Benditas Studio has incredibly merged two products that usually have separate utility, adding new value to both. Brot has a double function: it’s a lamp, which creates a warm and cosy atmosphere, and it’s a novel way to grow your own food.
Brot, meaning sprout in Catalan, is a lamp and a seed sprouter (a device for growing edible sprouts). The design responds to society’s growing concern in following a healthier diet, making it fast and easy to germinate seeds for sprouts rich in vitamins and minerals. Designers Caterina Vianna and Ferran Gesa tells us that it was specially designed for the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair ‘19. “One of our aims was to bring the light, shapes and crafts of the Mediterranean to Scandidavia. We did research on the moods and feelings of the Mediterranean and how to transfer these moods and feelings to an object. To make Brot tangible we worked hand by hand with the artisans. We always liked to work under the concept of crafted design so we choose to express this on Brot,” they add.
While creating Brot, they realised that furniture at home is often thought of in a traditionally utilitarian way, where the table is meant for eating, the sofa for resting and the chair for sitting. In contrast, nowadays we work in the dining room, we eat on the sofa and we take naps in chairs. With Brot, Benditas Studio has merged two products that usually have separate utility, adding new value to both. “This lamp probably won’t be sold in specialised lamps stores, nor would it be sold in vegetable stores. We have created a new context for both products,” informs the designers.
Brot is formed by two elements made from terracotta: the vessel, which holds the stainless steel tray with seeds, and the screen to redirect light to the sprout and the room. The centre of the vessel also has a circular opening, which allows the light pass through and creates a defined light spot below it. The light, reflecting off the terracotta ceramic surface, creates a warm atmosphere and helps the sprouts to grow more colourful. This combination of elements creates a dialog between food and furniture.
Image credits: Benditas
About the studio
Benditas is an innovation-driven design studio based in Barcelona working within the fields of product design, art direction and design strategy. It was founded in 2019 and seeks to solve day-to-day problems with a transversal vision, interconnecting knowledge, specialties and sensitivities. The studio is headed by the award-winning designers Caterina Vianna and Ferran Gesa, and have appeared in various specialized publications such as Domino Magazine, Yatzer , ICON, Core 77, AD Architectural Digest, The Duch Institute of Food and Design and Mold Magazine.