Collection News 2019 English
em power ing express ion
content
Content
Leolux LX
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Sebastiaan Sanders - interview
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LX697
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Patrick Belli - interview
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LX699
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Formstelle - interview
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LX368 / LX386 / LX671
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Christian Werner - interview
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LX662
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Frans Schrofer - interview
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LX659
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LX658
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LX627
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Limburgs Museum, Venlo, the Netherlands
Leolux LX
Leolux LX Leolux LX is a new furniture brand for architects and interior designers. It supports these professionals in the design of commercial interiors. With no fewer than 50 models to choose from, Leolux LX’s elegant and contemporary collection aligns with the changing requirements of today’s work and home environments. The boundaries between work and leisure are gradually dissolving. Work areas can be functional and personalised at the same time. Offices are becoming increasingly informal and traditional meeting points like hotels and restaurants are acquiring a friendly, almost homelike atmosphere. Leolux LX has responded to these developments with a new collection of comprehensive interior concepts that combine solid functionality with a personal look and feel. The versatile sofas, armchairs, chairs, tables and accessories of our LX collection satisfy the stringent demands made by the contract market with regard to practicality, comfort and aesthetics. The Dutch family business Leolux has been a leading supplier of quality furniture since 1934. To cater to a broader client base, Leolux established a second brand in 2008: Pode. And now these household names have been joined by Leolux LX, which introduces the company’s world-class design and workmanship to the public space and commercial properties. Leolux manufactures its products in the Dutch city of Venlo. Our employees have a sincere love for their profession: every detail is developed with equal care, merging timeless design with sustainable production methods. Indeed, Leolux never stops investing in its professionals and production methods. We use sustainable materials and work together with partners who do everything in their power to minimise their environmental footprint. At Leolux, we have over 80 years of experience serving the consumer market. And we’ve built up a wealth of expertise over the years. That means that thinking along with the client and developing tailored solutions come naturally to the Leolux LX team. We offer our sophisticated and distinctive models in a wide range of variants, materials and colours. Our range gives you everything you need to exploit your creative and expressive potential. In other words: Empowering expression.
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Sebastiaan Sanders is the third generation to head the family firm. Sebastiaan moved to Leolux in 2012 after a career in strategy consultancy. He presently manages the company together with fellow owner Patrick Schreudering. As director, Sebastiaan’s main focus is on product development, marketing/presentation and sales.
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Sebastiaan Sanders
A touch of home Leolux LX is a new face on the scene, with new ideas and a wealth of experience. The brand was launched by Leolux, a Dutch furniture manufacturer with over 80 years of experience. We meet with Leolux’s director Sebastiaan Sanders to learn more about his perspective on modern commercial interiors. “We target architects and interior designers who are looking for creativity and individuality.” “We want to offer architects and designers fresh opportunities to realise their ideas. Our furniture collection gives them considerable freedom of choice when it comes to colours and materials. Wherever feasible, we can also work with upholstery materials suggested by the client,” says Sebastiaan Sanders. After all, ‘Empowering Expression’ is the motto of this newcomer in the commercial interiors market. “We want to be a source of inspiration for architects and designers, as well as for end users. After all, they’re the ones who will be working, meeting each other and relaxing on our furniture.” The other value of the new Leolux
sorts of qualities: from tranquillity, hospitality and openness to originality and identity. We offer our clients new channels for expression.” The Leolux LX brand connects to a rapidly-changing world in which people are spending more and more time away from home. “We eat out more often, and are taking more city trips. And precisely because we spend so much time in these different settings, we actually want to feel more at home there. Which means the interiors of hotels and restaurants are becoming cosier and friendlier.” And our workplaces are also growing more informal – almost homelike,
“We’re introducing a touch of home in settings where people work and come together.” brand is its expressive capacity. Leolux has been producing distinctive and elegant furniture for the home market since 1934. “Our years of experience serving consumers have made us more creative and sensitive. We’re used to listening to people and developing scope for a more personalised experience. Our furniture is spirited and inviting.” And now Leolux will be adding this personal approach to the design palette of today’s architects and interior designers. Because, as Sanders points out, contemporary commercial interiors aren’t just about functionality and efficiency: they have to satisfy a number of other requirements besides. “Our seating can embody all
