{Student} is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture and Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland, and has recently established a studio, designing furniture and interior accessories. The thought behind her designs is minimalism, unconventional design and timelessness. Meet S A L A K.
The idea to open the S A L A K studio was born when Alicja Korbut was working as an interior designer. When designing living spaces, she often lacked, especially on the Polish market, affordable furniture with an interesting and minimalist design.
BASIC series consists of, among others, coffee tables of different sizes
© S A L A K
As the designer says:
Working in design offices in Poland as well as abroad, I was overwhelmed by worldwide consumerism. The pursuit of materialism and the fashion for increasingly available "disposable" products. The availability of poor-quality "disposable furniture" that is thrown away after one season due to changing trends or rapid wear and tear. And what does "salak" mean? The term comes from the salak palm tree and its fruit. In some countries, it is understood to mean the color, which is a shade of broken white. Since my premiere BASIC collection was created in exactly this color, I decided to name my studio in its honor.
multifunctional, minimalist tables
The premiere collection of the S A L A K studio is the BASIC series, consisting of a dozen proposals, coffee tables and bedside tables, but as the designer says, everyone can find their own use for the furniture she proposes. For example, some products can be used as a flowerbed or a living room helper. On the other hand, another product, which can be a bedside table, will also work well for storing books, vinyl records and even shoes. The BASIC collection is mainly designed for small spaces, but you can also find slightly larger coffee benches. The designer was keen that the furniture, despite its simple, minimalist form, should also be functional.
The author believes that minimalism, frugal in form, does not have to be boring at all.
© S A L A K
As Alicja Korbut says about her projects:
I believe that minimalism , despite being frugal in form, does not have to be boring at all. Thanks to simple forms, we are able to create timeless products that will successfully find their way into interiors of different styles. Minimalism is not a necessity, but an opportunity given to us, among other things, by today's technologies. Fashion passes, and I care that my products are, above all, timeless. I decided to create my premiere collection in two opposing colors - deep black and broken white. It is a combination of my love of geometry and minimalism in space.
Made of wood and steel, the furniture is multifunctional
© S A L A K
handmade furniture
The design work begins with sketches, everything is created on paper. The designer creates quick sketches that help her find the right forms and proportions, and then prepares prototypes to scale, but already with the target materials, namely metal and wood. If everything is right, she moves to the workshop, where the final products are made. All furniture components are handmade. The spheres, even the largest ones with a diameter of 34 cm, are hand-turned on a lathe. The wood is then sanded and painted. Metal elements are welded in a technique specially developed by the studio, so that the weld-joints are practically invisible, then they go to the powder-coating plant.
Even the huge wooden balls are hand-turned
© S A L A K
All products are created from high-quality materials. There are no laminates, mdfu or other substitutes here. The BASIC collection is made of high-quality steel and ash and pine wood. The furniture is not only minimalist in form, but also in production. Laser-cut components, generate virtually zero material waste, and what is left is reused.
The designer also announces collaborations with design studios from around the world for limited collections. Such a collection will be an annual event, and the first designers Alicja Korbut will work with together are from the UK.
