Modern Furniture Made From Volcanic Rock by Maffam Freeform of Latvia.

The Manu series of products from Maffam Freeform, a workshop of the Latvian interior designer Raimonds Cirulis, is made from Volcanic rock (basalt) fibers bonded with eco-resins. Each item is one-of-a-kind, practical, and 100% handmade.





The furniture collection is designed for the outdoors but can also be used in large indoor spaces. The seats, tables and other products in the collection are waterproof, sturdy, environmentally friendly, unbelievably light, and distinctly innovative due to the properties of basalt.









The company, Maffram Freeform, offers hand-made furniture for garden or terraces, as well as stylish design objects. "I wanted to find and think of something unique. Something new and I did it," says designer Raimonds Cirulis. He is the first person in the world to make furniture from basalt fibers.





The designer has managed to develop 17 types of design objects. The furniture is light, but stable, and has the unique basalt lace pattern. Two identical objects are impossible to make, because every piece of furniture is 100% hand made.




Uniqueness lies in two important aspects. Firstly, basalt absorbs all kinds of harmful rays - ultraviolet, radio, electromagnetic, mobile phone, even the earth gravitational radiation and X-rays, emphasizes the designer. So people are protected when they are relaxing in basalt furniture from many things which can negatively affect them. Secondly, basalt is unusually durable - even stronger than fiberglass. Therefore the furniture will last for generations.

"This furniture not only takes a practical, utilitarian function, but with that comes story of its unique design and mysterious volcanic origin. Every product have it’s personality," said SIA "Maffam Freeform" project manager Karlis Parsonoks. The company focuses on three main customer groups - hotel, leisure center, restaurant owners, people who are able to pay for a unique design, interior design showrooms.



Note: The Manu Nest suspended chair will soon be available in the two sizes shown above.

Maffam Freeform is a workshop of the Latvian interior designer Raimonds Cirulis, creating unique items from basalt fibers bonded with eco-resins – true synthesis of art and technology. Each item is one-of-a-kind, practical, and 100% handmade. More than 10 freeform pieces are included in the 2011 Maffam Freeform collection, with new items added monthly.

Maffam Freeform

Now You Can Picnic Indoors All Year Round. The picNYC Table with Real Grass.

Designed by Haiko Cornelissen Architects, the picNYC table has a 7' x 3' real grass sod table top bringing the outdoors in. The ants are optional.



Urban farming is a fast growing phenomenon where the typically rural practice of agriculture is brought into the city. The picNYC table goes one step further and brings the rural experience of picnicking not just into the city, but into the apartment.



The folded lightweight aluminum table top and legs form a stiff framework for the grass, soil and stones (needed for drainage). The picNYC table creates a surreal experience of nature in the city that literally transforms dining. Suddenly spilling water becomes a necessity instead of a problem, wine glasses need coasters not to prevent ring stains, but to avoid tumbling.



Included in the rural experience is the maintenance of the grass. A table grass mower hs yet to exist, therefore you'll have to cut the grass by hand (simple grass clippers would work just fine)

Based on the number of cuts, maintenance, usage, sunlight and season, the PicNYC table responds with a variety of colors to the conditions set by the owner and location. However, the color can always be easily replaced with fresh sod, if need be.



Based on the concept of transposing natural experiences to the apartment, endless alterations are possible with flowers, herbs - even vegetables. Depending on the needs and green thumbs of the owner, the PicNYC table brings various degrees and qualities of the rural experience into the urban residence. As a consequence, the PicNYC table transforms dining into a feast at a new intersection of nature and city.



Year: 2011
Table Material: Aluminum and grass
Design Team: Haiko Cornelissen
Photos: Iwan Baan & Alan Tansey

If you are interested in buying the picNYC table, please contact: picNYC@haikocornelissen.com

Modern Concrete & Steel Ping Pong Table Doubles As Indoor/Outdoor Dining Table.

James De Wulf of DeWulf Concrete has created a modern new usable ping pong table that also makes for a beautiful indoor or outdoor dining table.



Made to regulation size, the Ping Pong table dimensions are 9’ by 5’ by 30”; and can actually be used for Ping Pong, with acid etched lines that will last as long as the table and a smooth surface that provides a great “bounce”.







The table is also ideal for outdoor use because the components are impervious to moisture, salt air and freeze thaw cycles. However many have expressed a preference to use the table indoors because of its clean, simple beauty, and its smooth, buttery feel.



The stately table is defined by its top which appears to float above the legs. Incredibly thin at one inch, the table top is the culmination of all of DeWulf’s expertise in working with concrete compounds.




To put this in perspective, normal concrete would have to be nearly nine inches in thickness to achieve the same strength and durability of the one inch top that DeWulf has developed for this table.


above: James de Wulf

DeWulf Concrete is a small design operation creating avant-garde, concrete-couture for architects, interior decorators, commercial retail stores, and residential clients.

DeWulf Concrete
2834 Colorado Ave. #9
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Indoor and Outdoor Alabaster Furnishings That Glow From Within.

Back in 2007, I introduced you to Albatros Design, a French company that created illuminated marble furniture and fireplace consoles. The luxurious pieces were available in multiple marble finishes and applications. Since then, the company has been renamed and now continues to design and customize illuminated pieces of furniture and installations, only made from alabaster.*




Atelier Alain Ellouz now offers more luxurious illuminated items for private homes, restaurants, retail stores and hotels. The pieces combine a traditional material with a modern effect. Coffee tables, dining tables, bases, console tables, bathroom sinks, pedestals, vessels and basins are wonderful additions to any interior.









For the bath:









Seating and end tables make excellent poolside and outdoor accents:





Alabaster illuminated walls, sliding doors and panels, hotel interiors, restaurant tables, bars, reception desks, fireplaces, retail counters and more are available for commercial applications:














*alabaster is a translucent, white or tinted fine-grained gypsum. A variety of hard calcite, translucent and sometimes banded.
To learn more, visit Atelier Alain Ellouz