notes Sanders. “Offices are turning into environments where people meet up and exchange knowledge – where employees can unwind or interact with their colleagues. This calls for furniture that is open and inviting. Which means nothing could be more logical than introducing architects and designers to our collection.” Leolux manufactures high quality, innovative furniture. And the company is always pushing forward. For example, four years ago, the firm undertook a major relaunch of its subsidiary Pode. Until that point, this distinctive collection of lively designs had been more of a niche brand. “Pode is more geared towards contemporary trends
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Sebastiaan Sanders
“We can guarantee quality because our furniture is made at our own facilities, by our own skilled personnel, who sometimes have been with us for dozens of years.” in home furnishings and reflects a modern lifestyle.” But despite the differences, the brands all share the same DNA of comfort and quality. “We can guarantee quality because our furniture is made at our own facilities, by our own skilled personnel, who in some cases have been with our firm for dozens of years. We exclusively manufacture furniture that has been selected by the client, in a transparent production process that remains entirely under our control. In addition, we work with a broad network of partners who take quality as their point of departure – just like we do.” And this network has been expanded even
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further for Leolux LX. For Leolux LX, the company selected designs from both the Pode and regular Leolux collections. After all, some items produced for home users are more suited for commercial interiors than others. And where required, the selected designs have been adapted to their new use. The collection also includes various extensions such as low tables or a barstool that has been inspired by the distinctive contours of existing designs. “We don’t aim to facilitate a traditional work environment or complete interior design concepts. Rather, we purposely focus on architects and interior
designers who are looking for uniquely creative and individual solutions.” LX emphatically builds on a rich tradition in the manufacture of seating and associated units – tables, for example. “Stick to what you’re good at: that’s our philosophy. We’re introducing a touch of home in settings where people work and come together.”
Sebastiaan Sanders
“Leolux LX wants to be a source of inspiration for architects and designers, as well as for end users. After all, they’re the ones who will be working, meeting each other and relaxing on our furniture.”
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LX697
LX697 design: Patrick Belli
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LX697
With LX697, designer Patrick Belli has developed a stylish armchair that is all about the interaction between the backrest and the seat. The design – two intersecting shells – clearly shows the basic structure that underlies its seating comfort. The curvatures in the back offer users exactly the right amount of support, making LX697 an excellent choice for a reception area or executive boardroom. The development of LX697 was focused on limiting its carbon footprint as much as possible. Each part of the swivel chair was assembled locally. In fact, the entire armchair can be considered a local product: LX697’s design, development and even its upholstery all originated in the direct vicinity of the Leolux plant. The “Corus” leather comes from the Limousin cattle grazing in the region around Leolux’s facility. Corus is a wonderful, innovative natural leather that is biodegradable, chrome- and aldehyde-free and source traceable. Each armchair is manufactured by skilled personnel at Venlo. LX697 is also available in other leather and fabrics.
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Patrick Belli
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Patrick Belli
Natural allure
“A chair needs to have an alluring and inviting composition. This initial impression of quality is then confirmed by our well-known convenience and comfort.” “Clean and logical – that’s how I’d characterise my designs. I also draw inspiration from nature, where every form and colour fulfils a clear purpose. I consequently avoid decoration and ornamentation. They tend to make a design predictable and boring. I want my designs to be self-evident, down to the last detail. You never stop discovering new things. The points of departure for the LX697 armchair were natural logic and balanced simplicity. The seat and the backrest intersect like two plates. This doesn’t just result in a very sturdy structure – the armchair also conveys a sense of power and comfort. Usually, the first impulse informing someone’s assessment of an item of furniture is visual. Does the colour suit me? Do I like the shape? That’s why aesthetics are just as important as functional aspects. A chair needs to have an alluring and inviting composition. This initial impression of quality is then confirmed by the convenience and comfort that Leolux is known for. And not just the first time you sit on the
chair – also ten or twenty years down the road. Leolux LX stands for handmade quality. You can see by the thick fold along the seams – often with a robust line of stitching – that your furniture was made by a skilled craftsperson. And we strive for this same high quality in our materials, which in nearly every case come from natural sources. The leathers are thick yet soft, wood has been carefully selected and wool and other fabrics are finely-knit but hardwearing. Quality is the foundation of our collaboration.”
Patrick Belli’s work is both understated and sophisticated. His furniture designs are characterised by elegant simplicity with a keen eye for details. After graduating in Product Design from the Art Academy of Maastricht, Belli attended a post-graduate programme in Industrial Design at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague (completed in 2008).
