10 Things You'll Want to Know About Sebastian Herkner

Participants at the largest furniture and interior design fair, Maison & Objet, were invited to reflect on French style: the theme of the January session was Excuse My French! ("Sorry for my French"). The Designer of the Year was chosen to be German.

However, Sebastian Herkner's work, contrary to stereotypes, is just as expressive and vibrant as typically French designs. To avoid being merely speculative, we've gathered the best projects of this designer and some notable facts from his biography.

Sebastian's parents didn't take his passion for drawing seriously. But Sebastian was persistent and, after finishing school, went to study product design at the University of Applied Arts in Offenbach, where Werner Panton and Dominikus Bem once taught. At 25, he opened his own studio. Sebastian is now 37.

Sebastian Herkner and his very fresh project — 118 barstools for Thonet
Sebastian Herkner's clients are major European brands. Among the most well-known are Moroso, Cappellini, Pulpo, Thonet and Gevarsoni.

Stellar Grape lights for Pulpo

Collaboration with Moroso began with the Young Designer Competition at Salone Satellite in Milan in 2011. Herkner's works were not among the winners, but the art director of Moroso, Patricia Morozzo, noticed him. Sebastian’s first collection for the Italian brand could be seen at the following year's Milan fair.

Chairs from Pipe Collection for Moroso

His specialty is working with artisans and manufacturers. Herkner says he is indifferent to trends and aims to create timeless products, so he actively uses traditions and techniques from various cultures in his projects, combining them with modern materials and methods. A good example is the handmade basket collection he designed in collaboration with artisans from Zimbabwe within the EUNIC cluster and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe project.

The designer interned with Stella McCartney. According to Herkner, during his student internship with the famous designer in London, he learned to feel materials and professionally work with color.

Circo woven furniture collection made from recycled plastic for Ames
Sebastian has more than forty awards in his collection. One of the most prestigious is the Red Dot Design Award, which he received in 2010. Contest experts praised his Bell tables for ClassiCon.

Bell Table for ClassiCon
Color is a priority. Sebastian begins every project by determining the appropriate shade. According to him, finding the perfect color combination can take years. Black-and-white is often considered a safe bet, but he finds nothing more boring. With such richness in existing hues, it's foolish to limit oneself and restrict creativity. I love color! It adds character and mood to any object or space.

Bici project bicycle for Ames
His favorite material is glass. "I am very familiar with this material: it is versatile, though working with it can be quite challenging and requires years of experience," Sebastian says. "However, it is a very engaging process, with many methods of glass processing available, which offers wide creative freedom."

Pastille table series made of glass for Eition van treeck

His least favorite material is plastic. Sebastian tries to use it as little as possible. "My student years coincided with the era of transparent plastic. I decided to buy something from this material too and quickly became disappointed: the item scratched easily. I think the value of good materials lies in their ability to age beautifully. Usually, these are natural materials like wood, metal, and marble," he says.

Collana vases for Rosenthal
Besides product design, Sebastian also designs public spaces. For example, exhibition stands, museum displays, showrooms, and stores.

Alsterhaus shopping center interior in Hamburg
Sebastian draws inspiration for his work from travel. "It stimulates my imagination," Herkner says. He believes it's better to travel by train to get to know not only big cities but also small, authentic places.

Another 11 great works by Sebastian Herkner. Opium panels for Doppia Firma. Merwyn chair for Wittmann. Oda lights for Pulpo. Mulera blankets for Sala Sala. Tricolore vase collection for &Tradition. Fibra baskets for Ames Sala. RL1 and RL2 lamps for Pulpo. Maiyda Chair for Very Wood by Gervasoni. Bent lamp for Pulpo. Ample Chair for Lintoo. Souvenir wooden boxes for Schönbuch