Upcoming British designer, Jules Sturgess launches his debut collection of handcrafted, limited edition carbon fibre furniture that uncovers the hidden potential of the structural properties of materials to create unlikely and beautiful forms. The first collection focuses on utilising the unique properties of carbon fibre to create custom-made pieces designed to stretch the potential of carbon composite to the extreme.
Inspired by the idea of the human form in suspension and the single motion of a brush stroke, Marea the first piece in the carbon fibre collection, is a sleek take on a chaise longue that strikes a perfect blend of fluid beauty and innate strength. Just 4mm thick, yet remaining capable of sustaining great weight, Marea is built-up of two separate carbon sections, anchored together at the critical strain point by a central titanium hub. When viewed from the side, it is almost invisible – taking the traditional form of the chaise lounge to a cantilevered extreme, both from a functional and aesthetic point of view.
Limited to 50 individually numbered pieces, each chaise longue is carefully crafted by hand from 22 layers of three different weaves of carbon fibre, each over the course of several days to maximise strength while retaining the beauty of the carbon fibre finish. Made to order, no two will be the same with personalised added extra options allowing it to fit perfectly into your home. Prices start from £14,999.
Jules’s background influence predominantly comes from automotive design. As teenager racing model cars, Jules discovered a skill for re-engineering his models through creating replacement parts using superior manufacturing processes and materials. This focus on engineering minimalism to reduce weight and increase strength allowed him to become faster and more competitive. Later whilst studying, Jules became more aware of the artistic possibilities of new materials and processes, especially in furniture design, as the constraints on artistic expression were much less in this area than in pure engineering.
Consequently, Jules has combined his design and manufacturing skills with the properties of these ever more advanced materials to create gravity-defying pieces in which the innate beauty and the technical scope of the materials is revealed. Created through the combination of ultramodern design practices and materials, with traditional handcrafting skills permits the creation of pieces in advanced composites, featuring thin sections, extreme cantilevers and unlikely forms.
Website: http://julessturgess.com/
Twitter: Jules Sturgess
Written by Grace Williams
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