Styling and Salvage

working with marble

2012-01-28T18:51:00.005Z

i found this piece of marble a year or two ago in London Bridge just seconds before it was going to be smashed up and thrown in a skip. it was a section of cladding from the exterior of a bank in the city c.1930s until it was demolished in the 1970s. this piece was salvaged by an architect and stored in a damp basement ever since. i've been staring at it for a long time wondering if it would ever be used again but now the right project has come up and its time for the marble to shine again.
with thanks to my cousin Christopher, the marble was cut on a machine that is almost bigger than my studio...

the marble was chipped, stained, scratched and had metal cladding wires attached but i thought it was still worth saving. i'm only making some simple cabinet surfaces to start with but with Christopher's help & advice its been a lot of fun to work with something other than wood and its definitely the oldest material i have ever worked with...

below: the rear of the piece still has part of the original job order note stenciled on it (London)

below: the piece on the left is after i have sanded the surface down to a flat matt finish and slightly beveled the edge, its come up a lot cleaner and whiter than i ever thought it would. the piece on the right that is still chipped and stained, i am always amazed at what can be found inside something that is deemed as scrap or rubbish...

i will be showing the finished marble surfaces at a preview of my new designs at the next MidCentury Modern show in Dulwich, hope to see you there

2012-01-25T20:29:00.000Z

George Nelson, Edward Wormley, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames and Jens Risom Playboy Magazine, July 1961.

vintage lecture chairs

2012-01-21T19:33:00.003Z

big vs. small. recent finds, both almost the same folding design.

the red one was found in a south london car boot sale, the blue one was found in a gloucestershire junk shop. tubular steel, pressed steel and plywood construction with rubber feet.

the blue one is a 'fold-a-bye' by sebel (stak-a-bye era) and i think the red one is also by sebel but could be a tri-ang model.

they join another of my 'lecture-chairs' - a herman miller eames stacking chair with fold-up writing tablet (below)

i love stacking & lecture type eames chairs, they have a nostalgic history to tell which is regularly destroyed by modern design dealers that unbolt and scrap the bases in favour of rocking, eiffel or dowel bases which are of course more suited to domestic situations but a vintage lecture chair makes an ideal laptop work desk for those in smaller homes.

sourcing in the sticks

2012-01-19T19:06:00.000Z

...sadly this one was bigger than the back of my van

business as usual...

2012-01-18T18:34:00.000Z

momo is back! Objects for Use is open again!

my favorite 'herman miller clearance sale brown fiberglass shell chairs on table/chair combos in taxi rank type greasy-spoon cafe in east london'

2012-01-18T18:30:00.002Z

spindle type

2012-01-16T22:30:00.002Z

spindle type for ally (40 scrap spindles)

Rare Mk1 Workmate made for Black and Decker by Mate Tools ltd, Hoddesdon, Herts.

2012-01-14T15:01:00.002Z

Regular visitors to my blog will know that i am a big fan of everyday design and a bit of a workmate nerd. This morning at 5.30am in the cold and dark at a car boot sale i found the holy grail of all workmates for less than the price of a bacon sandwich. Although i have over 20 workmates in my collection this is the first ever Mk1...

...very thick 2inch solid beech vice with interesting folding handles that don't appear on any of the later models as they can be rather hard to use. the instruction sticker on the wood states 'made exclusively for Black and Decker by Mate Tools' so it must date from the early 1970s.

Above: the triangular mark towards the base is the 'as selected for the Design Centre London' sticker.

the overall height is surprisingly low but this is explained partly by the original design intention that the workmate was to replace the use of a dining chair as an ad-hock saw horse. i wonder if this might be part of the attraction of the workmate to me as i am a huge chair design fan and actively deter the misuse of chairs - chairs are not ladders people!

Below: cast aluminium frame with 'mate tool limited' makers mark

see more workmates here

A background text from www.ingenious.org.uk :
South African Ronald Price Hickman was a design engineer working for Lotus, the sports car manufacturer. He was also a keen DIYer. The idea for his invention of the famous ‘Workmate’ workbench-cum-vice-cum-sawhorse came to him after he cut up a large piece of plywood, in a cramped space, using a Windsor chair for support. When he finished sawing he realised with irritation that he had damaged the chair beneath. So he set about designing, for his own use, a compact foldable and portable bench, which could be set up anywhere and taken easily from room to room. The work surface comprised two 27-inch lengths of 5-inch x 2-inch beechwood, one of which could be moved as a giant vice jaw against the other, to grip large or irregular-shaped objects. The two lengths of beechwood were mounted on a lightweight aluminium alloy and steel frame, with a footboard at the base. The user could stand on this to give rigidity and stability to the structure. The work surface could even be used as a seat while planing, and power tools and extra vices could be mounted on the jaws and work clamped to them. When not in use the workbench could be folded up to suitcase size and hung on a wall.Hickman believed he had created something that every DIYer would want, so he showed it to the tool manufacturers. His earliest design, dating from 1967, was turned down by Black & Decker. After failing to interest a further seven companies, Hickman wisely patented his idea and decided to manufacture the bench himself in 1968, trading as Mate Tools Ltd, in the old brewery building in Brewery Lane, Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire. Over the next four years about 25,000 units were made and sold. Then, in 1972, Black & Decker came back to Hickman, who granted them a licence to the production rights of a new design, the Mark II Workmate, for which they took over manufacture in the UK. Black & Decker finally started production in the US in 1975, after a great struggle to convince the parent company of its potential. The rest, as they say, is history. Over sixty million Workmates have been sold around the world.

Trellick Tower for sale!

2012-01-13T13:44:00.000Z

There's still time left to buy my Trellick Tower bird table and if you don't like birds you can take it off the stand and use it as a door-stop or book-end. Please contact Ally Capellino to place a silent auction bid, the entire sale price goes to charity and there is no reserve so please bid now!

todays magic beans...

