Danese KADA Stool

Often furniture is bulky and inefficient to ship, Danese Milano wanted to create a smart and efficient way to solve the challenge of shipping furniture pieces. Part of the challenge was to cleverly design a piece of furniture that could be shipped flat and folded upon arrival. Danese Milano wanted a smartly designed solution that offers versatility, but also establishes a relationship between the user and the object. Most functional furniture uses cheap materials and looks cheap. The item needed to offer functionality, but still retain classic and elegant design.

A designer can make small interventions that integrate technology and flexibility into the furniture one selects for their home. The piece needed to be small and compact to make it ideal for apartment dwellers, or anyone who needs an extra seat or table.

The KADA is a transforming home product: from stool to side table, charging hub, shipped flat as folded panels, it becomes structural origami. KADA is an exploration of our multi-faceted lives, and its flexibility and multiple usages are made to adapt and transform in ways that acknowledge our varied and changing needs. The numerous modes and surfaces contrast the complexity of life against the simplicity of the product?s construction and assembly.

The design looks at modern day life and seeks to free it from unnecessary clutter in an aesthetically pleasing way. The simplicity of KADA only accentuates its varied usages. Small and simple, various colors and prints can transform KADA from a subtle stool to a dynamic side table. The twisting shape hints at the kinetic ritual of opening and folding KADA for use, furniture origami.

KADA is shipped flat, and acquires strength when folded. The top piece, edge sides up, transforms the unit into a table, complete with its own serving tray. Its? different top surfaces allow varied usage: as a soft stool pad, a raised glass table or a simple side table with wood. When the top piece is flipped over, edge side down, it becomes a seat. The flat panels fold into the base. Inside the base, a power hub is located, clearing the clutter of wires that cross a room due to inconvenient outlet locations. KADA adapts to the changing needs of the user.

There was a lot of testing and prototyping to select the right materials for KADA. Because it is shipped flat, the triangular panels needed to be robust and strong enough to sustain a certain amount of structure when folded. If pressure is applied from above, it was important that the panels would support the weight and compression and not buckle or fall apart. Industrial neoprene was added to the joints and inserted into a routed cavity within the plywood. This ensures strength and durability while allowing the joints to flex. The uncomplicated construction minimizes the amount of resources needed to produce the stool. The low impact materials were chosen because they are non toxic and easily recyclable.

The simple and changing experiences of modern life have affected the way people live, and their home and surroundings need to adapt to the changes that technology brings. Technology has given us devices that are phones, MP3 players and cameras, all in a single unit. The piece reflects these changes, offering a simple form that suits multiple needs and functions for everyday life. KADA is a simple, well-designed piece of furniture that looks at modern day life and frees it from unnecessary clutter in an aesthetically pleasing way.