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The Dice Design System Promises Play in Perpetuity

06.18.24 | By
The Dice Design System Promises Play in Perpetuity

French manufacturer Lyon Béton marries the utility of Bauhaus with the material honesty of Brutalism in their artisanal concrete home furnishings. Born to that union is the Dice design system devised by Alexandre Dubreuil – a robust series that would be remiss to just identify as furniture. This new collection offers interiors bespoke architectural storage with modularity that can be reconfigured at the user’s behest with some 27 pre-configurations to start.

A minimalistic living room features a media console holding vinyl records, a turntable, and a speaker. Two framed artworks are hung on the wall above the console, while sunlight streams through large windows.

The greater kit of parts comprises three low-carbon concrete cubicles (aptly named for their mimicry of spots on a die), two types of recycled rubber connectors, and four oak veneer plinth solutions that provide a podium or shelf surface based on need. Simple, sustainable materials, intuitive assembly, and repairability ensure the product’s longevity well beyond direct-to-consumer brands, which promise chic furniture in the same vein. So too does the customizability as owners may invest in additional pieces with their growing spaces or usage changes.

A modern living room features a vinyl record player, amplifier, and a collection of records on a wooden shelf. Two framed artworks hang on the wall above.

A modern living room with two abstract paintings on the wall, a record player shelf crafted from wood and concrete, and a green sofa in the foreground. Natural light fills the room from large windows.

A modern residential interior with white paneled walls, a floor lamp, a partitioned storage unit, a plant, a white sofa, and a red chair near large windows.

Because of the system’s discreet structural elements and multifaceted design, Dice can be situated anywhere within a space as it evolves from traditional shelving or media cabinets to sofa tables and even room dividers. Its freedom from the wall makes it an exciting, pseudo-architectural device. Additionally, a multipurpose module with a fifth side – implemented as backing or a bottom – facilitates the seamless integration of decor like plant life and allows a little bit of nature to permeate an otherwise rigid construct. It’s a small nod to masters like Tadao Ando whose material language and form-making served as a means to commune with nature.

Modern shelving unit with open cube compartments, holding books and a potted plant, arranged in a bright, sunlit room with wooden flooring and white walls.

A modern living room features a three-tier bookshelf with various books, decorative objects, and a small bird figurine. The room boasts minimalist furniture including a red chair and a black bench.

“Imagining an original system of concrete storage cubes is already a great challenge for a designer. I looked to architecture for inspiration.” Dubreuil says. “The rest of the story is about rigorous proportions and aesthetics. We’re just at the beginning of the history of this system.”

A modern living room with a large bookshelf containing books and decorative items, a potted plant, and a red chair with a wire base on a pink terrazzo floor, complemented by sleek accents.

To shop the DICE Collection visit us.lyon-beton.com.

Photography courtesy of Lyon Béton.

With professional degrees in architecture and journalism, Joseph has a desire to make living beautifully accessible. His work seeks to enrich the lives of others with visual communication and storytelling through design. Previously a regular contributor to titles under the SANDOW Design Group, including Luxe and Metropolis, Joseph now serves the Design Milk team as their Managing Editor. When not practicing, he teaches visual communication, theory, and design. The New York-based writer has also contributed to exhibitions hosted by the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture and Architectural Digest, and recently published essays and collage illustrations with Proseterity, a literary publication.

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