This bright Twin Honeycomb Cabinet by SOAP Designs was just one of their fun, modern and functional pieces of furniture that caught my eye at the Interiors UK show in Birmingham at the weekend. Apart from the unusual and interesting design, anything in just the right shade of orange is always going to be a hit with me! SOAP stands for Sum Of All Parts, and since 2009 this St Austell-based design and manufacturing studio has been merging creativity with digital technology to produce unique and contemporary furniture.
When closed, the cabinet’s clever interlocking, handleless doors present a puzzle – where ARE its doors, and how to open them? The mystery is solved by a little gentle pressing in the right place, as the doors are released and secured with a “push to open and close” mechanism, and adjustable shelves make the cabinet a useful as well as decorative piece of furniture.
My other favourite piece on show was the Chalky Table, shown above, with matching stool. Made from painted birchwood plywood with a chalkboard top, this childrens table is the perfect play and drawing surface and is easily wiped clean ready for the next artistic endeavours. Both table and stool can be personalised, and a choice of colours are available; definitely a stylish alternative to plastic toys and furniture.
And finally, my other pick from SOAP’s range is their contemporary, cantilevered Modular Shelving System which was designed to provide flexible and versatile shelving anywhere in the home, but has become very much in demand as a headboard – genius use for it! Pretty smart, I think, as the three different sized shelves can be quickly and easily moved around, and just slot anywhere you like between the rails. I love it when furniture is versatile and can be arranged to suit your own needs, especially when the design is this simple and effective. Very much a case of less is more.
The Shelving/Headboard is solidly constructed from top quality oak veneer which has been lightly waxed, and the finish is really impressive close up. The standard size is a 2 metre wide board with 6 shelves, but other widths are available on request, as are additional and/or different sized shelves.
I really enjoyed meeting the team from SOAP; they were so enthusiastic about the furniture they design and produce and were obviously genuinely concerned about making their processes as sustainable as possible. I think that their love for what they do is very evident in the furniture that they make, both in the fun designs and the solid craftsmanship. You can get more information about the above pieces, along with more of SOAP’s fresh, contemporary designs, at Not on the High Street where they can all be purchased online. In addition, SOAP also offer bespoke services for domestic and commercial premises; they can design and build anything from freestanding pieces to fitted furniture – contact them directly at soapdesigns.co.uk
Images: SOAP Designs, Not on the High Street
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