Design
Uhuru Design
Uhuru Design’s pieces have been placed in permanent collection at both the Smithsonian Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.
Image courtesy of: 1st Dibs
Uhuru Design was founded in 2004 by two Rhode Island School of Design graduates, Jason Horvath and Bill Hilgendorf. The company was founded as a multidisciplinary design studio that merges sophisticated design and environmental sustainability.
The Brooklyn-based New American furniture design company specializes in high-end commercial and bespoke residential furniture. Uhuru Design evolved just as New York City and the West Coast was flooded with start up and commercial real estate companies… they quickly became known for being the most progressing in “resimmercial” office aesthetic.
Jason Horvath and Bill Hilgendorf
Image courtesy of: Design Milk
Uhuru Design was founded in a small garage space in Red Hook Brooklyn; from there, the company has grown into a 20+ million dollar a year leader in New American Design.
Initially, Horvath worked for an interior design firm and Hilgendorf constructed furniture for a cabinet-maker. Luckily, a friend’s friend needed to clear out her SoHo loft and she bequeathed to them her tools. Those tools had been in storage for a decade and a half, but it was a whole woodshed full of tools. This collection was their original capital because the pair did not have any money to invest in their venture. The other stroke of luck is that they were in Brooklyn right around the time the borough was infiltrated with artisans and makers.
DK Chair, inspired by traditional Danish modern lounge chairs. The legs are made from 1″ x 2″ blackened steel tubing and the arms are made from a curved black walnut. The leather cushion was inspired by the detailing on a motorcycle jacket.
Image courtesy of: Architonic
The duo asserts that they have three phases in their design process. The first step is the material and the imaging; they find material that has a “story” and figure out its background… a collection is formed around the material’s history. The second step is putting pen-to-paper and starting to draw… this is the way to work through ideas. Finally, they enter into the 3-D modeling and prototyping; phase three is “simple”… making a dream a reality.
The zig-zagging and joined sheets are made of hand-blackened steel.
Image courtesy of: Design Milk
Reinvigorating discarded furniture has made Uhuru Design what it is… even today. When the company was first founded, Horvath and Hilgendorf used cut-offs from other jobs and things they found on the streets of New York City. Beyond loving the idea of reusing, they did it out of financial necessity. Suddenly, discarded fences, construction beams, and wooden crates became a collection of ten items.
As the company grew they remained true to their philosophy. It has become easier because now the pair is known as “those guys who like to use interesting materials.” They once came upon a barn in Pennsylvania and recently they were contacted about collecting collapsing cabins in Ukraine.
Stitched coffee table
Image courtesy of: Decoholic
The Stitched Table is one of our favorite pieces. It is built around a one-of-a-kind, flitch-cut hardwood slab that is nearly split into two. The piece is held together and reinforced by four X-shaped “stitches” made out of recycled plastic. The color of the stitches matches the frame in order to create a contrast with the warm walnut tones of the wood.
Usually, the wood slabs are locally milled and dried; and they come from sustainably harvested trees. Obviously, no two slabs are alike and the grain, color, and natural characteristics of each makes every piece unique. The slabs’ size and coloring depends on what is in the inventory so each table is completely customizable.
