Tomasz Danielec and Arek Glanowski are the creative minds behind the brand, Baker Street Boys. The brand initially started as a lifestyle blog, which slowly transformed into a furniture business. Tomasz has a background in architecture and designing interiors and bespoke items of furniture. With the pair both living on Baker Street, and the idea emerging from this area, the brand was born.
Designing for the future
The design of the coffee table initiated in 1750 from the tea table – when tea drinking was at the height of fashion in Britain and there was an increase in demand for tea tables. Shortly after, during the 1870s to the 1880s, the coffee table prevailed in Britain during the late Victorian era, when influences from Japanese furniture design were reflected in the Anglo-Japanese style which comprised eating and drinking at low-levels.
Contrasting the idea of low-level eating and drinking, Tomasz and Arek have modernised this original idea, creating a multipurpose piece that fits into today’s lifestyle requirements. Having a love for industrial design, Tomasz, who conceived and lead the creation of this debut collection, created this coffee table design inspired by the industrial revolution and 19th century London.
Tomasz commented: “We live in much smaller spaces than we previously did. Even premium spaces, particularly in London, are getting smaller and smaller.” The pair created THE LINE Coffee table with the belief that there is a growing need for small pieces that are functional, yet strong in design. Tomasz added: “You just need one strong piece to have a unique interior.”
Complementary materials
A simple combination of two materials in their most unspoiled form; raw bent steel and oak blocks, are used to create this ultra-modern design. Each oak block originates from France and is air dried in the UK for 15 years. Each oak block is 125mm thick, showcasing the perfect proportions to show the beauty of the timber without looking too heavy. With each oak wood block showcasing its original state, each piece is truly unique.
Both materials used for this design – oak and steel – are very robust by their nature. The warm, tactile feel of the oak against the rough, cold steel work exceptionally well together, as Tomasz describes as: “In a way, very poetic”.
Tomasz and Arek’s first idea when they designed the line, was to not protect the steel; so it would achieve a beautiful, rusted pattern over time. However, after long discussions the duo decided to protect the steel with a thin layer of an anti-rust solution, so it would not lose its industrial look. As the layer has to be thin, bee’s wax is recommended to clean the piece and help to keep the beautiful satin look.
The base of the design is produced from a thick, bent steel, resulting in the structure holding a heavy, stable and robust frame. Every piece of steel is bent individually using a hand-operated pneumatic bender.
The fixing of the oak block to the steel frame is modular and has been designed to easily replace the countertop, for example, with marble or cork. There are four holes in the oak base, where the block is screwed into place, spacers have also been used to create a shadow gap between the table and the top.
Innovative functionalities
As a great coffee lover, Tomasz has always been looking for an innovative coffee table that he could bring over to the sofa and have his cup and magazines right next to him. An important factor for Tomasz was to eliminate the need to bend down to a lower coffee table. Tomasz couldn’t find the right piece that combined all of his requirements for the perfect coffee table and decided to design one. Tomasz describes the coffee table design as: “A very clever and functional piece, yet very simple. The design is very strong – I think we can say it is a statement piece.”
The pair are currently working on a dining table to add to THE LINE collection, and would also like to add a lamp to the collection.