthier Danny Ferrington. Some of the presented objects are his original finished and unfinished scripts, including Mulholland Drive, Ronnie Rocket, The Dream of the Bovine, The Straight Story, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

The David Lynch collection auction allows the filmmaker’s fans a chance to own the objects, designs, scripts, artworks, cameras, musical instruments, and more from many areas of the artist’s life. He is a remembered filmmaker, artist, and musician. His body of work includes films and series such as Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive. His work across different media has influenced film and television for decades. This auction presents an opportunity for the public to acquire items he owned and used, and Julien’s Auctions accepts bids in person, by telephone, or online on June 18th, 2025, starting at 10am Pacific Time.

the filmmaker’s Art Studio Stool also heads to bidding

Personalized Director’s Chair of David Lynch

Dune Production Office Vintage Telephone

the event presents over 450 items that come directly from the filmmaker’s home and personal possessions

Eraserhead Memorabilia Group with Lynch Signed CDs

Homemade Wheeled Cabinet by David Lynch

Conference Table Designed and Built by David Lynch with Twelve Chairs

Eraserhead Behind-The-Scenes Photo Prints

Montana Luxus Snakeskin Camera

Lost Highway Luna Lounge Prop Matchbooks

project info:

name: The David Lynch Collection 

companies: Julien’s Auctions, Turner Classic Movies | @juliens_auctions, @tcm

auction date and time: June 18th, 2025, starting at 10am Pacific Time

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Dust Order is a sculptural furniture collection by Roc H Biel that reimagines the elegance of Corinthian columns through a modernist lens, transforming classical proportions into flowing, lightweight forms. Crafted from upcycled, compacted beech wood dust — a waste byproduct usually swept off workshop floors — and 3D-printed composites, the sculptural chair and modular desk system explore material contradiction, architectural rhythm, and surreal aesthetics.

Shot on a Welsh slate quarry, the highest in the UK, the project captures a striking contrast between industrial waste and soft, dreamlike forms, offering a poetic reflection on legacy, adaptability, and the blurred lines between physical and digital reality. The work was recently presented at Salone Satellite 2025 during Milan Design Week, with each object telling a story of perception, contradiction, and new material possibilities.

all images courtesy of Roc H Biel

roc h biel upcycles beech wood dust for the furniture series

Roc H Biel’s collection deconstructs the capital, shaft, and entablature elements of the classical architecture to highlight a sense of movement and visual lightness, while maintaining a reverent connection to historical form. The chair is made by compacting and stacking beech wood dust into a monolithic, sculptural form. At first glance, its surface appears stone-like or sand-cast, tricking the eye with its granular texture. But what looks dense and weighty is surprisingly light and circular in origin. Geometry shifts subtly from base to top, octagon to circle to square, while strategic negative space lets light pour through, creating a visual rhythm that gives the piece a sense of gentle drift. The result is a quiet optical illusion: motion from stillness, airiness from mass.

The desk uses 3D-printed columns formed from a bonded mix of magnesium and beech wood dust, resulting in a tactile composite with the look and feel of compacted sand. It is also a modular three-piece system, designed to reconfigure from stool to bench, bench with side table, desk, or dining table. Borrowing the classical logic of column components, each element becomes a versatile building block, allowing users to choreograph space in response to need. ‘I treat classical motifs as raw material, reshaping them through a modern lens until they feel both familiar and strangely futuristic,’ says the designer. ‘They see something that looks ancient or heavy, but then they touch it and everything shifts. It’s about that moment of wonder; when material, memory, and perception all clash in the best way.’

Dust Order reimagines the elegance of Corinthian columns

crafting new ‘architectural relics’

The collection sits at the edge of digital surrealism, deliberately creating objects that look rendered but are intensely real. While AI-generated images strive for realism, Roc H Biel flips the script: crafting tangible objects that feel dreamlike, inviting viewers into a liminal space where physical and pixel blur. This tension is echoed in the photographs, shot on location in a Welsh slate quarry that was once a site of extraction and sharp industrial waste. Its black, jagged landscape offers a dramatic contrast to Dust Order’s smooth, sand-coloured forms.

