When I think of the type of industrial design objects that I would like to own and use everyday, I think of the work of Nicola Enrico Stäubli, from Bern.

They are the kind of products that I could see myself making at home, on the fly, for some specific use. It’s the sense that the products were directly born from the lack of an existing tool for that job. Only the objects have more depth than just being useful in one particular scenario. Nicola has created a collection that is not only finely crafted and gorgeously utilitarian, but the pieces are as flexible as the user – reconfiguring themselves to meet the needs of a multitude of domestic conditions.

What i admire most about the designs are the economy and efficiency of such restrained components. He reduces the product to the exact degree that it provides as many configurations as possible while only including the forms and nuances necessary for that fexibility.

As prolific as he has been in such a short professional career, I’m looking forward to some really nice stuff from him in the future.

Ryan, thanks again for your words!
(via rypat)

Portrait on Nicola from Bern in «arhitectura»

Finally I managed to have an original copy of arhitectura (#73, April 2009), the leading Romanian magazine on architecture and design. The portrait on me is a true boost for the self-esteem of a young designer like me. Besides the article full of praise, my name even appears on the magazine’s cover right next to Mies van der Rohe!

Read the full article by Radu Comsa:

The Portrait of Nicola from Bern seems the most appropriate for a preview of Milan 2009 since how glamorous or severe it will be remains to be seen. Nicola was without any doubt the best exhibitor at Salone Satellite 2008 and he should have caught by now the attention of the specialized press and in particular of the big dream furniture manufacturers. That is to say if Salone Satellite takes seriously its role of instant official springboard for those who really deserve a career in design. The reason why Nicola should have been noticed is the fact the since the great Achille Castiglioni I have not met any other designer who should be so in touch with the essence of things, in an ad-hoc deconstruction which makes him reach simple and wonderful results using unconventional means.
A year ago I included two of his products – Phasmatodea and Accordion – in the column dedicated to Milan 2008. Phasmatodea is a shape-object, apparently useless at first sight, but anybody can find many useful positions for this object in the specific bathroom backgrounds thus replacing the “cheap” hangers and hooks which only end up falling off the wall. And the Accordion wardrobe is not only innovative (and we are speaking about a major innovation here) through a mobile design that allows the access of the user from any angle, but it may be also read as a reference to the chaste ritual of the beach cubicule, while keeping everything remarkably simple.
These were the last year products; in the mean time, Nicola from Bern enriched his portfolio with more items designed according to the same rare recipe based on simple and practical objects. Thus, Trestle, a table which is decompesed and recomposed at the same time, is in fact a functional essay on the concept of “table” seen in all its meanings. The four legs are detachable and elastically joined together, which ensures the flexibility of the table position on a more problematic floor or the table immediate mounting and dismounting. And if the legs are positioned in a maximum opening position, the table becomes very rigid.
Trapeze is a shoe support, a humble object which got the attention of very few designers lately. Trapeze is module-based, it is flexible and exactly what you need for an object which is automatically placed in the most disagreeable locations in the house.
And Coathook (he did not even bother to find a commercial name for it) is a hook which brings flexibility and in particular elasticity in the very humble space dedicated to coat hanging. Why not? In the end what matters is the functional aspect and Coathook does its job brilliantly, with the utmost simplicity.
A simplicity which, I have to emphasize, I have not met since Achille Castiglioni.

Get your copy here.

Achille Castiglioni

Crutch is part of the top five novelties selection by Monocle at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Limited edition coming soon! (send email)

Nicola From Bern is nominated for the Design Report Award 2008 with the presented projects at Salone Satellite 2008.