Dezeen Magazine

1:1 scaled-up dolls' house furniture by Silva Lovasová

This furniture collection by designer Silva Lovasová is based on tiny toy products that have been 3D-scanned and enlarged to full scale.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

Silva Lovasová scanned dolls' house furniture and other products, including a miniature tea set and a plastic peanut, and used digital software to expand the resulting 3D models to a functional size.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

The smaller items were then moulded in porcelain, while the peanut and lamp were made from epoxy tooling board and an armchair and sideboard were CNC-milled from extruded polystyrene.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

Inaccuracies and deformations inherent in the original products are retained and the marks made by the digital manufacturing tools accentuate the imperfect finish that these processes produce.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

"The concept of the 1:1 collection was to work with digital technologies in such a manner that their natural character and options are admitted," Lovasová explained.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

The 1:1 collection was Silva Lovasová's graduation project from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

Zaha Hadid and David Adjaye are among twenty architects and designers who recently designed dolls' houses to raise money for a children's charity, while Ikea has launched toy versions of some of its furniture designs.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

Photography is by Peter Sit.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

The designer sent us this project decription:


Silva Lovasová - 1:1
Diploma project, May 2013
Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovakia
Art Design Studio of Professor František Burian

In my diploma project I am concerned with the issue of digital technologies from designer’s - author’s point of view. These technologies are not only a way to ease one’s work, but in many cases they become an inspiration itself. The concept of the 1:1 collection was to work with digital technologies in such a manner that their natural character and options are admitted. To create an exact replica of miniature furniture in a human scale would not be possible without 3d scanner and CNC tools.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

Mini furniture found in various doll houses is inspired by real elements of an adult world. However, deformations and disproportions often occur in the miniature. By bringing back the miniature furniture to a human scale the circle seems to enclose. When looking closer at the proportions and details of the furniture it becomes obvious that the forms created are completely new. New aesthetics is invented by copying found objects.

1:1 collection by Silva Lovasova

The collection 1:1 consists of objects of different materials. Through the smallest ones done in porcelain, bigger ones in epoxy tooling material and the biggest ones in extruded polystyrene. When creating the objects I deliberately kept the marks left after technological processes which objects had to undergo in order to be finished. I worked roughly. I did not care about the perfect manufacturing. In fact imperfect manufacturing is a way similar to how the miniature models are originally created. On a surface of enlarged objects one can notice visible signs of milling operation (these vary based on material used and its size), division lines, glued joints. This imperfect attitude is in contrast to digital technologies which are characterized by and valued for their perfection. Conjunction of CNC tools with handmade work is a natural process in my work.

Originated objects of the 1:1 collection are not cosmetized enlargements of bizzare miniatures. They are imperfect products created by the use of very accurate tools. They are classic components of furniture made of nonclassical materials. They are new forms created by copying those which already exist.