82
“Thinking outside the box” is what many seek in design furniture, but for us, it’s not enough.
When you’re designing for the future you have to rethink the box. We look at things differently
and our products always have that extra something, solving practical problems or improving
existing situations. The result is something familiar yet surprising. Sometimes strange-looking,
but always well-functioning, and ahead of its time.
INTERMEZZO
Changing today’s
way of thinking
When designing a new product we never let
short-lived fashion guide us, nor do we follow
the crowd. Sure, we could keep on designing
chairs just for the sake of it. But why bring
more unnecessary stuff into this world? Strong-
willed as we are, we only create thoughtful,
inspiring pieces that add new insights and last
for lifetimes.
By holding on to this statement, we can truly
focus on designing for the future while keeping
our users’ worldview firmly in mind. How else
could we have the guts and freedom to turn
sofas inside out and put parasols upside down?
And it’s not just our own creations that we
challenge – we hope to inspire you, to spark new
interactions, to see the world in a new light, and
to pass it on to the next generation.
Reinventing the parasol
90% of all parasols produced today rest on the
principle of the traditional Chinese parasol. It
is so familiar that hardly anyone would consider
improving the design. But with a bundle of slats,
ribs, and ropes handing above your head, we
knew we had to rethink the design.
So, we flipped it over, while keeping the
technical parts out of sight, our Inumbra and
Inumbrina parasols offer a clean view, more
shade, and greater wind resistance.
Innovate or die
Outdoor sofas are made to bring comfort and
softness outside. But, being located in Belgium,
we know that along with the sunshine, there’s
gotta be a little rain sometime. When you crave a
sweet moment in the sun, you don’t want to drag
cushions outside, keep your fingers crossed for
dry seating, or take off an ugly cover.
Instead of making a soft sofa that gets hidden
under a durable cover for 90% of the time, we
turned the outdoor sofa inside out. The entire
Walrus sofa is made from an extremely durable
material that doesn’t absorb water, while inside
a hidden pouch we added soft, tactile cushions
that are always dry and ready to use.
