The Dwell 24: UTIL

Util means "useful" in Portuguese, and true to its name, UTIL creates practical metal shelving, tables, and storage pieces geared toward creative urbanites who want contemporary pieces built to last.

By making beautiful, durable products that are still relatively affordable—uncommon among its peers—the brand is addressing the realities of a generation likely to move often and need furniture that is as robust and flexible as they are.

Collections are conceived in collaboration with like-minded international designers countering the planned obsolescence rife in furniture manufacturing today.

"Every detail is there for a reason, structurally or functionally," says creative director Manuel Amaral Netto of the brand’s carefully considered output. "What we try to do is make all of these details count so that everything makes sense in what we’re designing." 

Read the full Q&A with Manuel Amaral Netto below.   

Hometown: Lisbon, Portugal

Describe what you make in 140 characters. I am a trained industrial designer and I design a wide range of things of different scales, from wrist watches to library units.

What’s the last thing you designed? A bowl.

Do you have a daily creative ritual? I cannot skip breakfast. After that, all is possible.

How do you procrastinate? I get lost on the world wide web.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? There are quite a few I would like to dive into.

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? I really appreciate and praise the Memphis gang and what they have achieved in a very particular era for design making but also in their life, in particular Ettore Sottssass.

What skill would you most like to learn? Be more business oriented!

What is your most treasured possession? I have quite a few of nonsense objects that I have collected along the way. The one that pops up to my mind is a weird ashtray from a Portuguese train company that was offered to me as a gift.

What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? In high school.

What contemporary design trend do you despise? Eco design! Sustainability and eco-friendliness should be always part of a design process and never used as a marketing label as we see it so often today.

Finish this statement: All design should... be relevant.

What’s in your dream house? In the woods and close to the ocean. Isolated but close enough to a nice bakery.

How can the design world be more inclusive? By looking more at how people live and behave and less at Instagram.

What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? The time needed to develop a good product.

You can learn more about UTIL on their Instagram.      

View the 2022 Dwell 24!