Asian design brand Stellar Works has unveiled its first collaboration with German designer Sebastian Herkner. Known for his unusual shapes and material choices, Herkner has created Host, a movable wardrobe created in response to the growing need for flexible furniture in both homes and hospitality environments. Herkner’s design includes a metal frame that on one side provides rail space, and also becomes part of the framework for open shelving and a mirror.
Host is placed partially on wheels to allow greater freedom in moving the piece around the room as space requirements change. The openness of its design allows Host to be used for a multitude of purposes, with an added small tray for personal items such as jewelry and watches. For a hotel room, Host features enough space for a suitcase and generous hanging space. Host’s minimalist steel frame is complemented by a veneer laminate base, solid wood, and a large mirror.
“A host takes care of their guest, with the aim to make their stay as comfortable as possible. Our intention for this wardrobe was the same, to give free space for the belongings of the guest. It is a kind of stage to place clothing, jewelry, and other things in a personal way,” says Herkner.
The Shanghai-based furniture brand has also presented its first-ever collaboration with acclaimed Italian architect and founder of AMDL Circle, Michele De Lucchi.
Float is a new modular sofa system that presents cushions supported by a seemingly invisible structure, as if they are floating on air. The magical effect created by these floating cushions is made possible by the arrangement of feet outside of the padded form. A double layer of cushions, supported by a metallic sheet, provides optimal comfort and strength, while a crossbar that runs back and sideways containing the cushions, supports the headrest elements and gives structural integrity. The Float sofa is supported by a thin yet robust steel structure and is designed to allow for comfortable sitting, resting and invites users to “flop down” on it.
The modular Float collection comes in four versions: a one, two and three-seater sofa, as well as an L-shaped option and is also available with optional built-in wooden sides tables, which come in in two sizes, an ancestral element that De Lucchi sees as inextricably linked to the idea of the home and of handmade construction.
Talking about the design, De Lucchi says: “Designing for Stellar Works is an extraordinary opportunity; their production methods are linked to bygone craftsmanship and allow an artistic freedom that in an industrial culture would otherwise be lost. The ability to produce detailed prototypes allows us to develop the best final product and all the details of the Float sofa have all been verified several times on the test models: from the metal structure to the coffee table that hooks onto the armrest up to the cushions with visible stitches that follow a defined path for perfect ergonomics.”
Later this year announcements will be made regarding collaborations with Meyer Davis, Neri&Hu, Luca Nichetto and BassamFellows.
