Reflecting on diverse furniture pieces from 2024 with atypical design mediums

Materiality has long been a defining attribute of furniture design, coalescing form, function and narrative. The annals of design are punctuated by moments of audacious defiance, where designers have ventured beyond the expected to beget works that transcend conventional boundaries. This year heralded such a moment, as furniture designers turned to dissonant, atypical design mediums—stacked paper, construction waste, reclaimed sawdust, biomaterials and recycled products—to craft furniture that challenges the archetypal and redefines the domestic oeuvre.

Retracing the best of 2024, from pleated paper tables and wrinkled paper chairs to furniture crafted from sawdust, waste polystyrene and natural waste, these upcycled designs are conduits of discourse, challenging perceptions of value, sustainability and aesthetics. STIR highlights the ingenious works which transcend the familiar mien of furniture and explore the profound potential of the unexpected.

1. 25 Seasons by Pao Hui Kao

Taiwanese artist and designer Pao Hui Kao juxtaposes the ephemeral nature of paper with the permanence of furniture design in her solo exhibition at Spazio Nobile Gallery, Brussels. The Paper Pleats and Lacquer Leaf collections defy conventional boundaries by transforming the transient, fragile material into functional, intricate forms that redefine notions of strength, utility and artistry. The former series employs rice glue and Urushi lacquer to transform translucent tracing paper into robust honeycomb structures with vertical, indeterminate lines reminiscent of ‘furniture-landscapes’. Meanwhile, the latter weaves a seasonal palette inspired by Van Gogh’s chromatic evolution, layering crepe paper into luminous wall art that bridges tradition with innovation. “Instead of strictly adhering to traditional methods, I introduced an element of playfulness,” Kao tells STIR.

2. Paragraphic in Four Stacks by Brian Thoreen

American designer Brian Thoreen’s Paragraphic in Four Stacks transforms industrial manila paper—a material synonymous with mundane office supplies—into evocative furniture. The collection of four chairs, each crafted from 3,000 glued sheets, celebrates the inherent imperfections and organic qualities of the overlooked medium. The product designs are a study in dichotomies: sturdy yet fragile and functional yet whimsical. “It is an expansion of my exploration with material and form,” the American artist proclaims. While the chairs provide a place to rest, they are not intended for comfort but to provoke reflection. Thoreen describes them as “the ghost of a chair,” conjuring memories of sitting on book stacks and inviting viewers to question whether art and function must remain distinct.

3. Fossilized Future by So Koizumi

What if the scraps of today become the fossils of tomorrow? Japanese designer So Koizumi’s Fossilized Future collection transforms mundane materials into artefacts for the ages from ‘contemporary soil’, which is an amalgamation of wood, minerals and everyday waste like rice husks, leftover coffee grounds and vegetable peels. “What truly brings me joy is seeing people explore beyond the surface beauty, uncover deeper narratives and relate to it personally,” Kozumi tells STIR. The collection evokes sustainability, history and emotional connection, challenging viewers to see ordinary objects as lasting stories.

4. Mezcla, Moldea, Lija, Mueve by Sara Regal

Construction waste, often dismissed as debris, holds untapped potential for artistic transformation. Spanish designer Sara Regal’s Mezcla, Moldea, Lija, Mueve, which translates to ‘Mix, Mold, Sand, Move’, reimagines this waste into 20 pastel-toned sculptural designs that bridge art and functionality. Crafted using recycled Amalgam, lime, dry materials, cork, sturdy steel and pigment granules, her designs blend industrial precision with artisanal care, where each piece is an invitation to observe more closely. By turning discarded materials into eco-friendly varnished forms, the sculptural artist challenges waste perceptions and highlights the profound link between sustainable design and artistic innovation.

5. Always Break by Won Jae Sung

Korea-based designer Won Jae Sung transforms discarded materials into narratives of resilience and reinvention with his Always Break furniture collection. With unconventional mediums like children’s toys and makeup materials, the artist crafts lighting designs and chairs that challenge traditional design norms. Sung’s works celebrate intentional breaks and imperfections, symbolising adaptability and transformation. From repurposed Ikea waste in the Fniss Light project to spine-like forms in chair designs inspired by thorn trees, each piece questions the conceptions of durability and functionality. “In embracing intentional breaks, we challenge the assumed durability of furniture, fostering a deeper appreciation for the fluidity and adaptability inherent in innovative designs,” Sung tells STIR.

6. Chairs Don't Cry at Friedman Benda LA

The imaginative Chairs Don’t Cry exhibition by Barbora Žilinskaitė at the Friedman Benda’s Los Angeles gallery transforms tables, chairs and shelves into contorted, human-like forms crafted from reclaimed sawdust, pigment and wood glue. From Keeping Things to Myself, a navy blue cabinet of intertwined fingers and soles of the feet, to the beastly Crying Chair that drips with sculptural tears, the works of the Brussels-based artist provoke curiosity and emotion. Žilinskaitė believes “human-like features attract us, evoke emotions and feelings, they create this weird still friendly atmosphere”. Rooted in her exploration of materiality and function, her designs invite users to see furniture as companions—functional, emotive and profoundly atypical.

7. Digested Objects by William Eliot

Furniture shaped by mealworms as co-creators takes centre stage in British designer William Eliot’s Digested Objects collection. The bio-collaborative project features a subtractive design process where over 150 mealworms burrow through waste polystyrene, leaving behind organic patterns that inform the stool’s animated form. The final stool design, digitally scaled from the mealworms’ work, is crafted using sustainably sourced black sand through advanced 3D printing techniques. Rooted in both sustainability and innovation, Digested Objects not only questions traditional design methods but also raises ethical considerations about the role of non-human collaborators in shaping aberrant design mediums.

8. Cypress by Studio Kloak

“Great design is timeless,” proclaims CoCo Ree Lemery, Chicago-based product designer and founder of Studio Kloak, whose every creation embodies sustainability, creativity and a deeper purpose. The studio’s ethos revolves around transforming waste into valuable design elements, combining utility and art. Their latest Cypress collection transforms a century-old abandoned roof into organic lamps, while the Cypress table embodies a unique aesthetic driven by the history and irregularities of reclaimed materials. Lemery’s approach is rooted in transparency and craftsmanship. Leveraging AI for material deconstruction and blending it with human creativity, she creates sculptural furniture with distinctive histories and an intuitive charm. She succinctly puts it, “The heart and soul of design come from human intelligence.”

STIRred 2024 wraps up the year with curated compilations of our expansive art, architecture and design coverage at STIR this year. Did your favourites make the list? Tell us in the comments!