Artek Reimagined by Paul Smith
Connected by a shared commitment to innovation, lasting quality, and human-centric design, Paul Smith and Artek have come together to create bold new versions of classic products from the Finnish furniture makers’ iconic line-up.
If it’s well made and cleverly designed, it will probably appeal to Paul. No wonder, then, that he’s long been a fan of the work of Finnish design legends Alvar and Aino Aalto, and their beloved furniture brand, Artek. We’re thrilled to be presenting this collaboration with Artek, which brings together their famous precision and understatement with our love of the playful and unexpected.
The second piece in the collection is the Screen 100, another icon of interior design. The articulated screen is constructed from narrow slats, and puts greater emphasis on the stripe that the stool alludes to. The solid pine slats are individually stained using two of Artek’s house finishes, and three custom ones made expressly for us. These five colours repeat creating an earthy, muted version of the Signature Stripe, one which underlines the quality and materiality of the natural timber used. Finally, from the Artek archives is the Coat Rack 109. Revived exclusively for this project, it is reminiscent of luggage racks on steam trains, and uses the same colourway found on the screen and stool. Each piece in the collection is crafted in Artek’s native Finland, using innovative manufacturing techniques that have been developed and refined over the course of almost a century.
“I have always felt a real connection to the work of Aino and Alvar Aalto. They create products which are not just beautiful to look at, but also extremely useful. It’s a simple idea but a fantastic one, and their design philosophy has had a huge influence on my own,” explains Paul. “It was so much fun being able to reimagine some of Artek’s most famous designs, adding our own little spin while preserving what made the originals so great. We can’t wait for it to find its way into people’s homes.”
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Words: Nathan Sharp.
09.24