Set against a backdrop of clouds, the pieces appear almost suspended in the sky, as if gravity itself were uncertain. The result is a visual paradox: weight and weightlessness, ruin and refinement, the earthly and the surreal, all colliding in frame. Dust Order will be available as a limited edition collectible, produced upon request as part of Roc H Biel’s ongoing journey into sculptural, one-off design objects.

the project is a formal study in silhouette and void

the sculptural chair, photographed on quarry stone, juxtaposes mass and levity

made from upcycled, compacted beech wood dust

shot on a Welsh slate quarrry, the project captures a striking contrast between industrial waste and soft, dreamlike forms

the desk uses 3D-printed columns formed from a bonded mix of magnesium and beech wood dust

two columns on stone, playing with scale, history, and distortion

organic textures mark these new ‘architectural relics’

deconstructing the capital, shaft, and entablature elements of classical architecture

project info:

name: Dust Order
designer: Roc H Biel | @roc.h.biel

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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Pasadena, designed by Jean-Marie Massaud for Vondom,  introduces a collection of outdoor furniture defined by architectural clarity and a tactile softness. Composed of a modular sofa, lounge chair, sun lounger, and side table, the family harmonizes clean geometry with inviting comfort. The defining feature lies in the interplay of generous contours and visual lightness, creating a lasting presence suited to both exterior and interior settings.

Jean-Marie Massaud designs Pasadena for Vondom | all images courtesy of Vondom

VONDOM’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY MEETS MASSAUD’S VISION

Known for its dialogue between form, environment, and lifestyle, Vondom continues its design-driven trajectory with Pasadena. With high-quality materials and a contemporary aesthetic, the Spanish brand shapes indoor-outdoor collections that embody elegance, ease, and durability. Their ongoing collaboration with Massaud — one of today’s leading voices in furniture design — reflects a shared ethos: to design objects that feel as good as they function.

a shared ethos, to design objects that feel as good as they function, define the outdoor collection

INDOOR SPIRIT WITH OUTDOOR RESILIENCE

The Pasadena collection is crafted with aluminium, polyurethane, and advanced weatherproof fabrics, building on Vondom’s expertise with outdoor-ready materials. Each element has been engineered for structural integrity and softness, offering a level of comfort typically reserved for indoor environments. The resulting pieces adapt effortlessly from terraces and gardens to living rooms and lounges, maintaining a consistent visual language of calm and sophistication.

Pasadena evokes what Massaud calls generous comfort, never in competition to aesthetics. It is a series of enveloping forms with soft profiles and proportional purity, where a sense of calm is expressed through subtle gestures and intentional detailing rather than flourish. ‘This balance,’ he notes, ‘is the key to timelessness’ — objects that last beyond trend in both appearance and experience.

Pasadena’s modular system adapts to a range of indoor and outdoor settings

refined materials withstand the elements without compromising comfort

clean geometry meets enveloping proportions in Vondom’s new collection

the Pasadena collection brings architectural clarity to outdoor living

project info:

collection: Pasadena

company: Vondom | @vondomslu

designer: Jean-Marie Massaud | @jm_massaud

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Verso returns to New York with a site-specific takeover at Nine Chapel, a Brooklyn condominium designed by SO — IL and developed by Tankhouse. The exhibition coincides with New York Design Week and brings Verso’s distinctive curatorial approach into dialogue with architecture, inhabiting three private residences and the resident lounge of the fourteen-story tower. The interplay between Verso and Nine Chapel unfolds not as a staging of objects within interiors, but as a full immersion into crafted domestic environments shaped by both artistic vision and architectural rigor.

The exhibitions are open to the public from May 16th to 23rd, 2025. Visitors are invited to explore Nine Chapel as both a built project and an evolving exhibition, where architecture becomes the connective tissue between design practices from across the globe.

Nine Chapel features a shimmering, undulated facade made of perforated aluminum | image © Val Flores

verso anchors itself in SO – IL’s architecture

The decision to stage exhibitions inside Nine Chapel marks a shift in scale and context for Verso, which has often moved fluidly between galleries and informal spaces. At Nine Chapel, the gallery aligns itself with the architecture’s formal and material sensibility. SO – IL’s design lends the building a distinctive presence in the Brooklyn skyline, its undulating facade of perforated aluminum subtly catching and diffusing the light. For Verso, this textured surface became an echo of PASTO, a years-long collaboration with Argentine studio RIES, whose cast aluminum works form the centerpiece of the ground-floor exhibition.

all images © Ben DeHaan (unless otherwise stated)

Pasto by Ries

Verso introduces PASTO in Nine Chapel’s resident lounge, connecting the tactile language of the building’s skin to RIES’ exploration of time, land, and transformation. Developed over three years, the project involved casting aluminum using native grasses from the Argentine Pampas as lost molds. Each object preserves the imprint of a fragile material made permanent through fire and metal. The lounge becomes more than a shared amenity — it is reimagined as a vessel for memory, holding sculptural works alongside a documentary and book that trace the conceptual and geographic origins of the project.

