← Kanye West

Design

8 entries, with sources

01

Borne Béton Lamp

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Le Corbusier·1952

West cited this raw-concrete outdoor lamp as the central visual and conceptual inspiration for the stripped-down aesthetic of his 2013 album Yeezus, drawn to how a utilitarian object became a six-figure luxury artifact.

In a 2013 New York Times interview and a 2015 talk at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, West said the Corbusier lamp was his 'greatest inspiration' and described paying $110,000 for the concrete piece, reflecting on its shift from public utility to high art.

02

Teddy Bear Chair

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Fernando and Humberto Campana·2002

The first piece of contemporary design West ever bought, purchased from Murray Moss; he tied its plush, oversized form directly to the giant teddy bear scene in the anime film Akira, one of his favorite movies.

West told Hans Ulrich Obrist in Surface Magazine: 'The first piece of furniture I bought was the Teddy Bear chair by the Campana brothers, from Murray Moss. I still have an affinity for that because of the scene in Akira.'

03

Yves Saint Laurent Monogram

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A.M. Cassandre·1961

West held Cassandre's interlocking 1961 YSL monogram as the benchmark for iconic brand identity design, and explicitly asked graphic designer Peter Saville to create an equivalent mark for him, saying 'You're Cassandre, that's what I want.'

Peter Saville told the Global Design Forum that West approached him wanting an identity on par with Cassandre's YSL monogram, quoting West directly: 'Kanye wants me to do a YSL.'

04

Ours Polaire Sofa

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Jean Royère·c.1947

A grail piece of French mid-century design for West, who said he sold his Maybach to afford the rare upholstered sofa despite others telling him the price was excessive.

West stated in an interview: 'I sold my Maybach to get the Royère. People told me I was crazy for what I paid for it, but I had to have it.'

05

Chandigarh Cane Chair

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Pierre Jeanneret·c.1955

West assembled an extensive collection of original teak-and-cane Jeanneret Chandigarh chairs for his Calabasas compound as part of his shift toward mid-century French and Indian modernist furniture.

Architectural Digest and House & Garden documentation of West's estate show a curated suite of original Pierre Jeanneret V-leg teak chairs alongside Axel Vervoordt's interior work, though no direct quote from West about the chairs is on record.

06

Axel Vervoordt Stone Table

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Axel Vervoordt·c.2010

A monolithic stone table West reportedly encountered at a Venice art fair, which he credited with drawing him to Vervoordt's wabi-sabi aesthetic and prompting their multi-year home renovation collaboration.

West is quoted describing his reaction to Vervoordt's work generally ('This man could design Batman's house'), but no source specifically confirms details of the stone table itself beyond secondhand design-press description.

07

Nuage Bookcase

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Charlotte Perriand·1952

West was introduced to Charlotte Perriand's modular casework by Paris-based designer Joseph Dirand, part of his broader study of French modernist furniture, though no confirmation he specifically owns this bookcase.

West recounted to Hans Ulrich Obrist in Surface Magazine that Dirand introduced him to Perriand's furniture in Paris, but the interview does not specify acquisition of the Nuage bookcase itself.

08

Dwell

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Lara Deam·2000

West described reading Dwell magazine at a Barnes & Noble in Chicago as a teenager, long before he could afford architectural furniture, crediting it as an early spark for his interest in modern residential design.

West said in the Surface Magazine Design Dialogues interview that he would sit reading Dwell and Architectural Digest before he had money to buy the furniture pictured in them.