There is no design problem too small (or cute). We teamed up with Like Butter and designers from around the world to create eleven original pet furniture designs – each using only a single piece of plywood. Here’s a closer look at how it all came together.
“What if we designed pet furniture more thoughtfully, with a concept of how they could be put to use when the pet no longer likes or needs it?”
"Is it possible to conceptualise pet housing that seamlessly combines aesthetics, versatility, and affordability?"
Want to see for yourself? Visit "Multifunctional Pet Furniture for Small Space Living” during Melbourne Design Week, May 23 to June 2, 2024.
MDW is all about exploring the transformative power of design in a rapidly evolving world. And true to our belief that there is no problem too big or too small, Never Too Small have combined passion for compact-living and pets into a new exhibition at Melbourne Design Week, Multifunctional Pet Furniture for Small Space Living.
The roots of this project can be traced back to NTS-founder Colin Chee’s semi-regular scan of the hard rubbish room of his apartment building, where he noticed how often people threw away pet beds and houses that were still in good condition. It got him thinking on questions of materiality versus objecthood, asking: “What if we designed pet furniture more thoughtfully, with a concept of how they could be put to use when the pet no longer likes or needs it?” With nearly two-thirds of Australians sharing their homes with beloved pets (in the City of Melbourne alone, there are approximately 5,400 registered dogs and 4,800 cats), it begs the question: why aren’t there more versatile, design-friendly pet furniture solutions?
Multifunctional Pet Furniture for Small Space Living ventures through the eyes of designers from around the world to reimagine pet housing in the context of limited spaces. Twelve innovative designs from Paolo Bagna, Studiomama, Mariana Delas, Tra.ma, Like Butter, Koen Fraijman, Matt Reynolds, Colin Chee and Yee Keong Leong, Three-d conceptwerke, tsai Design, and Studio Edwards answer the question: is it possible to conceptualise pet housing that seamlessly combines aesthetics, versatility, and affordability? Through these designs, pet furniture transcends its traditional role and leads a double life as storage units, seating, shelves, or planters – maximising utility without compromising on style.
The exhibition goes beyond the exploration of practical design to consider the possibilities of sustainable and easily accessible design for everyone. Setting a material limitation of a single piece of plywood for each of the eleven designs, NTS ensured that they could all be templated and cut out using CNC Machinery – a design process dedicated to democratising design and making them accessible to anyone in the world. Chee, who created a design with his childhood friend EE Keong, noted how the material limitation was a source of both challenge and delight, allowing them to reconnect as they developed four prototypes before ultimately selecting their four-in-one durable concept that “should last forever”. Most of the other participating designers came up with several concepts themselves, but the final pieces selected for the exhibition represent the most versatile applications of material and function.
Our exhibition is open to all. Join us for the opening event Friday, May 24 from 6–9pm (register here) or visit us May 24 to May 31 from 10am to 6pm at the Never Too Small Studio (292 Wellington Street, Collingwood, VC). For more details and other events, visit the Melbourne Design Week website.
This event is only possible due to the generosity of our spectacular sponsors, Plyco (Material), Like Butter (CNC), and Dulux (Paint). We thank them warmly for their support.
