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Behind the design: Philippe Malouin

The Chop Chairs and Tables by Philippe Malouin, mark our first step into taking premium design outdoors. Conceived for use in a range of public and private outdoor spaces, the Chop family is beautifully proportioned and intentionally simple, in both construction and style. Bent and welded from durable stainless steel, and available in 4 powder-coated colored finishes, Chop is a design for all seasons.

Photography Erik Wåhlström

An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer behind Hem's latest outdoor collection: Chop Chairs and Tables.

Did you have a specific inspiration for Chop?

A small part of my work as a designer takes part in the art world where I do a lot of experimentation. I work with Salon 94 Design in NYC and The Breeder in Athens. Both galleries allow me to experiment on new works, and often, some of these works can be applied to mass production. In the case of Chop, the exercise was about working with one single steel profile and create a chair out of it.

An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables, featuring the Chop Chairs in 4 powder-coated colorways.

How important was the color choice for the collection?

Colors are really important, and I can be indecisive when it comes to color. It’s important for a project to have the correct color when they are launched in order to appear contemporary, but I don’t think that design should follow the trends. So it’s about finding the right balance.

An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables, featuring the Chop Chairs stacked in 4 powder-coated colorways.
An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables, featuring the Chop Chairs in 4 powder-coated colorways.

How do you imagine people using and living with Chop?

I imagine people using the chair without thinking too much, using it instinctively. The chair is built tough, it’s not delicate. It will never rust as it’s made of stainless steel. I expect people to have fun with it.

An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables.
An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables.

What is your usual starting point for designing a new piece or collection?

Every single project is different. Sometimes a company asks us for a specific thing, and we happen to have the specific thing already designed, just sitting on a shelf. Some other projects start from doing months of research and countless sketches. And quite a few others are influenced by the work that I do in the gallery world: a simple discovery by physically making things often influences the course of the design process.

An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables.
An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables, featuring the Chop Chairs in 4 powder-coated colorways.
An editorial image from behind the scenes with Philippe Malouin, the designer of Chop Chair and Chop Tables, featuring the Chop Chairs stacked in 4 powder-coated colorways.

Discover Chop

Chop Table Round, Beige
Chop
  • +2
Table Round, Beige
£616
Chop Table Square, Black Green
Chop
  • +2
Table Square, Black Green
£616
Chop Table Round, Ultramarine Blue
Chop
  • +2
Table Round, Ultramarine Blue
£616
Chop Table Square, Grey White
Chop
  • +2
Table Square, Grey White
£616
Chop Table Round, Black Green
Chop
  • +2
Table Round, Black Green
£616
Chop Table Square, Beige
Chop
  • +2
Table Square, Beige
£616
Chop Table Round, Grey White
Chop
  • +2
Table Round, Grey White
£616
Chop Table Square, Ultramarine Blue
Chop
  • +2
Table Square, Ultramarine Blue
£616
Chop Chair, Beige
Chop
  • +1
Chair, Beige
£400
Chop Chair, Black Green
Chop
  • +1
Chair, Black Green
£400
Chop Chair, Ultramarine Blue
Chop
  • +1
Chair, Ultramarine Blue
£400
Chop Chair, Grey White
Chop
  • +1
Chair, Grey White
£400
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Beige
Chop
  • +1
Chair (Set of 2), Beige
£750£800
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Black Green
Chop
  • +1
Chair (Set of 2), Black Green
£750£800
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Ultramarine Blue
Chop
  • +1
Chair (Set of 2), Ultramarine Blue
£750£800
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Grey White
Chop
  • +1
Chair (Set of 2), Grey White
£750£800
Chop Table Square, Laminate / Stainless
Chop
  • +2
Table Square, Laminate / Stainless
£833
Chop Table Round, Laminate / Stainless
Chop
  • +2
Table Round, Laminate / Stainless
£833
Chop Chair, Stainless
Chop
  • +1
Chair, Stainless
£433
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Stainless
Chop
  • +1
Chair (Set of 2), Stainless
£833£866

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