Socks + Furniture

Sep 12, 2012

Vancouver-based designer Greg Papove's Socks + Furniture collection consists of a coffee table, floor lamp, and sofa. The collection is an example of how, if you challenge yourself not to overlook life's simplicities, inspiration can come from anywhere. Even the most banal objects can be shown in a different light and taking what we can from stale items can create new and thought-provoking products. This project explores material production methods, human-to-object interactions, and opportunities for repurposing existing objects.

 The challenge was to create a series of furniture based on the properties of socks. Looking at a variety of foot-underwear with emphasis on functionality and social relevance, Papove isolated qualities that could be applied to furniture. The resulting collection consists of three pieces, each exhibiting a particular "sockyness" derived from a different quality possessed by socks.

 The Five Toes Coffee Table takes inspiration from toe socks and is supported by five legs. This table is designed for assembly and disassembly using socks as fasteners. Since common socks are used as press-fit fasteners, the user has the ability to customize the appearance of the table with, plain, coloured, or mismatching socks. The tabletop surface is a material blend of cotton and a gypsum polymer resulting in a hard textured surface.

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