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LX699
LX699 design: Formstelle
LX699 is designed by the renowned design studio Formstelle. This relaxing armchair features a robust plastic seating shell covered with high-grade foam for optimal comfort. The shell can be upholstered with any of the materials from the collection. The design can be given a unique twist by incorporating decorative stitching in a contrasting colour. The armchair is supported by a modern frame, finished in any of the epoxy options of Leolux LX. The result is a sleek and sophisticated chair that forms the perfect complement to an elegant reception area or lobby.
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LX699
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Formstelle
“You should be able to understand an item of furniture in a matter of seconds.�
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Formstelle
The human scale
The world today is so hectic and dynamic that we can see a growing need for peace and relaxation. That’s why we have opted for a very clean design style. Forms need to be inviting and proportions need to be on a human scale. Thanks to its natural and easygoing look, our LX699 design suits a wide range of creative work settings and home environments. You should be able to understand an item of furniture in a matter of seconds. That’s why we always take a powerful and evocative image as our point of departure. LX699 was inspired by a piece of clothing. The turnover on the edge of the seating shell and the soft upholstery remind you of the details found in fashion items. The chair envelopes the user and its round contours allow you to sit in it in a variety of positions. The architectural metal frame, with striking leg ends, draws attention to the ‘floating’ seating disc. A wide choice of colours for the frame allows the
client to develop any number of subtle combinations of materials. We found it a very interesting experience to work with the Leolux LX team. The company can fall back on an incredible wealth of knowledge and know-how. The furniture is developed in-house and carefully manufactured by skilled personnel. We particularly enjoyed working together with the creative product developers. Leolux has a long company history, which by now stretches back over three generations.
The Formstelle design studio was founded in Munich by Claudia Kleine and Jörg Kürschner. After graduating as interior architects at the academy of fine arts, the two immediately established their own studio in 2001. Formstelle has produced a wide portfolio of interior designs, ranging from residential homes and healthcare institutes to hotels and offices. In addition, Kleine and Kürschner have designed furniture for a number of major international brands.
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LX368/LX386/LX671
LX368/LX386/LX671 design: Christian Werner
Besides offering individual designs, the Leolux LX collection also includes a number of product families. These items are clearly related in formal terms and result in a stylish, consistent ensemble when used together. One example would be a relaxing lounge area, featuring LX368 and LX386 that precedes a meeting room with LX671 seating. The different Leolux LX product families allow you to create stylistically cohesive designs – both for single- and multi-purpose projects. Each member of the product family has
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its own specific function. The compact sofa LX368 and the LX386 armchair offer a high degree of relaxation and comfort, while the LX671 chair offers a very pleasant dining or conference experience. The versatility of the LX671 design is also reflected in the range of options that are available for its frame. The chair is available with wooden legs, a trapezoid steel glide, a swivel base and a frame fitted with four castor wheels. The latter version can also be fitted with tilting mechanism and height adjustability.
Christian Werner
Looking for the essence “Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by furniture. We live between them, and use them to work and relax. Leolux LX links together the different ways in which we interpret and use our furniture. It’s a striking collection, and attuned to the contemporary lifestyle, in which boundaries continue to blur between our work, private life and leisure time. Choosing furniture can be a very personal process. Leolux LX offers the freedom to choose individual colours and materials. More than anything, offices should be places where people can be themselves. An
extension of your home environment. And this is even truer in the case of hotels and restaurants. The Leolux LX collection offers an outstanding solution for bringing these worlds together. How many ways can you sit on this sofa or chair? Which purposes can this item of furniture fulfil? And how does it interact with the surrounding room? I use these and similar questions to arrive at a piece of furniture that invites you to sit in it, feel it and move around in it. People can only build a personal
relationship with an item of furniture if they enjoy using it. I would describe my own style as ‘minimalism plus’. I’m not particularly interested in academic purity – I’m looking for the essence of a form or function. With a good design, you can’t take anything out but you don’t have to add anything either. I think it’s important to work towards the right proportions, a balanced colour scheme and interesting details. That’s where I’m able to touch people at the emotional level.”
“Leolux LX is able to link together work, home life and leisure.”
Christian Werner (1959) was trained as an industrial designer in Berlin and Hamburg and has been working as an independent designer since 1992. Werner designs furniture, lighting and accessories for a number of well-known manufacturers.
