Spot On: FURNITURE

Signe Balling, 25, Denmark

School: The Danish Design School

Department: Furniture and Spatial Design

Specials: Furniture, detailed finishing

Design background

Art school for 2 months, basic education as goldsmith and bachelor from the Danish Design School.

Important lessons learned during your education

Trust your instincts and stay true to your decisions. Don’t let anyone tell you that your idea is impossible!

Did you do anything prior to your education to strengthen your skills and to get into your school?

I went to an art school for 2 months and took drawing lessons for 5 months.

Project title

A tension!

Length of project

5 weeks

Concept

The dining table consists of a solid wood tabletop, a metal tube apron, and four legs made of spring steel. The four legs have a bend on the middle from where the rods “extend” towards the corners of the tabletop and the apron. The most marrow end of each of the legs locks into the table’s apron and the other end is forced in place on the corners of the tabletop.

I have chosen to pair my table up with Arne Jacobsen’s “7” chairs, because the corners of the table and the back of the chair have the same curvature.

Inspiration

Piet Hein’s “Superellipse” table and Niels Jørgen Haugesen’s “X-line” chair.

Materials

Spring steel rod, square metal tube and stained solid wood.

Keywords for the visual design

Functional, simplicity and details.

How is your work process when you design?

I usually start by drawing the essential lines of my idea on paper and quickly switch to making paper models and small-scale pieces in a realistic material. I then go to either drawing on the computer or making muck-ups, then making the basic construction in a cheep material to get all the right measurements and at the end in the right material.

Which part of the process is the hardest for you to work through?

The first part of the process, when everything is possible. I like knowing what possibilities I have and haven’t for the next steps otherwise it is hard to focus.

In your experience, are there specific skills that would be helpful to master?

Planning my time. Always plan more days!

I always finish in time, but am totally exhausted in the end.

What are your strengths?

Not just settling for what’s good enough.

What are your weaknesses?

Being too ambitious, when I don’t have the time. Not being realistic within the time limit.

Do you turn to specific areas for inspiration in general?

Mostly technical functions, nautical details and structures in nature. And anything untraditional.

Any designers you find inspirational?

Alexander Lervik, Carlo Volf, Tom Rossau og Verner Panton.

Other students you find inspirational?

Benjamin Nordsmark

Is your work process based on a special approach towards design?

Making design functional and beautiful at the same time.

Do you have a dream scenario for you and your design in the future?

Working together with other creative people and being able to make a living from designing producible and one of a kind unique art/furniture pieces.

Has it always been a dream to work with design?

Since I went to Paris about 12 years ago, but I have always had creative hobbies.

Why did you choose this specific specialization?

Furniture is such a big part of our daily life and I like the many options in materials and products.

Do you have any other projects you would like to highlight?

My favorite project and piece of furniture/art: My Cyklus chair made from a continuous metal tube and inflated bicycle tube.

Contact info:

Signe Balling

T: +0045 60 92 04 63

M: sijor@student.dkds.dk

Soon: www.signeballing.com