Verso takes over three residences and the resident lounge of Nine Chapel

Wentz

In Nine Chapel’s Penthouse B, Verso presents the first U.S. showcase of Brazilian brand Wentz. Known for its refined material palette and nature-infused minimalism, the studio brings a contemplative presence to the residence. Furniture and lighting crafted from Brazilian woods, cane, and recycled textiles engage with the surrounding light and open skyline views. At the core of this installation is WE—KNIT, a proprietary 3D-woven fabric made from ocean-harvested PET bottles. The apartment feels composed in quiet layers, a spatial translation of Wentz’s ethos of ‘silent and natural living.’

the PASTO exhibition includes sculptural pieces, a documentary video, and a research-based book

Verso & Friends

On the building’s tenth floor, Verso curates a second edition of Verso & Friends, the evolving group exhibition first launched at 96 King in Red Hook. The duplex is transformed into a fluid studio-like space, shaped by contributions from a network of artists and designers in conversation with Nine Chapel’s geometries and finishes. Pieces are placed with sensitivity to scale and proportion, allowing the architecture to frame each object without overpowering it. The project reads as a living archive of ongoing creative exchange, temporarily embedded within the condominium.

Verso presents PASTO by RIES in the resident lounge with cast aluminum works using native grasses

the project reimagines residential interiors as living spaces for architectural and artistic dialogue

Verso and Friends transforms a tenth floor duplex into a collective design exhibition

Wentz makes its US debut with a penthouse installation of minimalist Brazilian furniture and lighting

project info:

exhibition title: PASTO, WENTZ, VERSO & FRIENDS

gallery: Verso | @verso_works

location: Nine Chapel | @ninechapel

architect: SO – IL | @solidobjectives

photography: © Ben DeHaan | @ben__dehaan

featured artists: 

Alex Proba | @alexproba
Alice Aroeira | @alice_aroeira_
Caroline Kable | @carolinekable
Cooper Goldman | @cooper.goldman
Frank Magnotta | @f.magnotta
Ivana Brenner | @ivanabrennner
Mike Serra | @serrastuff
NM3 | @nm3.xyz
Office of Tangible Space | @tangible.space
Palma design studio | @palma_palma_palma_
Sfrido Estate | @sfridoestate
Soft Witness | @softwitness
Studio Atomic | @studioatomic
Willo Perron for No Ga | @willoperron, @nordiskagalleriet
Young Projects | @young_projects
Yuxuan Huang | @yuxuan_huang__

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During its NYCxDesign Week 2025 exhibition, MSCHF recycles parts of a Mercedes-AMG sports car into furniture that’s not for automotive use. That’s actually the name of the show: Not for Automotive Use. For the first time since its founding, the art collective opens its garage door to the public. The spot becomes a three-day showroom, taking place in MSCHF’s Greenpoint, street-level workshop. When visitors stroll inside, it’s dark except for the rays of spotlight beaming onto the collection. There’s a chair made of seatbelt straps and a clothes rack made of such, too.

Soon, visitors realize it’s a seatbelt fest, at least for the few pieces, including the lighting design shaped like a drawing compass, the ping-pong table, and the three-decked shelf. The Mercedes-AMG sports car tire? MSCHF turns it into an electric fan for the exhibition. The pedal? A trash can. The headrest remains a chair, while the headlights are embedded into a vehicle-looking couch designed as a Mercedes-AMG sports car. MSCHF also creates a grill with the recognizable star emblem of Mercedes-Benz, and the last in the exhibition is a hanger imprinted with the AMG logo.

Casey Neistat for the Not for Automotive Use | all images courtesy of MSCHF; campaign photos by Kyle Berger

parts sourced directly from manufacturers

The MSCHF and Mercedes-AMG exhibition during NYCxDesign Week 2025 is a homage to Italy’s Radical Design counterculture movement of the 1960s. The art collective experiments with the materials they have at hand, all of which come from the engineered components of the car company’s vehicle. MSCHF likens its approach to Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002), the Milanese designer who integrated a tractor and bicycle seating into his chair design. That tribute comes through, starting with the seatbelt straps around the chair. MSCHF says that the exhibition pieces made with Mercedes-AMG parts are conceptual explorations, just like their other stunts in the past. 