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LX662
LX662 design: Frans Schrofer
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Frans Schofer
Sculptural and comfortable “I design furniture that is sculptural and self-contained. You can’t change a single aspect – nor do you need to. The item of furniture has a unique look and feel, a personality. A distinctive form that is easy to understand. And this strong character makes it both unique and attractive. This personalised experience: that’s what I’m aiming for. As a result, my designs feel up to date without being trendy, and they can be used for years to come without having to be adapted. Designers should aim to be of service. I try to make designs that can be combined with a range of materials and colours, or have striking finishing touches like a subtle decorative seam or a prominent zipper. This allows you
to play with the item’s personality – make it more upbeat and lively for example, or – in contrast, more subdued and genteel. Ultimately, it’s up to the client to decide what kind of personality or mood the furniture should have. I design the palette; they select which options they prefer. I have a number of technical degrees, which means I also know a thing or two about welding and metalwork. These skills perfectly complement what I learned as a student at Design Academy Eindhoven. As a designer, I benefit from them to this day. I’m always trying to strike a harmonious balance between a distinctive form and outstanding engineering. You don’t have to see technology. Rather, it should be integrated in the
design itself. And Leolux LX is able to realise this ambition thanks to over 80 years of craftsmanship. The team thinks along with you every step of the way – from the detailing of the leather to the concealed structure of the furniture frame. Without impeding my creative freedom as a designer. Leolux has a very strong track record in the residential market. Which means that moving into the commercial interiors market, where so many different users come together, is a logical step for them. Offices, reception areas and hotels have become more expressive, less formal – homelike almost. Exactly the qualities that Leolux LX can offer these segments.”
“I design a palette of options.”
Frans Schrofer (1956) founded Studio Schrofer in 1983, after graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven. Frans comes from an artistic background. His grandfather was a joiner, his father Willem Schrofer an artist and his brother the renowned graphic artist Jurriaan Schrofer. Frans combines an innate artistic talent with a level-headed and pragmatic approach to design. The result: unique and comfortable furniture.
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LX659
LX659 design: Frans Schrofer
The comfortable barstool LX659 was designed by Frans Schrofer. It is in the same formal idiom seen in the armchairs LX662 and LX682 and the chair LX663, making it the latest addition to this product family. Like the other items in this programme, the barstool can also be ordered with the decorative stitching ‘Artisan’, which replaces the standard zipper on the back of the stool. Clients can select any fabric and leather from the LX collection. The steel frame of the barstool, which incorporates a comfortable footrest, can also be coated with any of the colour options in the collection. The LX659 barstool has a seat height of 78 cm and can be used in a wide range of settings, from bars and restaurants to informal workplaces.
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LX658
LX658 design: Beck Design
LX658 is an inviting high table that fits in with other items in the LX611 table series, which were also developed by Beck Design. The organic outline of the larger table top offers a convenient surface to work on, while a second table top actually offers extra storage space. Besides being very suited as a worktop, LX658 can also serve as a meeting point where people can talk in comfort in a public lobby or waiting room. The LX658 table top can be ordered in solid oak or walnut, with a wide choice of stains. The steel frame is finished in epoxy (powdercoating).
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LX627
LX627 design: Hugo de Ruiter
The Leolux LX offers an extensive choice of stylish, practical tables. One example is LX627, which is set apart by its beautiful base, which can be finished with a smooth or structured epoxy. Another new addition is the extra-large version of this table, designed by Hugo de Ruiter. This impressive conference table is fitted with a solid oak or walnut top. The oak version can be stained in a variety of colours. The LX627 conference table measures 130 by 360 cm and has a height of 75 cm. The two support bases can be coated with any epoxy colour from the Leolux LX collection. Connection panel is optional.
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Colophon
Concept
Studio Truly Truly
Art Direction
Gisella Groenewoud
Graphic design
Charlotte Smals
Interviews Jeroen Junte Text Leolux Printer Drukkerij Hendrix NV Styling
Leolux, Isabel Croon
Photography
René van der Hulst, Zebra Foto Studio’s, Hugo Thomassen, Christoph Gramann, Polina Gladkova
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped realise this publication.
Leolux Living Kazernestraat 15 5928 NL Venlo The Netherlands info@leolux-lx.com www.leolux-lx.com
© 2018 Leolux. No part of this work may be reproduced, published or otherwise used without prior written permission from Leolux Living B.V.
Leolux Living Kazernestraat 15 NL-5928 NL Venlo The Netherlands info@leolux-lx.com www.leolux-lx.com