lebanon’s devalued silver and gold coins clad studio majnoona’s collectible furniture series

Majnoona Embeds Lebanon’s Devalued Currency into Furniture

FRATA is the inaugural limited-edition collection by Beirut-based design label Studio Majnoona, exploring the relationship between memory, material, and value through a series of handcrafted furniture pieces. Created in response to Lebanon’s socioeconomic crisis, the collection references the financial collapse that began in 2019, when the Lebanese pound lost more than 98% of its value and significantly altered everyday life. At the center of the collection are Lebanese 250 and 500 LBP coins, which gradually disappeared from circulation as the value of their metal exceeded their monetary worth. Once used as part of everyday transactions, the coins are incorporated into contemporary furniture as material records of a period of economic and social change.

The collection reflects the contrasting conditions associated with Beirut, including chaos and elegance, fragility and resilience. By embedding familiar currency into furniture, FRATA examines how ordinary objects can acquire cultural and emotional significance as their original function disappears. Each piece is handcrafted in Lebanon by local artisans, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary production methods. The collection consists of four limited-edition works: two side tables, a table lamp, and an ottoman. The pieces combine repurposed coins with materials including mirrored stainless steel, velvet upholstery, and American walnut.

Lebanon’s Lost Currency Becomes a Material Archive in FRATA

The 500 LBP coins, distinguished by their silver tone, and the 250 LBP coins, with their golden tone, are arranged across the furniture surfaces in patterns including checkerboard, gradient, and zigzag formations. The placement of the coins becomes both a decorative and material element, integrating the history of the currency into the formal language of each object.

The title of each work corresponds to the total face value of the coins embedded within it. This naming system establishes a direct connection between the objects and the economic history they reference, while emphasizing the transformation of monetary value into material and cultural value. The limited availability of the original coins further defines the collection. As the currency has largely disappeared from everyday circulation, each piece incorporates a finite fragment of Lebanon’s former monetary system. The furniture therefore functions as both a collectible object and a material record of a specific period in the country’s recent history.

With FRATA, Studio Majnoona establishes an approach centered on transforming culturally significant materials into contemporary design objects. Founded by Jana Sawaya, the Beirut-based label works in collaboration with Lebanese artisans to develop functional works that combine conceptual narratives with craft-based production. The name Majnoona, meaning “crazy” in Arabic, reflects the studio’s focus on eccentricity, unpredictability, and creative freedom.

project info:

name: Frata

designer: Studio Majnoona | @studiomajnoona
lead designer: Jana Sawaya

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.