Much of the stuff we've seen this month has come from Dutch Design Week, which takes place in the city of Eindhoven each October. Most of the projects on show tend to be speculative and conceptual, but this year, it seemed as though there was an increase in artful furniture – perhaps indicative of collectible design's increasing popularity.
Elsewhere, we spotted a collection of rugs that feature patterns based on the Milanese subway network, and got excited about a pillowy sofa that came back on the market.
Read on for our pick of October's best.
Leopard Bench
Rik van Veen
This one was a real eye-catcher at this year's Dutch Design Week. Created by Rotterdam-based designer Rik van Veen creates, the Leopard bench is made up of discarded pieces of gas pipes collected from construction sites. These are then fused together, before being carved to reveal the black interior and create its animalistic pattern.
Infillfilled chair
Soft Baroque
London-based Soft Baroque recently revealed this new chair, which is crafted from walnut and welded aluminum. The juxtaposition of materials and form is typical of the studio – made up of Nicholas Gardner and Saša Štuci – who straddle the boundary of art and design, and typically create objects that blur the boundaries of "acceptable furniture typologies".
Orbital Mirror
Clara Schweers
Clara Schweers' Orbital Mirror is made from hand-polished and silvered glass. On show during Dutch Design Week, the piece is based on the idea of the "gravitational lens", which is defined by NASA as occurring when a “massive celestial body — such as a galaxy cluster — causes a sufficient curvature of spacetime for the path of light around it to be visibly bent, as if by a lens."
Snoopy Lamp in Blue
Flos
You might not know Flos' "Snoopy" lamp by name, but you’ll certainly recognise it. Featured in design-led spaces the world over, the object has become a symbol of good taste since its creation in the 60s, and now – it’s arriving in a brand new color. New for 2024, the Snoopy lamp has been given a navy blue shade, joining the orange, green, and black variants that came before it. Other than the colour, the lamp features all of the original details conceived by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1967. These details include its now-iconic shape, which – along with the lamp’s name – was inspired by the famous cartoon dog.
Beyda Coffee Table
Louis Barrett
Louis Barrett graduated from London's Central Saint Martins in 2021, and has since explored a practice that fuses together the physical and digital worlds. This metal coffee table is based on cross sections of a rock he found in the Sahara el Beyda desert in Egypt. "The concept embodies the preservation of the unique irregularities of the ever-changing chalk formations of the desert," Barrett says. "An expression of the contours of the rock, fragmented and reconstituted into a refined, linear construction."
Pillow Sofa
Muller van Severen for BD Barcelona
When Muller Van Severen launched the Pillow Sofa with Kassl Editions, we were thrilled. Now, we're doubly thrilled, because BD Barcelona has brought it into its collections, complete with new fabrics and a range of rich colors. The chair sees two cushions stacked on top of one another. These are then strapped around a main frame, which is also upholstered in the squishy fabric, creating a perfect spot to recline in.
PHU Chair
Studio Finemateria
It's not often that the underside of a chair is what you're drawn to, but here we are. Studio Finemateria paired the bright yellow detail on each of the PHU Chair's legs with the soft lilac hue across its surface – creating the most perfect colour combination.
Chairs
Primo Arets
Also at Dutch Design Week were these chairs by Primo Arets. Our favorite is the one above, but the total collection was made up of six others. "The first chair is made out of solid oak wood. All the other chairs are based on this model but made out of waste wood. They vary on color, shape and texture," the designer says.
Torino Lamp
Shigeaki Asahara for Stilnovo
The design of this lamp is described as being reflective of its “creator’s history” – Shigeaki Asahara was born in Japan, but since the beginning of his career has split his time between Italy and his home country. “Torino”, which translates to Turin, combines the design characteristics and signatures he has experienced in both places. From a technical standpoint, he looked to Japan, while when it came to aesthetics, he took inspiration from the historical architecture of Turin, especially the Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
Rugs
Massimo Giorgetti for CC Tapis
This rug collection acts as a love letter to Milan's first subway line, the M1, which opened 60 years ago. Across the network, now-iconic red handrails feature (as part of the original design by Franco Albini). And while these were originally installed to stop coats being caught as communters came in and out of the station, they've become famous in their own right. "A question mark which has become a timeless symbol of the city", explains Massimo Giorgetti, who has interpreted the red curves across a line of rugs for CC Tapis.
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