Bright colors, pastel tones, intriguing shapes and lots of creativity. If you follow the latest developments in the design world, you may have noticed that many of the new creations feature one or more of these characteristics. This is because
playful design or
fun design is a trend that influences the work of artists and designers all over the world. Research shows that this is one of the
post-pandemic effects, inspired by everyone's desire to be happier after such a difficult period. So we went in search of these creative people and prepared a fun selection below. Check it out!
Gustaf Westman
Cheerful and fun, the creations of Swedish designer
Gustaf Westman challenge the conventional aesthetics that define furniture as elegant. In tables, chairs and lamps, Westman's pieces are a true
feast of colors , curves and a playful vibe. According to the professional, his design is very easy to understand because the object is created with few elements from an idea. Founded in 2020, Gustaf's studio produces custom furniture, personalized design pieces, as well as ceramics and glass.
Humberto da Mata
Born in Brasília and living in São Paulo for over a decade, designer
Humberto da Mata has a renowned body of work dedicated to manual construction techniques. The
Orgus collection is the result of this research and includes creations made of
papier-mâché and
ceramics , produced as unique pieces. With soft curves, bold colors and intriguing textures, the pieces are true functional sculptures and allow the designer to explore the possibilities of materials with greater freedom.
Solange Azagury-Partridge and Rebecca Marks
They look like toys, but they are rechargeable LED and Murano lamps, created by jewelry designer
Solange Azagury-Partridge and Rebecca Marks of
Green Wolf Studios . The
Green Wolf Lighting collection is made up of real jewels that can be used in various places in the home. One of the designers' proposals is to use them on the dining table, replacing candles and candelabras, for example. There are five models produced in a limited and numbered edition of 1,000 units. They are sculpted with molten glass using precision Venetian methods. However, finding artisans capable of producing these complex pieces was a challenge.
Doshi Levien
It's impossible to look at this piece and not remember the delicious taste of a chocolate bar. That was exactly the inspiration behind
Mula Preta Studio , by designers André Gurgel and Felipe Bezerra. Made from tauari wood, the
Garoto table, in addition to its shape, has a name that refers to the famous chocolate factory. It is made up of square modules that can be configured in various ways, such as creating square or rectangular tables. In 2023, the piece won an If Design Award.
Brian Eno
Brian Eno , a famous English musician and producer, has created a
light-up turntable . Called the
Turntable II , the device consists of a platter and a base made of translucent acrylic — each containing LED lights that are programmed to change color independently. Thousands of tiny holes drilled into the plastic allow light to emanate from the turntable, creating gradients where the two layers overlap. The color of the lights and the speed at which they change are programmed to change randomly, creating a nearly infinite spectrum of colorful landscapes.
Shim Seungyeon
The
Pressure collection, which includes benches and tables, is both bold and soft at the same time. Designed by Korean designer
Shim Seungyeon , the line was produced using a hollow
metal tube pressing method—a technique often used by metalworkers to manufacture highly efficient metal structures. In a departure from the conventional, tubes with a larger diameter than normal were also used. The compressed portion served as a connection to components such as the seat plate and the upper structure of the table.
Gustav Winsth and Alexander Lervik
Here’s an example of how
technology and
craftsmanship can be combined in the same project. Created by Swedish designers
Gustav Winsth and
Alexander Lervik , the
Reality chair was developed using virtual reality and produced by craftsmen who usually work on motorcycles. Instead of meeting in person, the designers put on VR headsets and met on a digital platform. The design process was free-flowing, without thinking about how the chair would be manufactured, although from the beginning, they knew it would be made of metal. The result is a
voluminous piece that resembles an inflatable toy. Only after the project was ready did the duo seek out sheet metal specialists. Thanks to the skill of these professionals, it was possible to create the rounded shapes using manual pressure lathing. The piece is made entirely of polished aluminum and the finish is impeccable: the only visible weld lines are where the seat meets the legs and backrest.
