Stephen Newby's Full Blown Metal. Stainless Steel Inflated Furnishings and Art.

Sculptor and artist Stephen Newby began working with inflating stainless steel back in 1995. Creating home furnishings and furniture, water fountains, art installations and sculptures with his unique process, he has turned a cold hard material into something that looks organic and inviting. Like glass, blown metal has beautiful transient surface finishes. And, like soft inflatables, it also has limitless shaping and size capabilities. Blown or inflated metal combines all of this with the strength, durability and permanence of metal.



The process of blowing or inflating transforms a hard industrial material into something that seems soft, organic and tactile, creating a new language in the production of three dimensional forms.






In 1996 he founded Full Blown Metal and in 2001, patented the process of inflating metal. Their first inflated metal chair appeared in Blueprint Magazine in November 1995, and they've been designing and manufacturing inflated metal products for commercial and domestic interiors & architectural applications ever since.






One of his products, the Squeeze radiator, created for Aestus, won the Best Product of the Year honor from the Northern Design Awards in 2012.





And in the small size:


Designer Stephen Newby, who has a background in engineering and art, explains his Squeeze radiator ...

“The process of inflating metal is curiously attuned to radiator design and shares certain similarities, which I find fascinating. For example the actual shaping of Squeeze comes from pumping high-pressure water into two sheets of metal. The appeal of designing radiators comes not only from a desire to create interesting and beautiful objects but also to create beauty with a high level of functionality so that performance is not sacrificed for looks. This design ethos is something that Aestus shares the same passion for … as well as a love of design and materials.”

Stephen has also created numerous public art installations and commissioned works for restaurants, public spaces and brands such as Louis Vuitton:







In addition to Full Blown Metals, Stephen Newby has another site on which he sells some of his custom made to order pieces such as wall sculptures, mirrors, water fountains and other items at Luxury Design and for a selection of prototypes and one-off pieces by Stephen Newby, go here.




Some of his smaller items, such as picture frames, ashtrays and pen holders can be found here. 




Other pieces, such as bowls, trays and candleholders can be found and purchased at Balman Design


above portrait of Stephen Newby with his "pillow" wall radiator for Bisque, which has yet to be produced, courtesy of  in site


full blown metals
Newcastle upon Tyne
United Kingdom
+44 (0)191 462 1375

A Look At The Pitt Pollaro Collection. Contemporary Furniture Designed by Brad Pitt, Built by Frank Pollaro.

Given his passion for architecture and design, it was only a matter of time before actor/hunk/celebhubby and family man Brad Pitt began a product line of his own. Introducing Pitt Pollaro: a collection of hand crafted pieces designed by Brad Pitt and built by Frank Pollaro. The Pitt-Pollaro collection made its world premiere in November 2012 in New York City, after four years in development. Featured in Architectural Digest, news of the upcoming collection spread like wildfire.


above: Frank Pollaro and Brad Pitt of Pitt-Pollaro

Below are the current pieces in the collection. They will be adding new pieces as they become available on their website as well as at private exhibitions.











Each Pitt-Pollaro piece of furniture is made in limited edition and is signed and numbered. The piece bears the mark of the makers and their signatures, along with the edition number guaranteeing that the piece is original. The mark may be branded into the wood, stamped into the metal, or fixed as a bronze plate.



Every piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity which outlines all details associated with the piece including year of original design, year of creation, materials, and edition number. In some cases the editions may be limited to a specific set of materials and colors. Some pieces are unique because of the rarity of the materials.

From their website:
"In 2008, Brad Pitt commissioned a custom desk from Pollaro Custom Furniture. Frank Pollaro personally delivered the desk to Brad’s chateau in the south of France. During the installation, Brad and Frank found that they had a common passion for furniture and fine details. They discussed design history and their appreciation of materials, old and new. Most importantly, they shared a commitment to perfection.

During their discussion, Frank noticed a design sketch book on a nearby table. Intrigued by the hundreds of sketches that Brad had created over a ten-year period, Frank encouraged Brad to allow Pollaro to transform his drawings into three-dimensions. Brad enthusiastically agreed to move forward. In reviewing the sketches, they selected what would become the initial pieces of the Pitt-Pollaro collection. In Pollaro’s design department, the furniture was engineered, and the sketches were translated into shop drawings and photorealistic renderings. Brad visited Pollaro’s shop frequently to review the design engineering process, make revisions, and select materials from Pollaro’s museum of rare materials.

Over a four-year development period, driven by their common vision of unequalled quality, Brad and Frank created the Pitt-Pollaro collection. Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. They dedicated hundreds of hours to meetings where Brad’s vision of design was balanced with Pollaro’s legendary craftsmanship. Prototypes were created, revised and recreated until Brad was satisfied with every detail of the design, and Pollaro was confident of the comfort and integrity of each piece.

Every piece in the Pitt-Pollaro collection is hand crafted. All are limited editions and are numbered and signed by both Pitt & Pollaro. Since all of these pieces are custom made, the client may have input as to the materials and finishes that fit their decorative taste and complement the remaining furniture in the room. As you peruse these 21st Century designs, notice the fluid lines, pleasing proportions, and unequalled material selection."

Pitt Pollaro

Keramos Modular Furniture Is A Collaboration Between Adrianos Design and La Castellamonte And Is The First Product From CoProdotto.

KERAMOS is a collaboration between Adriano Design and La Castellamonte, known for their ceramic stove production and keeper of the ancient tradition of Castellamonte, dating back to 13th century.

Having worked together before, Adriano Design created Stack Stoves for La Castellamonte. Now, together, they've collaborated for CoProdotto, a new business model from Adriano Design which innovates starting from self-produced design and is a new formula for the production of small series in partnership between those who conceive and communicate the product and those who make it, along with global distribution.




From the uniqueness of the production process and the La Castellamonte products, Adriano Design conceived a modular ceramic container / cabinet. Through careful research and thoughtful design, they developed an innovative and distinctive system of ceramic modules fastened with wooden elements, creating pieces of furniture with unique features.








KERAMOS is a rounded corner container with a ceramic shell which makes it immediately recognizable. The pieces are reminiscent of historical terracotta jars which preserved contents over long periods of time. KERAMOS is a special, not ordinary, piece of furniture, a container of precious things which needs to be preserved more than contained.

Details:








Produced in 99 numbered pieces, KERAMOS is signed and provided with a certificate signed below by the designers and the producers.



CoProdotto is a brand by Adriano Design