Uslu Design Studio’s The Cuban wins Gold at A’ Furniture Design Award

The A’ Design Award named The Cuban, a bar cabinet by Uslu Design Studio, a Gold winner in Furniture Design on July 6, 2026, in Como, Italy. The recognition spotlights a collectible piece that blends storage, music performance, and social ritual as the Disco House collection heads toward Milan Design Week 2026.

Why it matters: - The Gold A’ Design Award puts The Cuban among a select group of furniture designs recognized for innovation, craftsmanship, and functional value. - The award highlights growing demand for furniture that does more than store objects. The Cuban combines utility, display, and social performance in one piece. - The recognition may help Uslu Design Studio advance the Disco House collection as collectible furniture gains more attention from designers, manufacturers, and buyers.

What happened: - The A’ Design Award announced The Cuban, a bar cabinet by Uslu Design Studio, as a Gold winner in the Furniture Design category on July 6, 2026. - The announcement came from Como, Italy. - The project was designed by Alp Usluduran of Uslu Design Studio, who led the concept, material research, and fabrication. - Usluduran developed the integrated humidor system with Brone and managed the electrical systems and cable channels during assembly.

The details: - The Cuban works as both a storage piece and a social focal point. - The integrated humidor presents whiskey and cigars as curated ritual objects. - Opening elements reveal the contents with a sense of discovery. - The upper surface functions as a DJ deck from the back for turntables and music equipment. - The same surface serves as a display and bar from the front. - The cabinet uses high gloss lacquer, stainless steel, and marble. - Curved cabinet doors are formed from flexible plywood. - The doors use a layered process with a fabric-based preparation to help prevent cracking before high gloss lacquering. - Interior surfaces are finished in Alpi engineered wood veneer. - The A’ Design Award uses blind peer review and established criteria to evaluate entries. - The award says the Gold distinction reflects a demanding standard of innovation, craftsmanship, and functional value.

Between the lines: - The Cuban is framed as more than furniture. The design links entertaining, storage, and atmosphere into a single object. - The Disco House collection extends Uslu Design Studio’s interest in how music, space, and human behavior interact. - The studio’s approach treats furniture as part of spatial design rather than as a separate layer. - The award also signals that collectible furniture with strong material identity and multifunctional use remains competitive in design circles.

What's next: - Uslu Design Studio expects the award to support continued development of the Disco House collection. - The collection is set to debut at Milan Design Week 2026. - The studio will continue exploring how atmosphere can be translated into form, ergonomics, and material expression. - Interested readers can view the project page and learn more about the award-winning design here. - More information about the competition is available here.

The bottom line: - The Cuban is a design award winner because it turns a bar cabinet into a multifunctional social object with strong craftsmanship and a clear architectural point of view.