Design from the stable: Álvaro Aramburu reinterprets traditional furniture
Spanish designer Álvaro Aramburu creates functional art objects. His "Täljahäst" stool resembles a sculpture, but is also a practical piece of furniture that could be placed in a stable.
With every piece of furniture that designer Álvaro Amburu presented at the Rising Talent Awards 2023, the beige exhibition stands at Maison et Objet became a little friendlier. The Spaniard opted for colourful highlights instead of a vanilla girl aesthetic. Even with wood.
After studying industrial design in his native Madrid, Álvaro moved to rural western Sweden. There he completed his M.F.A. in Applied Arts at the Steneby University of Applied Sciences in Dals Långed and at the same time found a new home, which is also reflected in his work. The design of the "Carving Puppy" stool, for example, is inspired by a piece of furniture typical of the region: a shaving horse called "Täljahäst", which is suitable for shearing wool or carving wood. It is a combination of vice and workbench on which you sit astride.
Source: Pia Seidel
The wedge-shaped walnut legs, on the other hand, are designed to resemble those of a milking stool. "The conventional design is topped off with some smooth wheels for effortless gliding," explains Álvaro. This way, you should stay active while sitting - whether you're carving or painting.
The red, carved birch tray on the stool is also flexible. It serves as a storage surface for tools, but can also be removed and used differently if the user's needs change. "The piece combines some recurring elements that I often explore in my furniture: craftsmanship, a form that encourages movement and a touch of silliness and colour, because sometimes wood is just too beige."
Source: Pia Seidel
The fact that Álvaro stays away from vanilla tones is also evident in the work "Baby On Stilts", which was created with the artist Laura Blakes. The sensory and tactile sculpture was soaked many times in red and purple textile paint and moulded so that it feels particularly pleasant to the touch.
Source: Pia Seidel
In contrast, coloured rectangles adorn the surface of the bench. Although they are small, they mix up the beige colour of the wood and show once again that the designer likes things that are a little out of the ordinary.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
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