NAQSH
A sheet metal stool inspired by traditional Saudi geometric patterns, reinterpreting heritage into a contemporary furniture piece. Developed through laser cutting, punching and bending, allowing precise geometric detailing while ensuring structural strength and efficient fabrication. It balances cultural expression with modern form.
- Type
- Furniture
- Year
- 2026
- Materials
- Powder-coated steel sheet
- Process
- Laser cut · Punch · Bend
The Problem
Heritage · Today
Saudi heritage lives in museums, not in our living rooms.
Traditional Saudi craft is rich with geometry, rhythm and story , yet most heritage-inspired furniture today feels ceremonial, decorative, or out of place beside a modern sofa. There's a gap between the cultural object and the everyday interior.
How might we design a stool that carries Saudi identity with a light, playful confidence, and still belongs in a contemporary home?
Inspiration
Heritage
Drawing from the Sadu weaving tradition, architectural stepped forms, and the tactile rhythm of perforated metal , a search for an object that is geometric, grounded and quietly cultural.
Ideation
Sketches · Form studies
Early sketches translated the stepped Sadu motif into three-dimensional volume , testing how the silhouette could wrap a stool, a side table, a stacked seat. Color appeared as accents pushed into carved recesses, hinting at how pattern might inhabit form.
Development
Prototype 01 · Cardboard → Paper
An initial 1:1 cardboard prototype tested the stepped silhouette in real space , checking proportion, leg stance and seat height. A second paper iteration then refined the silhouette and stepped edges, mocking up the next form direction before committing to material.
Paper to CAD
SolidWorks · I built the model
Taking the paper iteration into SolidWorks, I built the full 3D model myself. The stool resolves into a small, honest part count , legs, a two-piece top, and screws , captured in a processing sheet with front, side, top, bottom and perspective views.
Renders
KeyShot · Colorway studies
Five colorways. Rendered in powder-coat.
Next step , from render to room.Final fabrication · coming soon