Michael Bell and Susan Zelouf
Finding re-usable objects, collaborators and inspiration are at the root of the Found collection of furniture by Zelouf & Bell, writes Carol O’Callaghan
Found: what an interesting choice of name for a collection of furniture, but one which on first viewing can resonate on several levels. Objects that once performed a very specific industrial function can be found in the sense of being reclaimed, and without modification have found a new role. The end result is something new being “founded”, be it a chair, a coat-stand or a cabinet.
 Powerline coat-stand (from €1,800) |
Overall, the word “found” seems to be the leit motif of a very successful partnership between American Susan Zelouf and Irish man Michael Bell. Since 1992 they and their team of master craftsmen have produced furniture for the home market and abroad. Recently completed projects include residences in Berlin, Tokyo, Ottawa, Lisbon and The Hague, a Dublin penthouse, an apartment in Luxembourg, a luxury vacation home in Kinsale, Co. Cork, conference furniture for the refurbished Irish Stock Exchange, the Cabinet Room in Dublin’s Government Buildings, and a private fishing lodge in Galway.
Michael’s background is in engineering and science, spending 15 years in the corporate sector before a love of designing and making things out of wood, and encouragement from Susan to follow his dream, brought about a major career change.
For Susan’s part, a career in the music industry has shaped what she describes as “a call and response approach” to her role in the partnership that sees her involved in the design and proposal stage for clients.
Now dividing their time between a workshop in Co. Laois, a studio in Dublin and another in California, Susan and Michael have come a long way from their early days in Belfast when their terraced house sitting room overlooking the street was their workshop.
 Larder made from European oak with graphic detail by Will St. Ledger (€10,000) |
So having found their path, and in the process launched several collections, the “found” concept seems to be a timely one with its associations with re-use and their philosophy of buy better, buy less. Found has also extended into finding collaborators which add to the richness and story of the Zelouf & Bell offering. Among them is Dublin street artist Will St Leger whose hand-cut stencils appear on a beautiful larder made from European oak. The eye is first drawn to two stencilled figures decorating the exterior of the larder’s double doors. Inside, the comforting smell of hewn wood takes us back to where this highly crafted piece is rooted, or found.
Several finds come together in the Chequer chairs of the collection. Steel plates used for walkways become the back support, set at a six degree angle to make it a comfortable resting experience. Rust has been removed in the main, but some is retained (stabilised by waxing) allowing it to tell the story of its past before it was found and reused.
The upholstery fabric is by an environmentally-conscious South African venture that hand-makes products and creates sustainable local employment.
 Chequer Plate chairs (€1,200 plus fabric) |
Above all, the Found collection is the product of Michael and Susan’s design inspiration, informed by travel, where they live, and keen observation of the world around them. This is reflected in their Powerline coat-stand made of wenge and steel, inspired by the American landscape where they spend part of the year. Observing endless power lines punctuating the landscape on drives through the California desert has informed the design of the piece. Found cash-register keys pierce its structure to form hooks on which to hang hats and coats. In all, it tells of a design founded in a love of objects that has resulted in a product with delightful provenance and a life of its own that goes beyond designer, maker or owner. It’s also a timely reminder of not only the need to re-use, but how it can be done with style, innovation, heart and wit.
www.zeloufandell.com
Photography by Roland Paschoff