East London designer Roger Arquer has made a bench out of materials he salvaged from his local hardware shop before it closed down, which he is contributing to the Stepney Green Design Collection curated by Dezeen.
All of the materials in the bench, from the wood to the screws and even the sandpaper Arquer used to make it, are from General Woodwork Supplies, a hardware shop near Dezeen's office in Stoke Newington that closed down this year after over 60 years of trading.
The seat of the bench is made from a plank of English chestnut that Arquer found in the back of the shop, while the 12 beech legs that are screwed in to it are replacement parts for old 1950s coffee tables.
Talking about his affection for the store and the concept behind the project, Arquer told Dezeen "General Woodworks has been a reference hardware shop for many makers based in the creative hub of East London. This was the place to go - they had everything and they knew everything - but it sadly closed down in August. This one-off bench is my tribute to the shop."
Dezeen has been commissioned to curate a collection of products designed by east London creatives that live near to new housing development VIVO and we have been publishing the designs as they are added to the collection all month. See all the stories we have published so far here.
The designs will be on show as part of a collection of 30 works of art, fashion, sculpture and furniture celebrating local talent that will be exhibited at the Genesis Cinema in October and then donated to the VIVO residents – find out more here.