5 designs using H steel bars as the main focus

Thick. Massive. Heavy. These probably are the first words that pop into your mind when thinking about H steel bars.

But, surprisingly, they can also be a part of lightweight furniture design.

In the construction industry, steel bars are used to support heavy loads.

However, in design, they often serve an entirely different function, which is more related to aesthetics.

H-beam, which, at first glance, looks like one piece of metal but is actually made of three, can give a product a unique look.

We’ve rounded up five cool designs that use H steel bars as the main focus.

Wood & Steel Table by Slick+ DesignUsa

Looking for a dinner table that leaves an impression?

This Wood & Steel Table by Chicago-based interior design firm Slick+DesignUsa will surely do the trick.

Known for their incredible hospitality and entertainment venue designs, the company has created a project that seamlessly integrates form and function.

The H steel bars are the focus, yet, they don’t scream for attention.

Construction furniture collection by Beomseok Chae

Steel beams, scaffold debris netting, and sheets of polycarbonate are not something you often see in furniture design, but the collection of Beomseok Chae clearly shows how good of a combination it can be. 

The Korean designer found his inspiration for the project by looking at the relationship between furniture and architecture.

As he explains, “[The furniture] reminds us of the site of the construction process”.

It’s something we see on a daily basis, nearly on every corner. 

Beomseok Chae’s collection includes four pieces – the beam stool, the polycarbonate chair, the scaffolding bench, and the polycarbonate shelf.

Milan sideboard by Daytona

When you first look at Milan, it almost seems like it’s floating in the air.

Quite strange – if you take into account two massive sections of H steel bars are holding it.

The reason why the mirror-clad cabinet looks so lightweight is the reflections that surround it.

What a wonderful contrast!

The creation of the renowned Italian furniture company Daytona is like the rest of their products – stylistic, innovative, and high-quality.

They write – “The match between the solid beams and the evanescent mirrors is a perfect image of the city of Milan: its solid industrial past still inspires, and “holds up” the contemporary art and design scene“.

H-beam lamp series by SFSO

Imagine the aesthetic features of the H beam applied to various lamps.

That’s exactly what SFSO – an industrial design duo based in San Francisco and Seoul – has managed to do for their H-beam lamp series.

Their idea was simple – the H steel bar is used as the base part for lighting, which can be adjusted in angle and height by the user. 

Moreover, since the assembly process requires only folded metal sheets and screws, production is much simpler.

Beams chair by Eric and Johnny Design Studio

While the Beams chair by Eric and Johnny Design Studio of Berlin is technically not made of steel, I-beams have been the main inspiration behind the project.

To create the lightwood chair, designers used two grades of thin plywood. 

For a better result and more stability, they placed the components at the right angles to each other.

The seat and backrest were designed with thin sheets, unlike the chair’s legs, which are laminated.

End notes

According to William Blake, the true method of knowledge is experiment.

When you look at these H-steel-bars-inspired designs, you can’t help but agree.

Using architectural materials for furniture is a great way to add something new and unexpected to product design.

While few construction projects catch your eye for aesthetics, the works of these contemporary designers are surely nice to look at.