From Murano glass’ modern metamorphosis and the minimalist study in the ancient art of miyadaiku carpentry to origami-inspired, steel-bending whimsical storage and Meantime’s domestication of the transient expression of airport lounges, &Tradition’s new collection revisits the multiverse of design mythology in an imaginative pursuit of contemporary relevance. 

Through meticulous investigation of the familiar, the personal and the traditional, the collection delivers a design landscape that spans revisited classics, new perspectives and unexpected reinterpretations of universal concepts. Welcoming &Tradition newcomers, like OEO Studio, and introducing both new and rearticulated designs from Luca Nichetto, Signe Hytte, Space Copenhagen and Anderssen & Voll, the range – now available in Australia with Cult Design – fuses introspective nostalgia with vital dynamism and profoundly personal perspectives, generating a particularly resonant story.

Ita: The essence of compelling minimalism

With their main studio based in Copenhagen and project office in Tokyo, OEO Studio’s interdisciplinary practice investigates the parallels between Scandinavian tradition and Asian artistry. These explorations consistently yield an unostentatiously impactful design language, and Ita – OEO Studio’s debut table and bench collection with &Tradition – embodies this intersection through its elemental forms and structural multidimensionality.

Named after a Japanese word for wood plank, Ita is a minimalist study in the Japanese craft of miyadaiku carpentry, which uses integral cuts to join wooden elements together. Epitomising this radical commitment to essentialism, Ita’s rudimentary volumes fuse the honest quality of natural wood with the contemporary practicality of a flat pack and easy assembly, delivering an enduring design lexicon, created to evolve.

Constructed from natural or dark-stained oak, the collection expresses this meticulous restraint through a selection of six highly resolved pieces: a dining table, a coffee table and a bench, all available in two size options.

The Ita Dining Table, a foundational design of the collection, condenses Ita’s intricate simplicity, ingenious craftsmanship and sincere materiality into an intentionally bare yet uncoerced expression.

“Sometimes the simplest composition is the most difficult,” says Thomas Lykke from OEO Studio. “Removing parts is always difficult; it’s much easier to add. For the table, we really tuned into the essence of Ita, leaving out only what was not relevant, tapping into our philosophy at OEO of compelling minimalism.”

Boasting the same height but different lengths, both table variants quietly embrace this restrained language. The tabletop, formed of two mirroring, carefully crafted planks, rests atop two slender, reassuringly wide wooden legs. The rudimentary geometry of the form is softened by the intuitive warmth of rounded edges and timber’s organic colouring, while the hidden cable management system augments the design’s contemporary relevance.

Embracing concepts of scale and composition, both coffee tables rearticulate Ita’s essence through their low centre of gravity and ample surface space, striking the perfect balance between grace and grandeur. Culminating the collection, Ita Benches’ streamlined forms harmonise with the dining tables, while the thoughtful integration of neat cognac leather seat pads with an elegant strap adds a layer of comfort and a subtle reference to Japanese Obi belts found on kimonos.

Gio: Murano’s modern metamorphosis

An intricate balancing act of fundamental geometries, layered glass work and colourful proportions, Gio’s inverted, conical-shaped silhouette captures the essence of a chandelier’s structure while reinterpreting decades of Venetian craftsmanship through the modern lens.

Designed by Luca Nichetto, a self-proclaimed “old-fashioned” designer who shares his time between Italy and Sweden, the sculptural pendant is an emphatic nod to Gio Ponti, a visionary of Italian modernism who famously reinvented the quintessential form of the Murano chandelier in technicolour. Free of superfluous ornaments, Luca’s design expands on Ponti’s imaginative examination of the conventional form, with both its graphic expression and choice of contrasting colourways, including Signal Green, Deep Blue & Ecru White, and Vermillion Red, Dark Burgundy & Ecru White, reinforcing the fixture’s distinctly modern quality. Folded in and amongst the tiered geometry of the glass cones and spun aluminium tiers is also a page of Luca’s personal history – an acknowledgment of his artisan grandfather who spent years crafting stunning glass objects in Murano.

Available in two sizes and designed to work both as an up-light and a down-light, Gio’s captivating presence shines a light on the legacy of Venetian craftsmanship and the intricate, interconnected heritage of Murano glass while illuminating an interior with an even, gentle, glare-free luminosity – and the unequivocal language of expressive, joyful grandeur.

