Designers turn discarded objects into one-off furnishings for Unbroken exhibition
A rocking horse and a basketball hoop are among the items that designers have reimagined for this London Design Festival exhibition, which includes pieces from 2LG Studio, Pearson Lloyd and more.
Unbroken's curator, designer Francesco Feliziani, asked seven fellow creatives to salvage something destined for landfill and transform it into a functional design piece.
In displaying their work, he hopes to push further conversation around sustainability, how we treat waste, and the act of repairing.
"We have reached a point where it's inevitable to discuss the impact of our consumption," said Feliziani. "Inside every discarded object, there are a multitude of possibilities, if we look at things from a different angle."
The exhibition was hosted by Camden Inspire, an organisation that seeks to amplify community and creativity within the north London borough.
Feliziani's own contribution to the exhibition is the AIR Chair, which is made out of a basketball stand.
The hoop and its string netting have been turned into a woven seat, the acrylic backboard is now the backrest, and the framework of the stand itself was cut up to make the chair's arms and legs.
2LG Studio revived a tired chair using bright red resistance bands, which intertwine across the backrest and form dramatic ruffles down the legs.
"This year I tore my achilles, which then led to a knee injury and physio has become a big part of my year, so seeing myself as unbroken has become a challenge," explained the studio's co-founder, Russell Whitehead.
"Physio has made me closely acquainted with resistance bands. We had a roll of them and only needed a small amount, so we put the rest of the roll to good use."
Industrial designer Sebastian Bergne deconstructed and rearranged a wooden rocking horse to create his piece, which he calls Trauma Table. The rockers were turned upright to make the table legs, while the horse's head and other limbs form the tabletop.
"It is perhaps somewhat traumatic to see the dismembered horse reconfigured," he joked.
The founders of Pearson Lloyd updated a pair of Tarno garden chairs from IKEA, replacing their worn wooden slats with plywood panelling that was originally used to display informational text in the studio's 2023 exhibition Material Change.
Designer Charlie Boyden, meanwhile, converted a 1960s beechwood daybed into a pointy, high-backed seat, which he's titled Ted Chair.
"It was originally used by my partner's grandpa, Ted, then I acquired it," he explained. "I patiently cut, carved, and rejoined the bed's parts, trying not to disguise the original form."
The exhibition also includes works from architect Andre Kong, who turned a bike trailer into a wheeled seat, and Studio Tip, which imbued a film prop chair with BDSM flair.
Designer Jaclyn Pappalardo also remodelled a film prop to create a lounger. "It was reportedly used by a character portraying an artist, though its original function is unclear," she explained.
The pieces were all auctioned off on 20 September, with proceeds donated to local initiative Camden Giving. Other exhibitions during this year's London Design Festival include The Objects We Live By, for which ceramicist Emma Louise Payne asked seven designers to take over a room of her family home near Hyde Park.
There was also the Soft World, Sharp Edges show by designer Charlotte Taylor, who filled two rooms of a Georgian townhouse with pieces from almost 40 female creatives.
The photography is courtesy of Francesco Feliziani.
London Design Festival took place from 13 to 21 September. See our London Design Festival 2025 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks that took place during the week.
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