Emerging design talent Ah Um Design Studio will mark its NYCxDesign debut at this year’s ICFF Wanted group exhibition with an expanded presentation of its Jura Collection. Founded by Zack Nestel-Patt, the Brooklyn-based studio will highlight a new series of handmade furniture pieces, each defined by raw materials, visible craftsmanship, and a deep reverence for lived-in texture as an emotional design element.
Embracing Texture as a Design Language
At the heart of Nestel-Patt’s approach is a belief in texture as more than a tactile experience—it becomes a conduit for emotion and memory. “Not just texture as in a tactile aspect to a material,” he explained, “but texture as an emotional component to designing and living with objects.” This ethos is woven into every asymmetrical form and rough-edged silhouette across the Jura line.
Crafted primarily in wood and tile, the pieces are distinguished by grainy surfaces, jagged contours, and an intentionally imperfect aesthetic that reflects the human hand. The Tiled Accent Chair, for instance, subverts conventional norms by placing tile—a typically utilitarian material—in an intimate, home-focused setting. The Jura Dining Chair, on the other hand, explores form and contrast through geometric legs, curvilinear cut-outs, and coarse wood finishes.
From Urns to Icons: A Designer’s Creative Evolution
The Jura Collection began in 2024 with the Coffee Table, Stool, Mirror, Pedestal, Side Table, and Bench, marking Zack’s first major foray into woodworking following his earlier work crafting hardwood cremation urns. That experience with function and reverence now informs the aesthetic of his evolving body of work.
For ICFF’s Wanted showcase (Booth #W854), Ah Um Design Studio will unveil the new Jura Dining Chair, Club Chair, Side Table, Tiled Accent Chair, and the Tiled Floor Lamp. Ahead of the show, the Tiled Floor Lamp will appear on May 15 at Public Records, as part of a joint exhibit by Hello Human and Openhouse—offering a preview of Nestel-Patt’s blend of sculptural form and utility.
Each piece tells a tactile story of craftsmanship, memory, and the emotional weight of design. Visitors to ICFF can experience the full collection May 18–20, as Ah Um makes its long-anticipated entrance into the wider design world.