gilded paper softwall + softseating
taking a blank sheet and elevating its value through creative expression has a long history in literature, music, art and architecture. There is profound magic in paper’s potential to become anything you imagine. For the studio, paper is a medium to mold space and light.
in celebration of paper’s significance to molo’s designs, and to honour all those that transform the modest material into something treasured, the studio created a limited run of gilded paper softwalls and softseating fanning stools.
in their material investigations, molo designers and founders Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen found inspiration in gilded books and illuminated manuscripts. Traditionally, artisans, bookbinders and monks would apply a thin layer of gold to the paper’s edge. This process served the practical function of safeguarding from dust, moisture and sunlight, but most significantly, illuminated the manuscript’s importance.
through that same, centuries-old process, the paper edges were coated with a 24 karat gold leaf that will never tarnish. The gilded pleats catch light with a subtle beauty and sheen that shifts with the viewing angle. Like wrought gold furniture or the altarpieces of Gothic cathedrals, the walls and stools are intended for use but adopt increased ritualistic significance and sculptural value.
like their original counterparts in molo’s soft collection, both gilded softwall and softseating use flexible honeycomb geometry to compress for storage and portability. While the former stretches to partition space, the latter fans open to form simple stools, benches or tables. Alternatively, both can make use of their magnetic end panels to connect multiple modular elements to create diverse environments or seating topographies.
