Five objects with Uncommon Projects

When we visit our clients in their studios, we’re often intrigued by the things with which they surround themselves. Often such objects can say as much about someone as the work they inspire.

Here are five objects from Alan Drumm and James Hoy –  founders of bespoke plywood furniture and kitchen-design studio Uncommon Projects… 

Moccamaster KBG 741 coffee machine

“The yellow Moccamaster filter-coffee machine only arrived in our studio a few months ago, but it has quickly become a favourite object. We originally bought it as a prop for a photoshoot, (with the intention of returning it!) but we immediately fell in love and it had to stay. Designed in 1974, it’s now a classic. I love the legibility of the design, each function is expressed clearly and elegantly. It has been built with longevity in mind, with a powder-coated aluminium body and a copper heating element. People assume small appliances last only a couple of years, that they break down and you then throw them away. However, all removable parts of the 741 can be replaced – the opposite of planned obsolescence.”

–Alan and James

Vintage molecule 

“I found this molecule at the back of a vintage furniture shop, bought it as a curiosity for the shelf and have grown to love it. For me it represents the perfect balance between form and function. It’s a beautiful object, and yet totally functional. As such I think it’s of its time, but not trapped in it. Also, it’s a diamond.”  

– James

Venesta stool 

“This stool is a really important item for me. At a basic level, as a piece of lightweight plywood furniture from the 1930s, it speaks to me about the history of plywood and its strength and longevity as a material. However, it also has a much more personal history for me. It wasn’t until after we started Uncommon Projects that I discovered that I had a very strong connection to plywood. My great grandfather was the managing director of Venesta, the company that manufactured this stool. Venesta is a contraction of the words ‘veneer’ and ‘Estonia’, and was a partnership with AM Luther AG in Estonia, run at the time by my great-great grandfather Christian Willhelm Luther. Venesta was the first and largest company to import plywood into the UK. They produced furniture, boards and boxes for the early Antarctic expeditions and went on to manufacture for Isokon. 

Venesta’s early UK factories were based in East London, not far from where we are based now. I think I must have plywood in the blood. Although we’re never going to make history in the same way my relatives did, it is important for me to remember that we could be part of a family history and I’d like the furniture we make to always be looked on kindly.”

–James

John Booth Head Vase 

“A couple of years ago someone bought a colourful stool from us for John as a gift. I wasn’t familiar with John’s work at the time; I looked up his Instagram and found his head vases. I bought one immediately as a gift for my partner. The vase led to a meeting, which led to a collaboration, which led to some rather fantastic standalone furniture. John did a couple of special versions of our stools and tables as well as a completely ridiculous (but utterly fantastic) hand-painted plywood bed. The vase is a constant reminder to keep looking outside our normal sphere for inspiration, because you never know where it will lead you.”

–Alan

To discover how we work with Uncommon Projects, head to their client page.