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ELLE DECO International Design Awards
Reviews
By Ania Dardas
Each year the many EDIDA teams look back over the previous 12 months and selects the very best of all the design work that has passed through their offices. The award program is designed to recognize global excellence in ten categories: tabletop, wall covering, bedding, fabric, kitchen, furniture, floor covering, lighting, bath and designer of the year. Winners are announced by each of the editions in Fall each year.
In today’s age of mass production it is worthwhile noting that many of the designers whose work is honored with an award have taken a conscious decision to work on a small scale with an almost artisanal approach to their work. This only underlines that despite living in an age of computer-aided design and technological innovation, the power of an individual eye and hand are not to be underestimated.
In 2005, the Netherlands came in for a special mention. Designer of the year Marcel Wanders, for example, a man who doesn’t own a television and never reads newspapers, claims that he finds his inspiration on the streets. Elegant and creative, his designs also demonstrate a playful sense of humor. His knotted chair is reminiscent of the string-net shopping bags of the 60s and ‘pipe’ taps for Boffi make witty use of aspects of plumbing that normally remain hidden.
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| Marcel Wanders | Knotted Chair | Pipe Tap |
Also from the Netherlands is newcomer of the year Frederik van Heereveld. He is someone who simply has a strong instinct for new materials and how to work with them. His range of ‘Sliced’ furniture is made out of super-soft rubber: the sofa, for example is a limited range of 30 and each sofa is finished by hand.
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| Frederic von Heereveld |