whereisthecoool: Unto This Last I’ll blame it on the directional disorientation caused by underground railways more than the multiple glasses of wine, but last week I found myself wandering through the dark streets of London terribly lost and without phone service. My friend and I had gotten off at the wrong stop and were now battling to catch our dinner reservations and appease our impatient companions who were undoubtedly already waiting for us at the restaurant. As we rounded a corner onto what I hoped was the correct street, we came across a dark row of single story buildings with light pouring out of the large glass display windows of the last building on the block. The sign of the building read Unto This Last, a strange enough title, but as we drew closer what caught my attention was the phrase “less mass, more data” subtly inscribed into a block of stone on the building edge. It was something I had never seen before, but it seemed both political and poetic. As I pondered the phrases meaning, I glanced inside the lighted windows and discovered a miniature factory of finely crafted birch ply composite products. From fruit bowls to coat stands to coffee tables, this small store had an excellent array of elegant and uniquely crafted items displayed in the building. To top the experience off, as I peered into the shop I could see a man busily crafting something out of wood in the stores back workshop, even though it was well past 9:00pm on a Friday night. It occurred to me then that this was as close as I was ever going to get to discovering Santa’s North Pole workshop as I wander lost through the snow. I relished the moment as I gazed upon the clean and uncluttered pieces of woodwork. I wanted to pound on the glass doors and demand an audience with this dedicated craftsman but we were already late and my friend swore she could find her way back here tomorrow. Alas, London got the better of us and we never did return to the store but with a little research I discovered that this shop was focused on creating beautiful and effective products that through a series of practices, cut out department store-like costs. Their products are made when ordered and produced with a digital router. This means the idea of a dependence on the available stock of their products is completely eliminated. While I had lofty thoughts about the meaning of the phrase “less mass more data”, it could have been my literary mind leap frogging off this simple business model. Unto This Last is a name borrowed from an economic essay by John Ruskin who published the four articles in a book in may of 1862. While I too support the return of local craft workshops into communities to battle the dull monotony of todays furniture, I was distressed to discover that they only offer deliveries in the London area. My hopes of getting my hands on any of their materials hinges on how soon I hop back across the pond. While difficult to acquire, I would recommend the shop for anyone in the area or perhaps anyone planning on taking a visit to the British capital. 230 Brick Lane, London E2 7EB www.UntoThisLast.co.uk Tel. 020 7613 0882 - Keefe Dempsey.

whereisthecoool:

Unto This Last

I’ll blame it on the directional disorientation caused by underground railways more than the multiple glasses of wine, but last week I found myself wandering through the dark streets of London terribly lost and without phone service. My friend and I had gotten off at the wrong stop and were now battling to catch our dinner reservations and appease our impatient companions who were undoubtedly already waiting for us at the restaurant.

As we rounded a corner onto what I hoped was the correct street, we came across a dark row of single story buildings with light pouring out of the large glass display windows of the last building on the block. The sign of the building read Unto This Last, a strange enough title, but as we drew closer what caught my attention was the phrase “less mass, more data” subtly inscribed into a block of stone on the building edge. It was something I had never seen before, but it seemed both political and poetic.

As I pondered the phrases meaning, I glanced inside the lighted windows and discovered a miniature factory of finely crafted birch ply composite products. From fruit bowls to coat stands to coffee tables, this small store had an excellent array of elegant and uniquely crafted items displayed in the building. To top the experience off, as I peered into the shop I could see a man busily crafting something out of wood in the stores back workshop, even though it was well past 9:00pm on a Friday night.

It occurred to me then that this was as close as I was ever going to get to discovering Santa’s North Pole workshop as I wander lost through the snow. I relished the moment as I gazed upon the clean and uncluttered pieces of woodwork.

I wanted to pound on the glass doors and demand an audience with this dedicated craftsman but we were already late and my friend swore she could find her way back here tomorrow. Alas, London got the better of us and we never did return to the store but with a little research I discovered that this shop was focused on creating beautiful and effective products that through a series of practices, cut out department store-like costs.

Their products are made when ordered and produced with a digital router. This means the idea of a dependence on the available stock of their products is completely eliminated. While I had lofty thoughts about the meaning of the phrase “less mass more data”, it could have been my literary mind leap frogging off this simple business model.

Unto This Last is a name borrowed from an economic essay by John Ruskin who published the four articles in a book in may of 1862. While I too support the return of local craft workshops into communities to battle the dull monotony of todays furniture, I was distressed to discover that they only offer deliveries in the London area. My hopes of getting my hands on any of their materials hinges on how soon I hop back across the pond. While difficult to acquire, I would recommend the shop for anyone in the area or perhaps anyone planning on taking a visit to the British capital.

230 Brick Lane, London E2 7EB

www.UntoThisLast.co.uk

Tel. 020 7613 0882

- Keefe Dempsey.

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  8. giantbeard said: It’s a great little shop isn’t it, lots of lovely ideas, thought through well! -TTO
  9. whereisthecoool posted this
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