Photography: George William Vicary
Introducing Modular 001: A New Ritual in Design by Forestalgia
At the intersection of form, ritual, and resonance, Modular 001 signals the inaugural gesture by Forestalgia; a London-based design practice rooted in cultural memory and spatial storytelling. Handcrafted in Hackney Wick, M.001 is not merely furniture; it is a table for ideas, shared time, and experiences that resonate. More than a dining surface, it becomes a site for exchange, for words, silence, music, and gathering.
Design that Speaks Without Words
M.001 combines tactile vegan suede, polished glass, and responsibly sourced foam and wood from British artisans spanning Nottingham to Cornwall. At its core? A portable, battery-powered speaker that hums at the frequency of your world. It’s surrounded by adjustable mood-lighting panels, creating a soft halo of ambience to set the tone whether for collaboration, contemplation, or celebration.
Its layout is intimate: three abstract chairs and a bench orbiting a central table, each sculpted to form a fluid unit. This closeness is no accident. Drawing from traditional Japanese chabudai and horigotatsu designs, the set sits low to the ground inviting a grounded sense of connection. It’s a quiet nod to African and mid-century influences that inform Forestalgia’s visual language.
Photography: George William Vicary
The Table Is Set—for Everyone
From gallery lounges to boutique hotels, intimate home studios to collaborative workspaces, M.001 is for environments where atmosphere matters and design shapes interaction. This is a furniture piece that doesn’t just fill space it transforms it.
Forestalgia’s founder, Emmanuel Lawal, speaks to the deeper spirit behind M.001. Inspired by the phrase “Don’t expect a seat, if you don’t bring anything to the table,” Lawal chose to flip the narrative creating a seat for anyone willing to show up. The result is a community-minded concept that welcomes participation, dialogue, and imagination.
“With Forestalgia, you have a seat at the table. We all have to start somewhere.”
Unveiled in March 2025 at 22 Bishopsgate home to Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and views that stretch across London’s skyline Modular 001 debuted against a backdrop of fine design, art, and elevated dining. Campaign faces include leading creatives such as Catherine Hayward, Narx, Ejatu Shaw, and Harris Elliott captured through the lens of photographer George William Vicary.
Photography: George William Vicary
Rooted in Culture, Designed for Connection
Every curve, cut, and composition in Modular 001 speaks to more than aesthetics, it speaks to culture. Forestalgia’s first product is a synthesis of heritage and futurism, drawing from global traditions to create something unmistakably contemporary.
The low-profile structure of M.001 is a quiet homage to the Japanese chabudai and horigotatsu. Furniture that isn’t just practical, but deeply philosophical. In these traditional Japanese homes, sitting closer to the ground was about grounding one’s energy, cultivating humility, and fostering intimacy. These tables weren’t merely places to eat they were spaces to be present. M.001 borrows this energy, inviting a slower, more intentional way of gathering in a world that often feels rushed.
Photography: George William Vicary
The influence doesn’t stop there. The table’s bold silhouette and plush suede texture reference African mid-century modern design, a design language that marries minimalism with cultural rhythm. Nigerian heritage pulses quietly beneath the surface of this work, from the choice of warm materials to the inclusive ethos behind the form. With Modular 001, Forestalgia isn’t offering a seat at the table. It’s offering a philosophy, one rooted in the belief that design can be both personal and communal, both rooted and visionary.
The Future of Nostalgia
Forestalgia is more than a design studio, it’s a movement. Championing the spirit of Forestalgia a future-focused reflection born from nostalgic essence. This brand looks back only to build what’s ahead. With previous collaborations including Bentley Motors, British Fashion Council, and Polite Worldwide, the studio continues to shape cultural intersections. Modular 001 is the first chapter of many, as the name states.
Photography: George William Vicary
Looking Ahead
The minimalist modular furniture market is poised for continued growth, driven by urbanization, sustainability concerns, and the desire for adaptable living solutions. As design trends evolve, we can expect further innovations that blend aesthetics with practicality, redefining how we furnish our spaces.
Design has the power to transform not just how a space looks, but how it feels and how people feel within it. Modular 001 can be referred to as mood architecture, its scenarios unfold like scenes from a quietly beautiful film:
In a gallery loft in east London, a group of designers gather after hours. The mood lighting is dim, casting soft amber glows over sketchbooks, matcha cups, and the occasional vinyl playing through the speaker at the table’s heart. The curved seating encourages a roundtable rhythm, ideas bounce, eyes meet, and nothing feels hierarchical. It’s brainstorming without ego.
In a boutique hotel in Copenhagen, two travellers sit opposite each other, shoeless and curious. They sip black coffee as they share stories, arms draped over the soft vegan suede. One sketches. The other reads. The table holds them both in quiet rhythm like an anchor in a sea of exploration. In a photographer’s home-studio in Brixton, Modular 001 becomes a display piece, a conversation starter, a stage. Friends come over. They sit cross-legged, drinks in hand, sharing playlists through the built-in speaker. They scroll through proofs on the tablet. A jacket is casually tossed over the bench. It’s not precious it’s lived-in, adaptable, inviting.This isn’t just furniture. This is where ritual meets reinvention.
This summer, Modular 001 invites you to take a seat. As part of the Design Council’s Skills for a Sustainable Planet Blueprint, Forestalgia’s debut piece will be exhibited at the London Design Biennale from 5th June to 29th June. Come by to rest, listen, and linger within the work. Touch the textures, feel the light shift, and hear the table hum softly beneath your fingertips. It’s not just a display it’s an atmosphere waiting to be entered.
Visit londondesignbiennale.com for details and join the conversation where design meets memory, material, and meaning.
To enquire or purchase Modular 001, email contact@forestalgia.co.uk stating the code OJRNLFRSTA001. This code marks where your journey with Forestalgia began, and represents a signal of discovery that opens the door to what’s still to come, for further details visit forestalgia.com.
