Dutch designer Els Woldhek lives and works in London under the studio name ‘Whatels,’ where she creates look-twice furniture from un-noticed and cast-off materials and processes.

Her projects include a table with fellow designer Georgi Manassiev using reeds from a Dutch wetland, and a series of furniture for Bloomberg Philanthropy made entirely out of office waste, and Surrounded Stools, made of twisting simple colored threads.

Surrounded Stools is inspired by the craft, vibrant colours and patterns of garland making and the amazing processes in which the yarns and fibers are dyed around it in India. The bright coulourful garlands are handmade with a simple technique which is based on rope making. The twisting of the treads on two occasions keeps the threads twined and in their place.

As all the yarn processes leading to the final product take place within one specific neighborhood of Ahmedabad, India, you find yourself surrounded by the materials, colours and technique that make up the end product.

It is this feeling that the Surrounded stool tries to capture. Twisting the colours together to create bright soft ropes which are wound around a circular base. Creating a intricate pattern of colour and a soft cushion for the stool.

INTERVIEW WITH ELS WOLDHEK

What was your first project?
That must have been the bottom of our dining room tabletop. When I was a child it was a true project for me and my brother to fill the entire underside of that table with secret stickers, drawings and plans without my parents noticing.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Mostly from a process of creation, whether in natural processes or industrial or psychological. I find that within these processes there are many aspects besides the final result that are often overlooked or discarded and these are usually the things that get me excited. Very often they are ignored because they don’t fit the norm, are considered ugly or waste, or don’t seem to have any use. This is where I see possibilities and interesting projects.

What’s your design process?
Usually I stumble on a process either by accident or via research, because I got interested in a material or I got invited into a company/manufacturer/situation. From there I move on with lots of drawing and playing with the materials and/or process. I hardly ever set out to design a specific object, I let the process of working and playing with the material guide me. It then kind of shows me what it should become.

What are you planning to work on next?
Currently I am very intrigued by how we experience culture, especially in the way we look at our own culture and other cultures after moving to a different one for longer or shorter periods of time. Not really sure yet where this will take me but I think it will be a of a collaborative nature, hopefully working with different makers in different countries.
City of residence – London
Age – 28
Education – BA Design Academy Eindhoven (2008)
MA Royal College of Art (2010), product design
Motto – Nothing is ugly.
Favourite quote – Whatever it is you’re seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting.’ – Haruki Murakami
Best advice received – Don’t be defensive when getting critique.
Best tip for designers – Enjoy what you do.
Three things every designer needs – Same as every human: a place to sleep, food and water.
Newest addition to your studio – Pegboard on the workshop wall and Georgi Manassiev.
First design that inspired you – A sideboard that my parents had painted black which looked like it was heavy and solid but was actually made of this super nice thin and light wood. It was nothing really special to look at but in a way was so nice and deceptive I always liked it. Actually I still have it, sadly it’s in storage since I moved to London.

via@designboom