Breton-born design brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec created their ‘Brick’ shelving system in 2000. It is made of laser cut polystyrene.

‘The polystyrene shelves are cut out with a laser. We had originally conceived these elements as the backdrop for an exhibition. Our plan was to avoid having to remake backdrop elements on every site using traditional techniques. Moreover, we wanted to perfect a sort of brick that was easy to assemble, capable of being adapted to different configurations, and above all that was of a ‘standard’ quality.

This turns the laser principle into something like a big printer. The file leaves our studio, the manufacturer performs the cut-out process and then delivers the pieces. Polystyrene-cutting is a technology that you can find anywhere in the world, meaning we’re able to produce pieces near the sites where our exhibitions are being held.’

Extracts from the book ‘Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’ released by Phaidon in 2003.

This bookshelf called ‘Fossile’ is made with a single material: extruded, notch-finished terracotta. Its stackable rings make it endlessly purposeful – they can be fitted together for a multitude of configurations, even taken outdoors.

More: www.roche-bobois.com.

‘Playbox‘ is a smart storage box created for the design aware parent or indeed anyone in need of a stylish storage solution. These boxes are made from birch ply, finished with natural paints. Styled to look like micro vehicles, these boxes feature large diameter wheels for extra mobility and a brushed stainless steel spoiler-handle to easily lift off lids.’

‘Isabel Quiroga (NL) designed a bookcase made of used tables. The tables are sawn in the middle and stacked together. The use of old furniture is not only an environmental cause, she’s also fascinated by the history of this furniture. Through its use and application of each color, each unique design. The design lends itself for various purposes.’

These ‘FUNkey’ stools designed by Mixko are handmade in the UK. Choose one of the regular colors like black, white or have it custom made…choose the color of the body and add your text in a personalized color.

Size(cm): H40 D58 W58

Price: £ 150.- plus postage

In 2008, French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec created the ‘Vegetal Chair’. The Breton-born brothers, are the rising stars of European design and the most promising industrial designers to have emerged from France since Philippe Starck in the 1980s.

‘The initial intuition was that of a chair which would sprout up like a plant. A ‘Vegetal Chair’, its branches gently curving to form the seat and back. It comes from this fascination we have for various types of old furniture, which is plant-inspired.

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