2012-01-11T17:26:00.000Z

Jean Prouvé

2012-01-10T20:57:00.001Z

via Galerie Patrick Seguin

2012-01-06T20:39:00.000Z

spotted on ebay (vintage black and decker coffee maker)

modernist archaeology : mosaic tiles on shop fronts in Swindon c.1950s-80s

2012-01-05T22:04:00.008Z

It is often said that poverty is the greatest preserver of architecture but as the British high street changes beyond recognition and local councils begin to hatch plans to revive the ghost towns i have been recording some of the design details which may soon be lost.

I have always been interested in the no man's land between neighbouring shop fronts. Often neglected, covered by phone cables, painted over or just disowned, these areas hark back to a time when business was better and shop owners could afford to care for the shop fronts. Over time the shop owners, shop fittings, customers and signs come and go but these small areas remain as monuments to the glory days.

Examples can be found in every high street across the UK. This collection of camera-phone photos were taken in Old Town, Gorse Hill and the town centre of my home town Swindon in December 2011. I have also recorded interesting floor tile mosaics and the areas under shop windows. More modernist archaeology can be found on my blog here, here and under the architecture section down the left hand side of my blog.

1960s marble chips recycled then recycled again as crazy paving

above and below: two examples of 'swimming pool chic' under shop windows in Gorse Hill

above: inset brass shop name in marble chip paving

fade/gradient wholesome tiles often spotted in wimpy burger and service stations in the 70s & 80s

above: the modern quick fix, paint 'em over

above: lovely 50s/60s example that is only visible as you open the door to reveal the threshold of this shop in Gorse Hill.

above: street paving, marble, mosaic tiles, ceramic floor tiles, different marble and carpet = party time

above: these tiny ceramic mosaic tiles on a shop in Old Town have been tarted up by painting them over, they are currently on show again as a shop sign appears to have been removed to reveal their former glory...

below: the doorway to Sainsbury's in the town centre -see more of the store here

gone but not forgotten: Eve Arnold

2012-01-05T20:23:00.003Z

Eve Arnold

1912 - 2012

(a colourful new year)

2012-01-02T22:37:00.009Z

Tom Sachs Color (via Mondoblogo)

Charles & Ray Eames Solar Do-Nothing Machine (1967)

Buy my Ally Capellino Trellick Tower bird table for charity...

2011-12-23T12:08:00.007Z

...please visit the store or contact Ally Capellino to place a bid to buy my Trellick Tower bird table. 100% of the winning sale price goes to The Portobello Road Project. thank you.

Barbara Hepworth - gone but not forgotten

2011-12-20T18:35:00.007Z

Barbara Hepworth
Two Forms (Divided Circle) 1969

the one at Dulwich Park (below) has been stolen by metal thieves

Two Forms (Divided Circle), Bronze, 1969 (BH 477, edition of 6 + 1), casts at Tate (Barbara Hepworth Museum, St Ives); ~~Dulwich Park (London Borough of Southwark)~~; Clare College, Cambridge (on loan from the Hepworth Estate); University of Bolton (on loan from Bolton Museum); Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

2011-12-19T22:09:00.001Z

Mince Pie Review 2011

2011-12-19T21:08:00.009Z

an annual review of mince pies that i buy locally in east london to accompany my lunch at the workshop.

all mince pies are eaten cold, as found.

Above: Albion (the albion cafe) £2.00 each.

the most expensive and best looking mince pie in my selection yet very disappointing to taste. a real let-down as everything else from the Albion is normally fantastic. a design classic like your gran used to make. great deep-filled appearance but the pastry is too thin, filling too meaty. needs to be eaten warm with custard.

Anderson's Bakery, Hoxton Street 3 for £1.00.

rather dry and stingy with the filling, i much prefer the Anderson's mince puff-pastry pies but they are better warm. i like the homemade look, you could pass these off as your own if you bake them a little longer.

Beigel Bake, Brick Lane 50p each.

loads of sugar, loads of butter, slightly crispy pastry with moist filling,

rather flat but solid shape. great all-rounder at a fair price.

Greggs, Hoxton Street. 6 for £1.20.

very sweet moist generous filling and weak pastry that crumbles in your fingers as you try to eat it.

the only mince pie in my list that has a dusting of icing-sugar. good contrast between outer case and inner filling, cheap and tasty.

Sainsbury's in-store bakery, 4 of £1.00.

i only include a major supermarket mince pie as it used to be my favourite, but in recent years the ingredients and baking process of the 'in-store' mince pie has changed. the appearance is not great as it has the slightly 'rippled' texture to the top, a tell tale sign of a mass-produced mince pie with no human love in the creation.

and the winner is...
1. Beigel Bake
2. Greggs
3. Sainsbury's
4. Anderson's
5. Albion

i had hoped to feature 50+ of my favourite mince pies in detail but with time running short, sadly this is not going to happen this year. please email me or send your mince-pies to me to review next year, thank you.

december car boot sales

2011-12-19T20:18:00.003Z

mid-week car boot sale in a field in essex at 5am in late december ...don't bother going.

Trellick Tower gingerbread house & bird table - Christmas at Ally Capellino

2011-12-10T23:15:00.003Z

Ally asked me if i could do something for her new Portobello store for Christmas. After stumbling through many tree related ideas i turned towards one of the biggest trees in portobello for inspiration. well, its not so much a tree as a building but it still stands tall, strong and every Christmas the windows are proudly lit with twinkling lights, its Portobello's Christmas tree; Trellick Tower.
Combining this with happy memories of homemade gingerbread houses and the tiny robin that seemed to return to the garden every Christmas time, this is what i came up with...

The rather amazing ginger bread Trellick Tower was made by Agnes Lloyd-Platt -photographer and ace cake baker -see more of her work here

after a quick discussion about scale and which details to include, Agnes worked her magic baking and making the entire project in under 24 hours. great snow details on the walkways and rooftops...

