FURNISHING UTOPIA - 2016
--
In collaboration with the Hancock Shaker Village and the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Museum, a week-long workshop was conducted at two preserved Shaker sites, giving a group of 12 international designers access to an extensive archive of objects and engaging them in a dialog with the museum’s curators. Following the workshop, the designers were invited to produce designs that translate the ingenuity and aesthetics of Shaker objects into modern forms relevant to contemporary life.
KNOB TOOLBOX
--
The Shakers have many innovative and well known solutions for storage in the home and for their own production facilities. This toolbox is inspired by Shaker chest of drawers that often had oversized knobs for ergonomic and esthetic reasons. Designed for the modern day architect or designer, the toolbox functions as a desktop organizer with a large knob- handle that makes it conveniently portable. The toolbox is made from solid beech, chosen for it's density and even grain structure.
DOVERAIL
--
The Doverail derives from the Shakers form-language and other wall hung objects seen at the shaker village. The rail is simply hung on the wall with one screw and is intended for the modern home where the shaker peg-rail is no longer common. The dove-tail shaped rail allows for vertical adjustment of the mirror or shelves through the turn of a brass knob, giving the product a flexible nature. Simple geometric shapes in combination with natural materials has where used to give the product a light yet strong character.
--
Exhibition: Furnishing Utopia
Year: 2016
Photography: Charlie Schuck
Site: Hancock Shaker Village