roughed up collection by rabih hage

'for sail' nikki sofa
image © designboom

rabih hage has decided to revisit pieces from his 2005 furniture collection to reveal a new
beauty in them. 'roughed up: rabih hage designs revisited' is a response to the pressure placed
on contemporary designers to continuously produce something 'new'. the pre-existing pieces
have been reworked and 'roughed-up', to reveal new beauty in them. 'roughed up' is a
celebration of imperfection, raw materials and the process of construction.


'for sail' nikki sofa
image © designboom

here, rabih hage has re-upholstered his nikki sofa with a used and torn sail from sail makers
ratsey & lapthorn. the particular sail which was used for this sofa comes from a local ship in cowes, uk
that was torn during a storm. by utilizing this sail to re-invent his sofa, hage is attempting to capture
the action and adventure of ratsey & lapthorn.


detail
image © designboom


'comfortable relations' chinese chair
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this ming-style chair has been roughed up with the addition of the nails and changes
to its wood finish. 'comfortable relations' is a comment on our society's habit of relying
on preconceived notions. while the chair might look more like a torture device more than
a piece of seating, it's actually a comfortable piece to sit on.


profile of the nails
image © designboom


detail
image © designboom


left: 'scene from within' tonneau armchair
right: 'wood-be' wine crate side tables
image © designboom

'scene from within' showcases the class tonneau armchair's inner beauty.
hage has deconstructed the chair, revealing its internal components and craftsmanship.
it has been ripped apart, giving viewers a look at the history of the object, while the


'wood-be' wine crate side tables are made from discarded wine crates
image © designboom