Tags
Chair, Furniture, German, Home and Garden, Homewares, Lifestyle, Shopping, Soft Wood, Tea Towel, Textile, Trompe L'oeil, Veronika Wildgruber, Wood
I don’t like things that can be reproduced. Wood isn’t important in itself but rather in the fact that objects made in it are unique, simple, unpretentious. (George Baselitz)
If you are a regular reader of TSL, you’ll know I have a wee bit of a thing for trompe l’oeil. I first read about the extremely talented Veronika Wildgruber and her trompe l’oeil-esque ‘Soft Wood’ project at Anthony Robertson Design.
‘Soft Wood’ is a series of chairs (limited to 250) that appear at first to be made in fabric with the soft appearance of pillows. In reality they are sculpted in solid wood. Veronika says, “The chairs trick the mind because the surface and texture connotes the opposite of what we think and know about the characteristics of wood.” She has created her ‘Soft Wood’ chairs to illustrate how wood can usually not be both soft and comfortable. The concept plays with reality and shows that you cannot always rely on your perception.
I think there’s a slightly retro-feel to these fabulous chairs…
I also like Veronika’s very German (in my opinion, at least) approach – her design aesthetic is both clean, practical and efficient; while at the same time a little idiosyncratic. That appeals to my German half!
Check out a couple of her other “simple and surprising” designs:
Veronika was born in Germany, and currently lives and works in Berlin. She studied product design at the Faculty of Design and Arts in Bolzano, Italy. Her work has been exhibited in Milan, Paris, Berlin and London, and she was awarded with the Silmo d`Or in 2010 for her sunglasses VW02 design and the IF Product Design Award 2011 for her seriously cool ‘Wardrope’ design.
If you would like to see more of Veronika’s work, or sign up for her newsletter, you can do so here.
Theadora said:
Whoa!! I’m digging the chairs. So trippy!! I love the top two. Yes, they’re flaunting a retro-vibe. What to do about the table? Perhaps I’d flip things, and marry them with a grainy wooden table (made of plastic)? Great find!! T.
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This Sydney Life said:
Hey T! How the heck are you, Chook? Glad you like them chairs. I reckon’ a glass table with a wooden base of some kind – in keeping with the tone of the wood on the chairs – to allow the detail to be seen would do the trick?
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whatimeant2say said:
Those chairs are fascinating. How do people think of these things?
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This Sydney Life said:
I ask myself that very thing every day. My brain isn’t wired that way (more’s the pity!) so, I just have to find these wee goodies to put up in blog-land. (sigh)
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birdcagedesign said:
How great are this chairs….Yet another…why did I not think of that (although I amy need to get my dad to teach me his carpentry skills!! I suspect I would have a few splinters at the endif I attempted that. Fab find TSL
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This Sydney Life said:
Cheers BCD. Hope you have a fab’ weekend planned despite this grey old weather we’re having. If you and your Dad get together on this project, I’ll put in an order… 🙂
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birdcagedesign said:
gees…predictive text, I just re read my comment…. It may take a bit of convincing for dad, but should this ever eventuate I will give you top priority:-) but I wouldn’t hold your breath….:-)
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marinachetner said:
Really cool find Syders – you need to start a magazine. An ezine! I was wowed by the chairs and then enchanted with the tea strainer. What a pretty present that would make!
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This Sydney Life said:
Aww Marina – you’re so sweet!
I was enchanted with the strainer, too. Just gorgeous. 🙂
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Zac The All Black said:
Amazing. the chairs really do look like fabric. Imagine the talking point if you had just one of those in the house.
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This Sydney Life said:
I know! Cool, huh? I like the tufted one with buttons best, I think, Zac. Not so comfy for doggies, tho’! 🙂
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Scott Marshall said:
lovely set particularly like Colinino tea strainer
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This Sydney Life said:
Hey Scott! Thanks for stopping by. She’s a clever woman, isn’t she?
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magsx2 said:
Hi,
Definitely retro chairs, not my style, I like nice soft chairs for this old girl. 😀
But I do like the stainer, very nice pattern.
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This Sydney Life said:
Yes, I imagine they are not the most comfy, Mags 🙂
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Shira said:
Super cool chairs – wow! Those look like a crazy amount of work!
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This Sydney Life said:
I know. Who thinks of this stuff? 🙂
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