London design studio Sella Concept has launched its first furniture collection – a series of handmade stools featuring curvaceous forms inspired by the bathers at Hampstead Heath's Ladies' Pond.
The studio headed by Tatjana von Stein and Gayle Noonan has previously created bespoke furniture for many of its interior design projects, but the bar stools are its first commercially available products.
While working on projects for commercial and domestic clients, including a bar housed in an east London railway arch and a restaurant with a Mediterranean-inspired material palette, the designers identified an opportunity for a versatile stool.
"Our motivation surfaced as a result of a gap in the market for a unique and stylish bar stool – an item that we've repeatedly struggled to find," explained Noonan.
"We love the idea that a piece of furniture can live a lifetime in a house. Introducing a Sella piece that has longevity in a home or commercial space is a beautiful idea for us."
Noonan and von Stein are both regulars at the north London bathing pond, and they designed the series of three stools as a tribute to their fellow outdoor bathers.
Each of the pieces features a different profile made from hand-turned tulip wood and finished in a stone composite in a shade the designers said they chose to match "the pond's jade-green waters".
"Exploring form, material and an emotive response was at the forefront of designing these sculptural stools," added von Stein. "We worked with fantastic craftsmen to master the challenging art of curves, resulting in a free-flowing and tactile nature."
The artisanal process of finishing the smooth stone surfaces takes three days to complete. The stools are then topped with a cushion upholstered in a textured wool and cotton bouclé cloth from London-based textile studio Tibor.
The stools were first exhibited at the Decorex trade fair in October and are made to order, allowing Sella Concept to supply directly to both domestic and commercial customers.
Noonan and von Stein founded Sella Concept in 2016 and have quickly built a reputation for brand-driven projects that incorporate a high level of attention to sensory details.
The studio works on retail and commercial spaces, restaurants and bars, hotels and members' clubs. Its other projects include a sophisticated central London co-working space and a colourful, retro-themed restaurant.
Photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.