...and i made this freestanding Trellick Tower bird table / nesting box from scrap wood...

complete with snow-drift style bird seed, perfect for any cold Robins looking for a home this Christmas...

below: the rear of the bird table

two new pieces for christmas at elemental

2011-12-10T00:39:00.003Z

I've just finished two brand new pieces and delivered them to Elemental today... (click on images to view larger)

above: two sideboard drawers -refinished with 50s handles, door from a 30s sideboard, victorian factory desk drawer, 60s science lab desk drawer, art nouveau chest drawer -refinished, 60s g-plan dressing table drawer, large shop counter drawer. plywood housing, steel base.

30s chest drawer, two deco 30s dressing table drawers, tea crate drawer, haberdashery shop drawer, 50s office desk drawer, 60s stag chest drawer. plywood housing, steel base.

Objects for Use : a few interior details and materials used / my products

2011-12-05T23:07:00.006Z

one of my new furniture designs from my cardboard box collection

i've collected cardboard boxes for years; this framework of high density osb board (a recycled and sustainable product) houses my Heinz and Campbell's canned goods boxes. i have never found the same box twice. dating from the 1950s-70s they have been found in car boot sales and junk shops across the uk. people often use these boxes to store toys, valuables or christmas decorations before sticking them up in the attic and forgetting about them until years later during a clear-out or house clearance. on average i've found one of these boxes every few months so in theory it's taken upwards of 3 years to make this piece. each box is warm, worn, aged brown cardboard with a vibrant single colour graphic print. traces of their past lives are evident and their memories live on while this collection stands proudly on display. this piece is for sale now at Objects for Use.

in the front corner of the shop sits a victorian chemists shop display cabinet, refinished and lined with green chipboard. most designers and makers prefer to stay as far away from chipboard as they can, it's had a bad name for many years but i intend to celebrate this much under valued recycled, sustainable product.

detail inside cabinet: momoko's amazing ceremonial candles from japan - better than the eames turned stools?

above and below: my very industrial heavy duty hanging rail, great for coats, pots, pans, chairs, people. made in bethnal green, it comes in a black steel finish or galvanised steel - i make them 3 hooks long to 60 foot long. now in stock 5ft lengths of ten hooks at Objects for Use.

all of the materials used are simple and honest. green-finish chipboard on diy-chic metal wall shelving brackets. reclaimed wooden cladding used in the shop corner.

the back wall is made of sections of 1920s office screen divider. i have been longing to use these panels for the last ten years when i discovered them in a salvage yard in east london. the owner of the salvage yard said they came from a factory office near bond street. they were salvaged over twenty years ago but no one had a use for them until now, although they did look completely different before i got hold of them. they now work as doors to my studio (more on that later)

above: for sale in the shop - a new poster of my collection of 40 chairs, designed by Jackson Lam - buy it now in the shop!

above - a seasonal gift to Momoko from Makin Jan Ma

above / below:

details of more use of chipboard in the shop counter with catering spec wheels to the base

Objects for Use - NOW OPEN

Now Open : Objects for Use

2011-11-27T21:47:00.002Z

Thanks to everyone who came to the opening of Objects for Use

The store is now open Thurs-Fri 12.00-19.00 Sat-Sun 11.00-18.00

Leaving Japan as a teenager, bound for Britain, Momoko Mizutani has spent half her life between two cultures. Often improvising what she had previously taken for granted – especially household utensils and ingredients – she found these adaptations led to a sense of place.

Objects for Use is a shop which introduces both Japanese and European products. It features objects that have been made for a specific purpose in one culture but can be used in new ways: a Danish doughnut pan perfect for making Takoyaki (a Japanese savoury dish) or a sauerkraut pot pressed into use for making Kimchi pickles. Inspired by her grandmother, Momoko has sourced sustainable charcoal as a simple and effective way of filtering tapwater. Objects for Use links different cultures in practical, resourceful and imaginative ways.

The shop is in the heart of Shoreditch, finding a home in the furniture workshop of Rupert Blanchard, who often works with a variety of curious materials. Momoko and Rupert share an interest in craftsmanship, traditional technique and the discovery of beauty in the unexpected. Rupert will be selling a selection of his furniture along with a new collection for Objects for Use in the New Year.

15a Kingsland Road London E2 8AA
+44 (0) 750-687-6957 momoko@objectsforuse.com

coming soon to the workshop...

2011-11-20T17:32:00.003Z

Objects for Use :
Opening this Friday - 15a Kingsland Road Shoreditch London E2 8AA

My friend Momoko approached me a few months ago with an idea to use a small section at the front of my workshop for a new shop space 'Objects for Use'. I am happy to announce that the shop will open on Friday, 25 November (18:00 ~ 21:00) and continue Thursdays-Sundays.
Please join me and Momoko to celebrate the launch of the shop this Friday evening.

I have designed and constructed the shop interior and will be selling one of my own furniture designs alongside Momoko's carefully curated collection in the new space before launching a collection exclusive to Objects for Use in the new year.

something new is happening at the workshop...

2011-11-13T22:13:00.000Z

all will be revealed soon...

sherston fireworks and bonfire night

2011-11-13T21:53:00.003Z

better late than never, a couple of pics from a great night in Sherston, Wiltshire where the fireworks night bonfire is bigger than most of the houses in the village and the population seems to triple for the show. double click on the photos and you will notice a Darlek standing proudly with an old banana box for a head. he didn't last long...

...neither did the remains of my rotten old work bench and various other unusable scraps of wood that i had hoarded for years. great excuse for a winter spring clean. thank you Sherston.

British Design Awards 2011 Best British Product Design Winner

2011-11-03T01:22:00.002Z

Photo: Jake Gavin

So it's official, the cat's out of the bag. I am very please to announce that i have won the British Design Awards 2011 - Best Product Design.
Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me and to everyone at Elle Decoration.
I'd also like to thank everyone that has been so supportive over the last year, including Polly Benford, My family and friends, Martin Bates, Veyes Tse, Kris Ho, Simon at Elemental, Ally Capellino, Wilko, Byboth, Midcentury.Modern, Jackson Lam, Jason Chow, Gareth, ...the list goes on, thank you all!
The cat in the photo is Carlos, thank you to Jake Gavin for getting him in the photo, hopefully Sofia will be in the next one. thank you all.

