Client: Lensvelt Contract Furniture
Type: Product design
Status: Completed in 2016
The Boring Collection sprung from a deep dissatisfaction with the appearance of contemporary project furniture. Their looks dictated by strict safety regulations, affordable office furniture is often a detonating eye sore in otherwise well-designed interiors. Sure, we considered designing more aesthetically pleasing furniture. But it would likely become unaffordable, or lead us to other impossible compromises. Instead of shifting the parameters, we accepted them and forged a solution within: to shift attention away from the furniture, onto other, more worthy things like in this project.
That’s why the Boring Collection doesn’t pretend to be prettier than it is. In fact, Boring Collection doesn’t want to claim any attention at all. To the last detail, the furniture is a modest soft grey. All shapes are archetypical, straightforward and discreet. All to serve but one goal: to draw the eye to the things that actually matter. And it sure isn’t the furniture.
To promote the collection, we enlisted visual artist duo Lernert & Sander. They followed suit and gave the lead in the campaign not to the furniture, but to office life itself. While the the lock counts down to the last minute before five, the crumpled paper ball, both universal symbols for the boredom on the work floor.
The collection consists of a European standards (EN) approved task chair, visitor chair, acoustic panel, low and high cabinet and four types of height adjustable desks, among which a standing desk. Furthermore there’s a Boring bin and a clock which, true to office culture, only shows the numbers for the moment of liberation.
Project team: Remi Versteeg, Stijn de Weerd, Joost Baks, Gijs Baks
Catalogue and Typographic design: Sanne Beeren
Copywriting: Nienke Blokhuis
Exhibition design: KABK third year students IAvt
Product Photography: Lernert & Sander / ADULT, Stan Koolen
Exhibition photography: James Stokes
Movie: Lernert & Sander /ADULT
Awarded the Milano Design Award best concept
2016
Finalist for the Dutch Design Awards
2016
Awarded Best Dutch Book Design
2016
