Project Overview

For Dan de Groot and his brother Anthony, taking on a workshop space in Campbellfield meant they could experiment with design, make as much noise and as many mistakes as they wanted - and create their first unique furniture range for their company TUCKBOX.
The TUCKBOX collection comes from a place that celebrates locally sourced materials and resources, while also allowing enough flexibility in the range to appeal to those looking for customised pieces to really suit their home.

Organisation

Tuckbox

Team

Dan de Groot, Anthony de Groot and Prue de Groot

TUCKBOX came about over a long summer lunch at the end of 2013, during a conversation between Dan, his wife Prue, and brother Anthony. The pieces fell in to place to allow them to move their ideas from scrapbooks to workshop.

Project Brief

TUCKBOX recognised a need for furniture which is able to respond to Australia’s increasingly compact urban environment, be of a high quality, versatile and simple to assemble. The ‘Klein’ (‘small’) collection is therefore designed to work in smaller spaces, complement and support their surrounds and provide flexibility for owners through the ability to stack or flatpack easily.

Project Innovation/Need

The collection’s starting point was the refinement of the Klein / Gem stools. The use of trigonometry to calculate double-sided gem angles revealed the previously uncelebrated parts of the timber grain, and created pieces that changed with light. Critical to the success of the products was their ability to endure use in a mix of residential and commercial environments. Unable to find a satisfactory supplier for protective feet for the Klein stools, TUCKBOX designed their own foot-tabs with laser cut high-density poly-ethylene wraps to protect floors and stools from impact. The tabs, while optional, have also leant themselves to specifying in leather - creating a luxurious trifecta of materials. The resulting collection has a versatile and unique voice, flexible enough to handle a commercial environment while still able to stand alone as a special item in the home.

Design Challenge

Our challenge lay in our non-traditional approach to manufacturing and design. We were choosing to present fairly standard, locally sourced materials in a unique and beautiful light - and therefore go against the tide of imported material solutions. Assembling a network of supportive local manufacturers who were eager to share their knowledge and time provided encouragement and guidance to our small team. The key to the designs was the gem-cut angles in the timber, and the curves in the steel - once we had these in place and our colour palette chosen we were able to progress rapidly towards our launch with the rest of the range.

Sustainability

Each piece is designed and made locally. We consider safety, strength and durability in all our materials and finishes. Our timber is carefully selected. It is responsibly sourced and we like to use reclaimed and salvaged wherever possible. Our hand-worked timber products are finished with a low VOC protective coating. Low VOC is better for the health of our customers, the environment and ourselves. We prefer to source and support local suppliers and believe in sustainable designs - environmental and economical.