Ally Capellino Portobello

2011-11-02T00:36:00.002Z

great to see that Ally Capellino and her new store has been getting some great press coverage, here is just a few of them. hopefully i will do a full blog post on the interior design and construction soon...

VOGUE

POP

(with great pics of the meal at Ally's the other week)

The Independent

toy tools

2011-11-01T00:29:00.003Z

1920s cast aluminium 'sales-mans' set of heavy industrial machinery and workers for planing out your factory floor. recently re-found while re-planning my workshop. no makers marks, just large stock codes on the machinery. the workers are both male and female, in suitable workwear.

1970s Ideal drill press from the power mite collection, a fully working mini drill.

extra large hardwear store display Bosch drill and Stanley screwdriver (and sofia the cat)

Crate Furniture Collection now available at Lifestyle Bazaar

2011-10-29T22:21:00.003+01:00

My 'Crate Furniture Collection' can now be found at Lifestyle Bazaar in Shoreditch. Constructed with salvaged Victorian floorboards and an assemblage of sections from vintage wooden packing crates with their original text and graphics. I've collected old crates for the last ten years from car boot sales and house clearances and started to make furniture from broken sections around a year or two ago. The 'collection' is made up of two sizes of tables, a number of dining chairs, a sideboard/cabinet and an edition of coffee tables. The found woods are cleaned and restored before they are given a new lease of life with either a natural, waxed or varnished finish.

The table seen in the pictures above has now sold but i have just finished and brand new one and delivered it to Lifestyle Bazaar today, i also have a larger 8-10 seater on its way.

The sideboard/cabinet is 100% recycled; salvaged plywood hoarding framework, Victorian pine floorboard sides and legs, crate packaging front, vintage old stock cast iron handles found in a car boot sale, thick pine dresser top from a junk shop in Margate. Even the screws, nails and hinges were salvaged from a kitchen fitting company.

the sideboard/cabinet has a paint finish interior and a clear waxed exterior, the handles are in the original grey finish that they were found in.

I previewed the coffee tables at midcentury-modern; welded steel base with reclaimed heavy pine 'kiln' boards with metal edge banding, salvaged from a brick making company.

The entire collection is very limited in production due to the nature of the salvaged and found materials used in the construction. Available now at Lifestyle Bazaar.

Sharing Table for Ally Capellino

2011-10-18T20:20:00.012+01:00

A new table for Ally Capellino.

Commissioned for a very special dinner for 20 very special guests today in the new Portobello shop. Inspired by impromptu gatherings where any available tables are pushed together, the 'Sharing table' is made of early Victorian mahogany to 1970s formica tables found during the last 10 days in second hand markets across london.
PLEASE NOTE : the table(s) will return to where they came from unless there are any takers for it within the next week or so? please email if interested.

Materials used:

60s formica & beech kitchen table, Victorian Mahogany table with books, 70s motorway cafe formica and steel table, 50s g-plan gate-leg dining table, post war ply/pine and oak gate-leg table, 30s reproduction antique plant table, Georgian ebonised gate-leg table with tennis balls, 30s/40s extending oak dining table. recycled plywood infills where needed.

Every table had to be height adjusted to create a level playing field, some adjustments were easier than others, old james bond paperback books and tennis balls are just right

all set and ready to go - thanks to Pizza East for the food and Leila's Cafe for the classic Ercol chairs, i also made 20 stools for this project which i'll show you soon but we thought that it might be better to give the guests chairs to lean back in after a tasty meal.

the name cards used were Ally Capellino wallets!

i wanted the surface to resemble one of my multi-drawer cabinets with hopefully a happy, harmonious collection of contrasting periods and materials used.

(what are you looking at?)

...people were a lot happier than they appear in my rubbish mobile-phone pictures (honestly). Panasonic Lumix- if you are out there and listening- i need you.

Thanks to Pizza East, Leila's Cafe, Ally Capellino and all of her guests for a fantastic meal.

No tables were harmed in the making of this dinner.
Thank you to Veyes Tse for helping me with this project.

three Happy Eater items (not in my collection)

2011-10-17T23:54:00.002+01:00

new project for ally capellino

2011-10-16T18:36:00.001+01:00

veyes hard at work

...the results will be unveiled later in the week

leaning tower of vintage black and decker workmates (part 2)

2011-10-16T18:14:00.000+01:00

...it could be time to stop collecting them (part 1)

BBOX Radio

2011-10-11T23:31:00.002+01:00

i'm currently listening to BBOX Radio Dekalb market, thanks Rosie
listen here

2011-10-05T22:22:00.001+01:00

exciting & frantic times. good to see someone can relax at the warehouse

work in progress : new chairs coming soon...

2011-10-01T16:39:00.001+01:00

2011-10-01T12:52:00.001+01:00

Thank you to Leila and everyone at Leila's Cafe for looking after my collection, all the chairs are now stacked back together and waiting for another day out. my book will soon be available online, please email if you would like a copy.

TODAY is your last chance to visit my chair collection at Leila's Cafe

2011-09-24T20:50:00.003+01:00

Ercol Vs. Pel. Today (Sunday 25th) is the last chance you have to sit on a chair from my collection of tubular steel stacking 'pel' chairs and read the book about my collection and connection with the design before i return the classic Ercol wooden chairs to Leila's Cafe, Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch.

available now...

2011-09-22T22:12:00.002+01:00

Currently available at Leila's Cafe, Calvert Avenue, Ally Capellino, Calvert Avenue, Lifestyle Bazaar, Kingsland Road. The exhibition of my collection of chairs runs at Leila's Cafe until close of business this Sunday.

New Furniture

2011-09-21T19:42:00.006+01:00

a selection of six pieces from my new furniture collection with a quick run down of what the drawers would have once belonged to. all drawers used were found in the uk without their original housing. available to view now at Elemental.

SB004

two 50s science lab desk drawers, gothic style 60s sideboard drawer, painted dresser drawer, 40s oak desk stationary drawer, 20s desk drawer, two 60s danish sideboard drawers, two void spaces for books, displays etc.

