Yla: Reimagining Metal as Emotion in Contemporary Furniture Design
people • makers
Founded by engineer Benoît Rondard, Yla is a UAE-based furniture atelier redefining how metal lives within contemporary interiors. Launched in Summer 2025, the brand approaches metal not as an industrial constant but as a material capable of softness, resonance, and emotional depth. Rooted in two decades of engineering expertise and shaped through close collaboration with French designer Rémi Damilleville, Yla’s debut Audace Collection presents sculptural seating, tables, and storage pieces crafted from stainless steel and aluminium. Through curved forms, tailored upholstery, and a refined chromatic language, the collection transforms strength into calm presence. In this interview, Benoît Rondard and Rémi Damilleville discuss the origins of Yla, the emotional potential of metal, and how design, colour, and restraint shape a new vision for contemporary living
Words: designeers
JANUARY 2026
WEBSITE: yla-metal.com
INSTAGRAM: @yla.metal
DESIGNEERS
How did Yla begin, and what was the initial idea or need that led to its creation?
Benoit
Yla began from a simple observation: metal is widely used in industry, but its potential in interior spaces is still relatively unexplored. Coming from a strong manufacturing background, I saw an opportunity to approach metal differently, beyond its purely functional role, and to explore a more emotional and refined expression of the material. Once the concept was clear, I knew design would be essential to give it a true voice. That is when Rémi joined the project, bringing a design perspective that helped translate this vision into considered pieces meant to last.
DESIGNEERS
What are your main sources of inspiration today, outside of furniture and design?
Rémi
Creativity is almost a creature that feeds on everything. To stay inspired, I need to constantly act, observe, and engage with new things across the widest possible spectrum: contemporary art, music, cinema, fashion, literature, and travel. As a designer, I try to translate a feeling, a movement, and a use into a volume. For it to remain pure, vivid, and true, I need to continuously feed my mind with everything I can absorb.
DESIGNEERS
Where does a Yla piece usually begin: with a material, a form, or a feeling?
Rémi
It always begins with a feeling, followed by a sense of motion. We start by asking what the piece should evoke: the right balance of calm, tension, warmth, and restraint. From there, material and form emerge naturally. Metal is our language, but emotion is the starting point.
DESIGNEERS
Audace was your first collection. What did it represent for you as a starting point for Yla?
Rémi
Audace was a declaration of intent. It set the tone for how we approach design: restrained but confident, minimal yet technically complex. It allowed us to define our relationship with metal and colour, and to show that even a first collection could be mature, precise, and uncompromising in style and quality.
DESIGNEERS
What does metal allow you to express that other materials don’t?
Rémi
Metal allows for precision and tension that are difficult to achieve with other materials. It can appear rigid, but when handled correctly, it becomes fluid, almost soft. That contrast is powerful. It lets us work with very clean lines while hiding an underlying complexity that only reveals itself over time.
“As a designer, I try to translate a feeling, a movement, and a use into a volume. For it to remain pure, vivid, and true, I need to continuously feed my mind with everything I can absorb.”
Rémi Damilleville
DESIGNEERS
Colour plays a strong role in Yla’s identity. How do you approach colour when working with metal, and what guides your palette choices?
Rémi
We treat colour as an extension of the material, never as decoration. Our palettes are guided by nature, seasons, atmosphere, and by the initial feeling and motion of each piece rather than by passing trends. With metal, colour must respect light, texture, and depth. It should enhance the object without overpowering it, remaining timeless rather than loud. Our colours are part of the overall vision, not an accessory added afterwards.
DESIGNEERS
When you imagine Yla pieces in a real home, what matters most to you in the way they are used and lived with?
Benoit
What matters most is that the pieces feel natural over time. They should integrate into daily life without feeling precious or fragile, while still retaining a sense of presence. We design objects that are meant to be lived with, not just looked at, and that gain character as they become part of someone’s routine.
DESIGNEERS
If there were no limits, scale, location, or typology, what would be Yla’s dream project to work on?
BEN ANDERS
A fully immersive architectural project where furniture, structure, and atmosphere are conceived together. Something that blurs the line between interior design and architecture, where metal becomes part of the space itself rather than an object placed within it.
DESIGNEERS
Dubai is where Yla was born. In what ways has the city influenced the brand’s mindset or aesthetic?
BEN ANDERS
Dubai has influenced Yla through its ambition and openness. It is a place where ideas are judged more on their clarity and execution than on tradition. That environment encouraged us to think globally from the start, to be precise, and to focus on quality and longevity rather than quick impact.
DESIGNEERS
In one sentence, what do you want people to feel when they encounter Yla for the first time?
BEN ANDERS
They feel that the pieces make sense immediately, even if they cannot explain why.
DESIGNEERS
What excites you most about the future of Yla right now?
BEN ANDERS
The opportunity to grow without compromising our values. We are still at an early stage, and what excites me most is the possibility of deepening our language, exploring new typologies, and continuing to build a brand that remains coherent, honest, and focused on long-term relevance.
