Ardea side table by Giuseppe Campanale is a minimalist piece featuring a “hidden” element that brings fresh expression and function to one of the most underestimated pieces of furniture.
Delete, delete, delete, and in the end, find one essential design component. While we were designing, we were against the intrusiveness of form; we were searching for the minimal line that served the function. We wanted to reach the point where we could say: it can’t be done with any less – Achille Castiglioni. About 70 years ago, one of the greatest masters of Italian design, Achille Castiglioni, taught us about the importance of staying close to the essence of things. With his design intelligence, Castiglioni was able to transform everyday objects into icons that, being free from useless virtuosity, have written the history of modern design.
Good design brings us back to the essentials of needs and clarity of purpose. And recognizing what is essential, giving it form, expression, and space, is perhaps one of the greatest contemporary challenges. Yet, it might also be one of the most interesting ones. To challenge contemporary living is the core of Ideas for Business, DesignWanted’s new competition aimed at promoting projects that thoughtfully reinterpret the past with the goal of moving forward. Unconventional aesthetics, fearless creativity, and essentiality are the key ingredients to impress a jury seeking new perspectives and fresh definitions of “innovation”.
Ardea side table by Giuseppe Campanale
The side table – a timeless and underrated furniture – has been the protagonist of Call #1 and the launch of the Ideas for Business competition. DesignWanted invited designers to rethink this often-overlooked domestic object by challenging its forms, experimenting with materials, and even redefining its functions.
Ardea side table, by the young Apulian designer Giuseppe Campanale, is one of the three projects that stood out for its ability to embed poetry into functionality, reminding us that objects that silently revolve around our daily lives can possess a value that goes beyond utility. Defined by the jury as “a calm presence in the chaos of contemporary interiors”, “Ardea” elevates the role of a common side table, which merely serves as a surface to casually rest books, magazines, coffee cups, or small objects on.
Ardea side table by Giuseppe Campanale
Composed of a basic structure with a minimal, elegant, and highly versatile design, Campanale’s side table “hides” an innovative element. An LED lighting system is seamlessly integrated into the furniture, designed to be fully absorbed in the structure and free from any cables that might limit its versatility. The light is powered by a rechargeable battery, and the absence of wires allows Ardea to be used in different corners of the home without physical constraints.
“Ardea” is an expression of that essentiality we talked about, but also of a creativity born primarily from real needs: a creativity that has nothing to do with useless stylistic exercises but responds with irony and awareness to the challenges of contemporary living. Giuseppe Campanale relies on design to narrate simple yet meaningful stories, and that of “Ardea” tells of a furniture piece that can become part of our daily intimate rituals.
Ardea side table by Giuseppe Campanale
By incorporating this small spotlight, the side table is redefined in its functions, becoming an essential companion in moments of relaxation as well as inspiration, during breaks from the chaos of the outside world and times of enjoyable socializing, always casting a light that gently enhances the atmosphere.
The project perfectly responded to the Ideas for Business Call, teaching the design community that a side table is no longer just an object for the peripheral spaces of the house. It is a piece of furniture that can be designed to become a small office, an intimate refuge, or an open lounge. With its clear intent and innovative design, “Ardea” tells us about an object that, despite its limited presence, can reshape our domestic spaces.
