After creating several tableware objects, Dutch designer Maarten Baas designed the Aligned collection made up of outdoor chairs an armchair and a table, a collection currently published by Valerie Objects. For the designer of the collection, "the starting point was similar to every object I create: to create a fully functional piece of design that looks as if it has been sketched by hand", says Baas. So to create the Aligned collection, Baas redefined the typical outdoor furniture of metal frames and wooden slats by sketching the slats with a pencil on paper, then meticulously recreating them in real life. The result is very Maarten Baas: the design of the Aligned products looks like it was drawn by a child.
Valerie Objects is a high-end Belgian design brand founded by Axel Van Den Bossche, CEO of the renowned design company Serax, and Veerle Wenes, owner of the iconic Valerie Traan design and art gallery. The mission of Valerie Objects is to enable extraordinary designers and artists to translate their signature style into tangible objects, aiming to reintroduce aesthetic value into the tools and items we use daily—essentially, restoring beauty to everyday objects. The design duo Muller Van Severen was the first to collaborate with Valerie Objects, and they are regarded as one of the most influential European designers today.