As soon as the site over at Belgium’s Wildspirit overcame the Monday internet blahs and loaded into living, breathing life, I knew the manufacturer and I were of a philosophical piece. That’s not just because I dig the featured homepage image (a rakish, if ostensibly slightly perturbed, Springer Spaniel emerging from the multifunctional Stoll 50), but also due to what they describe as “an expedition for intelligent, aesthetic and durable design objects.” This philosophy of aesthetic fluidity has resulted in much auspicious collaboration between WS and some very imaginative artistes. As, for instance, Dutch designer Erik Jansen, whose Spring Stool charmed attendees at last week’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

Spring Stoll. Designed by Erik Jansen.

Coincidentally–and through no silent conspiracy to publicize companies whose mascots are adorable creatures of the canine variety, I assure you–exactly one week ago, fellow 3ringer Alicita Rodriguez examined another Wildspirit offering, Samuel Chan’s Motley Collection. This one-two punch of products is, in fact, owed to the company’s “respect for designers’ creative integrity,” and subsequent avowal to “give designers carte blanche.” Jansen, for his part, used the first few digits on this proverbial blank check to work with a somewhat unconventional material–rail-thin strips of the hard yet pliable grass called bamboo. The Spring Stool comes to fruition via Jansen’s ingenious assemblage of a handful of these laminates, cut to but two different dimensions. The longer strips form the piece’s shaft and base, while the shorter, slightly thicker sections create the top.

The concept and execution might remind you of early work with bent plywood (I’m channeling the ghost of Alvar Aalto), though Jansen’s chosen medium allows for a bit more figurative flexibility and literal plasticity than ply, since bamboo can be manipulated into such sublime shapes at lower costs of both resources and time. The uphsot is the Spring Stool’s unusual, appealing, somewhat mischievous, and exponentially charming look, which reminds me of a toadstool of the Alice in Wonderland variety, just ever so much more functional. Because Spring is a Stool, yes, but it can also fulfill the genial requirements of chair, pouf, and impromptu low table for your kitchen, bar, lounge, and sitting area. And it will do so with no small quantity of whimsical flair.

Via Contemporist.