classic contemporary furniture

Now in store

The first pieces from our new collection have finally made it into two London showrooms. You can see the Pause Desk in both Viaduct and Geoffrey Drayton, probably the two most significant contemporary furniture retailers in central London.

We're now working on some additonal product variations - these include the development of an 'alcove' sized desk of approximately 100cm width, and also a version of the Desk, without shelves.

These new variations will go into prototype stage at the beginning of March, and we hope to have them on the web siite by the end of March, at www.ottofurniture.com

We're looking forward to getting further product feedback from customers over the coming months, to help shape future product developments.

See pack for details

Sustainability is an important issue, but does anyone really care? Although there is a high awareness of environmental issues, fuelled by the threat of global warming, is this awareness actually making a difference in the purchasing decisions we make? We're becoming better about disposing of our waste, through recycling, but do we connect this with what we buy?

It seems that currently our conscience for going green is restricted to what we consume - recycling our food and drinks packaging, and also some energy conservation. But how can we broaden this narrow view of evironmental care? We need better, and more consistent information and education on what goes into the products we buy and use. How are they made?, what are they made of?, where are they made?, where does the waste go?, and finally, what do i do with our purchases when they've reached the end of thier lives?

With food packaging there lists its ingredients, calories and fat content, country of origin, etc. - information which enables us to make clear decisions on what we put in our bodies. Can we have something which enables us to make informed decisions about what we put in our homes?

The sustainable circle

As designers, we prefer to work with materials that age well and come from sustainable sources. We use a very restrained aesthetic to complement different interior styles, and we build in flexibility to accommodate changing technology.

As manufacturers, we try to minimise the environmental impact of our work wherever possible - from recycling manufacturing waste to using solvent-free finishes and returnable/recyclable packaging.

While Pause ll, our first range of furniture, is 98% recyclable, we are far more interested in its sustainability. We would rather refurbish one of our pieces, than recycle it. It would be unthinkable to recycle a Chippendale or a piece of Charles Renee Mackintosh, and that’s how we feel about our furniture. It is not for the moment, it is for our time.

We accept, however, that our time is not necessarily infinite. Circumstances change, we move around, we change direction. Our possessions may not always suit were we are going.

So committed are we to the concept of sustainability, we would rather you invest in another one of our designs that suits your new environment, and take back the piece you first purchased from us. We would then refurbish the first piece, and resell it on your behalf.

Surely this sustainability in its purest form? It preserves what is good, and promotes what is new.

Pause for thought

It's more than just a name.

Pause is a system of shelving and storage options for lounge and home office situations. With an enduring aesthetic, the range is designed with a fundamental consideration of all aspects of sustainability.

The name was chosen as a reflection of the prevalence of electronic media, shorter product life-cycles and the unresolved environmental consequences.

The choices of solid timber rather than veneers; repairable wax oil finishes; and a local manufacturing base, are driven by the unique proposition that OTTO maintains a life-long relationship with the furniture it produces.

The range combines solid European Oak shelves and carcases with structural elements manufactured in stainless-steel. All the pieces are available in two standard widths of 160cm and 240cm, with fully adjustable shelves. The concealed light fittings at the back of the units provide ambient lighting as well as illuminating drawer interiors.

The Pause collection will be available from London retailers Geoffrey Drayton and Viaduct from January 07.

Contacts

Otto Furniture Limited – www.ottofurniture.com
Contact Jonathan Howkins 0870 850 7057 or via email on jonathan@ottofurniture.com

Geoffrey Drayton – 85 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL
Telephone 020 7387 5840 www.geoffrey-drayton.co.uk

Viaduct – 1-10 Summers Street, London EC1R 5BD
Telephone 020 7278 8456 www.viaduct.co.uk

Good & Gorgeous?

Our launch exhibition is well under way now in London's east end. Last night was the press and private view - the place was buzzing - there were 80 designers showing new products, innovations and ideas - all taking thier own interpretation on sustainability and how to reduce landfill. The exhibition, entitled Good & Gorgeous, is now in its second year - this year it's bigger and better with some truly stimulating product ideas which really demonstrate that we can create products that are both good environmentally, and yet still very desirable and gorgeous.

I would like to have the space to show everything in this blog, but there's just too much so here are a few pics, and i will try to also add some into my squidoo pages - (links to these are on the left hand menu). Also you can visit the ReDesign web site.

Otto at the London Design Festival

So with the production pieces complete, the web site nearly ready, it's time to expose ourselves to public scrutiny.

The Pause Desk, from our first collection, has been selected to be part of a curated exhibition called ReDesign'06. The exhibition, which is part of the London Design Festival, is focused on showing innovative products that have sustainability considerations, as part of thier design and production philosophy.

The exhibition runs from the 21st to the 26th of September at The Boiler House, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane London E1. The web site is www.redesigndesign.org.

If you get a chance, l hope you'll pop in and see it for yourself. All feedback welcome!