Stephen Chan

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Step Stool, 2026
When sitting on public furniture, if there’s an odd bit sticking out, i tend to rest my foot on there. Those accidental ledges often make great perches.

So i thought about having a simple array of blocks, with an odd one slightly ajar for your foot to step on. 

It is made from Douglas fir offcuts, sourced from a local building timber supplier just north of London.

300 x 300 x 480



Holder, 2025
A holder to make it easy to take, to return, and to share. Originally designed for ECAL library’s communal photocopy card.

In thinking about receiving and holding, i kept returning to hands. When we receive something gently, we accept with both hands. When we hold something dear, we use two hands to coddle.

The most caring acts are often done with two hands. 

The form follows this thought. Two symmetrical rounds wrapping in on itself, like two hands curling around something dear. A shape that gently receives and holds.



Wire Lamp, 2025
I designed this out of a need for a flexible low-cost light, something I could hang wherever needed.

The lamp is made from a single 1m length of wire and a standard bulb socket. The wire forms two intertwining coils that apply opposing tension, holding the socket securely even with heavier bulbs.

Hook lamps like the betty lamp have long been everyday tools. They were used by miners, servants, blacksmiths, and in farm households, wherever light needed to be practical and movable.

This lamp is a small update.
It uses electricity instead of oil.
Steel instead of iron.

There’s very little to it’s structure, so it can adapt simply by changing the bulb: brighter or softer, warmer or cooler, bigger or smaller.



‘A’, 2025
‘A’ sculpture made from a single rod of aluminium.


Low Table, 2025
‘A’ sculpture made from a single rod of aluminium.


Stainless Balm Case, 2023
Stainless Balm Case is a lip balm keyring holder. It features a sleek singular stainless steel body. Carefully blended openings allow access to twist and extend the balm, tapering into a wedge to fit in between other everyday accessories on a keyring. The case is hand-polished to finish.

304 Stainless Steel



Soft Chair, 2025
I have long admired the warmth of traditional houses but have always lived in smaller modern apartments, which led me to design this chair for our family home. Inspired by the monolithic intersecting struts of traditional Korean Hanok houses, its classic silhouette is softened by rounded impressions on thick wooden sections. With relaxed dimensions, the chair balances refined simplicity with a casual feel. This prototype is made from FSC European Beech, oiled and waxed to enhance its warmth and natural patina over time.

European Beech, Tung oil and Beeswax



Aluminium Floor Lamp, 2024
Inspired by the tall candleholders that lit the corners of old oriental palace interiors, the minimal floor lamp features a flared conical hood sculpted onto a slender pole. The raw aluminium finish gives it a softer natural feel that patinas well over time. The inside of the shade is sandblasted to reduce glare, providing a softer light.



Aluminium Table Lamp, 2024
Table version of the Aluminium Floor Lamp



Air Brewer, Commonmade, 2021
During COVID, I became obsessed with pourover coffee but it’s inconsistency left me frustrated. I kept returning to the idea of ‘bypass’, where water slips down the side and skips the coffee. I thought, what if we removed the walls altogether? I designed Air Brewer to support the filter with only points using a diamond lattice structure. Inspired by Jeju-do’s volcanic landscape, the granular texture gives the airiness a sense of solidity.