The dynamic new London design studio Quarterre will officially launch their first range of Furniture For Bikes at the cult East London cyclists' hub, look mum no hands!, during the London Design Festival 2011.
From September 19 to 25, three sculptural bike storage solutions are to be exhibited; Branchline, Shadow and Hood. Designed to support everyday life on two wheels, these premium pieces unite cycling culture with interior design.
The four Quarterre designers hail from multi-disciplinary backgrounds including automotive design. Driven by personal passions for cycling, the designers sought to address the challenges of owning a bike in an urban environment. Applying their technical expertise and knowledge of materials to bike storage, Quarterre has crafted this range of sculptural stands with a meticulous and measured eye. Rather than bikes creating assault courses in hallways, being relegated to the shed or the office back room, Quarterre's range of stands are effective and highly aesthetic storage solutions designed to seamlessly and elegantly integrate cycling with work or home environments.
Made exclusively in the UK using the highest quality materials and hand-finished with leather detailing, craftsmanship lies at the heart of this collection. Made of folded steel, Hood is wall-mounted creating an architecturally faceted hook for hanging your bike. To protect the bike an inner bracket allows for a lock and the hanging lip is lined with leather, while the uppermost surface of Hood creates a shelf for a helmet and other accessories. Branchline is designed to adapt and grow alongside the owner's life and needs. The stand provides vertical storage for up to two bikes on two sets of adjustable arms and can adapt to a variety of frame shapes. The piece can stand independently against or be secured to the wall and is available in a clean laminate finish or sustainably sourced bamboo. For smaller spaces Branchline can also be inverted, the legs becoming a set of arms for hanging equipment. The freestanding Shadow is sculpted from a single sheet of folded steel. Shadow's cantilevered form can accommodate most wheel sizes and the bike can be easily rolled into position.
Furniture For Bikes combine stylish forms with function and simplicity with structural elegance. The streamlined shapes, architectural lines and quality of the pieces act as an impressive foil for a much-valued bike within the home or work place.