Style Edit
Out of Lines but not Out of Order
What happens when a Parisian restaurateur, a visual identity expert and one of the world's leading designers join forces to create a tableware collection? The answer is Out of Lines, the debut collection by French collective Uncharted. Conceived by Julien Cohen, Stéphanie Cohen and Raphael Navot, it reimagines traditional tableware with forms that break convention while retaining elegance and refinement.
One Family
Julien Cohen, Stéphanie Cohen and Raphael Navot first met in 2023 while collaborating on a project for the Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Since then, they have formed a close-knit collective with a clear ambition. "Over the years, Julien and Stéphanie developed a wide range of restaurant concepts, but they repeatedly found themselves searching for very specific pieces of tableware that simply didn't exist," explains Navot. "Most tableware collections are essentially one shape reproduced in different sizes. We wanted to create a true family of objects: distinct forms designed around the way we actually cook, plate and share food."
Redrawing the (out)line
Developed in collaboration with Serax, Out of Lines literally redraws the outline of traditional tableware—hence its name. Instead of predictable circular plates, the collection embraces elongated, oval and subtly asymmetrical silhouettes. Thirty different shapes come together as one coherent family, an approach rarely seen in tableware design.
Natural Intelligence
The designers looked to nature for inspiration, drawing on the organic forms of beans, lemons, plums and aubergines. "We wanted to create objects that feel instinctive and natural rather than rigid or over-designed," says Navot. "Nature is a system that produces an endless variety of forms that feel completely self-evident, function perfectly and possess a quiet beauty." This kind of natural intelligence—a concept gaining increasing attention in science and design alike—effortlessly surpasses the rigid logic of computer-generated artificial intelligence.
Balance Above All
The collection is available in a warm black, an off-white and a restrained dark ochre. Elegant without feeling precious, the pieces are designed to be admired but, above all, to be used. "This collection was created for demanding restaurant environments," Navot explains. "That meant every piece had to be robust. Our goal was to find the perfect balance between refinement and simplicity."
Built to Work
Out of Lines was conceived first and foremost for professional hospitality—and that practicality shaped every design decision. "A plate shouldn't just present a dish beautifully, it also needs to withstand intensive daily use, be comfortable to handle and stack efficiently." The collection was even designed around the dimensions of a standard commercial dishwasher. To achieve this, the trio spent countless hours talking to chefs and restaurant teams. "The elongated shape, for example, offers a larger serving surface while still fitting perfectly inside a dishwasher. It may seem like a technical detail, but it makes a significant difference in everyday use, both in professional kitchens and at home."
Effortless Charm
For all its precision and technical sophistication, Out of Lines possesses an unmistakable sense of ease. Its soft asymmetry and rich variety of shapes invite relaxed, intuitive table settings that feel spontaneous rather than composed. Arranging plates, bowls and serving dishes becomes less about following rules and more about play—a quality captured beautifully in these images. "As a matter of fact," Navot adds, "these photographs were taken at the Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers in Paris, the place where our shared journey began. It felt only natural to present the collection in the setting it was originally created for."
