Starting in 2013 with the launch of the Barber & Osgerby collection of sofas, armchairs and ottomans, the brilliant collaboration between Knoll and the designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby continues along the lines of the brand’s cultural heritage with a new collection of tables: Smalto.
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Made entirely of enamelled steel, the design process was an exercise in purity and simplicity for the studio and the result is an exceptionally durable collection that is both contemporary and classic.
A table that stands out for its forceful graphic approach, a contemporary reinterpretation of the themes of the great design classics. The top takes an innovative technical approach, of tangible thickness in the softly curved borders, exploiting the sculptural potential of the material. The rounded volumes and enveloping forms, together with a support structure that offers stability in a composition of great visual lightness, make Smalto a perfect choice for various spaces in the home, responding to a wide range of different needs.
The finely balanced proportions and subtle interaction of the top and the curves give Smalto a refined, discreet look that can be completed by a wide range of contemporary or classic seatings.
Steel top with porcelain enamel finishing, highly stratches-resistant.
Honeycomb core to enhance resistence and to eliminate noise.
Steel tubular legs in the same finish as the top, with adjustable polished glide and aluminium polished and protected rim.
Round Smalto Table: 137cm Diameter x 73cm H
Oval Smalto Table: 180cm W x 125cm D x 73cm H
Oval Smalto Table: 240cm W x 125cm D x 73cm H
The new Smalto table by Barber & Osgerby, in the round or longer versions with rounded ends, conquers the living area to become its protagonist, adding a unique touch to the spaces of contemporary living.
The collection is a perfect blend of stylistic innovation and painstaking workmanship, as in the finishing of the metal using a process at high temperatures to achieve results comparable to vitrification. The tables have a grand presence, with large, inset tubular legs and a thick (32mm) table top, whilst still remaining perfectly proportioned – the balance between the table’s curves and its high gloss enamel finish gives the product a refined appearance.
“Enamelling has a really strong materiality and tactility that cannot be replicated in other finishes. The colours you can achieve through this process have a real depth and vibrancy and the finish is also extremely durable, perfect for a table top.” - This is how the designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby describe their new table collection.
Smalto has a strong but friendly look, perfect at home in any decor. In a modern language, it reinterprets the skilful combination of aesthetic features – like the various colors ranging from grey/green, to blue, to grey, to dark aubergine – and structural details, obtained through the technology and craftsmanship that set Knoll apart in all its collections.
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s Studio in East London is at the hub of the city’s creative industries. Edward and Jay are internationally renowned designers, they challenge the boundaries of design in this country and abroad, and help to develop the next generation of designers through lectures, workshops and studio practice.
Having obtained their Masters’ degrees in architecture at The Royal College of Art, they founded Barber & Osgerby in 1996.
They bring different qualities to the practice but, whilst being conscious of, and informed by the past, both believe in innovation, and experimentation with form and new technologies within an ethical framework. Their work recognises the close relationship between design and fine art, as evidenced, for example, in their many installations.
This strong foundation has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most progressive companies [1], and inspiring individuals, leading to recognition within the profession when they received the Jerwood prize in 2004, the accolade of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) in 2007, and were awarded honorary doctorates by several institutions. In 2013 they received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the design industry. [2]
Their design for the Olympic Torch in 2012 resonated with the wider public, and perhaps projects such as: The design for the £2 coin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, Double Space, 2014, the installation of revolving mirrors in the Raphael Gallery at the V&A London, and Forecast, the wind-powered installation displayed at Somerset House in London, for the first London Design Biennale, have a visibility which makes their studio’s creations accessible to a wider public. Their diverse output includes architecture, interiors, sculpture, product and exhibition design.
Permanent and prestigious collections worldwide house examples of their work, including the V&A Museum, London; New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art; London’s Design Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Alongside their primary studio, in 2001 Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded Universal Design Studio, now recognised as one of the world’s most innovative creative design consultancies working in architecture, interiors, and exhibition design. In 2012 MAP was launched, a strategy-based industrial design studio that draws on the creative and commercial expertise of the Barber & Osgerby studio.
For further information, please visit www.barberosgerby.com
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Notes to Editors
[1] Barber & Osgerby clients both past and present include: Axor, B&B Italia, BMW, Flos, Galerie Kreo, Hermes, Knoll, Louis Vuitton, Magis, Venini and Vitra
[2] Some of the awards presented to Barber & Osgerby have included: D&AD Yellow Pencil, Elle Decoration British Design Awards, Design Guild Mark, Design Museum Design of the Year, World Technology Award, Germany Design Award and Design Miami/Basel Designers of the Future.