"Hours away from my home, bins of tiny metal balls gleamed in the fluorescent light. These small orbs had brought me from New York City to Munsingen, Switzerland, a three-and-a-half-square-mile city with a population of 13,000 just outside of Bern. I'd made the pilgrimage to visit the factory of the midcentury modular furniture line USM Haller, where these spheres are the heart of the operation."
"Even if the brand sounds unfamiliar, you've probably seen their products in stylish homes and stores: Rich-colored sheet metal panels surrounded by chrome joinery-the aforementioned metal balls!-have been defining elements of the design since the 1960s. Flash forward to 2025, when USM Haller furniture rapidly blossomed from design insider favorite to a heavily duped fixation taking over TikTok and Instagram. Google Trends shows a steady increase in search interest for USM pieces over six decades later, beginning in 2022 with continued growth into the present."
USM Haller's factory in Munsingen produces modular furniture built around chrome ball joinery and rich-colored sheet metal panels. The system originated in the 1960s and offers 14 color options, including Golden Yellow and Gentian Blue. Interest in USM pieces surged beginning in 2022 and accelerated on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, increasing Google search activity. Younger buyers aged 25–35 now form a key demographic. Customers value the balance of aesthetic statement and practical storage. Rising demand has led to widespread duplication even as the brand reports sustained interest and shifting demographics.
Read at Architectural Digest
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