Born of an artistic partnership between two creative minds, the latest collection from Gerringong-based Hegi Design House and Italian architect Pietro Franceschini is an exploration of Italian sensibility, reimagined for a contemporary Australian aesthetic. The collaboration formed after the Hegi team approached Pietro with visions of graceful curves and rich upholstery, wanting to encapsulate the feeling of fluidity with the weight of quality pieces. Pietro responded enthusiastically, excited by the chance to combine his artistic direction with Hegi’s unrivalled craftsmanship.
Designed in the Italian Riviera, the Urania collection was conceived during Pietro’s Covid-induced lockdown experience in Genova, where an unexpected friendship with a local painter led to one of the most creatively prolific times of his life. The name Urania is an homage to the picturesque sports club he spent a large amount of time in, discussing ideas, concepts and coming up with the intention behind the new furniture collection.
Hegi Design House x Pietro Franceschini furniture collaboration
The Urania collection features three key pieces: the ‘Collo’ daybed, ‘Lavinia’ desk and the ‘Waldo’ chair, each offering a playful, fresh and instantly recognisable profile that is both gentle and solid. The modularity of the pieces was inspired by the classic ‘DS-600’ sofa by De Sede, with the idea being that, although upholstered, the pieces would appear as if made of stone. Luxuriously adorned with Rubelli velvet and offered in an array of customised finishes, the sculptural range is an exploration of sensuality with a hint of masculine form, where art and furniture intertwine.
To coincide with Urania, the Bling Bling collection takes its style cues from the imagined hallowed grounds of Olympus. Its mythical halls, replete with marble and gold and palatial in scale, are reimagined in the sculptural form of the ‘Siamese’ sofa, chair and ottoman. Each cloud-like seat is upholstered in Dedar Artemidor boucle and sits on a base of sumptuously carved Victorian ash legs – the ultimate luxury item for any discerning collector.
As Pietro’s final offering, the ‘Six Variations’ chair is a sleek yet striking designer statement, with a futuristic profile that’s at once classic and contemporary, outrageous and playful. Made exclusively by Hegi Design House, the chair, as with the entire capsule collection, is a triumph of craftsmanship; the culmination in a true creative partnership where an inspired meeting of minds, forged from a collective appreciation for sustainable luxury and soulfulness, is grounded in effortless elegance.
hegidesignhouse.com; pietro-franceschini.com
The Pietro Franceschini x Hegi Design House capsule collection is a triumph of craftsmanship. A true creative partnership that has culminated in an inspired meeting of minds…
Love the Hegi Design House x Pietro Franceschini collaboration? Catch up on more architecture and design highlights. Plus, subscribe to receive the Daily Architecture News e-letter direct to your inbox.
Related stories
- Bethan Gray launches Inky Dhow collection during 2022 Milan Design Week.
- Paved paradise: Fish Lane Town Square by Richards & Spence.
- A 1960s London post office is now a swinging sushi restaurant.
- Hot desks: Spacial co-working office in Montreal by Ivy Studio.
- Artful lodger: Inside the Ace Hotel Sydney by Flack Studio.
What happens when two Argentinians and two Australians cross paths in New York City? While this question could easily form the beginning of a riddle that’s rattled-off time and time again, the ‘punchline’ to this tale lands far from flat. For the chance meeting of the founders from RIES (a furniture company based in Buenos Aires) and their Melburnian counterparts at Dowel Jones has resulted in widespread ovation for each brand. Here’s how.
In 2018, Marcos Altgelt and Tasio Picollo from RIES were in New York for Design Week when they first met Dowel Jones co-founders Dale Hardiman and Adam Lynch. The four designers kept in touch afterwards – as is often promised when new acquaintances are made abroad. But following some steady to-and-fro, the group decided it would be an interesting proposition to create a collection of furniture together. Especially since a passion for local production lies at the heart of each brand, and that both companies are headquartered in the southern hemisphere.
