paged evokes nostalgic imagination with alter ego collection

Particular anecdotes from each designer reveal the uniquely-inspired furniture pieces of Paged for 2023. From fluffy creations to nostalgic childhood references, the Alter Ego collection features a distinct selection of chairs and armchairs, emphasizing imaginative visions, created especially for Salone del Mobile, 2023. Several new designs were created by more than a dozen Polish furniture and interior designers, architects, and artists.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with furniture collection_Archer

all images courtesy of Paged

Established over 90 years ago, Paged has grown into one of the top five manufacturers of plywood, and ranks as the third largest producer of wooden chairs within the EU. With a workforce of over 2,000 individuals, the company specializes in offering inventive solutions and products that are used in a wide range of industries such as interior design and furnishings, construction, transportation and packaging. As of 2019, Paged develops and implements technological advancements based on the expert competences of its own research and development center, Paged LabTech.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with its furniture collection_La Benda

Diversity of approach and expression is Paged’s statement. Staying away from any trends, the manufacturing brand believes that great designs are born from freedom of thought and positive interactions between people who have the courage to leave their comfort zones. These beliefs led the company to the 2023 collection, where ideas meet and collide and which combines the use of CNC machines and experienced human wood benders. Alter Ego 2023 Collection puts together Paged classic pieces in their purest form – from the Thonet bentwood chairs to the 20th and 21st-century models with their new interpretations and new additions.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Sudoku by Grzegorz Gancarczyk from Paged Team

Created especially for Milan, the collection of Alter Ego shows the personality of the over 140-year-old company in a whole new way. The wooden prototypes engage an artistic expression filled with the individuality of the artists. The Polish furniture designers, architects and interior designers who were involved in the production are all creators with very diverse backgrounds and business profiles, which is the reason for which the products express such diversity in form and aesthetics. Designers Agnieszka Pikus, Grzegorz Gancarczyk, Nikodem Szpunar, Ola Mirecka, Jakub Szczęsny, as well as Studio Iskry and the Paged Team designers, are the protagonists of the collection.

‘The name of this year’s concept of our whole the new collection is Alter Ego – simply because a different brand identity is to be revealed. Paged successfully uses the technology of the past, and also boldly creates the future, and brings in new lines as well as an innovative and functional design, both of the systems, technologies, and the furniture itself,’ says Jakub Szczęsny, art director in charge of the Paged Alter Ego 2023 collection Concept.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Contessa W by Agnieszka Pikus

Imagine an elegant and sophisticated countess – not just a figment of imagination, but an actual creation by Agnieszka Pikus, a designer known for her refined furniture and bathroom ceramics. This entity is named Contessa W., and surprisingly enough, it’s an armchair. The Contessa armchair helps assume a position of full dignity and power. The seating furniture was conceived as an extension of Agnieszka’s prior design, the EVO model for Paged – one of the most distinctive items in the company’s collection.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Fuoco Blu and Fuoco Arancia by Studio Iskry

Fuoco Arancia and Fuoco Blu are live-fired versions of Thonet’s popular chair, featuring a practical engraved accessory for hanging handbags. Designed by Studio Iskry, these adaptations address the issue of storing handbags in elegant spaces – a problem that Paged has just solved.

‘We based it on an old Japanese technique of wood-firing. What we liked most about our attempts was that we were able to bring out the very interesting grain of the wood by tanning it more or less before varnishing it,’ Michal Niedośpiał, Studio Iskry.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Perline by Ola Mirecka

Ola Mirecka, renowned for her creative building block sets for a Danish company, as well as her role as a judge in a television competition centered around them, has a love for designs evoking childhood memories. For Paged, Ola tackled her own interpretation of the Thonet chair, once a favorite of modernist architect, Le Corbusier. The Perline chair was enhanced with Ola’s distinctive feminine elements, manifested through a pearl-beige color palette and playful beads adorning the furniture’s railing. These beads are adjustable, allowing the seater to engage in whimsical play by swinging their legs from the seat, until a gentle reminder from a mother highlights the rhythmic tapping might be a bit overwhelming.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_AXIS by Grzegorz Gancarczyk

Folding chair AXIS is based on Paged’s classic export models from the 1970s. It was designed by Grzegorz Gancarczyk, a designer and constructor who works at the company on a permanent basis. The chair folds into a flat frame thanks to a proprietary patented wooden hinge, which also has a decorative value. The product offers a nostalgic journey, reminiscent of the time when Paged folding chairs were widespread in Polish households, coinciding with the initial broadcast of the Reksio cartoon.

‘The main difficulty during the revamping of my Sudoku model was to satisfy the tastes of the audience. The base, the structure of the model already existed, while the idea was to raise the aesthetic qualities to such a level that one could say it was a premium piece of furniture,’ Grzegorz Gancarczyk.

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Antilla by Paged Design Team

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Note by Bartłomiej Lewandowski

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Nodo by Grzegorz Gancarczyk

paged evokes nostalgic imagination with Alter Ego furniture collection_Icho Mio by Nikodem Szpunar

project info:

name: Alter Ego Collection | @paged_furniture

brand: Paged

designers: Agnieszka Pikus, Grzegorz Gancarczyk, Nikodem Szpunar, Ola Mirecka, Jakub Szczęsny, Studio Iskry, and the Paged Team designers

products: Fuoco Aranacia, Fuoco Blu, AXIS, Perline, Contessa W, Antilla, Sodoku, Icho Mio, Nodo

supporting models: Plasa by Nikodem Szpunar, Ronda by Dario Polaco, Note by Bartłomiej Lewandowski

photography: Ernest Wińczyk and Wunderkamera, and Jakub Certowicz