Design Secrets: Furniture

and furniture in a museum or someplace. It’s like experimenting

with what kind of a space you need for when you sit next to peo-

ple you don’t know.”

When he began to design the Park Lane Bench for Nola, Dahlstrom

turned his attention from interior public spaces to the world out-

side. “I thought of the bench as sort of an island in a park or the

city environment. Instead of creating wooden armrests at the end

of the bench, I wanted to do something that made a gesture out-

wards. It gives you a little bit of space to put your bag down but

also to shield you from the environment.” Dahlstrom began his

sketching directly in the computer, creating strong ...