I’m kicking off a series of posts dedicated to the ones we love – designers and brands that warrant more than just a casual mention. Not that we won’t be mentioning them casually when their designs fit just perfectly into one of our themes, but, we must also offer them a venerable solo position, and ogle them from afar whilst praising their greatness.
Ok, so enough crawling for now. And now to the first of our Thursday tributes, which is to Italian furniture company Kartell.
I could have gone for something more obvious as a starter – say, a British homeware store beginning with H, a Bauhaus member perhaps – but I’m always reminded of Kartell when I sit here and type – as I’m sitting on a Louis Ghost Chair right now. It may not be an ergonomically designed office chair (and it wasn’t really intended as such, but I’m still in a slight post-move chaos) but it is the one chair I own that fits just about anywhere.
That’s the beauty of Kartell. If you’re all about natural, neutral shades or traditional wooden and upholstered furnishings, you might look at these modern, vivid plastics and recoil in horror. But, Kartell pieces are available in a range of shades, including white, and a colourless transparent plastic that can’t fail to fit with any colour scheme. In fact, the transparent chairs, tables and lampshades from Kartell appear almost invisible, producing just a subtle sheen and ghostly trace that’s infallibly good-looking in any room, from the colourful and contemporary, to the understated and elegant.
Last, but not least, many Kartell items are designed by well-known and well-respected names in the design world, and they’re far more affordable than some classic design pieces. You can get a Componibili storage unit for under £100, and Ghost chairs for around £200. So, you can own a piece of furniture by Philippe Starck without breaking the bank.
For a full range of Kartell products in the UK, try online store Made in Design.
FL/Y Suspension by Kartell, £156, madeindesign.co.uk
Bubble Club Armhair by Philippe Starck for Kartell, £373, madeindesign.co.uk
Louis Ghost Armchair by Philippe Starck for Kartell, madeindesign.co.uk
Componibili storage unit by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell, £91, madeindesign.co.uk
Clockwise from top left: Dr Yes Armchair, £102; Dr No Armchair, £140; Eros Armchair £256; Masters Armchair, £136
Bloom Suspension by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell, £458, madeindesign.co.uk
