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We like to redesign old objects, but this is no news for you. The news is our new redesign series: we literally sticked a candle in the leg.

The principle is like usual simple: we took old chairs and small tables which have nicely carved legs. From these we cutted of a piece, drilled a hole and mounted it to a new plywood base – and the candle holder was ready. The attraction of this little accessories is the traditional fragment, freshed up with the shaped plate. Another nice detail is the pre-drilled spot for your fingertips, so you can easily carry the candle through your home, just like in old times.

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Make new things out of old!
That’s what 15 students and designers did during a two days workshop the 20-21/11 in Transplant. The participants got to choose whatever they wanted out of the delivery of furniture and objects provided by Fretex, to redesign or upcycle. The designers at Ralston & Bau coached the workshop and made sure everyone could bring home their finished product or furniture.
We saw floor lamps emerge out of table and stool legs, a wooden armchair dressed in jeans and another one that got 34 legs!
Please contact Maria at 577 352 00 or maria [ a t ] transplant [ d o t ] nu, if you or your company/school would like to try out upcycling design in 2010.
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© 2009 Photography by Ralston & Bau. Tekannelampe published in Krigsropet Nr. 39. 2009.

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Ralston & Bau work with material innovation to make their new products and interior sustainable, we are also interested in looking at how old objects can be transformed into contemporary designs.
In September 2009 Birgitta Ralston was asked to make a concept and trend research about the business of redesign for Fretex as part of it was the vision of the future of their re-design development. A variety of possible future scenarios including ways of realisation was presented. During the meeting re-design object samples made by Ralston & Bau where presented, showing that to re-use objects putting them in a new context, makes not only a sustainable impact, it also gives new life to objects that tell a story.

The last years the studio has collaborated with Fretex (norwegian salvation army) under the initiative of Katarina Grønmyr to create re-designs made out of collected objects. One of the first products Ralston & Bau designed is the “Tekannelampe” (tea pot light), just published in the Fretex Krigsropet magazine. To see more re-designs click here or fetch the November issue of the ICON magazine in the store: “Tekannelampe” is published there, too.

The design team of the Norwegian porcelain producer Figgjo and Ralston & Bau worked together on redesign concepts for rejected porcelain goods. The porcelain which is sorted out in the production chain today is usually recycled to asphalt. The concepts were presented after the workshop in Transplant to the Figgjo management at a nearby waterfall.

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Ralston & Bau is constantly working together with FRETEX, the norwegian salvation army chain, on the redesign of goods. As a result of this collaboration, FRETEX developed a brand which is called FRETEX/ REDESIGN. It is a brand which transforms used goods into new and unique products.
The REDESIGN research program aims to find new product ideas which ultimately could be produced from out-of-use goods and as part of a series by FRETEX. See some of the results here …