Hem in London and the Incredible House of Cards
During 2019's London Design Festival, we unveiled a brand new addition to the decorative accessory collection, developed together with Modern Design Review. Produced in a limited edition of 100 pieces, The Incredible House of Cards by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot is a modular sculpture available in a plethora of surprising colorways.
Photography: Peter Guenzel
In line with Bertjan Pot’s pitch for color, the temporary space in Hackney had been turned for 5 days into immersive exhibit of Hem’s second decorative accessory. A large-scale mural painted on the building’s front facade reflected the playful interior. Arranged with vivid tones referring to the palette developed by Pot for the collection, the space featured colorful pedestals displaying the Incredible House of Cards, accompanied by key pieces from Hem’s existing collection and upcoming product launches.
Pot, who is known for his playful and whimsical designs, was tasked by Modern Design Review with the creation of a piece that epitomises the idea of a ‘decorative accessory’. The Incredible House of Cards is a modular sculpture with a simple assembly method that when realised creates an optical illusion through the perception of colour depending on the position of its viewer.
The house of cards structure is an iconic recreational object that has been created for centuries, even famously re-imagined by Ray and Charles Eames in an appreciation for the uncommon beauty of common things. In this incarnation, the latest addition to the Hem portfolio reflects Pot’s playful approach to design and brings to life a motif which he uses frequently throughout his work.
“The classic house of cards has been a recurring motif throughout my career; I've built them and used them as decorative elements in exhibitions, as a graphic icon applied to stickers, I even once turned one into a hat. The appeal of the house of cards is that it is both structural and sculptural but at the same time arbitrary and familiar. My Incredible House of Cards for Hem is a cheats version; an easy-to-assemble kit that makes for an accessible, playful, decorative accessory.”
— Bertjan Pot, Designer
