Horn Series re-uses speaker horns to create sculptural furniture

Because of the constantly evolving nature of devices and gadgets and all this new technology, there are some things that have become obsolete and reached their end of life cycle. They’ll probably just rot away in garbage fills, unless some smart people can come up with ways to use them for parts or recycle them into something that’s completely different from their original purpose. The good news is that there are a lot of product designers out there that are thinking of ways to find uses for these discarded objects.

Designer: Juyong Shim

Milan Design Week 2025 saw the unveiling of a truly innovative and thought-provoking furniture collection: the Horn Series by Seoul-based designer Juyong Shim. This series, showcased at SaloneSatellite, reimagines discarded speaker components, transforming them into functional and sculptural objects for the modern home. The design process begins with the manual collection of unused and surplus speaker parts, sourced directly from suppliers and abandoned inventories. These salvaged components, including the horns themselves, speaker frames, and structural housings, are not merely decorative additions. Instead, they serve as the primary structural and visual features, dictating the unique identity of each piece within the series.

This project is a compelling exploration of alternative material functions, taking objects rendered largely obsolete by technological advancements, such as speaker horns, and giving them a vibrant new purpose. The collection cleverly integrates the inherent form and structural logic of these horns into the very fabric of the furniture. You get stools that utilizes the flared shape of the horns as its base and tables that incorporate horns and speaker frames as both support and visual elements. There’s one table that merges it with a lamp so you can save space. We also have shelving units that can be customized and lighting fixtures that repurpose the horn’s original ability to project. There are even trolleys that turn these speaker horns into a mobile storage unit.

Juyong Shim’s Horn Series is a statement on sustainable design and the potential for creative reuse. By breathing new life into discarded audio technology, Shim challenges our conventional understanding of utility and value. The sleek, utilitarian forms that emerge from these industrial castoffs are a testament to the power of innovative thinking and a reminder that even in obsolescence, beauty and functionality can be found. The series not only offers unique and eye-catching furniture but also prompts reflection on the lifecycle of technology and the importance of resourceful design practices in our contemporary world.

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