‘Soot’ Architect’s Desk | Note Design Studio + Korlina Stenfelt.

How often do you hear the saying “They don’t make them like they used to”? Umm… all the time. Because it is true – we live in the world of faster/ cheaper/ more!! Well, this one-off piece of furniture is here to say STICK-IT to mass-production and to show that exquisite craftsmanship is still possible.

Called Soot, this piece was designed by Kristoffer Fagerström of Note Design Studio for Swedish cabinetmaker Karolina Stenfelt to demonstrate her skills while studying at Carl Malmsten School of Furniture. The brief was to create a desk that doesn’t reveal everything at a first glance and that stands out in a discreet way.

Kristoffer designed an architect’s ‘black box’ that combines the old analogue approach of built-in rulers, hidden magnets and sketch-paper rolls (such as yellowtrace!) but also includes modern conveniences like USB hubs and power outlets. The cabinet is made using swedish pine veneer laid in herringbone pattern, then charred black on the outside. Huh? I didn’t even know you could do that!

This desk a one-off creation and Karolina Stenfelt and Note Design Studio are investigating possibilities of developing it into a limited edition series.

Extraordinary.

[Discovered via Designboom.]