Tom Dixon Utility Collection
Launched earlier this year at the 2009 London Design Week, Tom Dixon's latest collection finally hits retailers in January 2010. As one of the leading ambassadors for British design, Dixon continues to explore sustainability issues with his Utility collection, adding extra emphasis on well-crafted construction. Acknowledging that just creating products from biodegradable materials—such as his Eco Ware collection—is simply not enough, the Utility collection concentrates on the notions of longevity, substance and materials deployed through robust, honest design.
The latest additions to the Tom Dixon catalog include the Offcut fluoro stool, pressed glass lights, enamel vessels, cast iron Crown candelabras and an Indian marble Rock table.
Made from wood at the edge of the log that's usually thrown away by producers, the Offcut stool, executed in Dixon's signature fluorescent orange, makes a beautiful addition to any room. Regarded as an unattractive material by most designers, Dixon found a use for this distinctive piece of wood and built the stool without using screws or glue. To add to its eco-friendly nature, the stool even comes flat-packed.
The globules of glass which emerge from the furnace ready to be blown inspired the new extra-thick, heavyweight pressed glass pendant lights. Using a halogen G9 Bulb, the light filters through the dense raw glass emitting an ethereal glow.
The Trio, Quad and Pentad enamel vessels appear delicate with their vibrant, vitreous surface, but due to the technique used in their creation—which includes glass powder sprayed onto cast iron—the vessels are extremely durable.
The cast-iron Crown candelabra could happily double as a bludgeoning weapon with its nearly indestructible construction. Rounding out the "no nonsense" collection, the table made from Forest Brown Indian marble is sourced from specialist quarries. Strong and heavy, the marble also offers a one-off appeal, with each slab offering a varying pattern.
See more images after the jump.
