03 March 2021 | NEWS
ELITE DESIGN AWARD 2021
Discover the winners
The jury met in February and named the winners of the 2021 Elite Design Award.
The objective of the « ECHO » project is to underline the importance of our natural world, focusing on trees as the main element. « I decided to mix art, design, nature, poetry and eastern culture to design a new bed concept underling the "upcycle theme" ». The « ECHO » bed structure is made with wooden planks from storm-damaged trees and then treated with the Yakisugi technique, a Japanese technique used to preserve the wood. Piet Mondrian's Tree Evolution paintings inspired the headboard design. The idea of this project is to transform the natural disasters into a new opportunity to preserve the entire world without consuming more trees and a chance to remind all of us to safeguard and protect our planet !
The project aims to create a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere thanks to the natural materials and nature itself. The solid base of the bed is combined with a light headboard and a shelf behind it. The transparent construction of bentwood provides a play of light. The bed can be placed against a wall or function as a freestanding piece of furniture in a larger space. The shelf behind the headboard was designed to display plants as they significantly impact our psycho-physical comfort and provide many health benefits. The upholstered headboard brings in softness and warmth. The natural linen fabric with a subtle chevron pattern emphasises the craftsmanship.
The visible reference to mid-century aesthetics brings newness to contemporary modern design. It allows you to break away from the world of machines and technology and makes a promise of the return to old, vintage luxury while providing the comfort of natural materials surrounded by plants.
The « RANA » bed is designed in harmony with the surrounding landscape, creating an extension of the room to become one with the outside.
The overhanging headboard makes it possible to accommodate and ideally integrate a bedside table. Extending the end of the bed provides a seat like a bench with a cushion.
The frame and the headboard are made in green wool. The black metal base is an important visual element designed in harmony with the bed's shapes and colours. Both cushions are designed with curved shapes in black corduroy for a soft and comfortable feel. The recycled metal, textiles and materials could easily be sourced locally.
The 2025 Elite Design Awards winners are four women: Weronika Poręba from Poland (first prize), Clothilde Verdim from France (second prize) and British designer partners Rachel Forster and Ella Doran (third prize). Hailing from Mrocza, Paris and London respectively, the winners have come up with three outstanding bed designs, each offering their own take on this year’s theme of Arts and Crafts, a style that emerged in the nineteenth century seeking to honour craftsmanship rather than industrialisation.
