It started with an engagement and ended with the Galliforms furniture collection – that’s the story according to Leah Ring of Another Human and her now husband, artist Adam de Boer. The new furniture collaboration went into development shortly after the duo were betrothed, inspiring Leah to daydream about what the bedroom of a mid-century couple living in the suburbs might look like. Both the furniture designs and color palette are directly inspired by this journey.
Ring spearheaded the furniture and lighting designs, while de Boer developed a vintage-inspired floral pattern that would have perfectly fit in with the 1960s mod era. Wood was chosen as the main material, simply because she’s never worked with it before in her product design work and wanted to try something new.
Ring’s work is always a display of saturated, interesting color combinations, and she knew she wanted the furniture to feature a matte lacquer finish so that color could be added. The palette she settled on is one of chartreuse, tan, and peach because it felt true to both time period and her own design ethos. These colors then act as through lines between all of the materials and pieces used throughout Galliforms.
The artistry of de Boer’s pattern work was often drawn from the plumage of peacocks. (It’s also behind the collection’s name – Galliforms is a play on the word Galliformes, which is the order of birds!) Silk fabric for the shades of the table and floor lamps showoff his signature batik technique and original patterns. When the light hits it creates an effect that’s close to that of stained glass.
Galliforms includes unique pieces such as the Floor Lamp and Table Lamp, with the rest of the collection being released as limited editions.
Galliforms will be on view as part of INTRO / LA 2023, at Los Angeles’ Small Office (3465 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90039), from October 27 – October 29, 2023.
Photography by Stephen Paul.