Each work is custom-made using parts sourced directly from AMG manufacturers. MSCHF says that after the exhibition, the Mercedes-AMG collection is available on a made-to-order basis in limited quantities. There’s even a series of merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, work jackets and trousers. They come with detailed scans of original AMG vehicle components. There are also accessories like a custom fragrance tree shaped like an apple tree. It’s a subtle nod to Affalterbach, AMG’s birthplace, whose name translates to apple tree on the brook in old German. The Mercedes-AMG collection and exhibition runs in MSCHF’s Brooklyn studio from May 14th and 17th.

there’s a chair made of seatbelt straps from a Mercedes-AMG vehicle

there’s also a seat made of headrests

the art collective turns the car pedal into the foot of a trash bin

the headlights become the face of a sports-car-looking couch

detailed view of the seat made of headrests

for the first time, MSCHF opens its garage for the NYC exhibition

view of the chair made of seatbelt straps

exhibition view with the ping-pong table (left), grill (middle), and chair with seatbelt straps (right)

the exhibition runs between May 14th and 17th, 2025

project info: 

exhibition name: Not for Automotive Use

art collective: MSCHF | @mschf

company: Mercedes-AMG | @mercedesamg

event: NYCxDesign Week 2025 | @nycxdesign

dates: May 14th to 17th, 2025

location: 62 Bayard St, Brooklyn New York, US

campaign photographer: Kyle Berger | @kyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyle

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COSMOPLAST by Marcela Coppari is a modular design system developed using recycled plastic and aluminum components. The project addresses the environmental impact of plastic waste by incorporating it as a structural and aesthetic element in functional, adaptable furniture. The system integrates principles of reuse, modularity, and flexible assembly. The design consists of a set of geometric plates, like semicircles, circles, rectangles, and squares, in two different sizes. These are connected using aluminum tubes of varying heights (4.5, 20, 30, 42, and 72 cm) and 5 cm-diameter connector pieces made from recycled plastic. The system supports vertical and horizontal expansion, allowing multiple configurations such as tables, seats, and shelves.

Connections between elements are made through a press-fit system, which simplifies assembly and disassembly using a rubber mallet. Plates are perforated on their faces and edges to support multidirectional assembly. The connector elements define spatial joints and enable further extension in any direction, offering adaptable solutions for varied functional needs.

all images by Juan B. Arnaudo

Marcela Coppari’s COSMOPLAST follows Circular Design Approach

Each COSMOPLAST kit includes a plate module, aluminum tubes, and connectors, packaged in a compact, portable format using a textile bag and flat cardboard box. The materials used are R-PEAD recycled plastic and aluminum, both fully recyclable. The plastic components are CNC-machined, and aluminum parts are laser-cut and finished with epoxy paint. All components are handcrafted in Argentina, with plastic plate manufacturing by Necológica in Necochea. Designer Marcela Coppari’s approach emphasizes the integration of geometry, structure, and material reuse to create scalable, customizable objects that address sustainable design and responsible material use.

modular furniture system made from recycled plastic and aluminum

COSMOPLAST combines structural function with sustainable materials

geometric plate modules include circles, squares, rectangles, and semicircles

aluminum tubes in varying heights provide structural flexibility

press-fit connections simplify assembly without mechanical fasteners

each module connects using 5 cm recycled plastic joints

all elements are recyclable and locally produced in Argentina

system supports furniture forms such as tables, benches, and shelving

perforated plates enable connections in any direction

assembly is portable, modular, and reconfigurable

modular furniture components promote experimentation with spatial forms

COSMOPLAST explores geometry, adaptability, and environmental responsibility

each COSMOPLAST kit comes in a flat-pack textile and cardboard package

project info:

name: COSMOPLAST
development and creative direction: Marcela Coppari | @marcelacoppari.studio

manufacturing of recycled plastic plates: Necológica. Necochea, Argentina

photographer: Juan B. Arnaudo | @jb.arnaudo

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A fresh addition to Copenhagen’s Østerbro district, Amator is a design-driven, cozy hybrid of café, restaurant, and private dining venue envisioned by Polish chef Mateusz Sarnowski, widely known as Mati Pichci. The interior is brought to life by Adam Wierciński of wiercinski-studio, marking his first project in the Danish capital, and is rooted in the idea of hjemme spisested (a home dining place). At its heart is a jagged communal oak table, designed to shift from individual settings to a unified dining surface. The raw materiality and the warm, earthy palette mirror Mati’s vegetable-focused cuisine, while bespoke details introduce a domestic charm that feels deeply personal.

