Spotlight On: Soda Designers, Industrial Designers

Vienna-based Soda Designers believe good design requires no explanation – it simply, reveals itself and its intention. As industrial design specialists, Nada Nasrallah and Christian Horner tell how they re-invent ordinary objects and share the 4 essential elements of a home.

How would you describe your design style?

Through our design process we re-develop timeless objects. We adapt them to humanity’s constantly changing claims of ‘lifestyle’ and ‘function’. From this point of view, there is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ type of furniture, but only a design that is as contemporary as possible.

What inspires you in your work?

Our inspirations often come from art, since it is the uncompromising, ideological starting point at the beginning of a development process. However, film, theatre and literature also inspire us.

Name the essential elements of any home?

To us, bright light, a comfortable elegant sofa, a curvy cosy bed and geometric table are non-negotiable.

Pictured: Wittmann Playtime Sofa

What current design trend do you like?

Experimental, undogmatic combinations of colours, materials, and objects of different ages. We also appreciate a certain degree of ‘roughness’ in design – not only in relation to materials and material processing, but in terms of aesthetics and presentation.

Which Soda Designs pieces inspire you?

Of our designs, we love the Joyce Niche Bed, Playtime Sofa and Shilo Chair which we designed for Wittmann.

Also, one of our favourite limited edition pieces is our Lester Deckchair.

What is the oldest piece of furniture in your home?

A sofa, along with some chairs and chandeliers from turn of the century.

And what is the most recent addition?

We recently added some sideboards to our collection.

What is your favourite piece of Wittmann furniture?

Of course, we like the historical Wittmann pieces such as Kubus by Josef Hoffmann, Fledermaus Chair and Friedrich Kiesler’s designs. They are always inspiring for developing new ideas…