Oliver King | Product and Furniture Design

R3m

Off The Shelf

Off The Shelf is a versatile, free-standing shelving unit which is made by the end user, using components and materials easily accessible through sources such as hardware stores. With a wall bracket at the heart of its construction, Off The Shelf re-interprets existing products, not merely to simplify the construction but to also challenge the perceptions of low cost furniture.

Through its use of standard components, the system can be adapted to create bespoke configurations and dimensions and is simple to fabricate using basic tools by anyone with an interest in D.I.Y. This end-user interaction with the manufacture of the shelving endorses and promotes an emotional affiliation with the resulting item and produces an enduring piece of furniture.

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Materials
32mm x 32mm Square Section Pine, 76mm x 102mm London Shelf Brackets, M10 Treaded Rod, Wing Nuts and Panhead Self Tapping Screws.

Dimensions
(w) 600mm x (h) 1500mm x (d) 300mm (Variable)

Year
2008

Off The Shelf Manual

Wired

Born out of a fascination with the beauty of lightweight structures, Wired is a telephone table with a difference. Inspired by the fabric wings of early aircraft and cable and strut structures in architecture, it uses a dowel jointed beech frame and a taut fabric table surface to create an object that collates several actions into one item. It’s functions, and the way in which it is intended to be used, originated through observations of human behaviour when first entering the home. The tension between the nylon cord and fabric surface introduces a warped conical into which keys and other small items can be safely stowed on arrival home and allows them to be instantly accessible upon leaving. Wired also incorporates a small side panel onto which a telephone can be placed.

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Materials
32mm x 32mm Square Section Beech Frame, Polyester Fabric, Nylon Cord and 9mm Diameter Stainless Steel Rod.

Dimensions
(w) 600mm x (h) 600mm x (d) 450mm

Year
2008

Tri-Ply

Tri-Ply is a laminated stool whose form resulted directly from the capabilities and limits of laminating thin material. The model shown was created using eleven layers of extremely dense cardboard to form a rigid and sound structure.

The design of Tri-Ply is intended to keep the cost of the manufacturing process to a minimum by using one mould to create all three leg components and would translate seamlessly onto a larger production scale, where birch wood would be employed. A laminated disc secured on the underside along with biscuit joints at the leg junction, hold the four parts firmly together.

Materials
Laminated Cardboard.

Dimensions
(w) 350mm x (h) 450mm x (d) 320mm

Year
2006

 

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Classy

Classy is a workstation designed for exclusive use within an art and design education establishment. By creating a user specific piece of furniture, requirements were carefully considered and adjusted according to the users needs. The key features of Classy make it an improvement on existing art and design studio furniture and include elements such as a dedicated cutting surface at standing height and draws for both A3 documents and models. Colour is kept to a minimum, particularly on the work surface, so as not to distract, yet is present in small quantities to enhance students’ surroundings.

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Materials
Powder Coated 25mm x 25mm Square Section Steel Tubing, Formica Faced Drawing Surface, Modesty Screen and Draw Unit, and a Self-Healing Cutting Surface.

Dimensions
(w) 1127mm x (h) 1000mm x (d) 457mm

Year
2007


 

Kiddie Cube

Kiddie cube is a cardboard stool designed for use by children within a gallery or museum. The form of the stool has purposely been simplified in order to keep it discreet and unobtrusive yet at the same time intriguing enough to exist comfortably within an inspiring space. By way of its materials and construction, Kiddie Cube is lightweight enough to be carried around by smaller children yet strong enough to support an adult’s weight. Further to this, it is recyclable at the end of its life span and can be cheaply replaced.

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Materials
6mm Corrugated Cardboard.

Dimensions
(w) 300mm x (h) 315mm x (d) 300mm

Year
2006

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