Guest article by Maria Passarivaki

Be+Have is a design studio brand based in Torino, Italy which has strong inimitable knowledge of the history of craftsmanship. Working in the old school way, from sketching to construction, whether it is designing tree lamps, armless chairs, sofas or bureaus, a new found finesse in each piece of work produced, is achieved. Always respecting design traditions, the studio is also pushing boundaries with conceptual projects which portray a sense of essentialism.  The designer, Ilia Potemine, known for his asymmetric furniture artwork has now designed and signed a ‘soulful’ set of handmade furniture which harps back to the 80s called the Spontaneo Insieme. By juxtaposing contemporary expression and art classical pieces and crafts, the fresh Italian brand leaves a funky feeling in every space where interiors are functional and designed for people to work, rest, and have fun.

The Italian design of the 80’s was the inspiration for this new furniture collection, which consists of four unique pieces, namely the Ettore Chest of Drawers, Giulia Sofa, Storage Ciccio and Consolle Francesca. The Spontaneo Insieme series praises good times and is mainly designed for those who like to relax with their friends. Be+Have sums it up better: ‘Spontaneo Insieme is a friendship that has come about spontaneously and lasts forever. It’s a clear tribute to friends who are not concerned with design but believe in it as they live it every day.’ This creative furniture collection literally and conceptually breaks from any modern design regularity contributing to ordinary spaces, in which we spend most of our lives. Yatzer had a look at each of the design models.

Firstly, the Ettore Chest of Drawers is a well-designed chest of drawers that, allows users to freely access or browse through its selves.  The design of the Giulia Sofa, is simple and ‘clear’ made basically from metal, whilst its main bearing element is fabric upholstery, and allows five people to be comfortably seated at any one time. The overall collection also consists of Storage Ciccio and Consolle Francesca, both made by raw metal elements and all together, resulting in ‘ever changing’ interior scenery.

The ability to think outside the box is a must when creating furniture. Brands and designers must be able to look past traditional types of household goods, and be able to metamorphose ordinary objects in extraordinary ways. In other words, obtaining everyday or usual items and assembling them into pure art. Motivated by the possibilities of transforming everyday places and their surrounding environment, Be+Have along with Ilia Potemine, have managed to give us great quality in our lives. Their new collection is definitely worth the investment and gets an overwhelming thumb up from Yatzer!