Maly Hoffmann Kahleyss

Peter Maly is an internationally renowned designer. A whole series of design classics have flowed from his pen, and many of them have been distinguished by design awards. Birgit Hoffmann and Christoph Kahleyss have already worked for and with him on various furniture projects – with success and great fun. The trio is now creating a furore as the design agency Maly Hoffmann Kahleyss.

3 x 1 = 4 or 5

Their motto as a design team reads: Diversity in Unity. They complement one another, and they inspire one another. They work based on the principle that 1+1+1 = at least 4. The chemistry works and they know how to excite one another, and that forms the basis for good cooperation. At the beginning of any project, the three designers work on the assignment individually, and each sketches out their own ideas. They all have their own design vision and expertise. Peter Maly, of course, is considered the éminence grise of minimalist design and has a preference for contrasting, pure materials. Christoph Kahleyss, too, has a decidedly clear, straight-lined graphic style and he is primarily interested in the handling of the material and in exploring the technical possibilities. Birgit Hoffmann creates based on her feeling for shapes, which has evolved driven by her training in ceramics and her work as an industrial designer, above all of furniture projects.

The individual phase is followed by brainstorming sessions: all the ideas are discussed, discarded, distilled and dissected down to 2 or 3 basic concepts. These are worked on together as a team. The process is not always easy, but it nonetheless bears fruit. “Ultimately we come up with a design much better than any one of us could have thought up individually. We are always pleasantly surprised and excited by the final result we've created as a team. That feeling of euphoria is a driver as it evolves. It's great when the manufacturer shares our enthusiasm and takes the project one step further. The euphoria needs to keep burning like a fire in everyone involved in the project.”

The final result is anything but a ‘typical' Peter Maly, Birgit Hoffmann or Christoph Kahleyss product. It's an authentic ‘Maly Hoffmann Kahleyss' design — which clearly carries the identity of the manufacturer. The starting point, after all, is ‘responsible industrial design'. The design is a function of the manufacturer and the consumer. The aim is continuous cooperation with the manufacturer and that the consumer can use and appreciate the products over the long term. “Design distinguishes itself from the free arts. A chair is meant to be sat on. The ergonomics have to be right. Apart from that, the chair has to address the senses, be autonomous and have character.”

A good design is consistent and properly thought through: it must be based on a specific idea and everything has to work down to the finest detail. That makes the design autonomous and unique – gives it a right to exist. Their sources of inspiration are in art, nature, fashion, architecture, society. All the information is stored in the back of the mind - and called upon during the design process. “Inspiration, though, doesn't come out of the blue. Coming up with an idea is a question of very intensive, concentrated and hard work.”

A responsible design is sustainable and durable in every respect. The ‘green' label means a lot more than simply using ecologically friendly materials and production processes. The goal will be missed if the product is quickly worn out or discarded. That's almost a crime against the environment. So ‘green' also has to do with producing real quality, a timeless design. That's why we always start with elementary, logical shapes. Sustainable design should last a long time, for the person and for his life.” The future of design looks pretty rosy as far as the trio is concerned. “As designers we stand for lots of interesting, new directions. Between us there's a very advanced awareness of design, among others for the ‘best aged'. They have needs for which design has so far found too few answers.

The ‘silver' generation has grown up with design. These older people still feel young and dynamic and have developed a taste for design. That doesn't go away just because they've got a little older. At best, their body places somewhat different demands when it comes to the ergonomic aspects of a design, such as seat heights and depths for example. The young computer generation also has a distinct design awareness. Young people, though, want to be more than design consumers: they want to print a personal stamp on the design product. They go for interactive design. Leolux is already playing perfectly on that with its online configurator for some products.

‘Delimitation' of interiors is also creating new possibilities. Boundaries between living spaces are disappearing; the kitchen and the lounge, but also the bedroom and bathroom, are merging to create a wider, roomier architecture. An open interior architecture like that offers new design perspectives and makes alternative design solutions possible. The “Daja” sofa, for instance, was made for generous, open space structures: it has been designed such that it can stand alone in the space like a sculpture."