News that Valencia had been selected World Design Capital 2022 broke just as Hábitat Valencia opened its doors to 33,000 professional home and contract sector visitors, leading to a place truly buzzing with good design vibes.
Ibiza│Vondom
The Valencian outdoor furniture company and Catalan designer Eugeni Quitllet are working together to rid the seas of plastic. No joke. Their first effort is the Ibiza collection produced using recycled polypropylene plastics (mostly fishing nets) from the Mediterranean, specifically around the Balearic islands, a venture the company is calling Vondom Revolution and applying to other collections.
Liz│Expormim
Designed by workhorses Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba, the goal of this outdoor collection was to pay homage to “the sensual and captivating forms” of cinema icon Liz Taylor and the flair of the 1950s. The line of armchairs, a sofa and XL sofa are characterized by elastic fabrics stretched across metallic tubular structures, giving both a stability and transparency well-suited for outdoor spaces. www.expormim.com
Hari│Ondarreta
A new seating family of chairs, stools and lounge pieces designed by JMFerrero of the Valencian studio Estudi{H}ac was launched at the show, inspired by industrial textile looms and delicate sewing thread. The name itself conveys that muse, being a Basque word that means “thread.” The seat and back utilize a combination of materials including, wood, steel and polypropylene in addition to the unique upholstery.
Sunset│Pujol Iluminacion
This cheerful yet elegant new table lamp uses circular shapes to define every element, including a support structure created from three tubular semicircles, extruded at different heights with the sphere of light supported at its the highest point.
Paralel│Point
Designed using teak wood and rope, this outdoor collection by Gabriel Teixidó is made up of a set of two dozen pieces that include chairs, armchairs, seats and tables. The name (not a misspell) is inspired by the structure and silhouette of the long parallel arms that wrap around the backrest in a welcoming, supportive way.
Dry Collection│JMM
There are a lot of collections within collections to keep track of at JMM (José Martínez Medina), for example the Dry collection of Punch, French and Margarita, a family of stools, chairs and armchairs designed by Eli Gutiérrez. Eye-catching for a bold seat aesthetic set against a fairly minimal structure, the common characteristic is a contrast between two upholstered shells of leather inside and fabric on the outside accented with conspicuous stitching that defines the edges.
Hug│Lebom
No surprise where the name came from: this sofa looks like it is ready to envelope you. The question is: was it name first, design second, or the other way around. All that its designer, Francesc Rifé (a name that popped up a lot at companies showing product at Hábitat), will admit is he wanted you to have “a fantastic sitting.”
Alat│Calma
The name means “winged” in Catalan, which makes perfect sense since this modular sofa is entirely dominated by Brutalist geometry, giving it a heavy, robust appearance that contrasts with the lightness of the lateral wings. Available in a range of materials, but the plywood is a nice touch and not a material seen often in Spanish design.
Turati Collection│Sancal
This is a brilliant example of an entire collection guided by one singular design idea, in this case reproducing the colour, light, materials and graphical image of the Turati metro station on Milan’s M3 line, with a restricted palette of grey, yellow and red tones. Among the collection is the Next Stop sofa, an Interchange bench, a Meeting Point pouf and Mind the Gap rug, all designed by Nichetto Studio. Other firms were tapped for additional products as well, including Rafa García, Juan Ibañez, Note Design Studio and Ionna Vautrin. www.sancal.com
