Interview

halb/halb

Words: Caroline Kurze

Nicole Losos and Nikolaus Kayser are halb/halb, both studied industrial design, they are living and working in Berlin. Both have their own day job, working as freelance designers, the concepts for halb/halb are a side project that they create in their spare time, on the couch or at the kitchen table. That’s also what makes them special, the products emerge from their passion for design not necessarily to make money. “There is no pressure to create”, says Nicole, “For halb/halb we only do what we really want to do”.

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The results are quite outstanding, especially their second draft, the halb/halb mirror was a huge success. It got a lot of attention from the international press and meanwhile you can also purchase it at One Nordic for 95,00 EUR at their online shop.
It’s a simple concept that is both, aesthetically appealing as well as functional. A round mirror, consisting of two surfaces that are angled towards each other allows different perspectives of a room, making it something more than a regular mirror. Due to the clever assembly it can easily be used by two persons at once. And you get to explore your room from totally unknown perspectives.

As with the halb/halb mirror, Nicole and Nikolaus draw inspiration from earlier works as in that case from a paperwork that Nicole did some time ago. Also their daily surroundings are a source of inspiration for the couple. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be design related. When you just keep your eyes and mind open, you can discover lots of things that’ll give you new ideas”, says Nikolaus, who’s working as a partner at böttcher+henssler produktdesign. That is especially what makes Berlin so attractive for him.
They’re also keeping themselves updated about the international market on the internet and draw inspiration from images and objects they source online.
Nicole and Nikolaus are in a game of creative ping-pong, giving each other feedback, working on new approaches and innovative ideas. Nikolaus is a trained carpenter who is also interested in the technical side of the process, using his experience to technically translate and perfect the details.

For their next project, they’re planing to create home accessories made of paper. If possible, they’d also like to produce and distribute their own designs by themselves.

Photography by Julia Nimke | Words by Caroline Kurze