Sling night-stand tablePhoto courtesy of SAIC
It's usually only through reality TV shows that students and amateur designers are able to see their designs available to the public via an internationally known brand. But for students in the School of the Art Institute's Industry Projects class, designing for the public is part of the curriculum.
The class's first collection, in partnership with CB2, is now available on the furniture company's website and in CB2 stores nationwide. Tim Parsons, professor of SAIC's Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects department, says "the partnership has been very successful in terms of giving our students real-world experience and the opportunity to design for an international retailer."
The collection's theme is "microliving," a trendy term for dwelling in tiny apartments—something students know plenty about. Participating SAIC students developed a range of multi-functional and space-conscious products, from a set of paradox nesting tables, designed to form the illusion of a three-dimensional cube when arranged together, to a "deep dish" coffee table with removable cushions for additional seating.
Deep dish table and cushion setPhoto courtesy of SAIC
Even if you're not trying to save space, the designs are undeniably cool, merging CB2's know-how with SAIC's knack for killer concepts. These aren't just pieces of furniture, they're interactive parts of a modern, practical, minimalist space, and who doesn't like furniture you can have fun with?
Look for more CB2-SAIC collaborations in the future. "We are already six months into a new collection, which will launch in 2016," Parsons says.