The colourful and textural designs of LA-based studio Commune – featured in our USA 400 guide to creative America – have graced the interiors of many exciting high-end projects, such as Panama’s American Trade Hotel, yet are also often available on the shelves of West Elm.
As befits the practice’s name and ethos, which is focused on an eclectic range of creatives working together to elevate the work of artisans and artists, many of these coveted creations are the result of collaborations with talented makers such as Heath Ceramics and Christopher Farr.
Among the multidisciplinary studio’s long-term collaborators is the British furniture label George Smith, a London-based manufacturer of timeless seating designs, including Commune’s Turkish and Channel collections, featuring plush club chairs and sofas all made in England.
Now the two labels have joined forces again to create the deliciously named Muffin collection. Launching at this year's London Design Festival on September 18th, ( and part of Wallpaper's London Design Festival itinerary) the series adds a modern flair to 1930s charm and comprises a sofa, armchair, chaise and ottoman.
‘The Muffin Collection was born from a desire to blend rounded art deco and streamlined shapes with a more current profile; we were inspired by Jean-Michel Franck, and Jean Royère, as well as American furniture of the 1940s,’ explain the designers.
‘Muffin is meant to have a spirit of playful elegance, yet you can find its DNA somewhere between our Turkish and Channel collections, too; it’s something that was always waiting to be explored.’ The pieces are designed to be paired with contemporary furniture, vintage and antiques of all periods and styles.
‘George Smith produces their own textiles which are just as refined as their furnishings,’ explain the designers. ‘Every collection can be upholstered in any fabric imaginable, where it is George Smith's or a customer's own material.
‘For Muffin, we chose to highlight the collection in a beautiful Reseda Green mohair with white oak feet; a combination that felt light yet refined, especially in the context of our photoshoot here in Beverly Hills.’
Muffin’s voluminous curves make the most of the expert hands at George Smith, a firm renowned for its exceptional upholstered furniture. All the furniture is made at its factory in Newcastle, using only the best responsibly sourced materials.
‘We’ve collaborated with them on many custom pieces for our projects throughout the years – residential, commercial, and hospitality,’ say the Commune designers. ‘The interesting thing about George Smith is that every piece of furniture is essentially bespoke as they are fabricated by one craftsperson from beginning to end, so the possibilities are endless.’
The new collection will be available from October.
-
Bali welcomes Tri Hita Karana Tower, a hybrid sound and vision centrepieceTri Hita Karana Tower is launching at Bali's Nuanu City; designed by Arthur Mamou-Mani, it’s a new hybrid art-AI architectural landmark for the island
-
Lego opens its first Superpower Studios at Paris’ La Gaîté LyriqueIn collaboration with Lego’s new Global Play Ambassadors, artists Aurélia Durand, Chen Fenwan and Ekow Nimako, and overseen by Colette co-founder Sarah Andelman, Paris is the site of the first Lego Superpower Studios
-
‘If kids grew up going to London Design Festival they would learn so much’: architect Shawn AdamsIn the first of our interviews with key figures lighting up the London Design Festival 2024, Shawn Adams, founder of POoR Collective, discusses the power of such events to encourage social change
-
First Look: a domestic idyll by Lucy Stark and Fabien Cappello at the Blunk SpaceInspired by the life and times at JB Blunk's haven of a house in Inverness, a new exhibition of paintings and objects has us dreaming of California
-
One to Watch: Haus of Hommeboys’ new furniture is inspired by the golden hues of California and its ebony veining left by wildfiresHaus of Hommeboys, by Austin Carrier and Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, is a custom millwork and cabinetry studio, and furniture atelier creating ‘objects that feel worthy of being called art ’
-
Alain Delon’s forgotten fling with furnitureA giant of French cinema and a man of many talents; as the world mourns Alain Delon, we revisit his 70s furniture collection which showcased a deft talent for design
-
Ido Yoshimoto turns salvaged wood into sculptural pieces at his northern Californian workshopVisiting Ido Yoshimoto at his California studio, we talk to the artist about his work with wood, from his beginning as an arborist to his sculptures and furniture made with local reclaimed material
-
A nature-inspired exhibition takes root at California's Salmon Creek Farm'Jinen' presents new works by Dan John Anderson, Kazunori Hamana, Yu Kobayashi, and Ido Yoshimoto at Fritz Haeg’s cultural commune and creative hub in California’s redwood forest
-
Building Salmon Creek Farm: inside California’s ultimate creative retreatSalmon Creek Farm's founder, the architecture-trained artist Fritz Haeg, opens the doors to his cultural commune and tells us its story
-
Year in review: top 10 furniture launches of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* design editor Rosa BertoliTop 10 furniture launches of 2022, as picked by Wallpaper’s Rosa Bertoli, from office furniture to sustainable initiatives and new collaborations
-
Meet Æquō, the Indian design gallery presenting the antiquities of the futureFounded by Tarini Jindal Handa, Æquō offers an insight into the multiple personalities of Indian craft
