Connected by a shared commitment to innovation, lasting quality, and human-centric design, Paul Smith and Artek have come together to create bold new versions of classic products from the Finnish furniture makers’ iconic line-up. A long-time admirer of Aino and Alvar Aalto’s work, Sir Paul Smith lends his inimitable visual style to three Artek products: Stool 60, Screen 100, and Coat Rack 109.
Artek Reimagined by Paul Smith: New Designs for Stool 60, Screen 100, and Coat Rack 109
If one product could be said to encapsulate Artek as a whole, it would be Stool 60. Its elegantly simple design is recognisable even at the briefest of glances, making it the perfect piece to reimagine. Paul Smith has taken their own unmistakeable design signature—the stripe—and applied it to Stool 60’s birch wood frame. Where the designer’s Signature Stripe is composed of 40 different colours, the collaboration takes a considered approach with just four. And rather than the bright, poppy hues which have defined Paul Smith’s clothing for decades, here we see a tight palette of subtly varying wood stains. The seat and each of the stool’s three legs are stained in a different tone, but flip it upside down and a secret is revealed. In reference to the vibrant linings which often hide within the more understated exteriors of Paul Smith suits, the bottom of the seat is painted a bold ultramarine blue. A perfect example of the ‘twist’ that Paul likes to incorporate into all of his designs.
The second piece in the collection is Screen 100, another icon of interior design. The articulated screen is constructed from narrow slats and puts greater emphasis on the stripe that the stool alludes to. The solid pine slats are individually stained using two of Artek’s house finishes, and three custom ones made expressly for Paul Smith. These five colours repeat, creating an earthy, muted version of the Signature Stripe, one which underlines the quality and materiality of the natural materials used. Finally, there is Coat Rack 109, an archived Artek design. Revived exclusively for this project, it is reminiscent of luggage racks found on steam trains, and uses the same colourway found on the screen and stool. Each piece in the collection is crafted in Artek’s native Finland, using innovative manufacturing techniques that have been developed and refined over the course of almost a century.
Artek Reimagined by Paul Smith now available online at paulsmith.com, and in selected Paul Smith shops.
