Hem X Unveils Six Limited-Edition Stools of Distinction

Dinner parties often benefit from a diverse yet complementary mix of characters. In that same spirit, Hem has introduced six sculptural stools that reflect the varied personalities of their designers. Dubbed Props, the collection falls under the Swedish design brand’s Hem X umbrella of limited-edition collaborations with up-and-coming studios.

All six stools offer a place to sit, but that’s where the similarities end. Materials, forms, and colours all vary dramatically from one design to the next — and yet together, the gang still feels like a cohesive group.

A group of six different Hem X Props stools arranged in a row.

The range unites emerging talent from Scandinavia and beyond. As with past editions of Hem X, the collection’s roster of designers was curated by Hem in partnership with London-based gallery and magazine Modern Design Review.

A stack of pastel purple Hem X Props stools with Swiss cheese-like cutouts.

Henrik Ødegaard’s pastel purple Slurp stool is a charming standout, featuring wood panels perforated with hieroglyphic holes that evoke Swiss cheese. (Avid followers of Hem founder Petrus Palmer’s Instagram account will note that Ødegaard also recently designed Palmer a custom bar cabinet. Here’s hoping he’s working on something for Hem’s mainline next.)

A group of Hem X Props stools made by wrapping colourful cotton rope around a cubic frame to create a striped pattern.

Another favourite is Paris-based designer Wendy Andreu’s Regen stool, which reflects a craft-based approach by winding cotton ropes around a structural frame to create a striped textile.

A wooden Hem X Props stool by Destroyers Builders.

A wooden Hem X Props stool that looks like a stack of Jenga blocks.

Two of the collection’s other featured designers deliver their own spin on a traditional wooden stool. Specifically, Brussels- and Antwerp-based studio Destroyers/Builders created a totemic assembly of rounded tulip wood blocks (left) while Sho Ota — who is originally from Japan, but is now based in Eindhoven — formed a Jenga-like stack of ash offcuts (right).

A blocky Hem X Props stool made out of mirror polished steel.

An acid green cylindrical Hem X Props stool with a cork-like texture.

Delivering another dose of blocky geometry, Seoul’s Seongil Choi riffs on pixelated graphics with a tower of welded sheet steel (left). Each surface is mirror polished “for an inexplicable amount of time.” Finally, the Mass stool by Odd Matter (right) successfully lives up to the studio’s name. While the acid green cylinder may resemble a science experiment, it’s actually molded from a cork and plaster mix.

A group of six Hem X Props stools shown on a furry rug.

While Hem’s core furniture line already contains some pretty eclectic offerings, each of the designs in this latest Hem X drop excel at expressing a unique perspective. Why seat your guests in rows of matching chairs when you can have them select a throne that appeals to their sense of individuality?