Over the past year and a half, Ohio-based 2nd Shift studio has quietly designed, developed and produced half a dozen products. The company takes its name from the fact that the seven like-minded creatives—all under 26 years of age—all have dayjobs, ranging from design to accounting. According to partner Eric Parker:Four members are graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Art from both the Product Design and Graphic Design departments. All of 2nd Shift calls Cleveland home. Our design process likes to take us to many different parts of the city. We use Amish furniture builders to mass produce our wood components. Our prototypes—and some of our products—are made from reclaimed wood bought from a defunct amusement park called Geauga Lake. There is a growing community of small manufacturing shops in the city, and we like to collaborate and build relationships with these local tradesman to produce parts for our various projects. Our studio is located on the near west side of Cleveland in a warehouse owned by Go Meedia, a graphic design studio (on the top floor).
A brief intro video captures both their youthful optimism and entrepreneurial spirit:
As for their portfolio itself? The work is good as anything we've seen lately:
The "Boxes" are perhaps the best example of 2nd Shift Studio's work: "a combination of sturdy aluminum frames and slats of reclaimed lumber... from the defunct amusement park Geauga Lake's Grizzly Run ride." They come in "a variety of hardwoods, including Poplar, Maple, Oak, Cherry and more," one of two sizes, with five color options for the aluminum frame to boot.
The clean lines of the "Stool" make it a good fit for just about any setting, and the interchangeable seat comes in four upholstery options: denim, burlap, linen or wool.
The "Bench" was designed to be hardware-free: "four legs that slide into place, and four custom threaded acrylic rods to secure each leg. "It also doubles as free-standing modular shelving when multiple units are stacked on each other: the legs slot into circular recesses built into the surface.
"Candle Columns" are hexagonal candle holders that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, juxtaposing the warmth of candlelight with industrial materials such as concrete and steel (see also "Ten Brass Nuts"; Shmuel Linsky)
The "Key Plate" is something like the switch hook trend we saw a while back; if nothing else, it's a nice alternative to a key hook or shelf.
Lastly, the "Sconce" is a simple lighting fixture that can be mounted using adhesive strips.
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