[english] Möbeldesigner und Innenarchitekt, Düsseldorf / Nordrhein-Westfalen [/]

 

Stretch is a new kind of sideboard that can be pulled apart like a
slipcase and then pushed together again as needed. This example
of case furn i t u re can also be used as a room divider. Thomas
Althaus designed the piece for Die Collection, a German
manufacturer specializing in adaptable furniture. In fact, the
Rhineland designer came up with a whole series of ingenious
ideas for the brand, among them the Fox easychair, a seating
cube that cleverly disguises the fact that it can be pulled out in
just a few moves to make a bed. Althaus does not think much
of putting abstract ideas into practice. An interior designer by
training, he always keeps the actual application in mind when
conceiving his pieces. As a specialist in multifunctional living, he
strives for solutions that exude a discreet reserve but nonetheless
offer their users a high degree of individual freedom. The furn iture
he has designed for WK Wohnen likewise reflects this dual
principle. For example, the oblique occasional table WK 838 not
only boasts hidden wheels, but also a glass top that can be
swivelled 360 degrees, putting for instance eating utensils or
reading materials within easy reach. This kind of pragmatism,
coupled with a laconic and clear formal canon, puts him right in
line with the classical functionalism of German provenance that
has been striving since the early 20th century to improve the
potential of furn i t u re by applying combinatory and mechanical
strategies. Contemporary designers who pursue similar
approaches include Jan Armgardt, Norbert Beck and Christian
Werner. Word of the capabilities of the “humane designer”
Althaus, who shares a design office with his wife, has long since
made its way to neighbouring countries such as France (Treca),
Italy (Tonon) and the Netherlands (Royal Auping). Experience
with a large number of prominent firms, including in Germany
Interlübke, Renz and Rosenthal Einrichtung, has made him a
constant in German domestic design. At the same time, Althaus
has by no means done work only in the luxury segment. He is
much more interested in the “minimalism of the budget”, i.e. in
making a lot out of a little.