Volta furniture collection by Dowel Jones and RIES
Fast forward three years and the ultimate union of the two design houses, titled Volta, has come to fruition. “The beginning point for the Volta collection came from a RIES project titled Diez Sillas [translating to ‘Ten Chairs’], whereby RIES designed and made ten chairs from waste materials in their workshop over two days,” the Dowel Jones team explain.
Using the ‘6th Chair’ from the Diez Sillas project as the genesis of the collaboration, the two brands went on to co-create the Volta collection. They arrived at a range that revolves around a tubular frame – a hallmark of Dowel Jones – complemented by the detailing and form for which RIES is renowned. It’s a “balanced representation of the two [brands],” the designers insist, achieved over a period of about 18 months.
While encore releases from the duo are already in the pipeline, the debut Volta range consists of a dining chair, bar chair, bar stool, low stool and coffee table, available in black and brass frames with several timber-finish alternatives. The upholstered pieces can be customised with hundreds of textile options, including Kvadrat’s luxurious Melange Nap, and as always Dowel Jones’ dazzling selection of colours.
While encore releases from the duo are already in the pipeline, the debut Volta range consists of a dining chair, bar chair, bar stool, low stool and coffee table.
Catch up on more architecture, art and design highlights. Plus, subscribe to receive the Daily Architecture News e-letter direct to your inbox.
Related stories
- The OVO collection of chairs by Foster + Partners for Benchmark.
- The ‘Hortensia’ armchair by Andrés Reisinger and Júlia Esqué for Moooi.
- Carla Sozzani curates new colours for classic Arne Jacobsen chairs.
- Adam Goodrum stamps all-Australian style on new breezeblock design.
When David Caon and Henry Wilson first crossed paths about three years ago, at a design event in Sydney, the conversation quickly accelerated from general chit-chat to very specific commentary on store-bought vertical shelving hardware. Not an overly surprising topic for two of Australia’s finest design talents, whose collective creativity knows no bounds. David is perhaps best-known for his collaborations with Qantas airlines which inspired the Bloc series of module furniture. Henry’s experimentation with sand-cast bronze and aluminium pieces propelled him into the spotlight, as did his store fit-out and oil-burner design for beauty mecca Aesop.
Laker by David Caon and Henry Wilson
The two designers spoke of encasing ubiquitous metal shelving components in high-quality timber – more specifically, oak and walnut – and how this combination of materials could bring a sophisticated edge to a sensible, albeit unattractive system.
Their vision continued: By pairing the timber-clad strips with sleek joinery pieces, customers would be further armed with the desire to dismantle the storage unit and take it to their next address, rather than leave it behind to a fate unknown. “David and I were thinking that people often ditch the built-in joinery when they move home, leaving it to the next people as part of the permanent fixtures and fittings,” Henry says.
In that moment, a new product was born. As was a bright new business venture.
David and Henry joined forces to form the brand Laker. The wall-mounted Continental Shelf storage system – the fruit of their serendipitous meeting – is the label’s first jointly designed product. “We tend to complement each other. I come at things from more of an art practice, while David sees things from a more industrial design perspective,” says Henry who, like David, continues to operate his independent design studio while also developing Laker.
Continental Shelf sees vertical timber-clad strips partner with a seemingly endless array of shelf supports, shelves and pegboard panels. Stylish timber joinery pieces, again in oak or walnut, bring closed-door storage potential to the versatile system. An optional brass cocktail cabinet and writing desk lend the piece to countless uses, including residential applications as more people combine home-life with work and play during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If things change, you just dismantle the desk and store it under your bed,” Henry explains. As for the cocktail cabinet, happy hour at home looks firmly placed on the calendar for years to come.
Continental Shelf joins Henry’s growing A-joint range which now also falls under the Laker brand, as does David’s ‘Rake’ stacking chair. Laker is available in Australia from Living Edge.
laker.studio; livingedge.com.au
We tend to complement each other. I come at things from more of an art practice, while David sees things from a more industrial design perspective.
