Spinneybeck Introduces Beller Collection Cork Acoustic Tiles
The Beller Collection introduces a new natural material to the iconic brand known for five decades as the go-to for full grain leather. Driven by a lifelong fascination with the marriage of nature and technology instilled in his native Norway, Lars Beller Fjetland was immediately drawn to cork. Manufactured with waste material from wine stopper production, the resulting product is 93% recycled cork produced in a waste-free molding process. The molded composite cork tiles of the Beller Collection are flexible too; allowing endless configurations using standard tile designs that add three-dimensional patterning and acoustic absorption.
Lisboa and Porto tiles are 1’-4” (40.6 cm) square modules that secure to a unique pressure fit rail system with a gentle push. The design of Lisboa tiles takes inspiration from the street grids of its namesake city (Lisbon, Portugal) while referencing the flexible pattern making of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeier’s ceramic tiles. The five tile designs feature a thin linear reveal in varied locations that combine to create endless pattern options from simple to elaborate. And named after the Portuguese city known for its cork factories, the three standard profiles of Porto are inspired by familiar textures found in factory building surfaces—rounded silos, corrugated metal siding, and saw-tooth rooftops.
Speaking of the working with natural materials and recycled content in the Beller Collection, Lars Beller Fjetland comments, “I believe that both Spinneybeck and I pursue a common goal of creating new sustainable and sophisticated product solutions, and with the Beller Collection we aim to prove that there is no contradiction between sustainability and mass production.”
And regarding Spinneybeck’s commitment to natural materials, Janet Miller, Vice President of Sales, states, “The Beller Collection tiles, which are a by-product of the cork wine stopper industry, are an exciting expansion of our focus on innovation in natural materials. The collection is offered at a competitive price point to compete with synthetic offerings that provide performance but fall short in aesthetics and environmental best practices.”
spinneybeck.com/beller-collection
About Spinneybeck
Spinneybeck introduced full grain, aniline dyed Italian leathers to North America in 1962. With more than 1,000 colorways in over 30 families of leather upholstery as well as architectural products, Spinneybeck is recognized as a leading provider of high-quality leather to architects and interior designers. Over the decades, the company has evolved from a supplier of full grain, aniline dyed Italian leather for upholstery and aircraft interiors to a manufacturer of pioneering, architectural products made from natural materials to cover the floor, walls, and everywhere in between. In addition, Spinneybeck’s work with industry design leaders in the fields of sculpture, architecture, interior design, and textiles has generated inventive leathers, color work, patterned wall tiles, drawer pulls, and sculpted wall systems. Regardless of the application, Spinneybeck has consistently held the same high standards for quality, originative products, environmental practices, and customer service.
About Lars Beller Fjetland
Lars Beller Fjetland grew up amongst the mountains and fjords of the west coast of Norway, where he nurtured a lifelong fascination of the marriage of function with the finest natural materials. He established his self-titled design office—Beller Design—in 2011 while still a student at Bergen Academy of Art and Design and had his breakthrough moment in 2012 when he launched four designs at Salone de Mobile in Milan, Italy. Lars is constantly seeking to broaden his horizons as a dedicated explorer of form and function. His core philosophy is to design products that achieve a sense of both timelessness and longevity through an immediate, honest functionalism in form and aesthetic. Lars has designed furniture, home goods, and lighting for notable clients including HAY, Hem, Normann Copenhagen, Theodor Olsen, and Wrong London. He is the recipient of numerous awards including Wallpaper’s Top 20 under 40, Young Designer of the Year from Elle Decoration Norway, and New Designers Award from Elle Decoration UK.
