Thursday, November 21, 2013

What's that sound?

I admit I'm a bit of a purist. Painting a Wegner Wishbone chair hot pink or upholstering an Eames lounge chair in bright red Pendleton wool makes me grind my teeth a little, although I believe people should do what makes them happy, with little or no regard at all for my teeth. It's only furniture, right? With that in mind, I can't help but show you the latest design to challenge my dentition.

Dutch designer Pepe Heykoop has introduced his latest project, the Skin Collection, in reaction to the waste produced by the furniture industry. He takes furniture found on the street or in a thrift store and then covers it with leather scraps, which are trimmed away in furniture workshops because of scratches, scars and color issues.

I'm all for up-cycling leftover design materials, but I think I see some pieces under all that leather that could be pretty spectacular if they were refinished. Oh, the glue you'd have to scrape off if you restored these pieces! I'll just tell myself they were knock-offs.


Skin Collection
pepehykoop.nl

Skin Collection
pepehykoop.nl

Skin Collection
pepehykoop.nl

Skin Collection
pepehykoop.nl
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8 comments:

  1. DonnaNovember 21, 2013 at 4:11 AM

    Hi Dana, Hmmm, very interesting pieces. I am all for upcycling too, but I agree that the pieces could have just as easily been restored or revived. I keep going back to look at these pics. If I were to buy a piece, it would be the charcoal chair - 3rd pic.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModNovember 21, 2013 at 2:35 PM

      I keep going back and looking at them too...but I'm not sure why.

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  2. Ray G November 21, 2013 at 4:49 AM

    Hilarious! I think a case of "The Emprorer hath no clothes" or in this case very torn clothes trying to pass as design.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModNovember 21, 2013 at 2:37 PM

      I think this may be a case of art, rather than design, and The Emperor's New Clothes does sometimes come to mind when looking at trendy or really avant garde pieces, doesn't it?

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  3. UnknownNovember 21, 2013 at 7:44 AM

    Sorry Dana, I don´t like it.
    Recycling, painting etc. is great, but a classic piece is a classic piece.
    The little black dress is not a little black dress in red, only in black....
    But maybe I´m only to "old fashioned" for this ;-)

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModNovember 21, 2013 at 2:38 PM

      I'm definitely too old fashioned for this, Ria. I agree with you. It makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one who would rather just restore the furniture.

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  4. Ton S. November 21, 2013 at 3:35 PM

    I don't think aesthetics should be sacrificed in an up-cycling project. That would be down-cycling!

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModNovember 21, 2013 at 4:19 PM

      Good point! :) I ordinarily don't go out of my way to negatively critique someone's work, but I think there's a time when good design is enough...without trying to "improve" on it by turning it into art. Let's face it, some designers like to create bizarre pieces just for the shock value...and maybe that's a function of art, but that's a conversation for another day.

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