Monika Piatkowski

Hive is an award winning interdisciplinary design company specialising in furniture, lighting, interior accessories and design. Formed in 1998 by designer Monika Piatkowski and architect Mark Dyson, the work of the studio combines the design and manufacturing of its own range of HIVE label products and development of commissioned projects for interior design and architecture. In 2008, Hive relocated from the OXO Tower Wharf to a purpose build studio in Deptford, South East London.

Since the foundation of the company HIVE has designed, manufactured and retailed its own line of products, but has also developed interior product lines for clients such Habitat, Nicole Farhi, Harrods, Clarins and CVO Fire as well as designing bespoke designs for interior and architectural projects.

Hive has received several awards for its products and in 2005 Monika Piatkowski received the prestigious Designer of the Year Award from ELLE Decoration Norway and the ELLE DECO EDIDA Award.

HIVE’s work is often inspired by the interaction between two influences; objects designed with a rational expression of form and function combined with a material honesty. Basic, raw substances reduced to the bare minimum. Clay, steel, wood, leather and felt are applied to functions whose form is naturally expressed by the properties of the material. In contrast to the simplicity of the above, parallel ideas play with the ironic re- evaluation of function associated with the 'ready-made'. Everyday things, with no outstanding characteristics, are transported to new environments whose qualities are enhanced not only by the narrative of the object’s previous existence, but also by the communication between the function of the old and the function of the new.

Taking found objects, inspirations from the discarded and forgotten, extracting the beauty and applying it into a structured language of sophisticated design.