Alchemy – Turning into Gold

May 23 - June 29, 2017

 

For New York Design Week 2017, The Future Perfect presented Alchemy – Turning into Gold, a collection of never-before-seen sculptural furniture by the Tbilisi-based design duo Rooms, founded by Keti Toloraia and Nata Janberdize. A contemporary interpretation of traditional Georgian aesthetics paired with a touch of surrealism, Alchemy explores the convergence of two distinct influences: the historical and the otherworldly. Rooms co-founders Keti Toloraia and Nata Janberdize have translated the visual hallmarks of their homeland – from handcrafted Georgian furniture to Soviet architectural forms – into a series of contemporary design pieces that reference the past while looking out to the cosmos.

The concept for Alchemy is an evolution of Rooms’ Wild Minimalism collection, which debuted at The Future Perfect in August 2016. For the launch of Alchemy – their first holistic presentation in the US – Rooms will create their own mystical universe within The Future Perfect, setting the stage for their artistic furniture and lighting sculptures with custom wall-coverings and decorative Georgian artifacts. The duo brings their signature sense of graphic presence, craftsmanship, and primitivism to the furniture pieces in Alchemy, which elevates natural materials such as stone and wood through the introduction of mixed metals.

“Rooms is one of the most exciting design studios working today. They put a lot of faith in our relationship and it’s a great honor to debut this collection,” said David Alhadeff, founder of The Future Perfect. “For this show we have allowed Nata and Keti to transform our space into their own. While highly influenced by their roots – forming a bridge between Georgia’s past and future – Nata and Keti’s work transcends that geography and resonates quite personally for me. I look forward to peering inside Rooms’ world and bringing their unique vision to the US with this show.”

ABOUT ROOMS

 

Rooms is the Tbilisi-based Interior and product design studio founded by Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia. Distinguished by a strong graphic presence, the studio’s work spans hospitality and retail design, residential projects as well as furniture, lighting and accessories.

 

Both Nata and Keti were born in Tbilisi, Georgia in the spring of 1981. The duo met and formed a friendship whilst studying Interior Design at Tbilisi Academy of Arts. Rooms, considered the first Georgian product design studio, was founded in 2007. While Rooms’ work feels global in its purview, the studio’s vision is grounded in the founders experience of soviet childhood during great political change as well as Georgia’s rich cultural mix of a Asian and European influences.

 

Rooms is, by nature, multidisciplinary, easily changing gears between interior and product design. With a thorough awareness of classical technique and craftsmanship, the duo continues to explore and experiment with new techniques and materials, pushing the boundaries of hand crafted furniture design. Key pieces include a round console table, sturdy wooden chairs and a metal and brass coffee table. The leitmotif is contradiction: rough hewn versus the refined, simplicity opposed to intricacy, archaic opposed to the modern.

 

Rooms’ design is informed by a fondness for simplicity, sense of worldliness and a mental acuity. In less than ten years, the studio has caught the attention of the world’s preeminent design stores and galleries. The brand has also collaborated with Mooi with a collection that included the 2011 Position Lamp. Following that success, the duo received a nomination for Interior Design’s Best of Year 2013 Rooms Hotel by Rooms in the Hospitality: Resort Hotel category. Rooms has been featured in multiple high-end publications, including The New York Times, Elle DÉCOR, Yatzer, Wallpaper* and Architectural Digest.

THE PRESENT TENSE

The Present Tense
ON VIEW

ROOMS: Turning Into Gold

Rooms, the design world’s favorite witchy collective, continues to achieve great success without losing any of their idiosyncratic edge along the way.

The Present Tense
ON VIEW

ROOMS: Turning Into Gold

Rooms, the design world’s favorite witchy collective, continues to achieve great success without losing any of their idiosyncratic edge along the way.

EXHIBITED WORKS