Balthazars
The Brussels Furniture Fair awards
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
The annual highlight during the Furniture Fair is the announcement of the Balthazar winners. Judging from the crowd that gathered to hear the results, the prize is certainly proving popular with Belgian and foreign manufacturers/exhibitors alike! Unlike in previous years, the jury took an unusually long time in its deliberations.
The jury members were: Marie-Anne Desiere, Siegrid Demyttenaere, frances van der Steen, Veerle Windels and Hans Le Compte. They chose the following winners:
Best of Belgium
for the best Belgian product/collection
Innovation
for the most innovative product/collection
Best International
for the best product/collection of a foreign exhibitor
Love at first sight
for the product that most captivates the jury
Best of Design Street-Academy
for the most promising design
Balthazar winners in 2022
the winners and laureates have been chosen
MOBITEC – Blossom
Best Of Belgium
What a table, what a construction, what ingenious reuse. The pedestal opens up like the flower of a budding tulip. The tabletop sits on top of the two leaves. It’s worth bending down a little to take a closer look. Then you see how sublimely these are veneered, in two directions. Their interior construction remains a secret. The tabletop is veneered with wide slats in a mosaic/patchwork pattern. This is so meticulously ingenious that there is absolutely no waste. If you opt for the extendable table then you can safely store the loose leaves in a special protective bag. Why is it so special? Because the materials come from dormant stock, for example fabrics that have been out of the collection for some years. This chimes perfectly with the sustainable ethos!
Laureates:
Theuns – Napoli
Michel Denolf – Ritmo
KLER – Cheers
Best International
What a metamorphosis. What a sturdy sofa! Am I with the right firm? Yes, you absolutely are! With this sofa you are making a statement. The essence of this new design range is a refined minimalism, based on two basic trigonometric shapes. The cylinder for the arms and the cube for the seat. How can these be so simple and yet so soft? You feel secure, have a feeling of relaxation, of ultimate calm. The model is all about softness and comfort. The result is impressive. Sit down and enjoy.
Laureates:
Cacio – Woodland
EgoItaliano – Pongo
THE BEDS – Pola
Love at first sight
You see it and spontaneously want to take a closer look, study it in detail, touch it from top to toe. How artfully can wood be shaped? How intriguing and imposing can craftsmanship be? Everything revolves around the rounded posts. These run all the way through, supporting both the cabinets and the bed. They start out as a leg and end in the tops of the cabinets. This is precision work! Here you recognise the eye of the furniture craftsman. In the bed, the posts flank the headboard. And the bedside table? You lift it up and then… you’re holding a small table on which to enjoy breakfast in bed! What a wonderful, feel-good invention! Incidentally, this design is carried through into all kinds of furniture for the bedroom and living room.
Laureates:
Moome with Lala (design Yonoh)
WR Inspired with Mona
SOFAR -so far so good
Innovation
So far, so good, so THE best for our future. A circular sofa concept with a service model and take-back system. A sofa that can grow or downsize along with you throughout your life. You can always exchange the base for a larger or smaller size. The cushions work with a ‘plug and sit’ system. The sofa consciously opts for mono-materials. The cushions are upholstered with zip-up covers, for example 100% pre-washed linens. Dirty? Simply throw them in the washing machine. Fed up of the colour? Swap the old covers for new ones? The interior is comprised of cradle-to-cradle pocket springs: the pockets are not glued but spot welded. After all, this sofa’s end of life is a long way in the future…
Laureates:
LS Bedding with Ergosleep Cocon 2.0
Otium Care with Hector
Boukje Adriaensen – Lili
Best of Design Street-Academy
Adults find it special, so beautifully designed, like a decorative object. But what are you supposed to do with it? Leave that to the kids. They’ll immediately be engaged. Tipping, turning, pushing, climbing inside, wobbling. How do you dream up such a piece? It’s actually very simple: you put yourself in a child’s shoes. Or better still, you take a child, and observe what they get up to. How they freely create their own fantasy world. This is completely in line with the Montessori philosophy. This children’s furniture is wonderful in any interior, and it grows with your child. As the years go by, they’ll always know what to do with it. And you’ll never want to part with it.
