Between the ANICE Stool from designer Arthur Schmitt (download file for free from Thingiverse here) and the newly-released Keystone collection from Studio Minale-Maeda, the ability to create one’s own furniture can be done with a consumer-grade 3D printer and a few $1.50 custom cuts from Home Depot. While those who are lucky enough to have access to a wood shop might rather focus on dovetail joints, this new trend in DIY furniture is a welcome surprise for those in large metropolitan areas with limited access to any sort of reliable wood working equipment.
Unveiled at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, the aesthetically-pleasing connectors are designed to be combined with any myriad of wooden parts to create objects ranging from tables to benches and even coat racks.
With a focus on digital to analogue building-block construction, open-source schematics and distribution, Studio Minale-Maeda aims to redefine the design process and encourage customer participation with the Keystones:
“Keystones reduce the design of a piece of furniture to a single connector – a compact piece that can be 3D printed on-location. The keystone holds together the various components of a table or chair, which can be fabricated using basic workshop tools or a 2D CNC router, without the need for joinery skills. With Keystones, only the most essential part of the furniture needs to be shipped; the rest can be made from the materials at hand.”
-Studio Minale-Maeda
The Connectors:
While the location of the open-source files are yet to be determined, we’ll keep you updated as soon as we find out. Either way, with the rise of 3D printable furniture design aides it’s starting to look like adults who have been longing for their own LEGO-like projects just might have somewhere to turn.
(Images via Studio Minale-Maeda)