Journey: The classic geometry of radical essentialism

Signe Hytte’s pursuit of pure essence is evident in Journey’s familiar language of rudimentary geometries. Hardwired to reject the superfluous and seek simplicity, the Scandinavian designer creates singular, investigative objects that leverage universal shapes to activate the senses with unexpected intrigue. Journey is no exception.

“Journey has a round sphere that normally rolls forward,” Signe explains. “In this case, the rectangle gives the sphere a solid place – to stay in place. Hence the name Journey. You can still go somewhere without moving, like in your imagination. Switch the lamp on, and it almost looks like a full moon.”

Journey’s reassuring volumes patiently combine the powerful language of classic forms, juxtaposing the uncompromising definition of the base with the gentle, shapely illumination of the mouth-blown opal glass shade.

Available as a wall lamp and a flexible variant that doubles as a table fixture – each a bespoke rearrangement of Journey’s cubic volumes – the design’s dynamic language is reinvigorated through a new sophisticated colourway: Steel Blue. Joining the existing Black and Silk Grey finishes, the cool, solid-navy shade resembles the depth of the night sky, punctuated by the star-like quality of a brass dimmer that controls the advanced dim-to-warm technology. A perfect new base for the removable glass shade, the Steel Blue colourway accentuates the playful nature of the design while loyally nurturing the range’s refined palette.

Rotate: Origami of steel, awash with colour

Another design that joins &Tradition’s new collection with a splash of fresh paint is Rotate, an origami-inspired trolley designed by Space Copenhagen. First released in 2022, the intriguing design boasts a pronounced angular expression, though its structured form is relaxed by the distinct lack of beginning or end – and front or back. Space Copenhagen achieves this visual fluidity by bending a single sheet of powder-coated steel into its shape and welding it together, mirroring the Japanese art of paper folding.

“There is something so playful and intriguing about the whole idea of folding a sheet into three-dimensional objects,” explain Space Copenhagen founders, Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou. “It points towards a system, a tool to create something, which can be both very complex, but also simple and accessible. The same goes for Rotate – with a simple fold of a metal sheet, it becomes a shape that fulfils a functional purpose.”

Now, joining the existing palette of warm, organic shades, including Terracotta, Hunter, Ivory and Merlot, the new colourways bring a distinctly contemporary quality to the collection. The vibrancy of Cobalt Blue transforms the rectangular contours of the trolley into an eye-catching centre-piece, while the refined Dark Plum seamlessly synonymises storage with sophistication. The quiet versatility of Stoney Grey emerges as an effortless, universally appealing option.

The robust construction of highly-recyclable steel and FSC® certified MDF base generates an enduring yet light-weight design that can transform from an office trolly to a bedside table or a kitchen storage unit, while its asymmetrical, adaptable form makes it easy to move between locations or stow away when needed.

Meantime: Anticipatory optimism of transit, domesticated

Sleek and light, Anderssen & Voll’s Meantime collection introduces a serene dialogue between public and private realms, manifesting as a three-piece lounge series with a distinguished silhouette and generous proportions. Comprising a lounge chair, a two-seater, and a three-seater sofa, the collection intentionally transcends the conventional boundaries of residential and commercial design, suggesting a new vocabulary for leisurely comfort.

The relocated familiarity of Meantime’s transient design language – defined by tempting angles, unrestrained proportions and forward-reaching arms – evokes the comforting presence of functional forms found in transport waiting areas and liminal spaces. “We took what could be described as a universal feature of public transport furniture and domesticated it,” explains Torbjørn Anderssen. “We like to think that while you’re sat in these types of spaces, you’re usually waiting for something good to happen, hence the name, Meantime.”

This inherently optimistic fusion of familiar function and promising comfort of form are bolstered by the robust materiality of cast aluminium, steel and FSC® certified wooden frame, while the liberal integration of soft upholstery and plush cushions generates a reassuring leisurely terminology with an airy and effortless expression.

From the intricate transformation of the Murano glass chandelier to the unimposing confidence of Japanese joinery and the comforting embrace of domesticated transit forms, each piece generates its own distinct, intricate dialect. Fusing a deep respect for heritage with an unwavering gaze towards contemporary relevance, together they galvanise &Tradition’s vernacular with a profound sense of imaginative innovation that revisits design’s generous legacy to keep developing new creative lexicons.