Studio 5.5 turns Schneider Electric sockets into furniture
French studio Studio 5.5 teams up with Schneider Electric for Volt Face, transforming Odace sockets and switches into innovative lamps and tables.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Studio 5.5 turns electrical switches and sockets into core furniture materials
- The project reinterprets the Odace product range by Schneider Electric
- Components are repurposed as modular building blocks for interior architecture
French design studio Studio 5.5, led by Vincent Baranger and Anthony Lebossé, has unveiled a creative project titled Volt Face, published on October 6, 2026. The initiative reimagines ordinary household electrical components, specifically sockets and switches, by converting them into the primary building blocks for lighting fixtures and furniture.
Instead of treating switches as a finishing detail typically installed at the tail-end of an interior project, Volt Face positions them as the starting point. The studio utilized Schneider Electric’s Odace range, recombining and repositioning its components to thoroughly explore their materials, colors, finishes, and tactile qualities while retaining their original functionality.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The resulting collection features a diverse array of functional art and home decor items, including:
- Wall lights
- Tables
- Bedside tables
- Pendant lamps
- Various other decorative lamps
By placing sockets and switches at the center of each design, the project integrates physical interaction into the daily experience. The characteristic click of a switch and the tactile act of pressing it contribute heavily to the sensory engagement with each furniture piece.
"We wanted to encourage people to try them, to make them want to touch them, to make them wonder whether everything is actually functional, whether it works when you press this one."
Studio 5.5 design team
Re-contextualizing mass-produced industrial components into modular design vocabularies reflects a broader sustainable and inventive mindset in contemporary design. By viewing standard hardware catalogs as toolboxes rather than fixed endpoints, designers can dramatically expand their creative freedom when utilizing everyday manufactured items.
Ultimately, Volt Face invites interior architects and designers to play, repeat, combine, and build upon standard industrial pieces, transforming ordinary elements into extraordinary architectural building blocks.
Source: designboom
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