Taboo seating

Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck turn plastic trash into trendy seating with their innovative Taboo furniture series.

Part of the Project

Ayse Bisel and Bibi Seck’s Taboo furniture series brings people together over food and Attaya tea.

Past Design Indaba Conference speakers and part of the advisory council for Design Indaba Expo’s Africa is Now exhibition, Birsel and Seck are known for designing product that solve problems and bring innovative solutions to market.

The Taboo stool and table draw inspiration from the daily habits of Western Africans, who traditionally sit on low stools or squat on the floor around low tables while eating in an informal style and socialising over a hot cup of Attaya tea. The stool and table focus on sustainable design principles and is made from 75% recycled material.

To create the series, Birsel and Seck collaborated with a Transtech manufacturer of septic tanks that uses recycled materials in its process. The series comes in a range of colours; the colour however dependant on the colour of recycled plastic that is used in the piece’s manufacturing, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. 

The Taboo furniture collection was showcased as part of Design Indaba Expo's Africa is Now exhibition under the theme "Africa is resourceful", which looked at the juxtaposition of the age-old and the future-forward and how to recontextualise the here and now of African design. 

Watch the Talk with Birsel + Seck