AFH Unveils Updated ReVision Furniture at NY Home Design Show in March

This one-of-a-kind "Bean" Table made from recycled paper and resin will be available at the Architectural Design Home Show in NYC in March.

AFH youth artists and mentors in the Sculpture & Industrial Design studio are hard at work preparing new and improved ReVision furniture prototypes for the Architectural Digest Home Design Show that will take place at Pier 94 in NYC March 17-20, 2011.

AFH debuted at last year’s Architectural Digest Show with a booth that attracted a lot of buzz and orders from interior designers, buyers from furniture boutiques and museum shops. Though tables and stools from the AFH original ReVision furniture line were well received, there was also quality feedback and product suggestions from design professionals. Based on this information, the studio has designed new and improved tubular steel bases for the original line of stools and tables, making them stronger, sturdier and more streamlined. New 16” square end tables have been developed as well as several other exciting new products.

Photos of the newly designed end table and stool, as well as an example of a table and stool top made from recycled magazines and resin.

On a recent afternoon in the Sculpture & Industrial Design studio…

…teen artist Victor Torres was busy assembling recycled contents for a new product – 8” x 8” x 8” x 5/8” deep equilateral triangular “tiles” that will be made with resin and recycled paper. The tiles will be usable in kitchens or bathrooms as back splashes or accent tiles; they can be installed with tile adhesive and grout like regular ceramic tile. Several sets of designs will be available or clients can mix and match. Square tiles are also in the works.

Victor Torres making recycled triangular resin tiles.

…Mentor Nick Farnham was working with a 13” round steel press mold that he recently helped design and fabricate. Still in the early stages, the studio plans to produce stool and tabletops made from recycled plastic bags that are pressed and melted in this large oven mold at 330 degrees for 90 minutes. The first attempt yielded an attractive result – a solid 1 1/4” thick stool top that looks a little like melted marble ice cream – but there were difficulties getting the prototype out of the mold (it had to be cut apart). Nick is hopeful that the new press will work and is thinking about ways to make it easier to separate the product from the mold. If all goes well, this new product will be included in the line in New York next month.

Nick Farnham wields the plastic bag press

…youth artist Nhi Nguyen was at work on new table tops. A Dorchester resident and senior in high school, Nhi has been coming to AFH for the past year. She started out in the painting studio then got hooked on making ReVision furniture. Her specialty is folding recycled paper. She can fold two narrow slices of glossy magazine paper into a perfect three dimensional five pointed star in six seconds. Origami meets ReVision! She places the stars in molds, resin is poured over them and a new stool or table top is created.

Nick Farnham and Co-Mentor, Jamison Sellers, will be finalizing pricing and ramping up production over the next several weeks. Then off to NYC with AFH youth artists who are able to make the trip for the weekend part of the show (that does not conflict with school). Says Nick, “We’re excited to take the ReVision Line to the next level.”