Richard Wrightman: Campaign Furniture Updated
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.21.06
When it comes to flatpak design, IKEA has nothing on the Victorian British Military, where officers travelled in comfort and style with furniture that could be knocked down and reassembled quickly, albeit with the help of lots of soldiers and sailors to do the work for them. New York designer Richard Wrightman was inspired by it: "The collection of modern campaign furniture offered is inspired by the timeless functional aesthetic of its 19th century predecessors. Lightweight, and collapsible, the collection combines style with function." We particularly like this cot, that has drop-in trays to act as a coffee table, and can also be designed to extend to 29" high, so that it can be used as a console table.
The Matthiessen coffee table can adjust from 17" high to 36".
The designer says:
Campaign furniture was originally designed for expedition when transport was almost always a beast of burden. At one time lavish and heavy it was made for the officer or explorer who demanded luxury and comfort in the field.
Eventually campaign furniture became lightweight and portable, but the principles remained the same; attractive design wedded to functionality. The days of expeditions followed by caravan are long over but the romance of that type of travel is still very much alive. While most pieces in the collection can be easily carried by one person; others such as the Danziger desk can still be strapped to a camel's back if necessary.
It is all custom made with choice of wood, so one probably has the option of ordering sustainably harvested materials. ::Richard Wrightman Designs
