Abrete y Cierrate: A Cabinet That Transforms with Light and Shadow

Federico Varone's Award-Winning Design Fuses Tradition and Innovation

The Abrete y Cierrate cabinet stands out for its unique properties. Its design is linked to the boundaries between the interior and exterior, with a focus on the transformation of the weft when opening and closing. This change is accentuated by the contrasts of light and shadow that occur as the day progresses. The cabinet features custom magnetic sockets inserted into the wood, creating a subtle closing sensation when the panel is slid over the rails and brought closer to the structure. The use of noble and ecological materials such as recycled leather and Lenga wood adds to the fusion between the conceptual and the traditional aspects of the design.

The cabinet's production process combines traditional techniques with numerical control machinery. The doors are made of a weft generated from strips of recycled leather joined together with rivets and other hardware. The structure, made of Lenga wood and CNC cut, consists of a lid, base, and middle shelf, all supported by four columns that contain the magnetic fasteners as well as the wooden hardware attached to the frame. Two metal rods allow for smooth sliding, and the legs are made of metal rod.

The cabinet's dimensions are L1200 x W600 x H 800 mm. The wood chosen is Lenga, a native type from the Argentine Patagonia. The wood is finished with water-based polyurethane lacquer, and the recycled leather is laser cut, with the edge of each strip painted. The leather strips that make up the doors are joined with metal rivets, and the legs and rails are made of powder-coated metal rods.

The Abrete y Cierrate cabinet is not just a static piece of furniture. Depending on the viewing angle, the texture changes, and the movement of the doors interacts with the user and the environment, even when at rest. The use of the product is simple, with the doors that are suspended on rails sliding through them, and the locks and closures are magnetic.

The design was first exhibited in Wanted Design/Launch Pad 2016, and has since been showcased in various exhibitions, including the Salone Satellite in April 2017, the Argentine Design Hallmark 7th edition in Buenos Aires 2018, D&D + Dara exhibition in Buenos Aires 2017, and in MADE (Mercado Arte Design) in August 2019. The project began in Buenos Aires in 2015 and was completed in 2016.

The Abrete y Cierrate cabinet is the result of extensive research and experimentation with different materials to achieve the necessary expansion and compression. The structure is defined by the wood, as a traditional container, framing the doors that represent this experimental game between what is seen and what is not seen, between light and shadow. The design explores the limits of light and shadow and how the point of view changes the perception of what we see.

The biggest challenge in the design process was the production of the panels and textures to obtain an ethereal weave that interacts with the user and the environment. Recycled leather was chosen for the noble nature of the material and also for the elasticity generated when recycling it and mixing it with other additives to achieve this new laminate composite. The doors are assembled by hand, joining the strips one by one with rivets and turned bronze pieces.

Varone's inspiration for the Abrete y Cierrate cabinet came from the garlands and the limits between the interior and exterior, in how they contract and expand, changing shape through movement. With that in mind, he thought in a product that would allow to bring together aspects of technique, function, aesthetics, and experimentation. This experience is generated with the contrasts of light and shadow that occurs as the day goes by. The textures emerge with moving lights and shadows, merging the interior and exterior, what is visible and what is not.

The Abrete y Cierrate cabinet was awarded Silver in A' Furniture Design Award in 2022. The Silver A' Design Award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.