When in Berlin

Mark McMenamin -- Interior Design, 10/1/2012 2:00:00 AM

Mariusz Malecki describes his furniture as “free” and “spontaneous.” Not exactly revolutionary concepts—unless you consider that the Polish native came of aesthetic age in the Eastern Bloc. After studying design at the University of Arts in Poznan and Academy of Visual Arts, Design & Pop Culture Minerva in Groningen, and working in his homeland’s furniture industry, he moved to Berlin to establish his own brand in 2007. Two years later, Studio Ziben was born.

Alternately whimsical and timeless, the line’s out-of-the box offerings begin with Trash Boy, a 6.-foot-high tower of mismatched, matte-varnished MDF containers. Alice, named for that Wonderland wanderer, resembles a tea trolley, but is actually a writing desk, complete with drawers and shelves, in oak and MDF.

Malecki could also describe some of his pieces as “green.” The Windrobe Grau vitrine combines recycled wood and MD Fand seems almost apothecary. The rustic Vogelhaus Garderobe, an open cabinet, is constructed from recycled floorboards. The same wood forms the asymmetrical Bavko Boy cabinet, available with or without MDFdrawers. Split personalities appear in Louis & Louis, an MDF sideboard divided in half, and the Granny table, part glossy MDF and part recycled wood. Seating options include Vivienne, an oak stool covered with reclaimed fabrics, and StreetChairs, made from repurposed flooring. studio-ziben.de