photo: Neo/Craft
Germany is the country where the Bauhaus was born founded by Walter Gropius an outstanding Berliner who, among his revolutionary legacy, coined the historic quote “Form follows function”. He looked for the union between use and aesthetics. Berlin has it all, (only if it was at the sea…) so it’s not surprising that you can find really amazing designers in Berlin. The crafts have always had that strong artisan character deeply rooted in the tradition of learning from those who mastered techniques and materials. Despite that, I personally will take the liberty to think of them as true artists. But regardless of how you address them, there’s certainly one thing we will agree on: what they do is simply amazing. Because they don’t just create stunning objects, they create objects that will help you bring meaning to spaces and to learn what it means to inhabit a space. And hopefully to be able to fill that place with unforgettable and meaningful memories. Here you have 7 of our favorite furniture and product designers that work to keep Berlin’s look cool and, always, unique.
Kentholz
Smells have the haunting and compelling power of evoking our most concealed memories. The smell of wood has the more than obvious resonance of nature, wood has a calming and heartwarming influence. The rustic elements help us to keep in touch with our lost connection with nature. For his label Kentholz the designer Stacey Kent works to do quality products, with a powerful visual appeal and the ambition to last a lifetime, rejecting our fast-paced environment where nothing lasts and nothing is worthy enough to keep it. On top of that, they have a sustainable production and just stunning products that combine one of the most striking combinations of wood and geometric shaped iron.
photos: Kentholz
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Nutsandwoods
Philipp Roessler is the founder of Nutsandwoods which was born because he couldn’t find the perfect wooden table. So he just got down to work and the rest is, as they say, history. Showing the same admiration and respect for wood than the latter, Nutsandwoods uses oak’s wood that is hundreds of years old so when you buy one of their products you are also acquiring a hidden story of a past that is embedded in each of every tree-ring and knot of the furniture’s carefully sanded surface.
photos: Nutsandwoods
Fundamental
Playful patterns, unexpected shapes, surprising combinations and above of all just great design. And behind all of that, you have Gunnar Rönsch and Stephen K Molloy, the founders of Fundamental. They find inspiration in the mathematics of nature and it shows through each one of their products. They create intricate patterns and geometrical shapes that fit with each other and order them to transform them into whole objects like tables, shelves and practically any product you can imagine. Their work is compelling and kind of hypnotic, like if you were looking to an Escher picture that has emerged in your living room.
photo: Benjamin Pohle
photos: Fundamental
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Neo/Craft
What Sebastian Scherer from Neo/Craft does is just pure fantasy. Transparencies, neon colors, unconventional shapes, and much more. He seems to be shaping the future with every new object. It’s like entering a futuristic scenario that makes you excited because it invites you on an unexpected journey that will surprise and inspire you every time. At his Berlin studio he combines traditional craftsmanship and modern production techniques. Furniture, lamps, and multiple living accessories that make spaces habitable and stimulating. Create compelling spaces that captivate you and make you want to stay there and just let your inspiration and creativity flow.
photos: Neo/Craft
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Sigurd Larsen
Sigurd Larsen is a Berlin-based Danish architect who is perfectly comfortable sliding between architecture and furniture design what makes him a really a versatile and a multifaceted creative. At his Berlin studio, he combines the aesthetics of high-quality materials with concepts focusing on functionality in complex spaces. Between his architecture works, you’ll also find a project of affordable and sustainable homes in Denmark, his homeland.
photo: Michael Brus
photos: Sigurd Larsen
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Johanenlies
Mike Raaijmakers, originally from the Netherlands, is the founder and Coco Prange the creative director of the incredible furniture label Johanenlies with their beautiful shop and showroom on Mulackstraße. It’s no wonder why they have embraced the Dutch essence to create their beautiful minimalistic furniture. Not because it’s a contemporary trend but because it runs in his veins. Dutch tradition (influenced by the artistic movement called De Stijl) is minimalistic, experimental, innovative, unconventional and daring trespassing the limits of the crafts and stepping into the artistic field. And that’s why their objects are so particular and so easy to admire. The motto of Johanenlies is “to create something new from old” because they are very conscious about the necessity to take a bit more care of our home, planet earth (“because there is no planet B”) working with recycled timber that they bring back to life in the form of new objects with a brand new story to tell, a new purpose and lots of layers of meaning. Their handcrafted process of creation gives each piece a unique character.
photos: Johanenlies
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Bartmann Berlin
And last but not least we have Lasse Schnack, Sebastian Kunath and Robert Zeise of the label Bartmann Berlin, who have been crafting amazing furniture in Berlin since 2007. At their studio, they take care with love and professionalism of the whole process of creation so they can offer their clients a product they are proud of and that’s done to achieve the high-quality standard to which they aspire. At Bartmann Berlin, traditional craftsmanship merges with contemporary, functional design. Their furniture and all their products have simple, minimal and elegant shapes in common.
photos: Bartmann Berlin
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Studio Ziben
Mariusz Malecki is a passionate Polish interior designer. After graduating, he moved to Berlin and founded Studio Ziben in 2009. His Berlin design label does not follow strict rules and is more a collection of different concepts. With Studio Ziben he lives his passion for the creation of individual pieces of furniture. His ideas arise spontaneously and intuitively through associations. In this way, Malecki designs fascinating design objects that always have a story to tell. Free thinking and spontaneity are combined with functionality, aesthetics, and timelessness. Simple and contemporary design characterizes every handcrafted piece of furniture which is made of the highest quality materials.
photos: Studio Ziben
