BEST BOLD MOVES

From sleek reissues to surreal seats, these six characterful designs are full of personality and charm

- LÉA TEUSCHER

01. Ceramic vessels, by Jacques Monneraud

French artist Jacques Monneraud's creations appear to be flimsy pieces of corrugated cardboard held together with bits of tape, but are, in fact, ceramic vessels that can hold water without any spills or soggy bottoms.

Monneraud grew up in a family of artists and makers, and worked as a creative director for years, but only took up pottery five years ago. After a lot of experimenting with different clay mixes, he came across a texture perfectly resembling cardboard. The addition of 'tape' - actually two different glazes, applied with a brush in four very precise strokes - completes the optical illusion. @jacquesmonneraud

02. 'Freaky Puddle' stool, by Nicolas Zanoni

For the past three years, Nicolas Zanoni has been transforming expanded polystyrene into unusual designs. Visits to processing plants and a series of experiments led him to discover that, when heated up, the material could revert to its plastic state and fuse, creating homogeneous sheets. With the help of recycling specialist Bel Albatros, the Parisian designer uses a heat press to produce marbled sheets, and then sculpts and burns the polystyrene layers as if they were more traditional pieces of wood or marble. Part of the 'Chair Brûlée' seating collection, this delicious-looking but sturdy stool comes with a golden, toasted-marshmallow finish. nicolaszanoni.com