Ever since New York’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum exhibited “Fashioning Felt” last year, our affection for this ancient and versatile material has grown from playful fling to solid steady. And we’re not the only ones – cop a feel of these five recent swoon-worthy furnishings from a lineup of smitten artists and designers.
1. American sculptor Michelle Jaffé brings us the raw beauty of the Scandinavian landscape and the region’s utilitarian design aesthetic with her limited edition Fjord Collection of felt nesting bowls for Artware Editions. As with much of Jaffé's larger-scaled sculpture, the bowls’ curves and tucks remind us of clothing and the geography of the human body: the neatly buttoned sleeve of a wool suit, the graceful slope of a bell-shaped skirt, the sharp angle of a defined shoulder. Jaffé has transformed a humble material into volumetric perfection with two limited edition sets of 40, each comprised of three nesting bowls in different colors: navy, periwinkle, and magenta or graphite, gray, and orange. Artware Editions, 212-463-7490; http://www.artwareeditions.com/.
2. Better known for his trendy screen prints of orcas, leopards, and the like for his clothing and accessories line Salvor, Manhattan-based designer Ross Menuez now brings us a ceiling fixture. Like Meret Oppenheim’s notoriously Surrealist fur-lined teacup, Icosa surprises: at first glance it appears to be made from hard plastic. But the 12-inch-cubed crystalline shape is actually 100 percent wool felt, its composition inspired by Buckmunster Fuller’s iconic Geodesic dome. The off-white felt diffuser filters fluorescent light into a warm Mediterranean glow for a soft and snuggly fixture all around. Areaware, 212-226-5155; http://areaware.com/.
3. Since even starchy staples appreciate delicious digs, Josh Jakus designed his Avva breadbasket for Connecticut-based modern tableware manufacturer Teroforma from 100 percent wool felt. Reminiscent of a food delivery container or savvy product packaging, the basket ships flat but when folded up two tabs tucked into slots transform angles into graceful curves. The thickness and texture of the felt makes the container surprisingly sturdy and connects its form to the angular themes of Teroforma’s Avva line of tumblers, dinnerware, and wooden serving boards. Capable of holding four bagels or similarly sized breads, the basket comes in white, green, brown, or gray. Stay tuned for an autumn color range launching later this year. Teroforma, 877-899-1190; http://www.teroforma.com/.
4. Toys, design objects, and natural oddities all at once, these Felt Rocks from Molo are strangely compelling. During optical lens manufacturing, small tufts of wool gather on the polishing wheels and are then spun in a drum container with steam and pressure until pieces combine to make organic, stone-like shapes. Molo then hand picks each castaway felt rock for its collection, adds some custom finishes, and packages them in gray wool felt bags in sets of six, with each rock measuring four to six inches across and dyed grey or natural, including one split rock per set. Just like their counterparts in nature, each one is completely unique. Molo through Unica Home, 888-898-6422; http://www.unicahome.com/.
5. Part of the MoMA Design Store’s upcoming Destination Series showcasing emerging and established Portuguese designers, Fernando Brizio’s perky felt-covered stool, Handle, is produced by Temahome with a sturdy Nordic birch frame wrapped in black, red, yellow, orange, purple, green, turquoise, or pink felt. Previous Destination Series have included Brazil, Seoul, and Japan as themes; this one will launch 100 Portuguese-designed products in May for a limited run of several months. Temahome through MoMA Design Store, 800-851-4509; http://www.momastore.org/.
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