Dutch designer Paul Coenen has used plastic film to create a wrinkled pattern on the anodised aluminium surfaces of furniture and lighting pieces he presented during Dutch Design Week.
Coenen became interested in the possibility of creating patterned aluminium surfaces after seeing a gradient sample produced by technical coatings specialist BWB Surface Technology.
He used a specially developed hand-dying process to colour the components of a coffee table and lamp from his Section furniture collection, as well as a stool made from a single piece of folded aluminium.
The designer, whose practice focuses on experimenting with materials and manufacturing techniques, visited BWB to learn more about how colour is introduced during the anodisation process.
Rather than simply applying a single colour, Coenen explored various techniques that could enable the introduction of pattern to the aluminium oxide layer on the metal’s surface.
“This experimental approach reshapes aluminium as a dynamic, expressive material,” he suggested, “highlighting the interplay of colour and texture with aluminium’s raw, metallic essence.”
Anodisation involves submerging the metal several times in baths containing an electrolytic solution that is electrified to create a durable, corrosion-resistant oxidised finish.
Coenen removed the panels from the production line towards the end of the process and treated them by hand using organic dyes, which were absorbed by the naturally porous aluminium oxide layer.
The panels were laid out on trestles and the designer poured over the liquid dyes and overlayed the plastic sheets that add a crinkled texture to the surfaces.
The dyes react with the oxidation layer, creating a pattern that becomes part of the metal surface. The panels are then unwrapped, rinsed off and returned to the production line to complete the process.
Coenen described the technique he developed in collaboration with BWB as “shrink wrapping” because it uses the same kind of plastic film used in food packaging.
“The idea behind the shrink-wrap is that applying it onto the wet dye makes the dye flow into the creases,” he told Dezeen.
“Outside of the creases the dye is pushed away. Where more dye stays; in the crease, the aluminium gets a deeper, darker colour.”
Each piece of the Column Light and Column Coffee Table underwent two colour treatments, with a yellow base layer forming the backdrop for a deep purple-blue finish on the table and a violet layer on the lamp.
The process left glimpses of the raw aluminium exposed, adding a layer of depth to the intricate, textured patterns. This is particularly evident on the Camber Stool, which is anodised with a single-layer purple-blue finish.
Coenen explained that the way the colours mix and shift in hue depending on how long they left on the surface produced some surprising outcomes.
“Working with the dyes and the shrink-wrap technique revealed that while I could guide the outcome, I couldn’t fully control it,” he added.
“This unpredictability added depth and uniqueness to each piece, reminding me of letting the material and process take some control.”
The project is a departure from Coenen’s previous work, which featured simple stainless-steel forms combined to create minimalist furniture pieces.
The designer said he sometimes felt that these objects were “too simple for the Dutch audience” and noted that the coloured pieces received far greater attention during his presentation at Dutch Design Week.
He also spoke enthusiastically about the collaboration with BWB, which allowed him to explore new ways of creatively reimagining a familiar industrial process.
“BWB’s openness to experimentation showed me how innovation often arises at the intersection of technical expertise and artistic curiosity,” he said.
Coenen’s project featured in a group show called Say Something Nice, alongside works by Tim Teven, Onno Adriaanse and Studio Guilty, that was held at the Sectie-C arts centre in Eindhoven.
Other projects exhibited as part of Dutch Design Week 2024 included a collection of furniture and homeware clad in reconfigurable magnetic tiles and a show home filled with cartoonish furniture made out of cardboard.
The photography is courtesy of Paul Coenen.
Dutch Design Week 2024 took place in Eindhoven from 19 to 27 October. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
