Design season is underway: fairs are taking place one after another across the globe. We had Design Shanghai last month, Milan’s Salone del Mobile has just wrapped, Montréal is on now and, further ahead, there’s NYCxDesign (May), 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen (June) and New Designers in London (July).
Not everyone has access to these spaces – or is able to invest in the high-end (and high-price) design on show. But they are a useful lens through which to look at independent brands that take sustainable practices as seriously as they do aesthetics. These are the pieces – and the brands behind them – on our Wish List right now.
1000 Realms’ Leonora’s Lamp
Sisters Tori and Rubi Dinardo founded their Melbourne studio to move away from fixed design conventions, working with local craftspeople to realise pieces rooted in intuition. Each Leonora’s lamp is made individually using translucent glass beads, for an art piece that gives off a gentle glow when lit. AUD $700
Stupid’s Day Display
A Wellington-based designer brings an industrial design background to functional objects with a considered aesthetic. This Day Display – described by the brand as “a Stupid solution to a stupid problem” – lets you mark the day of the week – is in precision-milled aluminium. NZ $220, Stupid
Squares & Things’ 3 Drinks Coaster
London-based founder Maddy designed her homeware brand’s signature coaster to reflect her experience as a neurodivergent designer who keeps three drinks on the go at once. This new iteration is crafted in bright green Polygood (a material made from 100% recycled plastic). £68, Squares & Things
Perla Valtierra Lola Serving Stand
Mexico City-based ceramist Perla Valtierra and a team of 20 artisans produce hand-thrown ceramics from the Bajío region. This serving stand is designed to function as both a practical centrepiece and a dining table focal point. From $160, Perla Valtierra
Rahyja Afrange Leather Bowls
Rahyja Afrange trained as an architect before turning to furniture design, studying in Denmark before returning home to São Paulo to found her namesake interiors brand. These ‘Small Leather Bowls’ are designed for organising household items or housing plants – precise in finish, versatile in use. R$129, Rahyja Afrange
Gustaf Westman’s Wine Table
The Stockholm studio, founded by an architect-turned-designer, is known for its curved, candy-coloured ceramics, furniture and glassware. This wine table holds a bottle at its centre and four glasses around it – functional in structure, sculptural in form. €1,800, Gustaf Westman
Ban Workshop’s Ceramics
Ban Workshop is a collective of Senegalese ceramic artists founded by Imann Gaye, Amadou Samb and Aboubacar Barry, with the aim of preserving their country’s ceramic tradition. Their Dakar workshop doubles as a boutique, stocking handmade bowls, stools and vases. Price on request, Ban Workshop
