Colour of sound | Outdoor Collection

An Arabic music connoisseur with an oud collection commissioned Manmade Studio to custom-design some of the furniture for their private home. We wanted to highlight the nuances of the oud’s form so we met with a famous local oud craftsman, who spoke modestly about the philosophy behind making a oud, and the creativity of the process. While orating, the craftsman utters a phrase that would become the defining character of this collection; “the colour of sound”.
He was describing how each oud is different; one is darker, and one is redder, one is peachier, and one is brighter! It is quite fascinating to know that oud-making involves this level of synesthetic comprehension.

Concept Statement. Outdoor collection
After learning about the synesthetic philosophy of oud-making, each furniture piece was developed based on the framework/structure of musical rhythm, and the creative playfulness that happens when the musician strums the strings to give the melody more character. For the outdoor collection, we created the framework/structure (representing the rhythm) with the tall wooden arches for the gathering area, and the shorter arches for the brunch table area, and a
swing for a bit of fun. Between the framework of the wooden arches, just like solos in oud music where the musician gets creative, the seats, backrests, and coffee tables are pieces of loose furniture that can be moved around as the user sees fit, embracing the spirit of improvisation in oud music. From there, every other piece of furniture starts with the same story but goes on to have their own endings.

Photographer.
Samos @architectureinmind

Pieces.
Balcony entrance door, BBQ station, tall arches, lighting, brunch arches, parapet bench, seats, backrests, side tables, swing, brunch table, plants.

Materials.
mahogany, oak, aluminum, powder coated steel, bronze steel tube, LED, canvas, plants, doggy