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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
  • +2
ChopTable Round, Beige
$779
Chop Table Square, Black Green
  • +2
ChopTable Square, Black Green
$779
Chop Table Round, Ultramarine Blue
  • +2
ChopTable Round, Ultramarine Blue
$779
Chop Table Square, Grey White
  • +2
ChopTable Square, Grey White
$779
Chop Table Round, Black Green
  • +2
ChopTable Round, Black Green
$779
Chop Table Square, Beige
  • +2
ChopTable Square, Beige
$779
Chop Table Round, Grey White
  • +2
ChopTable Round, Grey White
$779
Chop Table Square, Ultramarine Blue
  • +2
ChopTable Square, Ultramarine Blue
$779
Chop Chair, Beige
  • +1
ChopChair, Beige
$499
Chop Chair, Black Green
  • +1
ChopChair, Black Green
$499
Chop Chair, Ultramarine Blue
  • +1
ChopChair, Ultramarine Blue
$499
Chop Chair, Grey White
  • +1
ChopChair, Grey White
$499
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Beige
  • +1
ChopChair (Set of 2), Beige
$959$998
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Black Green
  • +1
ChopChair (Set of 2), Black Green
$959$998
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Ultramarine Blue
  • +1
ChopChair (Set of 2), Ultramarine Blue
$959$998
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Grey White
  • +1
ChopChair (Set of 2), Grey White
$959$998
Chop Table Square, Laminate / Stainless
  • +2
ChopTable Square, Laminate / Stainless
$1,059
Chop Table Round, Laminate / Stainless
  • +2
ChopTable Round, Laminate / Stainless
$1,059
Chop Chair, Stainless
  • +1
ChopChair, Stainless
$559
Chop Chair (Set of 2), Stainless
  • +1
ChopChair (Set of 2), Stainless
$1,059$1,118

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