'Every proportion has to be perfect'
The world of design has many faces. With the introduction of the new sofa programme Enna, we also meet a new designer. Berlin-based Hanne Willmann designed the Enna sofa programme and the Nunos coffee table. We asked Hanne about her motivations and the idea behind the design of both Leolux products.
Strawberry shape
"Design for me is very much in details. I love subtle details that you only discover when you take a second look. Those details then have to be perfect. Take the cross-section of Enna's leg, for example. That cross-section is not just an oval, but it has a bit of a “strawberry shape”. We paid a lot of attention to finding that shape. Coffee table Nunos also has such a detail. From a distance, you might think it is a simple wooden table, but when you get closer, you see the unique connection between the top and the base that gives the table its character. Such details are characteristic of my designs."
First sofa
"Enna is my first sofa and I am very happy to have been able to make it for Leolux. I like working with brands that share the same values as me. For example, I think it's important that products are developed and produced as locally as possible. Something Leolux chooses very consciously. The brand is also developing nicely, which gives me the feeling that we fit together perfectly. And if you look at the designers Leolux works with, I can only be honoured that I am now one of them."
Personal design
"Enna is very personal to me, for several reasons. It is, of course, my first sofa, but I am also very happy that it is called Enna. Because that's what my brother used to call me - and still does - because I signed my name backwards on every drawing and craft. Besides, it means a lot to me that we developed Enna with an all-female team. Both in our studio in Berlin and at Leolux, where we worked very intensively with portfolio manager Jet Dircks. It wasn't a conscious choice, but when we realised we were working with an all-female team, it only made the project more beautiful for me."
Friendship
"I really liked the close and friendly way of working together. In the process, I learned a lot myself and I am very grateful for that. Because designing an entire programme is a process that cannot be underestimated. With every element, the details and proportions have to be perfectly right. And that cannot be taken for granted. That's why I visited Venlo several times to discuss the prototypes and sit trial together. In between, we had about two video calls a week. That's how you really get to know each other. Working with Leolux felt like a friendship. A friendship that calls for a great sequel."
