NV: How would you describe Élan and the qualities these pieces embody within a space?
JF: The Élan Console and Élan Mirrors live quietly yet powerfully within a space, balancing the worlds of utility and sculpture. There’s a sense of curiosity and ambiguity in the forms; they remain abstract enough to invite interpretation but are grounded as functional objects. I hope there’s a kind of fluid energy held within each piece – a kinetic presence that feels both calm and alive.
NV: The Élan Console feels almost alive, as though caught mid-movement. What inspired this sense of motion and lightness in such a solid material?
JF: The Élan Console really pushes the limits of the material – it twists and folds, capturing movement as if held in a single gesture. I wanted to create something that plays with strength and lightness at once; the portal cut-out invites the surrounding space into the piece, so it never feels static or heavy. There’s an energy in that form, a sense of momentum paused in time.
NV: The Élan Mirrors share a similar restraint, yet they speak to the console in a really harmonious way. How did you envision the relationship between these pieces?
JF: The Élan Mirrors were designed to be versatile – at home in a hallway, a bathroom, or paired together as a focal point. They have a subtle restraint, yet there’s a quiet personality in the forms. I love how, when grouped with the console, they create this unique dialogue – a kind of friendship – between the pieces. Each mirror feels both familiar and fresh, reflecting the character of its space.
NV: What drew you to terracotta as a medium, and how did you navigate this material through the making process?
JF: Terracotta brings its own story to each piece. It’s tactile, responsive, and deeply human. The process of forming and refining the console and mirrors was about respecting the material’s strengths as well as its unpredictability. Each object carries the memory of touch – of moulding, slow drying, firing – resulting in organic textures and finishes that can never be exactly repeated. I wanted Élan to celebrate these qualities, allowing the pieces to feel at once ancient and contemporary,
sculptural and welcoming.
NV: How did your creative dialogue with New Volumes shape the final outcome for Élan?
JF: Collaboration has been at the heart of this journey. Working so closely with Thomas and the New Volumes team offered an environment of both challenge and trust, where ideas could evolve organically. I valued the exchange of feedback and expertise at every stage – from paper prototypes to large-scale 3D prints and final refinements. There’s an energy in giving your designs over to another set of hands, knowing they will return transformed yet true to the original vision. That shared process, and everyone’s openness to experimentation, made Élan what it is.
Jordan Fleming is a designer whose work spans sculpture, furniture, and lighting. With a background in cabinet making and interior design, she founded her eponymous practice in Australia in 2018, crafting pieces that transcend function to become expressive, almost animate presences within a space. Fleming’s process is deeply responsive – she allows materials to guide each work, treating them as active collaborators rather than passive mediums. Rooted in traditional furniture-making yet boldly experimental, her designs invite interaction and cohabitation. By transforming everyday objects into sculptural encounters, Fleming blurs the line between utility and artistry, creating works that invite connection and offer a sense of intimacy within the spaces they inhabit.