SB005

60s g-plan dressing table drawer, two 20s dressing table jewellery drawers, deco dresser drawer, 70s teak drawer from fitted wardrobe, two 20s oak paper filing drawer trays, 50s haberdashery glass fronted drawer, 30s chest drawer, 70s 'stag' chest drawer

SB006

door from 60s cocktail cabinet, tea chest shipping crate with later metal handle, g-plan dressing table drawer, antique style chest drawer, paper filing tray drawer, deco dressing table drawer, two 20s desk drawers, 50s fitted wardrobe wooden framed glass door

SB007

60s gothic style sideboard drawer, 30s chest drawer, two 30s haberdashery drawers, single singer sewing machine table drawer, 30s chest drawer, 60s kitchen cabinet drawer, 40s oak desk drawer, homemade 'bird box' infill, victorian workshop or shop fitting drawer

SB008
60s kitchen drawer, section from deco dressing table drawer, deco dressing table drawer, 30s filing cabinet drawer, void space for books etc, two 60s g-plan chest drawers, large deco dressing table drawer, two victorian jewellery drawers

SB009

50s fitted wardrobe drawer with glass front, sewing machine table drawer, 60s kitchen cabinet drawer, painted dressing table drawer, fitted sideboard drawer, 70s sideboard drawer, tiny void display space, two antique style desk drawers, sewing machine table parts drawer, painted chest drawer, 60s formica sideboard drawer, machinery parts drawer

Rupert Blanchard's incomplete book of forty tubular steel stacking chairs from his incomplete collection - now showing at Leila's Cafe

2011-09-20T23:10:00.001+01:00

03 Styling and Salvage things to do during the London Design Festival

2011-09-18T11:30:00.013+01:00

01.

I've just finished 10 brand new pieces and delivered five of them to Elemental today

02.

Visit the New Ally Capellino store in Portobello, or the original store in Shoreditch

03.

Read Rupert Blanchard's Incomplete Book of Forty Tubular Steel Stacking Chairs from his Incomplete Collection while sitting in one of my chairs eating & drinking at Leila's Cafe in Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch, starting this week

PLUS just a reminder, there is still time to vote in the 2011 British Design Awards, vote here.

Rupert Blanchard's incomplete book of forty tubular steel stacking chairs from his incomplete collection

2011-09-12T23:28:00.014+01:00

EXHIBITION NOW OPEN at LEILA'S CAFE

I'm very excited to announce that my first chair design book will be released during the London design festival, focusing on an incomplete look at my collection of tubular steel 'pel' chairs to accompany an exhibition of selected exhibits from my chair collection at Leila's Cafe in Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch, where you get a chance to read the book, try out a chair while enjoying a drink and something to eat, the perfect place for a design festival pit-stop.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EXHIBITION HAS NOW FINISHED

THE BOOK IS FOR SALE AT 'OBJECTS FOR USE'

OR EMAIL rukoka79@ymail.com

2011-09-06T13:19:00.003+01:00

Help us celebrate the opening of Ally Capellino's New West London shop, designed by Rupert Blanchard this Thursday evening 6-9pm.

The British Design Awards 2011 nomination - Rupert Blanchard

2011-09-05T23:35:00.000+01:00

Thank you so much to everyone at Elle Decoration for the nomination 'Best British Product Design 2011' in The British Design Awards 2011, if you would like to vote for me please visit the site HERE and click the Vote Now button, thank you!

more sightings of pel chairs...

2011-08-28T19:37:00.001+01:00

Murder Most Foul with Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple

Stacks of Pel upholstered Pel chairs in the Hall

Aviva insurance advert staring Paul Whitehouse, Pel chairs can be seen around the dance hall.

...although it may not yet seem clear, i do have a plan.

Ally Capellino showroom, Shoreditch

2011-08-22T22:15:00.006+01:00

lots of projects to catch up on, starting with a few details from Ally Capellino's Shoreditch showroom (click images to enlarge)


the amazing original parquet floor was discovered and uncovered after a week of martin's hard work sanding and restoring

cladding the wall with salvaged door pieces (veyes)

cladding continues (kris)

painting over the panelling (adam)

Thank you to martin, kris, veyes and adam who helped with the project. the panelled wall is made up of sections of salvaged rotten old doors (no good doors were used in this project) they have since been painted to blend into the original victorian panelling already in the space, i thought i'd show you what they once looked like before i show you the finished product in a future post...

Ally Capellino - New Shop Now Open - 312 Portobello Road

2011-08-18T13:25:00.003+01:00

Very excited to announce that the new Ally Capellino shop has just opened on Portobello Road.
Ally has kept me so busy this year, redesigning the flagship store in shoreditch, a new showroom and photo studio also in shoreditch and now the brand new shop in portobello. so much new work to share over the coming weeks, thank you to everyone who has made these projects possible. please keep visiting the blog to see loads of interior and exterior photos coming soon.
Also, i still intend on selling a small selection of my own designs here at very special prices to free up some space in the workshop so i can get back to building some new furniture so please come back soon.

Pel Tubular Steel Chair on Exit Through The Gift Shop (Banksy's studio) and on The Hour (BBC2)

2011-08-15T23:58:00.000+01:00

thank you to Robin Blanchard and Polly Benford for spotting these two. more here.

east london under fire (bethnal green)

2011-08-09T21:47:00.012+01:00

PELLICI Moved to Itlay Roame Branch opening on 1st Sep 2012

for those of you that don't know me, i work with salvaged materials and plywood on a daily basis and have a genuine interest in everyday materials and processes.
although its been heart breaking to see, i noticed that every boarded up shop tells a story. Pellici, very professional job, thought to be cheap 'shiny' shuttering ply from Selcos builders merchant, hopefully done by one of their loyal 'builders-tea' customers. love the note scrawled on the ply, good to see that Pellici remains in high spirits.

S&R Kelly & Sons, pie and eel shop. traditional 'make do and mend' style, boarded up with what ever could be found.

