Dezeen Magazine

Raw Edges redesigns VitraHaus Loft to suit a young family

Israeli design duo Raw Edges has revamped the interior of the VitraHaus Loft, combining their own rainbow-hued wooden furniture with classic Vitra pieces.

The loft is located on the fourth level of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus, which forms part of the larger Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

When invited by Vitra to redesign the interior, Raw Edges – headed by Israeli designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay – said they wanted to create a space that they could imagine living in with their own two children.

"Our installation focuses on a busy, creative, young family," explained the designers. "We wanted to show how a space could function equally well for parents and kids alike – for work as well as play."

The duo carefully selected Vitra and Artek products that combine various natural materials such as wood, glass and light-hued textiles with bright accents.

Playful features include the bathroom space, where a large mobile-like installation with cushions dyed in diagonal stripes of colour hangs from the ceiling.

In the bedroom, a number of Vitra's Cork Stools are grouped to form the base of a bed, while in the living room a set of Alcove sofas join together to create an enclosed lounge space.

Around the loft, the designers have applied their trademark colour gradient patterns to various objects such as the cushions and wall hangings.

"The light-hearted approach taken by Raw Edges in their use of materials, colours and products is a defining feature of the presentation – and their work in general," said Vitra.

"Other key factors of their VitraHaus installation are movement, improvisation and surprise. For Raw Edges, it was vital to achieve a spontaneous, realistic and above all happy environment."

The Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus, which was opened in 2010, features regularly changing displays with new Vitra products continuously being added. Last year Jasper Morrison created a home for a fictional character on the building's first floor.

The space is intended to help visitors find inspiration for their own home and explore their taste in design. Here, they can also try out, order and purchase furniture and design objects. Along with four storeys of showroom space, the VitraHaus also contains a shop, the Lounge Chair Atelier and a café on the ground floor.