Furniture Design: Kueng Caputo create a series of beautifully cosmic leather and enamel furniture

There was a time when if someone said “leather furniture” to me, a horrid image of an ugly, olive green, squashy three-piece looking like it had had an allergic reaction to something was conjured. Thankfully, designers such as Kueng Caputo have refreshed my opinion of leather furniture by bringing it into the present day with an air of sophistication and coolness.

Sarah Kueng and Lovis Caputo, are based in Switzerland and their series Never Too Much is a stunning example of playing with materials and experimenting with different processes. Recently exhibited at Salon94 in New York, the project is a series of hand-painted benches, stools and bowls created using dyed leather and hard-wearing enamel.

Normally spattering white leather like this would cause hysterical shrieks, but here the result is a beautifully cosmic mix of psychedelic speckles housed in boxy, cylindrical shapes. The intricate processes used in making these pieces of furniture is really interesting. For instance the leather seats have gone through a more organic treatment by being spattered with vegetable stains haphazardly whereas the enamel bases have had a more methodical approach with each layer of colour being added separately.

Despite the different approaches, it’s wonderful how the series sits cohesively as a whole. And the beautiful photography by Sutter Caputo encapsulates the colourfully cool nature of these pieces perfectly.