ThingsAmongMany

I came across the woodwork of Chadhaus this morning and I’m pretty in love with their Vollen Series. A small shop based in Seattle, Chadhaus works with locally sourced materials to create modern renditions of classic pieces. here’s how they describe their work:

Chadhaus is part laboratory, part production shop; researching the finest materials and using fine-tuned craftsmanship.  From first idea to finished product, quality and functionality are the focus.

Chadhaus uses locally milled steel and hardwoods, as well as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified plywood with formaldahyde-free adhesives.  Woodwork features non-toxic finishes derived from natural materials, like beeswax.

The Vollen Series looks to me like the perfect dining setup for a small NY apartment. I love the fact the communal feel that the bench brings and the warmth of the wood offers a throwback to the older days of sitting around a family table. At the same time, the clean lines of the pieces bring a decidedly contemporary air to an otherwise classic design.

Sometime long ago, on a wander through Moss in Soho, I (like many before me) fell in love with the Vitsoe 606 Universal Shelving System. Obviously, it appealed to the modular modernist in me like no other shelving system I’ve seen. First produced in the 1960’s, and only tweaked since, the system is a classic in its own right. And, unfortunately, it carries the price tag to prove it (hey, it’s from Moss, what’d you expect?). This prompted the beginning of a search to find a more affordable variation.

The best I’d come up with was the Stolmen System from our Swedish friends at Ikea. Obviously, being from Ikea, this soved the affordability issue perfectly. On the other hand, the Stolmen lacks some of the options - not to mention finish - offered by the classic 606 system.

Then, recently, I came across ISS Designs. While clearly marketed (based on their website) more toward the professional market (ie. architects), ISS Designs seems to fall squarely between the 606 system and the Stolmen solution as far as adaptability and affordability - it’s arguably just as adaptable as the original Vitsoe system. Shortly after stumbling onto the ISS Designs site, I came across this post at Apartment Therapy featuring architect Koray Duman’s Alphabet City apartment renovation featuring the modular shelving system. Check out the ISS video featuring Duman’s apartment.

Their site is hard to navigate, but ISS Designs does appear to have an NYC showroom if you’re interested in more info. I’ll be checking it out sometime soon!