This year, we witnessed the emergence and development of foam furniture trends at Milan Design Week and NYCxDesign. From the perspective of artistic choice, the use of foam blocks is very interesting, but on this year’s DesignMiami, the white corridors are filled with brightly colored furniture. What’s more interesting is that a furniture designer developed and designed himself The foam is ideal for functional furniture. 

The family of South Korean designer Sang Hoon Kim has been running a foam factory for the past three generations. After working in the factory, the designer was fascinated by the manipulability of this material. Science and equality of opportunity, his bubble series very accurately express his current mentality-a structured designer who wants to break the constraints and try to use smoother materials and aesthetics. 

I expected the furniture to sink when I sit down, but Kim's unique foam formula feels almost like memory foam in a mattress, but the shell is stronger. Even after the two densities, the furniture is completely made of the same foam material. We sat down with Kim to learn more about this material and his process of combining science and design:

SHK: My interest in architecture allows me to apply the methods and elements used in architectural concepts to my work. However, I am tired of the previous design work because it is not sufficiently different from other architects and designers in terms of design language or methods. The Foam series is completely different from my previous works because it is very free and intuitive. My design is like modeling or drawing with clay, without any formalities. I want to design different designs from other designers, so I try to find my own way to make furniture. 

My family business has been running a "foam factory" for the past three generations, so I naturally try to use this "flexible foam" material. When I joined the factory in 2015 to develop a new mattress series, I became interested in foam materials. I can understand the characteristics of foam materials and discover the possibility of using them to make unique furniture. I discovered the characteristics and advantages of foam materials and tried to apply them to my furniture. After finishing work in the factory and on weekends, I will practice and study the properties of foam materials.

The foam series is the result of three years of research on "flexible foam" materials. Flexible foam is widely used in the manufacture of artificial skin, medical supplies, artificial leather, mattresses and pillows, such as TempurPedic. It is harmless to the human body and has no odor. Polyurethane foam (memory foam) is made by the chemical reaction of different solutions including polyols. I learned this special technique while working in a factory. It allows me to modify the mixing ratio of the chemical solution so that I can adjust the foam from a soft feel to a firm feel and change it to various colors. The surface increases the density of the foam, making it difficult to tear, and delays the foaming time to express the shape and texture I want. These forms become new works because of their stickiness. These parts do not need a finish like varnish or paint, because the foam itself forms the skin. Soft foam is a very suitable material for furniture because it feels very comfortable.

The manufacturing process of the foam series is completely different from other furniture. I don't need to drill, cut or finish anything. I use electronic scales, mixers and scientific formulas to make furniture. Furniture is basically made of chemical reactions, so I can control the properties so that some points are as soft as cushions, while other points are difficult to support the structure.

After learning and using foam materials, my design perspective began to change. I became interested in the natural phenomena that can be seen everywhere in nature. The foam material made my interest a reality. When I started making foam furniture, I only planned the basic ideas, and then specific design details appeared during my production process.

In my design process, the design and color of each piece will change many times. It is very free and intuitive. I try not to be influenced by the trends of this series or any ideology, so I add colors very freely. I improvise the favorite color of the day based on my mood. I change and layer the colors as I process each piece every day, and when I feel that the colors look complete, I think they are finished. Sometimes I even change the color and shape after finishing, because I feel different every day.

The foam series is currently on display at the Christina Grajales Gallery in DesignMiami.

Emily is the content marketing manager for Autodesk Fusion 360. She focuses on developing the overall Fusion 360 content strategy, including the Fusion 360 blog and social media directions. Before joining Autodesk, Emily was the DMTV content coordinator of Design Milk, the commercial editor of HYPEBEAST, and the editor of Core77. During her tenure at Core77, she also served as the co-chair of the 2018 and 2019 Core77 conferences.

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