Design has evolved over the last decade, and newer, fresher, stylish yet practical looks have emerged. Whether it's furniture, lighting, decoratives, fabrics or more, a vibe shift has been in the works. Today, product design isn't only about furnishing to create boutique-looking spaces and high-end interiors. It's a beautiful mix of cozy glamor that brings together high-concept style, and laid-back luxury with low-maintenance homes. This is the new era of the home.
And, we have a few thought leaders to thank for these interior design trends. From studios to a group of young designers, certain fertile minds with a discerning eye, and razor-sharp focus have been creating products that have blossomed from simple ideas into international looks.
Here's a look at some such path-breakers who are contributing to the ever-changing, metamorphosing world of interior design. Add these to your list now!
Aditi is a homes writer and editor with several years of experience. Her articles, backed by expert insights, offer suggestions aimed at helping readers make the best home design choices. For this article, she scoured the design world to find some of the most pathbreaking product designers to know.
1. Kalon
Michaele Simmering and Johannes Pauwen founded Kalon in Los Angeles to create products that inspire – but also to use design for positive change. The studio emphasizes the simple beauty and emotive power of everyday objects, with a focus on natural materials and versatility. They work mostly in wood, with living room daybeds, desks, tables, and other objects built by master craftspeople using a mix of traditional and high-tech methods.
All materials are domestically sourced, with timber acquired from sustainably managed forests.
2. Arthur Hoffner
French visual artist Arthur Hoffner’s practice is based on the junction of craftsmanship, sculpture, and industrial design. At a young age, he developed an interest in ironwork and all his creations link current forms with the artifacts of vanished civilizations.
A recent series called Fountains – inspired by the sacred fountains of Brocéliande and the opulent ones at Versailles – is made of assembled utensils, managing to be functional, autonomous, and a source of contemplation and wonder. Perfect for modern farmhouse kitchens and living rooms.
3. Hot Wire Extensions
Swiss designer Fabio Hendry is a crusader for sustainable design, a big lighting trend. His studio, Hot Wire Extensions, works with waste nylon powder from SLS 3D printing – a material that can’t currently be recycled but can create magic in design.
With inspiration derived from the organic way a vine grows around a tree, the material is used to create bone-like structures built around a wire. Lighting, furniture, and installations are all characterized by dedication to the mindful exploration of new material landscapes.
4. Duffy London
Christopher Duffy learned the ropes of the trade as a part-time furniture buyer but had a greater creative vision for design, which is why he set up Duffy London. A deep interest in merging concepts of gravity, geography, and optical illusion has set him apart, and his work combines art and function.
With a team of talented designers, artisans, and manufacturers, along with the latest cutting-edge techniques, the studio produces pieces that define bedroom and living room trends, setting the highest standard.
5. Eny Lee Parker
Eny Lee Parker doesn’t like to be categorized within any particular aesthetic, style, or even material use. The New York-based designer is constantly looking to experiment. In the past, she has worked with glass, fluffy mohair, clay (her primary medium), ceramics, and more, and has crafted objects, furniture, and lighting that stand apart, ideal for big to small apartments.
She believes in traditional crafts and the values they bring – slowness, intention, respect for natural resources, and timelessness.
6. Slash Objects
The New York-based studio Slash Objects, helmed by Arielle Assouline-Lichten, is committed to creating a circular economy, a big interior design trend, by diverting waste from landfills to new products. Merging materials such as marble, metal, concrete, and ceramic with recycled rubber (a material that is largely discarded) creates an exciting mixture of textures showcased in pieces that can stand the test of time. From furniture to tableware, lighting to mats, the portfolio is diverse and inspiring.
7. Studio Ahead
Studio Ahead, a San Francisco-based collective founded by Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, traverses the Silk Road, with design sensibilities based on their respective Iranian and Russian backgrounds.
Their work is rooted in raw and refined, foreign and familiar, modern-day local culture, and deep artistic and craft traditions. Each product – the collection includes beds, chairs, tapestries, headboards, stools, and mirrors – is built with a framework of aesthetic multiculturalism.
8. Roubaix
Elisa Uberti was a prodigy of the fashion world but her heart was always in refined and timeless objects defined by craftsmanship. Her studio in Roubaix, France produces creations in stoneware and each work is far removed from standard forms.
She draws inspiration from nature, nomadism, architecture, and the poetry of space, and her lamps, sculptures and accent chairs show a subtle balance between the rigor of technicality and spontaneity of gesture.
9. Noom
Designer Kateryna Sokolova and entrepreneur Arkady Vartanov were fascinated by the idea of merging old and new manufacturing technologies to make functional and striking products that are built to last – and this ultimately led to the creation of their Ukraine-based studio, Noom.
As well as sleek furniture, lighting, vases and other pieces designed with a sophisticated signature style, the studio dabbles in chemical oxidation and patina on metals to create unique effects and colors for limited-edition products.
10. Soft-Geometry
Designers Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary were intrigued by the abstract yet soulful concept of ‘softness’ – seen in materials (velvet), colors (light pink, dusky blue), and sounds (whispers, rustle of leaves). The idea denotes malleability, a willingness to learn, and nuance of fluidity.
This prompted the creation of their India-US-based practice, Soft-Geometry, with its coffee tables, lamps, chairs, candles, and more featuring pleasingly sinuous curves and delicate visuals.
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