Interview with Linda Altmann
The Stadtnomaden Studio in Stuttgart has designed and built the first furniture pieces using the DLW Linoleum Form collection.
Designer Linda Altmann lets us in on how it happened and what came out of it.
Question: You were the first design firm to create furniture using the new DLW Linoleum Form collection. How did this opportunity come about? What excited you about the project?
Answer: Armstrong already knew about our work and asked us for some innovative ideas – they asked what we could imagine and what
we would do with furniture linoleum. The project excited us because we love to experiment with materials and develop extraordinary
solutions.
Question: What kind of furniture pieces did you design, why these in particular, what was your inspiration?
Answer: We experimented with the material first to see what possibilities it offered. More than anything, it is elastic and well-suited
for small bending diameters and curved forms. We used these revelations in our designs and created extremely rounded shapes
or a combination of convex and concave shapes. We created various designs that highlighted certain properties of Form linoleum. In the end, we made a work desk, a laptop desk, which can also be used at trade shows, as well as a bench that is connected
to and extends out from a table.
Question: How long did it take to go from the first design to the finished furniture pieces?
Answer: It actually went quite quickly, we only needed two months to go from the first series of designs to the finished products.
The designing took up the lion’s share of the time. The production took 3 weeks.
Question: What is so special about the material in contrast to other covering? What was the most fun thing about the manufacturing
process?
Answer: The special thing about Form linoleum is the textile backing, which makes it remarkably pliable. It is also color-coordinated
to match the linoleum. The material can be formed into very tight curves. We like the material primarily because of its texture,
and its lusterless surface offers a very nice contrast to wood and painted surfaces.
Question: Were there any challenges with the implementation and if so, how did you overcome them? Do you have any tips for the manufacturing
process?
Answer: We tried out many things and determined along with Armstrong that 35 mm was the smallest possible bending diameter. That
is an awfully small diameter, which only a few materials can achieve. The textile backing requires the use of sharp cutting
tools, and you have to be diligent about regularly changing out the sanding belts.
Question: Will you also create designer pieces with furniture linoleum in the future? Do you already have some ideas you want to bring
to life? What will we see next from Stadtnomaden?
Answer: Working with Form linoleum has inspired us, and since we like the material so much, we will certainly be working with it
again in the future. We want to expand our collection at the furniture trade show in January 2010. But I won’t give away anymore
than that. Thank you very much for a great conversation!
Industrial designer Linda Altmann founded the Stuttgart-based Stadtnomaden design studio in 2006 along with furniture / interior
designer and master carpenter Oliver Krapf. They develop charming and provocative new furniture ideas for everyday living
and stylishly bring together two polar opposites: mobility and stability.
STADTNOMADEN
Telephone: +49 (0) 711/9 35 29-17/-18
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