In every issue, we spotlight SWFL interior design experts as they share their top global finds. This month, Naples designer and architect Michaela Reiterer Henning, of the eco-forward firm Hlevel Architecture, highlights architect-made designs. These pieces—crafted by some of the industry's greats—bring spatial innovation to a human scale, proving that architect design extends beyond buildings, creating timeless objects that blend form and function. Whether you're seeking design inspiration or insight into the art of architectural problem-solving, these selections showcase enduring creativity.
Courtesy Artemest
Revolving Cabinet by Shiro Kuramata
Revolving Cabinet by Shiro Kuramata
The 6-foot-tall tower fashioned from glossy, cherry-red acrylic showcases Japanese postwar design pioneer Shiro Kuramata’s penchant for elevating humble materials like plastic and assigning utilitarian function to abstract forms. Twenty drawers rotate independently around a central metal spine for an interactive design that can be used to display sculptural objects or store small keepsakes. Grounded in Kuramata’s minimalist principles, the piece is striking with its bold monochromatic presence and kinetic rhythm. Michaela, who appreciates the intrinsic playfulness of the shape-shifting unit, suggests splaying the drawers outward to create shelving that resembles a mini spiral staircase. (Lovers of collectible design: Head to PDA Gallery, in Naples Design District, where the owners often source rare iterations of Kuramata’s extensive experimentations with cabinets.) cappellini.com
Courtesy Luminaire
Doge Table by Carlo Scarpa
Doge Table by Carlo Scarpa
Designed in 1968 by Italian legend Carlo Scarpa and produced by Cassina, this industrial-meets-refined masterpiece epitomizes ‘material honesty,’ where structural elements are celebrated in their natural state. The table’s L-shaped metal legs—precision-engineered from aluminum or satin-finished steel—support a glass or marble top, with exposed fasteners that reveal rather than conceal the manufacturing process. The glass toppers draw from the architect’s background in Venetian glassmaking (opt for the Doge Laguna table for a surface resembling rippling Gulf waters). Far removed from any modern digital meme, the Doge draws its name from the Venetian Doges, a homage to the historical grandeur Scarpa embraced. “It’s so simple and elegant,” Michaela says. cassina.com
Courtesy Kreon & Belux
Cloud by Frank Gehry Mamacloud 004
Cloud by Frank Gehry
Recognized as one of the most influential architects, Frank Gehry sporadically lent his sense of sculptural form and experimental materiality to furnishings and lighting. In his Cloud series for the Swiss lighting brand Belux, sheets of polyester fleece billow around an LED core, emitting a dreamy glow. “It’s a piece that you just want to touch and feel,” Michaela says, noting that the fixture can be reshaped and fluffed by hand by hand to take on different shapes. Choose from 12 models, ranging from a 23-foot-long chandelier to the Babycloud compact table lamp. “It brings nature into the built environment,” Michaela muses. belux.com
Courtesy WB Form
Lounge Chair by Shigeru Ban
Lounge Chair by Shigeru Ban
The Japanese architect behind such boundary-defying projects as Aspen Art Museum and Fujinomiya’s Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, Shigeru Ban brings humanitarian purpose to his Pritzker Prize-winning practice. His furnishings riff on his ingenious work, using unorthodox materials, like paper and cardboard, for shelters, gathering spaces and beacons of hope for disaster victims around the world. “He proved that cardboard can be a structural element,” Michaela says, referring to his Paper Log Houses built after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which launched his relief architecture initiatives. Part of the architect’s Carta Collection, the Lounge Chair has a birch plywood base and recycled paper cardboard tubes making up the curved backrest and seat. A protective resin coating prevents the rolled paper from tearing and keeps the surface water-resistant, while the cylindrical shape delivers a surprisingly comfortable lounging experience. wbform.com