Designers who conquered the world: Max Lamb and his granite chairs

Design has a way of influencing people's lives and daily behavior by revealing emotions and altering the mood. And designers are the ones responsible for our basic objects. They have a unique ability to see the world, a detail that eludes us and even perceive things that do not exist yet. As a result, you get things beyond our boundaries and imagination and if they really understand nature, you will enjoy genuine works of art.

Max Lamb is an England designer focused on furniture, who was born in Cornwall, hence its originality. Upon analyzing the environment he grew up, you will a childhood defined by nature, its raw materials and the practices of handling all these. That's why his works have a pretty simple implementation – cutting, casting, folding and sculpture. His implementation actually communicates the concept of the final object – aesthetics comes as a completion. After all, it's not just about design, it's the way you produce the object. His objects are tactile and responsive, to the point that you are able to see his connection with nature and the way he combines traditional with modern design.

In his projects, natural stone has a place of its own. "Crockery" is a collection of kitchen items made from basalt, commissioned by a Staffordshire company, 1882 Ltd. However, his most amazing project made from natural stone – granite – is “Boulders”, chairs collection. The granite is from Pedretti Graniti quarry, people who initiated the collaboration with Max Lamb when they proposed this project. Everything started with a simple idea: the way river carves the mountain stone. To value this natural process, you can not interfere too much with stone pieces.

"Boulders" defines a personal journey within the mountain surrounding the Italian village of Carisolo, an exploration of nature – the way river’s water defines and outlines the stone. The power of river can be perceived with every piece of granite, as a part of this natural process we observe. Besides, the river power is obvious in the way of carving the landscape from which the stone is extracted, the riverbed and the way it abrades the rocks, while they roll and become perfectly smooth. The entire story resides in a pure raw chair, a journey to itself and the true nature. The way these are carved reveals once again the designer’s connection with nature. Designed for an exhibition, the chairs are directly proportional to the size of human body, again focusing on the responsive and functional side of the objects created by Max.

The respect and connection of Max with the nature and materials promoted are noticed in every designed project, but beyond that he has managed to comprehend nature’s functionality and how is able to reveal the spirit in every material. There are things that set Mark apart from other designers, while conveying a personal and natural touch into his objects. Judging from the fact that we live in a world full of technology, most designers shifted from traditional – pencil and paper – to digital. Max, on the other hand, loves holding on to his traditional values acquired since childhood, so he design his project and ideas using pencils and paper.

The furniture or decoration items made from natural stone will prove once again the versatility of this material and the beauty transferred into a house. Chairs are one the most common furniture items in your personal space and can be assembled or lay out separately, as if they were iconic items. In this way, natural stone shows once again its connection with nature and the way it helps by creating shapes. In the right hands, the natural stone will borrow unexpected shapes, but beyond these shapes there is a journey to itself and the true human nature.

There's a story you can carry on. Nature does not cease to amaze us with its creations, at the same time promoting a beauty beyond our daily space. By understanding the natural stone you will be able to integrate it more easily into your personal space offering the "home" tranquility we all wish.