Furniture,Lighting | June 27, 2007No Comments

De La Espada + Autoban

I was at the Salone del Mobile in Milan 2 years ago. Oh how I wish I had the time and funds to return every year! This is the place to be if you want to get a leg up on trends. Anyway, there I was, weaving my way through all the colorful plastic. Every now and then I’d come across an exhibit of something natural: a wood veneered light fixture; a natural, rattan lounge chair; a gloriously smooth “naked” wood table. It was such a breath of fresh air that I thought, “This is it – the “natural wood trend” (my term) will be the next big thing.”

So here we are 2 years later and natural woods are everywhere. And I’m really drawn to it. I love the softness of the wood, and the beauty of the natural grains. One company that’s at the forefront of this trend is De La Espada. They didn’t invent it, but their current designs are naturally beautiful nevertheless. Now, the design and architecture firm, Autoban has teamed up with De La Espada to create a new line of furniture and lighting.

The folks at De La Espada say that the new brand “combines the best qualities of the two collaborating design firms for a range of furniture that is clever, fresh and exciting while strongly rooted in traditional craft and the integrity of a lifetime of experience.” (Blah, blah, blah).

Whatever, I hope they can kick the natural wood trend up a notch. I’ve heard some buzz that De La Espada has a reputation for good design but no so great quality. I don’t know if this is a warranted complaint or not. However, this new collaboration has got design integrity there in spades. So if, in fact, they do have a few manufacturing issues, let’s hope they’ll be addressed with their partnership with Autoban.

Tags: designers, trends