Shoe-World. if you click on the image to enlarge the picture you will notice that the windows are boarded up with what appears to be wholesale shoe boxes.
Also spotted in Shoreditch and worth a mention, No.One that was boarded up with the remains of previous exhibitions, a couple of which had rock'n'roll lightning bolts painted on them (good job nick).
i would like to offer my services free of charge where possible to anyone local that is in need of help during this period, please email.

furniture for sale...

2011-08-06T17:26:00.002+01:00

I'm running a little short on space in my workshop at the moment and with many new designs and projects in production i'm going to offer a small selection of my own furniture designs online. the pieces on offer will be added here early next week, first come first serve, collection only from my workshop in Shoreditch, East London. This is your chance to snap something up at a great price. Keep watching this space!

2011-08-03T21:02:00.003+01:00

today : so hot

last weekend : car boot sales in the countryside are a little different to those in london

this week : i will be mostly trapped in cabinets (new work coming soon...)

shop local (east london/south london)

2011-07-28T15:57:00.000+01:00

saturday car boot sale (lindley)

2011-07-22T22:33:00.001+01:00

Pel tubular steel chair on Only Fools and Horses 1985

2011-07-20T23:13:00.000+01:00

i'm still searching for any film and tv references of 'pel' chairs, please let me know if you spot any.

gone but not forgotten : FOX

2011-07-10T21:44:00.003+01:00

- 1868 - 2011 -
gone but not forgotten
(gutted)

Renderer needed in London

2011-07-09T19:50:00.002+01:00

i'm looking for a renderer to do a large shop front in Portobello within the next two weeks, does anyone know one? if interested please email me: rukoka79@ymail.com

saturday car boot sale

2011-07-09T14:38:00.001+01:00

modernist archaeology (a small collection)

2011-07-07T01:05:00.003+01:00

a lump of the long lost Central Saint Martins graphic design department, Long Acre Covent Garden London. Salvaged years ago during building works for the present occupiers H&M. this concrete lump was taken from my old classroom and retains a flat white painted wall surface (above and below).

a section of cement render from a chip shop in New Cross, London. salvaged in 1999. 1960s ceramic tiled pattern, white with blue details tiled over an earlier painted finish. the brickwork impression can still be seen to the rear (below).

mosaic ceramic tile sections found in early 2000 dropping off an unknown derelict shop front on Deptford High Street, London.

mosaic tiled section revealed behind the modern signage of a shop in Portobello Road this week.

a further celebration of modernist archaeology can be found at: Modernist Swindon

crate furniture collection

2011-06-21T14:12:00.003+01:00

i've been collecting wooden packaging crates for around ten years. i started to edit some of my finds about a year ago and this year i began to work with the badly damaged crates from my collection. these were crates that might have been broken or have sections missing, i still have a large amount of crates that i couldn't justify using in this way.

i also use salvaged victorian pine floorboards in this project, most of these boards have been used by myself time and time again, you can see them on this blog in the south london house, shop interior projects and the midcentury.modern show stand, only the left over scrap floorboards were used. above: desk and chair

refectory table and set of eight chairs

patchwork details of table surfaces, depending on the intended use of these tables they can be used as is or with protective glass top surfaces, i would prefer that they are left uncovered to get knocked about.

the chairs were designed to complement the tables, using the same angles and materials across the family.

below: a small sideboard fitted with a single cupboard and three drawers, made with reclaimed plywood, vintage wooden crates, salvaged floorboards, pine worktop found in a junk shop in margate, found door handles from a car boot sale in south london and skip-found hinges.

(double click on any of the images to see them in more detail)

shop cat

2011-06-21T10:24:00.002+01:00

(one of the reasons to shop at the Grocery on kingsland road, shoreditch)

jump the shark

2011-06-19T10:57:00.004+01:00

Ally Capellino stand at Liberty

2011-06-18T23:55:00.001+01:00

this brief was to reproduce a small section of the Ally Capellino Shoreditch store within the men's department in Liberty, the space given for the stand was very limited but needed to provide a lot of hanging space as well as display surfaces from a family of materials and textures that i used in the Shoreditch store...

a wall panel with base unit made from salvaged timber stud wall and reclaimed victorian wall cladding (as sourced for the shop)

making the steel hanging rail at Wilcos - thank you rob

the wall panel in a white gloss finish with a hanging bar from industrial steel tube

on site delivery to liberty (martin in the middle)

wall panel in place but no lighting on the stand yet

steel hanging rail in place with reclaimed wooden base shelf and safety glass shelf

detail of cladding, hanging rail and logo with burnt black edge to text

base box to wall panel, made from sections of old interior doors and reclaimed, sanded and waxed wooden scaffolding boards

Rupert Blanchard at Ally Capellino / Material Details

2011-06-14T00:36:00.003+01:00

the following photos were taken on my mobile phone to record some of the details and finishes in the new Ally Capellino store, please note that these photos were taken as work was still in progress...

adjustable shelving system inspired by post office sorting offices and industrial warehouse racking, i designed this modular shelving using simple box section steel and angle iron with reclaimed scaffolding boards. the steel is black polished and sealed, the wood is worn and bleached from years of use on building sites before being washed, sanded and waxed

above- view across the store from behind the counter. the counter top recycles the old worn leather worktop from the old shop. the wooden table with the iron bases dates from the 1860s and until recently spent its whole life in a church in wales.

shop counter materials: worn leather work surface, puzzled together square sections of salvaged interior doors, pitch pine flooring joists.

industrial black metal pipework used as hanging rails attached to reclaimed victorian pin wall cladding that was sourced to piece in the original wall finish.

reclaimed worn scaffolding boards used in the bench/display/storage areas. only boards that were no longer usable within the scaffolding trade were used on the project.

a number of display plinths were made from scrap salvaged domestic interior doors

more scrap door sections used as wall panelling

original vintage science lab stands/clamps were sourced to display the bags

i found this pine wall display cabinet in a car boot sale one day in essex at around 5am. it would have once been a key cabinet for the m.o.d.

a late victorian shop counter display cabinet

the display plinths were designed to be used on their own or they all stack up together to make one long refectory type table

original paint work to the lab stands, cleaned and sealed

Rupert Blanchard at Ally Capellino

2011-06-13T23:54:00.003+01:00

i'm trying to catch up on recording a few recent projects, ally's shoreditch shop re-fit opened a couple of months ago and keeps evolving so please try to visit the store soon. here are a few photos from the store but i'll add some of my own photos and material details within the store in the next blog post...

weekend away

2011-06-13T00:16:00.003+01:00

broad beans

Spitalfields Life

2011-06-12T14:31:00.001+01:00

a big thank you to Spitalfields Life for the kind write-up, read it here.

spot the difference...

