6 objects for a portrait of Bethan Laura Wood

After a few minutes of talking to Bethan Laura Wood, one inevitably ends up being conquered, first of all by her enthusiasm as she tells and describes shapes, materials and colors; then from her deep culture of 20th century design and architecture. Originally from Shropshire but based in East London, from her studio in Hackney Wood designs objects and furnishings of various types and uses, which stand out for the matching of craftsmanship qualities and avant-garde design, an eye for sustainability and above all, a deep love for detail. Born in 1983, Wood is a multidisciplinary designer since her beginnings while studying at the Royal College of Art, where in 2009 she obtained a master's degree in Design Products, and which led her to design for a number of international design and fashion brands including Moroso, Kvadrat, Valextra, Tory Burch, Hermés and Bitossi Ceramiche, as well as to exhibit in prestigious institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum. With a penchant for Italy, which she visits assiduously especially during the Milan Salone del Mobile, which dedicated several exhibitions to her colorful projects, Wood is a true connoisseur of made in Italy design, which she collects alongside bakelite pieces and sophisticated works of art. Here she tells us about her 6 objects of the heart.

1. Royal Sofa by Nathalie du Pasquier and George Sowden for Memphis

I bought it at an auction and, once I got home, I realized its large size! This piece is for me a sort of "dream bed". The fabric was damaged, and for this reason I wanted to cover the sofa with the original vintage fabric, which I couldn't find! In 2013 I met Nathalie Du Pasquier during an exhibition at the Aaron Gallery in London, and she pointed me to Post Design, the brand which produces Memphis new collections and editions, founded by Ettore Sottsass and Alberto Bianchi Albrici. Therefore I could choose a re-edition of a Memphis fabric, which gave a new aesthetic to my sofa.

2. Poster of the 1990 plastic exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

I love it for three reasons: first because it symbolizes the bond between my mother and me through our common passion for vintage plastic. Then because it represents all the objects and designer costume jewelry made of plastic and bakelite that I own (some of which were exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery in 2014, as part of the “Design is a state of mind” exhibition dedicated to designer Martino Gamper). Finally, it is special because one of the bags I created will become part of the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and will be exhibited in the “Bags inside out” show about to launch on November 21st.

3. Lamp from my Criss Cross-Bloom collection. 

I made this series of lights in 2013 for the Design Miami Basel Designer of the Future award. These glass lamps represent the adventures I experienced during the trip to Mexico that inspired their creation, and how much that period influenced my subsequent works, especially in relation to the use of color.

4. A mustard-colored Boby trolley by Joe Colombo that furnishes my studio. 

I've owned it since childhood, when I used to fill it with colored stickers. It is part of my family history and represents the love for collecting that my parents passed on to me, even if they were not collectors in the traditional sense; they were rather guided by their taste for signed design pieces, which they found among charity shops and flea markets. This trolley has always traveled with me. I am a big fan of vintage plastic and therefore all of Joe Colombo's work. Plus, I'm looking for a green companion for it!

5. Justin Knowles sculpture purchased at Spitalfields flea market at Lawence Prentice Art & Antiques.