Sonya Loves: Modern Wood Designers 2024

Welcome to ‘Sonya Loves,’ our celebration of the world’s most modern designers and their mesmerising creations, marrying them with a Sonya Winner modern rug.

We’ve turned our spotlight to the sturdy and timeless world of modern wood design. We invite you to explore how the traditional material of wood can be transformed into contemporary wooden furniture, wooden homeware, and even wooden jewelry.

Adi Goodrich (Sing Thing)

 Adi Goodrich is a highly acclaimed designer known for her innovative approach to visual storytelling and multidisciplinary design projects. Based in Los Angeles, California, Goodrich has made significant contributions to various fields, including advertising, branding, film, and experiential design.

Adi Goodrich is recognized for her bold use of color, playful aesthetic, and meticulous attention to detail. She has collaborated with numerous high-profile clients and brands, bringing her distinctive vision to projects ranging from commercial campaigns to immersive installations.

In addition to her commercial work, Adi Goodrich is also involved in various artistic pursuits, exploring themes of nostalgia, whimsy, and surrealism in her personal projects. Her work often blurs the boundaries between art and design, inviting viewers to engage with her imaginative narratives and vibrant visual language.

Featured above, ‘The Reading Chair’ by Adi Goodrich (Sing Thing) in colour Vermillion. The Reading Chair is piece of modern wood furniture, perfect for sitting back and reading a good book. The contemporary wooden chair is reminiscent of children’s play furniture, with its soft curved edges making it a comforting addition to your living room interior.

Website: https://adigoodrich.com/ and https://www.sing-thing.com/
Instagram: @adigoodrich

 

Ryan Belli

Based in Los Angeles, USA, Ryan Belli is an imaginative modern furniture and object designer. Before starting his own collection, he worked with The Haas Brothers doing special projects, which opened the door to a vast world of materials and techniques. Although he draws inspiration from many aspects of life, one significate influence is the fond memories he shares with his father who was a chemist, creating playful scientific experiments which have impacted his contemporary furniture design to be whimsical and evoke maximum joy from its user.

Fascinated by modern furniture design and the functionality of objects, Ryan Belli’s ‘Hoodoo’ chairs and modern couch were inspired by his many trips to Bryce Canyon, where the unique rock formations are known as hoodoos. They are tall, thin spires of rock that protrude from the bottom of the canyon, creating a stunning and surreal landscape.

Featured above, the ‘Hoodoo’ Couch by Ryan Belli.

Website: https://www.bellibellibelli.com/
Instagram: @r.belli

 

Emily Kidson

Emily Kidson is a contemporary jewellery designer based in the United Kingdom. She creates bold and vibrant modern jewelry which often feature geometric shapes, playful colors, and intricate patterns. Her collections include wooden necklaces, earrings, rings, and brooches, among other intricate accessories, each meticulously handmade with attention to detail and quality craftsmanship.

Emily Kidson uses 100% recycled silver and gold, as well as colourful laminate, wood and precious stones. She handcrafts the pieces herself, cutting wood and laminate into manageable sizes, gluing them together and then hand cuts each piece into her signature shapes and designs.

Featured above, the ‘December ring’, a colourful, sculptural modern wood ring in oxidised silver and laminate. Circles of pink, orange and cobalt laminate move on the top whilst attached to an oxidised silver frame.

You can see her modern jewelry now in the Spring Craft Collection at The New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham (13^th January – 20^th April) or you can also view them at the COLLECT Art Fair in Somerset House in London (29^th February – 3^rd March).

Website: https://emilykidson.com/
Instagram: @emilykidson

 

Lucy Kurrein

Lucy Kurrein is a British furniture and product designer, originally from Yorkshire but based in her studio in Paris. Lucy Kurrein’s designs often blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics, creating pieces that are both functional and visually striking. She has collaborated with various renowned modern furniture brands and manufacturers to bring her creations to the market.

Lucy Kurrien has been featured in magazines such as Vogue Living Australia, Elle Decoration, Architectural Digest amongst many others, and has go on to win awards such as ‘Young Design Talent’ (2023), ‘Design Guild Mark’ (2019) and ‘Young Designer of the Year’ (2015).