2011-06-07T23:20:00.003+01:00

regular visitors to my blog might have noticed that i've been rather slow in updating my work lately, this is due to the endless exciting projects and loads of furniture building, all of which i hope to update here soon. among many recent changes and after three years of fun my trusty red transporter van has now moved to st.ives to join barbara hepworth and take up surfing, hence a slightly bigger black transporter has now joined me so expect to see slightly longer pieces of furniture being made soon...

Midcentury Modern at Lords

2011-05-17T16:09:00.002+01:00

thanks so much to everyone who visited me at midcentury modern at lords where i previewed a few new pieces from my 2011 collection, including a new range of tables and chairs. more information on these designs coming soon...

midcentury modern at lords cricket ground - Sunday 10am - 4pm

2011-05-14T18:28:00.002+01:00

i'll be showing some brand new designs at Midcentury Modern at Lords on Sunday 10am-4pm.

at last, i've made some new pieces that i've wanted to make since i first started sourcing materials for them about 6 or 7 years ago. please come along and say hi if you can. Thank you to Martin, Kris and Veyes (seen below) for helping with the new collection all week. work in progress photos can be seen below, but i'll post some finished photos next week.

leaning tower of vintage black and decker workmates

2011-05-09T23:25:00.000+01:00

...its probably time to edit my collection

2011-05-05T13:47:00.000+01:00

...just a note to tell you that i will be exhibiting at the next Midcentury Modern show at Lords Cricket Ground. Sunday 15th May 2011 10am-4pm.

New Arrival at The Barbican

2011-04-17T22:07:00.004+01:00

i've just delivered 4 new pieces to the Barbican - catch them while you can! (above: side tables / work in progress)

...an environmentally friendly delivery, walking from my warehouse to the Barbican with 4 new pieces on my scrap-yard find sack truck (click on pictures to enlarge).

burger van

2011-04-17T12:02:00.000+01:00

...bought too much yesterday

new arrival at elemental

2011-04-12T13:22:00.002+01:00

this is one of my biggest pieces to date, made with 20 drawers and 1 door, i'll add a full run-down of where all of the drawers came from later today...

mobile phone photos - a picture heavy post from the last few weekss

2011-04-11T16:40:00.004+01:00

swindon cat show

taps from scrap yard

robin with table

working on ally capellino's new space

time to clear the warehouse

making up some shabby furniture

working on some more pieces for the barbican

sofia helping

veyes helping

martin helping (trapped in cabinets)

4 stanley tape measures that all measure different sizes

one of my new 'bus cabinets' with a bus on kingsland road

car park sailing

too big for the van

ebay find

car boot find for time based arts

dinosaur found on shoreditch high street

painting mistakes

no mistakes

kris hiding

working with antique printed wooden crates

desk/table from scrap yard water tank

buried treasure in the thames (where it should stay) another water tank

a visit to hato press

Ron Hickman 1932-2011

2011-03-29T17:04:00.005+01:00

found amongst the rubbish in the rain at the end of a car boot sale in london last week. original carboard box for the WM525 Workmate. a rare find but sadly no workmate inside the box by the time i got to it.

Ronald Price Hickman 1932-2011.

gone but not forgotten. designer, inventor and champion of diy.

running total: 1 box and 9 vintage workmate variations in the collection.
more vintage workmates on my blog here and here and here

rupert blanchard vs. finn juhl

2011-03-28T17:18:00.003+01:00

i found six odd drawers at a market the other week, damaged and dirty but i recognised the well made solid teak construction with cast aluminium handles as being designed by Finn Juhl as a part of his 1970s 'diplomat' range. the drawers would have once been an element in a modular shelving and storage system but as there is very little chance that i would ever find any more of the system. i decided to re-finish the drawers and turn them into a matching pair of bedside or sofa-side lamp tables/cabinets. the new framework is made from plywood with a soft satin finish and lacquered steel bases.

two new cabinets...

2011-03-24T23:38:00.007Z

very slow at updating the blog lately, so much happening off-line but i'll try to show some of my new projects and furniture designs here over the next few days, starting with these new designs...

Bus cabinet BC01

Made from decommissioned, scrapped aluminium sections of a London bus, salvaged window handles, reclaimed plywood hoardings, metal base and steel top surface. One of two variations made.

Multi drawer cabinet square MDCS 01

Made with salvaged drawers that would have once belonged to a 40s desk, a fitted wardrobe, a Victorian chest of drawers, a haberdashery shop cabinet, a 50s sideboard and a 20s chest of drawers. Main framework from plywood with a metal base. One of a series of six new multidrawer square cabinets.

Rupert Blanchard at Midcentury.Modern 2011

2011-03-11T11:16:00.001Z

i'll be previewing a selection of brand new pieces from my 2011 New Furniture collection at the next Midcentury.Modern. hope to see you there...

Midcentury.Modern

Sunday 20th March 2011
Dulwich College, SE21 7LD
10am–4pm
Entrance £7 on the day
Early entry for trade 9am (£9)
Children under 14 free

Pel Chairs spotted on Terry and June (1985)

2011-03-10T16:28:00.002Z

...another reference for my study of Pel Chairs / tubular steel furniture, spotted where i'd like to find them -in the cricket club house on Terry and June. please send me any film and tv references of pel chairs if you spot them.
if you would like to see other examples please click 'interests: tubular furniture' down the left hand side of this page.

