Maluma, Bob Cork Stool, and Art, Abe, and Arne Cork Tables Set New Standards for Low-Impact Furniture Solutions
January 27, 2025
Studio TK, in partnership with UK-based Modus, is proud to expand its global portfolio of sustainable furniture solutions for social spaces with the introduction of the Maluma Sofa Seating System, Bob Cork Stool, and Art, Abe, and Arne Cork Tables. Sharing a highly innovative and environmentally conscious mindset, this partnership combines the companies’ shared passion for socially responsible, low-impact design.
“At Studio TK, we’re dedicated to developing furniture solutions that foster a true sense of belonging in the workplace,” says Koorosh Sharghi, President of Studio TK. “Modus is an ideal partner in this mission, allowing us to offer adaptable, community-driven solutions that give people the freedom to design spaces that work for them. By combining material intelligence with functional, innovative designs, this partnership helps us empower designers to design workplaces where choice and connection drive culture and community.”
“We consistently strive to combine impactful design with a deep commitment to sustainability,” said Jon Powell, Managing Director of Modus. “This forward-thinking partnership with Studio TK is a testament to how thoughtful materials and creative solutions can redefine social spaces while minimizing environmental impact.”
Designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune, the playful Maluma Sofa Seating System takes a circular approach to enhance life today while being mindful of tomorrow. The Maluma collection features a round ottoman and chair, which can function independently or be connected using a flexible connection bar. This connection bar allows for a movement of +/- 30 degrees around a center pivot point of each sectional piece, enabling free-form seating arrangements. Maluma quickly and easily adapts to various spaces and uses by changing from a straight-line configuration into organic shapes, such as waves, arches, and serpentine lines. Maluma’s sustainably sourced spruce plywood frame is constructed using a 50% bio binder and is available with FSC certification upon request. An optional table featuring a Polygood plastic tabletop made from 100% recycled material is offered for the ottomans and chairs. At the end of its life cycle, Maluma is designed for easy disassembly and can be deconstructed into mono materials.
The Bob Cork Stool is low carbon, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, and naturally sound absorbent. Warm and tactile, as envisioned by designer Michael Sodeau, Bob is made entirely from waste materials generated during the production of wine bottle corks. The stool’s natural finish feels soft to the touch. The curved base features a concave seat and the iconic holes make it easy to move while adding a distinctive design element. When Bob reaches the end of its useful life, it can be recycled into a finer-grade cork composite ready for its next life as a new product.
Also designed by Michael Sodeau, Modus' occasional tables Art, Abe, and Arne are a trio that share similarities while serving distinct purposes. Art is the smallest of the three, featuring an angled cutout that is perfect for holding a book. The medium-sized Abe has a lower shelf running around its entire perimeter. The largest table, Arne, is designed to function best as a central coffee table, showcasing a concentric cutout on the top that is ideal for magazines. Crafted from 100% recycled cork materials left over from the wine bottle cork manufacturing process, these tables are bonded with a solvent-free binder. Cork is naturally water-repellent, easy to clean, and offers sound-insulating properties, creating a memorable and cozy atmosphere. Like Bob, the tables can either be mechanically recycled into new products or biodegraded at the end of life.
The cork oak forests of the Mediterranean, where Modus procures its recycled cork from, are biodiversity hotspots, as rich in life as Amazonia. Quercus suber, the cork oak, is native to Southwestern Europe and Northwestern Africa. Covering around 2.5 million hectares, cork oak forests provide vital income to over 100,000 people in the Mediterranean Basin. Unique in its ability to regenerate its outer bark, cork oaks reach maturity at around 25 years of age and can be stripped of their cork every 9 years without causing permanent damage to the tree - making cork a truly regenerative material. Supporting cork harvesting helps to preserve this unique habitat, and by using waste from the wine cork industry Modus is helping to support the economic viability of cork oak harvesting and contribute to the conservation of this incredible ecosystem. .
For more information in Canada and the U.S.
Oona Walsh, Director, Corporate Marketing
877.TEKNION
oona.walsh@studiotk.com