PUNKT, BULGARIA

Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1979 and 1980 respectively, Maria Paunova and Ivaylo Mitev studied Stage Design at New Bulgarian University, where they developed skills in woodworking, metalwork, and three-dimensional storytelling.

After working on film sets and theatre projects, they founded PUNKT Workshop in 2010, driven by an unusual source of inspiration: discarded furniture on the streets of post-communist Sofia. Seeing chairs, tables, and cabinets abandoned, they began wondering how much craftsmanship, history, and personal memory was being thrown away with them.

Convinced that nothing is truly waste, they started collecting forgotten objects and transforming them into contemporary, handcrafted furniture. Their early experiments involved plenty of trial and error, as they learned to combine reclaimed materials into functional, durable pieces.Inspired by designers such as Martino Gamper, Maarten Baas, and Piet Hein Eek, the duo developed an approach that celebrates imperfections, material history, and individuality.

Today, their work often involves helping clients rediscover and reinvent furniture with sentimental value, preserving family stories through design.For Maria and Ivaylo, every discarded object holds the possibility of a new beginning, connecting the past with the present through craftsmanship and imagination.

Punkt is among the designers featured in Creative Balkans: Contemporary Furniture Design.

 “Good design stands the test of time.”

Name: Stitched Together Bench

Producer: Puntk

Year of production: 2013

Provided for the exhibition by: Punkt

Dimensions: 90 Х 30 Х 65 см

Inspired by a 1960s seat, Stitched Together combines solid wood with a metal base, joined by durable yacht rope. The stitching is both structural and decorative, creating a light yet stable form without glue or screws. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, the piece serves as a bench, side table or coffee table

Name: Tattooed Seat Chair

Producer: Puntk

Year of production: 2015

Provided for the exhibition by: Punkt

Dimensions: 45 Х 40 Х 80 см

The Tattooed Seat Chair is a structural collage – each component salvaged from a different source, each curve the result of a distinct manufacturing era. Reassembled by hand, the chair resolves these differences into a single, coherent silhouette