2011-03-02T18:30:00.002Z

thank you to Jackson Lam at Hato Press for the design and printing for the Barbican project

New Arrival: Rupert Blanchard for The Barbican

2011-03-01T19:08:00.004Z

Designed and produced by Rupert Blanchard exclusively for The Barbican.

Inspired by the new exhibition at The Barbican and the work of Gordon Matta-Clark, Blanchard’s trademark salvaged style is employed to produce a new side table.

Made from reclaimed interior doors found in Blanchard’s past and present homes of Swindon and Shoreditch, the doors range from late Victorian to the 1950s and are selected under the policy that only badly damaged doors and those beyond feasible repair were to be used for the project.

The doors were cut up into one foot square sections before being reassembled as one foot square cubes whilst paying homage to the original design, construction techniques and historical patina that has been preserved. The cubes sit on four legged steel bases produced by a family-run metal workshop in Bethnal Green.

Designed to be used as stand alone pieces, in pairs or as a modular section to create larger tables, every piece is unique, signed and numbered.

10 brand new pieces available now at The Barbican.

saturday car boot sale finds

2011-02-28T21:59:00.005Z

2011-02-23T22:47:00.006Z

...my friend Cesar is currently working with plywood in New Orleans
a delivery from Home Depot from New to Used in 10 seconds.
also, and more importantly by Cesar...

new arrival at elemental

2011-02-18T14:29:00.004Z

one of my biggest pieces to date is now on sale at elemental

made with 33 drawers (and a bird house) dating from 1860s-1970s.

although the drawers would have come from many pieces of furniture including desks, dressing tables, wardrobes, chests of drawers and filing cabinets -every drawer, or pair of drawers were found on their own at markets, junk shops and from dealers all across the uk over a period of around three years.

2011-02-17T09:41:00.000Z

Ally Capellino - Flagship store & Liberty of London (work in progress)

2011-02-14T00:06:00.005Z

I've been working on refitting Ally Capellino's flagship store in Shoreditch and the new dedicated Ally area in the men's department at Liberty. The Shoreditch store officially launches this Thursday evening, I don't want to give away too much so I won't post any new pictures of the space until after Thursday night and the Liberty area opens later this month so in the meantime here are a selection of 'work in progress' images from the projects, showing some of the processes and materials that have gone into the projects...

he's smiling

please note that no healthy doors are used in my projects

the majority of work carried out should go un-noticed

all metalwork made in East London

doors found and salvaged from Wiltshire, Gloucester, Kent, London.

cladding salvaged from a victorian property in Swindon, timber from an estate agents in Chelsea.

new woolworths on brick lane

2011-02-13T18:04:00.000Z

woolworths lives on, spotted on the tool stall in brick lane market

some things are too big to take home from the salvage yard

2011-02-10T00:32:00.001Z

family visit

2011-02-10T00:25:00.001Z

i would like to thank the albion for accommodating our family gathering last weekend including my nephews dylan and lucas. i am always very impressed with the service.

dylan learning about cranes from robin

modernist swindon

2011-02-09T23:56:00.008Z

apologies for the delay in updating my blog. i have been working on a lot of exciting projects lately, one of which took me back to my home town.

in recent years Swindon has gone from being one of the fastest growing towns in europe to one of the fastest declining. i have a fondness for this town although every time i return certain areas sometimes change beyond recognition and a little more love dies. one area of debate is the town centre, like most town centres across the uk it has been hit hard over the last decade with the trend towards out-of-town shopping centres, internet shopping and the recession at large. in my opinion it has not been helped by moving the main college to the periphery with many students now needing to take two or even three buses to college, this move instantly removed the student population from the 'top' of the town. at the 'bottom' of the town, the once interesting Bridge street has become a no go area full of pubs, clubs, some of which are already closed down empty spaces. The Brunel Shopping Centre was redeveloped in the 1990s and has never been fully occupied since. some prime locations are now filled by discount stores and charity shops.

The postcard at the top of this post dates from the 1970s. this is the swindon that i grew up in.

the original brunel centre had a busy indoor market area which was pushed out during for the redevelopment to make way for House of Fraser which has now become a House of Fraser 'Outlet' resembling the messy bazaar market that the space once was.

other than the rotating cocktail bar still standing in the brunel rooms nightclub (now the liquid rooms) there are still a few bits of modernist archaeology to be found.

original 1970s signage and store front

the rear of Sainsburys doesn't warrant the same updating as the front of the store, mainly as it is a neglected walkway and service bay area. this does however mean that there are some gems to be found.

inside the store, the original tiled walls include a fantastic S monogrammed boarder

a close up of the signage. stainless steel framed letters, orange perspex inserts with neon inside. mounted of a staggered state tile background.

more rather boring modernist archaeology coming soon.

2011-01-25T22:29:00.001Z

salvaged materials for ally capellino

Ally Capellino shop interior preperation

2011-01-24T10:47:00.001Z

In the workshop, from the left: Vickie, Martin and Veyes. We have been using a lot of reclaimed materials in the shop fit, this often means that preperation can take up to two or three times longer than starting out with new materials, but hopefully its worth it. Thank you Vickie, Martin and Veyes for your help.

New Shop Interior: Rupert Blanchard for Ally Capellino

2011-01-20T22:53:00.000Z

Currently working on a new project, refitting Ally Capellino's Shoreditch shop. Opening in 10 days! (watch this space) ...on the project today (from the left) veyes, chris and martin.

Elle Decoration / Rupert Blanchard

2011-01-18T20:20:00.001Z

A belated thank you to Elle Decoration for including me in the 'now/upcycling' Jan 2011 issue.

wilkinson modernism

2011-01-18T19:35:00.000Z

i've been out searching for interesting wall hooks for a new project i'm working on. my journey took me to wilkinsons stores where they are currently selling this range of 5 animal hooks, the design dates from the 1960s. amazingly wilkinson are still making and selling them, only 68p each -bargain!

spot the mistakes, sainsburys whitechapel

2011-01-11T13:51:00.000Z