all images courtesy of wiercinski-studio

smart tabletops respond to the spatial demands of the venue

The spatial constraints of the compact venue shape Amator’s design by turning limitation into opportunity. Polish designer Wierciński responds with a system of interlocking oak tabletops that subtly mimic a gathering of small tables, while steel rings allow them to connect into one long form, ideal for the candlelit private dinners hosted in the evening. The angled tabletops create a serrated silhouette down the room’s center, echoed by sleek oak stools, which are the first objects of the upcoming wiercinski-objects line. Raw steel frames and handcrafted joints lend the furniture an unfinished charm that complements the chef’s open kitchen, separated by a mirrored, steel-clad bar.

Amator is a design-driven dining destination in the Danish capital

bespoke furnishings and vinyls complete the interior

Throughout the interior, the furniture is custom-designed by Wierciński and produced in Poland by skilled artisans before being transported to Copenhagen. Natural oak, stainless steel, and raw linen compose the palette, brought to life through floating wall shelves, sculptural sconces, and a steel washbasin. A slice of a Polish tree trunk welcomes visitors by the entrance, rooting the project in Mati’s origins. Meanwhile, bold yellow plywood shelving, a nod to home interiors, brings a burst of playful color and points to the quiet centerpiece of the space: a single yellow dot that appears throughout.

Sound is also central to the Amator experience. Beneath the rear window sit a vinyl shelf and a pair of custom Arda Audio speakers, forming a mini soundscape zone curated by Mati. Here, guests are invited to linger, enjoy music on a turntable, and absorb the space’s thoughtful layers.

rooted in the idea of ‘a home dining place’

a jagged communal oak table is designed to shift from individual settings to a unified dining surface

the raw materiality and the warm, earthy palette mirror Mati’s vegetable-focused cuisine

oak tabletops mimic a gathering of small tables

bespoke details introduce a domestic charm

the furniture is custom-designed by Wierciński and produced in Poland

a mini soundscape zone curated by Mati

a slice of a Polish tree trunk welcomes visitors by the entrance

a fresh addition to Copenhagen’s Østerbro district

project info:

name: Amator | @amatorcph
architect: wiercinski-studio | @wiercinskistudio
location: Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Researchers enable flat fabric to change into deployable 3D furniture using cords, magnets, and a computer-controlled sewing machine. The team from the Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and Robotics Institute (RI) at Carnegie Mellon University initiates the project, led by the School of Design undergraduate student, Sapna Tayal. There’s a feel of origami around these shape-shifting 3D furniture pieces produced by a computer-controlled sewing machine. The stitches are visible around these modular chairs, tables, and more.

As soon as the user pulls the cord or folds the objects into a form, the real pieces of furniture come to life. It all starts with the idea of ‘flat-to-shape’ objects that can transform into 3D shapes by folding, bending, and assembling. There have been models as such in the past, but these designs were mostly small objects or those that were generated with 3D printers and laser cutters. Then, they required more work as they often needed to be manually put together. It was also difficult to scale up sizable items like furniture. What the researchers chip in is building on this idea to create larger and easy-to-deploy 3D furniture using a computer-controlled sewing machine.

all images courtesy of Sapna Tayal, Dr. Lea Albaugh, Dr. Jim McCann, and Dr. Scott Hudson

Modular flat fabric with ‘pockets’ for structuring

The researchers – comprising Sapna Tayal, Dr. Lea Albaugh, Dr. Jim McCann, and Dr. Scott Hudson – devise a method to create the deployable 3D furniture generated by the sewing machine. They create pockets between the layers of the fabric. Then, they can insert stiff panels into these pockets, including wood, plastic, or even electronic components. The materials give the objects fabric structure and shape as well as make them robust enough to stand as furniture. The flat fabric then becomes modular, given that it features pockets for shaping materials.

