Given that Sight Unseen has been tirelessly uplifting the voices of independent designers for nearly 13 years, it may be surprising to learn that the popular online magazine hasn’t yet ventured into making furniture of its own. That changes during this year’s NYCxDesign, in which co-founders Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov are debuting their first-ever collection in collaboration with Long Island furniture brand Bestcase.
Envisioning the five-piece collection evolved from a casual pandemic pastime to a full-steam-ahead creative pursuit. Singer and Khemsurov joined forces with Bestcase co-founder Charles Constantine and a tight-knit group of global designers to dream up the line, which consists of sleek, ‘70s-inspired pieces that mix Bestcase’s expertise in sheet metal with colorful flourishes befitting Sight Unseen’s penchant for simple yet visually striking objects. With metal profiles softened by curvaceous geometries, contrasting materials, and whimsical colors, each object is equipped to effortlessly elevate its surroundings.
The collection began with two striking pieces by Bestcase: a mirror-polished aluminum room divider that riffs on the iconic Eames 1946 FSW Screen and the Magna Chair, a satin aluminum and sheepskin throne that draws inspiration from the ancient Roman curule seats typically reserved for magistrates. Other highlights come from Thevoz-Choquet, whose glass-topped Frame Tables feature vibrant steel bases designed around a series of intersecting geometries; Studio Anansi’s Brut Bar Cart, whose brushed stainless steel build pleasantly contrasts its milky resin handle; and the pared-down Slab Mirror by Home Studios, which serves as an update to ideas from its inaugural collection, Homework, that debuted at Sight Unseen Offsite in 2017.
