CHAPTER is a new bureau for the future of work, designed by Sebastian Schönheit for LOEHR.
The ever-present challenges of our time: the eternal search for work-life balance, the golden mean between the office and private space, and the illusory attempts to reconcile stylish minimalist design and the practical need for storage space. These are familiar dilemmas for many who face the daily challenges of today's hybrid workplaces.
The solution for at least one of these predicaments comes from the Berlin-based design label LOEHR. It presents CHAPTER, a furniture concept by a German designer Sebastian Schönheit. His modern reinterpretation of a traditional bureau is a response to the changes that have been taking place in contemporary workplaces all around the globe. The increased relevance of the digital layer has fundamentally transformed the demands placed on furniture.
CHAPTER addresses this development in a radical fashion: it allows for seamless integration of the reinvented furniture piece into both business and living environments. The furniture's multiple functions help it meet the requirements of individuals working in the fluid and rapidly changing conditions of the modern workplace.
The form of the furniture piece has been uncompromisingly reduced to lines and planes, as the design follows the minimalistic logic of constructive elements. An oak-veneered, wall-mounted countertop covers a compartment for hidden storage that fits a laptop and small personal items. The sloping rear panel, executed in powder-coated aluminum, not only creates space for necessary work utensils or books but also offers a chance to exhibit some eye-catching objects. The understated design allows for economical packaging and straightforward repair. Moreover, all parts of the product have been manufactured and assembled in Europe, which minimizes the carbon footprint. The bureau is also 100% recyclable.
CHAPTER can be used as an individual work surface, standing desk, or a sideboard, and when arranged in a row against the wall creates a whole workspace. It is available in two colors: gray-brown and light grey, which blend unobtrusively into most interiors.