The textile used differs depending on the 3D furniture the sewing machine churns out. The researchers adopt muslin for bigger pieces, while for the smaller and delicate ones like lamps, they use lighter fabrics. They can adjust each panel based on the furniture’s specific function. For example, a chair needs thicker plywood panels to support the user’s weight. Then, for a lamp, a lightweight, see-through fabric tops the surface to let the LED light shine through.

researchers enable flat fabric to change into deployable 3D furniture

cord, magnets, Velcro, or linings for folding and assembly

From being flat to deployable, the 3D furniture made by a computer-controlled sewing machine needs to either have a cord, magnets, Velcro, or just linings for folding. For the chair and bag, the researchers decide on giving them fold lines so users can just assemble them by following their forms. As for the side table, there’s a cord that deploys and shifts it back into a flat piece. ‘The cord acts on short rectangular struts, which meet in the center under the tabletop when fully deployed, stopping further movement,’ says Sapna Tayal.

For the chair, the design researcher says that she glues neodymium magnets into its milled pockets. ‘These allow the chair to snap into place. They also align the panels, while the fabric and panels carry the primary loads,’ she adds. So far, the researchers, primarily Sapna Tayal, have tapped into the design flexibility of a computer-controlled sewing machine to provide deployable 3D furniture. For the design researcher, it is ‘an exciting example of the wide world of reliable and capable fabrication technologies that have been overlooked outside of their niches.’

a computer-controlled sewing machine produces the flat fabric

some of the pieces have cords to ‘snap’ them into place

other objects only have fold linings that users follow to assemble the pieces

there are pockets to insert stiff panels such as wood and plastic to make the pieces functional

view of the side table transformed from flat fabric

for the side table, there’s a cord that puts the piece together

the chair snaps into place using magnets inside the fabric

the bag uses both cords and magnets to make it deployable

view of the computer-controlled sewing machine in production

project info:

name: Creating Furniture-Scale Deployable Objects with a Computer-Controlled Sewing Machine

research team: Sapna Tayal, Dr. Lea Albaugh, Dr. Jim McCann, Dr. Scott Hudson 

institution: Carnegie Mellon University | @carnegiemellon

departments: Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), Robotics Institute (RI) | @cmuhcii, @cmuroboticsinstitute

study: here

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The Horn Series is a collection of furniture constructed from discarded speaker components, developed by Juyong Shim as an exploration of alternative material functions. The project, unveiled at SaloneSatellite, Milan Design Week 2025, reinterprets the form and structural logic of the speaker horn, an object rendered obsolete by technological shifts, by integrating it into functional, sculptural designs for domestic use.

The series includes a stool, a table, shelving units, and lighting fixtures. Each piece incorporates salvaged components such as horns, speaker frames, and structural housings. These elements are employed not as decorative additions but as primary structural and visual features, contributing to the identity of each object.

a sculptural collection of furniture crafted from repurposed objects | all images courtesy of Juyong Shim

Juyong Shim repurposes unused and surplus speaker parts

The design process begins with the manual collection of unused and surplus speaker parts sourced from suppliers and abandoned inventories. Designer Juyong Shim’s selection is based on material integrity and structural viability. These salvaged components are combined with new materials such as steel tubing and industrial hardware, assembled through processes including cutting, welding, bolting, and powder coating. The overall method emphasizes low-intervention construction and direct, intuitive assembly.

By reconfiguring speaker elements into utilitarian forms, Horn Series examines how material memory can be retained beyond original function. The project reflects on the transition from industrial sound equipment to domestic object, and how perceived notions of waste and purpose can be reconsidered through material reuse.

the lighting fixture is constructed from a reused speaker horns

welded and bolted assemblies highlight direct construction

the lighting’s fabric element can be suspended in various configurations

the stool transforms disused audio components into functional seating

the Horn Series bridges utility and sculptural presence

the stool cover is made from original speaker mesh fabric and is available in variations

the stool’s design merges sculptural form with structural tension

the table is constructed by stacking and combining reused speaker components

multifunctional design merges table and lamp into one, offering a space-saving solution

the table & lighting can also be used as a ceiling light, offering versatile installation options

the trolley’s design transforms a reused speaker horn into a mobile storage unit

a customizable shelving system is designed for flexibility, allowing adaptation to any space

project info:

name: Horn Series / Furniture
designer: Juyong Shim

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