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Design Milk’s Friday Five profile explores how designer Bram Vanderbeke drew on Lore Van Keer’s geometric jewelry, Isamu Noguchi’s architecture and ancient ruins for the Anthology Side Table/Stool. The made-to-order piece combines cast concrete and aluminum; the collaboration’s stool edition is limited to eight.
Design Milk has profiled Belgian designer Bram Vanderbeke, who says ancient ruins, architectural forms and jewelry by Lore Van Keer informed their collaborative Anthology Side Table/Stool. The made-to-order piece layers cast concrete and aluminum, translating the stacked geometry of Van Keer’s Anthology collection into a functional sculptural object.
Van Keer invited Vanderbeke to reinterpret her Anthology jewelry collection as furniture. In the interview, he identifies the Anthology 10 ring as a specific reference: its stacked forms and mix of circles and hexagons helped guide the shape and rhythm of the stool. The finished composition alternates cast concrete and aluminum.
Vanderbeke also drew on a book he keeps in his atelier: Isamu Noguchi’s A Sculptor’s World. The volume includes images of the layered aluminum ceiling Noguchi designed for the lobby of 666 Fifth Avenue in New York. Vanderbeke says that architectural detail informed his approach to layering materials in the Anthology piece.
The stool is handcrafted in Vanderbeke’s Belgian atelier, and each piece is made with a new mold, so the objects are individually distinct. It is designed for indoor or outdoor use and produced to order. The source describes the LVK x BV collaboration as including a silver necklace and a sculptural stool, with editions of 20 necklaces and eight stools.
Jewelry Shapes a Functional Sculpture
The collaboration shows how a design reference can move between disciplines: Van Keer’s jewelry supplies the starting geometry, while Vanderbeke translates it into a larger object with a different material and practical use. The result is presented as both a side table and stool, placing it between furniture, sculpture and collectible design.
The limited run and made-to-order production distinguish the piece from mass-market furniture. Its construction also makes material and process central to the design: alternating concrete and aluminum form the visible layers, while individual molds mean the pieces are not identical. The profile gives readers a direct account of how those decisions connect to the designers’ references, rather than presenting the object only as a finished product.
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From Bricklaying to Collectible Design
Vanderbeke says he wanted to become a bricklayer as a child and later studied woodwork and construction. He went on to study design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent and graduate from Design Academy Eindhoven. In his practice, he examines how objects relate to architecture and the people who use them, with an emphasis on material, form and function.
The Anthology work also draws on themes present in his other projects. Vanderbeke says he is inspired by excavations and ruins, particularly the rough forms and textures of stacked Roman columns. His Cast Bricks collection informs the stool, while his Brick Chair uses arranged bricks to create negative spaces that serve as molds. These references link the furniture to construction methods and the designer’s early interest in building.
Vanderbeke also cites Insel Hombroich, a museum and sculpture park in Neuss, Germany, as an enduring influence. He recalls returning in different seasons and seeing the landscape change the experience of the place. Outside his studio references, he says the DIY ethos and close community of hardcore punk have shaped his approach to making work.
“I liked the stacked shapes of the collection.”
— Bram Vanderbeke, speaking to Design Milk
Production Details Not Specified
The source gives the edition sizes and says the stool is made to order, but it does not provide pricing, order availability, delivery timing or information about where prospective buyers can purchase it. It also does not state how many pieces have been made or sold. The interview describes the designers’ inspirations but does not include technical specifications such as dimensions, weight, finishes or care instructions.
The article’s headline refers to finding inspiration in ancient ruins and architecture, but its subject is a designer profile rather than a new launch announcement. The source does not establish that the collaboration was newly released when the profile appeared, and it does not give a publication date.
Availability Depends on Made-to-Order Production
Vanderbeke’s stated production approach is to make the stool to order in his Belgian atelier, using a new mold for each piece. The source does not announce a future release date, additional edition or sales milestone. Further information about ordering and production would need to come from the designers or their representatives.
The profile also places the collaboration within Vanderbeke’s broader practice. The source reports that he presented Cavea, an exhibition organized by Brut Collective and DesignUnDisciplined, and worked on designs for the reopened Design Museum Gent shop, alongside commissions for several fashion and design clients. It does not give dates or further details for those projects.
Key Questions
What is the Anthology Side Table/Stool?
It is a sculptural furniture piece designed by Bram Vanderbeke with jeweler Lore Van Keer, translating forms from Van Keer’s Anthology jewelry into a stool or side table.
What materials are used?
The piece is made from alternating layers of cast concrete and aluminum. Vanderbeke says its layered approach also reflects architectural references, including a ceiling designed by Isamu Noguchi.
How many stools are in the edition?
Design Milk describes the stool as a limited edition of eight pieces. The collaboration also includes a silver necklace edition of 20.
What inspired its shape?
Vanderbeke cites the stacked forms of Van Keer’s Anthology 10 ring, as well as circles and hexagons in the jewelry collection. He also draws on ancient ruins, Roman columns and his own Cast Bricks work.
Can the stool be ordered, and what does it cost?
The source says it is made to order and suitable for indoor or outdoor use, but it does not list a price, ordering contact or delivery schedule.
Source: design-milk.com
