CHI Pattern – Product story

CHI pattern

For the CHI pattern tableware project, I was inspired by the symbolism found in 19th-century textile decoration throughout the Balkans. In Bulgaria, this tradition is particularly distinctive in Chiprovtsi carpets.

My aim was to stay close to the spirit and visual strength of these symbols as they appear in the compositions of Chiprovtsi carpets, while adapting and developing them for contemporary tableware.

The angular form of the carpet was softened to create a clean, distinctive silhouette for the plates.

Porcelain was chosen as the material. Fine and softly white, it allows for delicate relief work while offering excellent hygienic qualities and ease of maintenance. It felt like the right material for this project.

I left the porcelain in its natural colour, as this is also part of the traditional use of the material. The delicate relief pattern, based on Chiprovtsi carpet motifs, covers one quarter of the surface of the plates and is positioned asymmetrically.

The relief takes a different form in each piece: recessed on the large plate, raised on the deep plate, and combining raised and recessed elements on the bowl.

Two different casting techniques are used in making the plates in the set, allowing us to create these different types of relief.

This is how the CHI pattern tableware set was born. I hope it reflects and fits naturally within the minimalist spirit of our time.

Rada Dicheva, designer at tochka & tochka studio

In 2017, the large plate from the CHI pattern tableware set won a competition by 24Kitchen, held by NEXT DC as part of the channel’s new Balkan initiative, #BalCanDoit. The plate was also featured in the promotional campaign for a newly launched Bulgarian culinary programme on 24Kitchen.

The CHI pattern set was also awarded at the Big SEE Product Design Award 2019, Ljubljana, in the HOME category.

CHI pattern large plate was also featured in magazines such as Bravacasa Bulgaria and MD MAGAZINE, a magazine dedicated to interior, architecture, product and graphic design.

A little more about the process of making plates.

Casting porcelain in solid molds in tochka & tochka atelier.