Luxury for the sole purpose of luxury is out of question when designing for en masse consumption. But the fact is that modern consumers are becoming increasingly demanding and more rational when purchasing goods, also finding that products with an extra low price have their disadvantages. On the other hand, designers (well, most of them) do not want for their products to become artefacts in catalogues and display windows.

For this very reason, one of key Italian designers of the last two decades, Stefano Giovannoni, who is best known for his playful Alessi pieces, got the idea for industrial design to become more affordable and close to people. To put it more theatrically, reaching people’s hearts. With this in mind, Qeeboo was born. Giovanni designed a brand that has introduced a new business model in industrial design: more affordable but still aesthetic designs.

Giovannoni therefore decided to invite his friends to design or re-design some of their ‘it’ pieces for Qeeboo. 25 creations, from tables to vases, lights and chair, already hold the signatures of Marcel Wanders, Andre Branzi, FRONT, Richard Hutter as well as Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc.

So now perhaps you could afford Chair X by Nika Zupanc. It’s a cheaper version of the 5 O' Clock Chair, which Zupanc designed a few years ago for Moooi at a price of a good 700 euros. The new version has a monochromatic surface instead of the former white surface with floral print, and the construction is plastic. Or perhaps you could now buy the Cherry light from this Ljubljana-born designer? The light had been designed for La Femme et la Maison, and is made from hand blown glass. It cost a little over a thousand euros, but at Qeeboo it “only” costs a little over a hundred euros.

Exclusively for this opportunity, Zupanc also designed the Daisy lamp, whose “head” can be rotated left or right (or taken off completely) as if playing the game ‘(s)he loves me – loves me not’. Her other Qeeboo products include Table X, Scarlet lamp and Ribbon Chair (originally designed for Dior).

Katja Štok, MMC; translated by K. Z., ph: Tom Vack, Tony Meneguzzo