Featured above, is Lucy Kurrein’s ‘Falabella’ Stools which launched in 2021 and is produced by Offecct. Made from plywood and lightweight, these neat modular seats are easily positioned into a circular seating area, curved shape or individually placed, perfect for high traffic spaces where the furniture must be adaptable. Also available with a bright, padded cushion or bare, the Falabella Stools are a perfect example of modern modular furniture.

Website: https://lucykurrein.com/
Instagram: @lucykurrein

 

Andrea Zambelli (Hillsideout Studio)

Andrea Zambelli, co-founder of Hillsideout Studio since 2009, is a craftsman and designer with 15 years’ experience as an antique furniture restorer. His approach to wood furniture design is a combination of his traditional wood restoration background as well as his contemporary vision, resulting in beautiful and modern wood furniture.

His Studio, HillSideOut, is a joint project with designer Nat Wilms, which offers unusual furniture which bridge the gap between art, design, and functionality. Their background of restoration is consistently present and works in harmony with their core belief the contemporary.

The Grandfather Clock, featured above, is part of Andrea Zambelli’s collection called ‘Weight of Time’, which is inspired by a period where Zambelli found himself thinking about “the continuous changes of life”, and therefore every piece of modern wood furniture in the collection has a connection with the meaning of time.

Andrea Zamelli’s work is represented by Mint Gallery in London, Jeff Lincon Art+Design Gallery in New York, as well as Rossana Orlandi Gallery in Milan.

Website: https://www.andreazambellidesign.it/home and http://www.hillsideout.com/
Instagram: @andreazambelli_design and @hillsideout

 

Dekor List

Dekor List is a modern furniture brand based in Istanbul, Turkey, who design and produce sustainable contemporary furniture, hand-crafted using natural materials.

Dekor List’s designs often feature smooth, curved edges, with a playful and organic aesthetic. Featured above, is their ‘Happy Buffet’ cabinet, made from veneer on mdf.

Their fun, contemporary furniture designs deviate from traditional straight lines and angular forms, introducing a dynamic visual element into your home interior. With their smooth, flowing contours and inviting tactile qualities, curved modern furniture offer a sensory-rich experience, evoking feelings of comfort and relaxation. Moreover, their versatility allows for creative placement and arrangement within a space, optimizing functionality and adding a playful aspect to interior design.

Website: https://dekorlist.com/
Instagram: dekorlistcom

 

The Bubbles Rug

If you love these fun, playful and colourful designs, you might be interested in the Bubbles Rug by Sonya Winner.

Inspired by the effervescent and buoyant qualities of bubbles, this modern rug features overlapping circles of various sizes and colors, creating a dynamic and lively composition reminiscent of soap bubbles floating in the air.

The Bubbles Rug is crafted using high-quality materials and traditional hand-tufting techniques, resulting in a luxurious and durable piece that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Its vibrant colors and abstract pattern make it a versatile addition to modern home interiors, adding a pop of personality and style to any space.

 

In conclusion, contemporary wood designers challenge the intersection of craftsmanship, innovation, and functionality in the realm of modern furniture, objects and jewellery. Through their mastery of traditional woodworking techniques combined with a forward-thinking approach to modern wood design, these artisans elevate the inherent beauty and versatility of wood to create pieces that transcend mere utility, becoming works of art.

From sleek minimalist forms to intricately detailed creations, modern wood designers push the boundaries of what is possible with this timeless material, redefining our perception of modern living.

If you’re feeling inspired by these beautiful modern wood designers and would like more ideas on how to bring contemporary art into your home, consider adding a Vibrant Contemporary Rug to your home.

Explore our full Modern Rug Collection and then request a complimentary visualisation service and you will see our award winning designer rugs placed digitally in your room(s) and the transformational effect they will have in your home.

If you need assistance in choosing some rugs for visualisation, please book a free video consultation with our design team by emailing enquiry@sonyawinner.com or call us +44 (0) 203 283 8776.