The Brussels Balthazar Awards again recognised the best at the Brussels Furniture Fair.
Saunaco’s Ron was the unanimous choice of the judging jury in the Best of Belgium category. ‘Ron is 100% Belgium made by Saunaco and designed by Studio Segers. This naming of the designers is quite unusual. The collection is modular, so can be personalised in numerous ways for modern interiors in both small and large spaces. The design is characterised by a consistent interplay of lines. This extends through from the fronts, across the rounded corners, and into the structured glass. Only the practised eye could discern that the fronts are not veneered. The ribbed profiles are milled in MDF and finished with a powder coating. Ron represents Saunaco’s DNA,’ says the jury.
Laureates went to Robur for the Taku chair and Passe Partout for the Bahia chaise longue.
In the Innovation category, Theuns won the award with Sento. ‘The entire Sento collection puts innovation in a totally new perspective. This is innovation that harks back to the past, to furniture craftsmanship par excellence, and distances itself from the high-tech race. Sento upholds the value of craftsmanship in an innovative design with a strong focus on details. Where do the limits of carpentry lie? With the Sento cabinets, the answer lies in a magical, budding flower in the solid wood fronts. And with the tables, in the masterful extension mechanism, since that too is crafted from 100% solid wood. The only technical concessions are the metal reinforcement profile and the screws. Solid wood? It is surprisingly easy for one person to expand, or rather widen, the table. A wider table ensures a more intimate, cosy experience than a longer table,’ says the jury.
Laureates went to Herleven for the Wave upholstery system and Ecolife for its Eco Agave bed.
The Love at First Sight award went to Maxdivani for Abbracci. ‘The design triggers your curiosity: what’s going on here? Here the “opposites attract” dynamic applies. A symbiosis of symmetry and asymmetry. Will you sit separately, or together? Together they form a stylish sofa or a communicative tete-a-tete whole. The solitaire arrangement exerts a magnetic pull. What is the other half – the mirror image – doing? Abbracci invites playfulness. How would you like to sit in your element? In which configuration would you like to sit together? Nothing is fixed; anything is possible,’ says the jury.
Laureates went to Dienne for its Petra upholstery and De Toekomst for its Kelp table collection.
The Best International award was won by Innovation Living for the Nolis sofa bed. ‘Nolis is a timeless and legible design. What you see is what you get. It makes no secret of its multi-functionality: on the contrary. The day bed is a strong stand-alone presence in the room, serving as an autonomous piece on which to sit, relax, chill and lounge. The sleep function is not in-your-face, but is there. The mechanism is aesthetically designed and visibly integrated into the sofa. This speaks for itself. Both day and night configurations offer equally harmonious comfort. Nolis has all the hallmarks of a design classic.’
Laureates went to himolla for 1462 and Polden for Dixon.
The Young Designer award went to Caroline Van Hoeck for the Vlak table and chairs. ‘Above all, Vlak is playful: creating a fascinating graphic play of planes, lines, shadows and colours. The name alludes to geometric shapes and furniture panels. But also to the colour-blocking. Every block is different. The chair is a balanced mix-and-match of a diamond, a hexagon and a rectangle. This configuration invites more playful sitting positions, ranging from slightly right to left-oriented. The shape of the table is equally liberating. This too invites playfulness. All the shapes come from a single, flat panel. Vlak is a statement: this is just the beginning. Vlak and its planes will be continued,’ says the jury.
The show’s Trends Corridors, where the latest ideas from the interior design sector are linked to the finest products on display at the show, were a real source of inspiration for numerous people. Many of the so-called ‘traditional furniture’ manufacturers were putting even greater energy and resources into refining their ranges. The focus on made-to-measure and modular furniture had become increasingly evident in previous years and in addition to this, it was the ever-growing concern for aesthetics that stood out.
There was an array of streamlined designs pushing the limits of woodworking techniques: without losing the warmth that is intrinsic to a piece of furniture. The difference between ‘disposable furniture’ and that born of craftsmanship was increasingly noticeable.
The new dynamism truly came to the fore in the Design Academy and the vigorous energy of ‘Trendwolves’, where young people, arguments at hand, engaged in dialogue and shared their vision and solutions for a hopeful future with everyone: a vision of the future that is full of discoveries, and founded on optimism, design and realism.
