Project 213A: Timeless Furniture For A Sustainable Tomorrow

It all started in a house with the number 213A in London, where the four founders of Project 213A once lived together and turned from flatmates to friends to ultimately, the design house that we know today as Project 213A. Since its inception back in 2021, the studio has grown its collection of sustainable and timeless furniture that shares a common harmonious aesthetic and greater purpose. With their upcoming show at this year’s rendition of Alcova, the studio is embarking on a new chapter of their journey, presenting a collection of existing and novel design objects in a space that they want to instil with their design DNA – where sustainability and craftsmanship enter a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue.

View all works by Project 213A, including the “Folded Bench” and “Larry’s Lounge Chair”, here >

The brainchild of four friends, Project 213A, is the result of countless Zoom meetings during the lockdown, a time when each founder from their respective home – London, Milan, Paris and Porto – spent their time coming up with the concept of the design house. “We were almost every day on Zoom to check in on each other, go through ideas of re-decorating our homes and eventually brainstorming ideas of items we would like to own ourselves,” the founders describe. From the beginning, a cross-cultural dialogue was nourished that let the artists tap into their respective strengths and creativity. “[E]ach of us has a different eye. Our designs benefit from the variety of ideas we all bring to the table,” they emphasize.

“We love working with happy accidents, finding a solution to fixing a design of a prototype that didn’t turn out very successful.”

– Founders of Project 213A

What crystallized from the early days of their collaboration was a mutual respect for craftspeople and a passion for sustainable production, which represent the key values of Project 213A today and are what guide them throughout the design process. “Our main mission is to create pieces that can survive trends but also have an unexpected twist. For the past year, we have put more emphasis on the craftsmanship that goes into making our products and devolved deeper into creating artisanal items,” the creatives explain.

The final pieces perfectly merge a timeless visual language through organic and simultaneously symmetrical shapes with what they call “an unexpected twist”, embowing each object with a playful almost humorous touch – part of Project 213A’s design DNA. The most literal example of this is the “Foot Stool”, where one of the stool’s feet is carved to be a foot, with toenails and everything.

“We work and design with a very open mind and include the ‘high’ knowledge of the people crafting the pieces.”

– Founders of Project 213A

Project 213A’s exhibition at Alcova represents a new, ambitious chapter for the design house and opens up a glimpse into their future as they want to take on more projects on a larger scale. “In the past year, we really enjoyed collaborating with interior designers and would want to push [such] projects,” the creatives point out. The group is on a mission to bring its design DNA to a wider, more commercial audience without compromising on sustainable and handcrafted production. It is safe to say that the design journey of Project 213A, which started in their shared London flat and is now travelling to Milan, is one to watch out for.

Bring handmade sustainable design objects into your home and visit Project 213A at Alcova, April 17-23, Room V2 (La Viletta Building). Visit their showroom here >

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