2 Designers Upgrade The Same Vanity | Custom Crafted | Architectural Digest

TL;DR

Furniture designers Leonard and Alex transform a standard industrial dresser into unique, playful, and colorful vanities with custom elements like sculptural legs, acrylic diffusers, and laser-cut patterns.

Transcript

foreign my name is Leonard Bessemer I'm a Furniture designer and I describe my style as sculptural playful and irreverent my name is Alex Sue and I would describe my style as thoughtful playful and colorful the biggest challenge with working with an industrially produced piece of furniture like this is they use very industrial materials melamine MD... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛃 Industrial furniture materials like melamine MDF can be transformed with the addition of custom elements and finishes.
• 🦿 Unique legs can add a playful and sculptural element to the overall design.
• 💋 Laser-cut patterns and peel-and-stick finishes provide easy customization options for surfaces.
• 💡 Lighting choices, such as LED bulbs, can significantly enhance the appearance and ambiance of the final piece.
• 🎰 Sharing a workspace with access to various tools and machines can be advantageous for furniture designers.
• 🎨 Personal preferences, design styles, and intended usage (e.g., for a child's room) influence design decisions.
• 📔 Attention to detail, such as matching hardware and covering mirrors with decorative elements, adds to the overall aesthetic appeal.

Questions & Answers

Q: What inspired Leonard to create the sculptural legs for the vanity?

Leonard was inspired by his previous lamp designs and wanted to make legs resembling double-stacked Lego heads, adding a playful touch to the vanity.

Q: Why did Alex decide to use acrylic diffusers in cloud shapes?

Alex wanted to change the quality of the light and create a tropical getaway or fancy hotel-like atmosphere. The cloud-shaped acrylic diffusers added a fun and whimsical element to the design.

Q: How did Leonard and Alex deal with the plastic-like surfaces of the dresser?

They sanded down the melamine surfaces with rough grit sandpaper to create a better adhesive surface. For the edges, they used peel-and-stick finishes to avoid heating the plastic surface.

Q: What inspired the choice of colors and patterns for the vanities?

Leonard chose a monolithic cherry red finish for a stand-out appearance, while Alex chose a white and hazy wallpaper with a raindrop pattern to create a jungly atmosphere.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Leonard and Alex describe their design styles as sculptural, playful, and irreverent, and thoughtful, playful, and colorful, respectively.

• They face the challenge of working with industrially produced furniture made of melamine MDF and use various custom elements to transform its appearance.

• Materials used in the project include rose quartz acrylic panels, veneer, wallpaper, and peel-and-stick finishes.