Cork Family

Cork Family is a collection of stool-tables made of cork, designed by Jasper Morrison in 2004 and produced by Vitra. The series consists of five different models: Cork Family A, B, C, D, and E. Over time, the Cork tables have become iconic design objects, standing out as one of the most popular and best-received projects by the master of British minimalism in terms of popularity and sales. According to Jasper Morrison, the idea to use cork as a construction material came about like this: “I once drove through a forest of cork trees south of Seville, and from that moment on, I wanted to find a way to use this extraordinary material—waterproof, rot-resistant, and even termite-proof! The Cork Family followed a project for Moooi and uses a pressed cork granulate made from the waste material of cork stopper production for wine bottles. I see them used as tables beside low chairs, but most people seem to think they’re stools. The cork industries have recently been struggling due to the trend of using other types of stoppers in the wine trade. Hopefully, the cork industry will survive.” (Jasper Morrison in an excerpt from the book Everything but the Walls) The British designer’s choice to use cork as a construction material didn’t stop with this collection of stools; it continued over time, becoming one of Morrison’s research focuses. Other projects using the same material include Cork Bowl and Cork Chair for Vitra, Handle for Pamar, and the Corks exhibition at the Kasmin Gallery in New York. Speaking about cork, Morrison says: “It’s a great material for both its visual and tactile qualities, but above all, I love what it does for the atmosphere of interiors.”