We explore where functionality and aesthetic intersect with the latest Kett Frame systems designed by Justin Hutchinson.
For Kett director and award-winning designer Justin Hutchinson, our homes haven’t reflected the rate new technology has been adopted by Australians. “Homes must contend with multiple personal devices, chargers, flat-screen televisions and speaker systems. Frame allows our homes to adapt to the 21st century,” he says.
With concealment at its core, Justin has designed Frame: functional furniture elements that allow technology to disappear and the room to become a stage. “A well-designed object is invisible; the Frame systems consider technology subservient to the importance of function and aesthetics,” Justin points out. “An intuitive object is a joy to use, where the human qualities are celebrated, and the less desirable cables are hidden.”
Each Frame system features carefully sourced materials manufactured locally where possible. “This helps to utilise local skills while enabling better customer service,” Justin says. The designer also focused on sustainability and health when developing Frame, free from formaldehyde, phenols, solvents, PVC or melamine.
We catch up with Justin to learn how he has expanded on Frame Living and explored the versatility of Frame in the bedroom and home office.
In partnership with Cosh Living
Frame Bedroom
Frame Bedroom brings the streamlined aesthetic and functionality synonymous with Frame Living into a private space. Promoting a sense of sanctuary by concealing technology, Frame Bedroom cleverly hides lighting and phone charger cords within the built-in bedside tables.
Featuring a porcelain top, powder-coated details and expressive timber panelling, Frame Bedroom’s textural natural palette “draws upon nature’s canvas to enhance a space,” Justin says. In particular, porcelain was selected to ensure the surfaces could be soft to touch and hardwearing.
Like Frame Living, Frame Bedroom can be configured to suit an individual’s brief while focusing on ease and access to storage. Frame Bedroom can also be taken with you to a new space. “Frame can be disassembled and reinstalled many times over, so it can move from one home to another or be updated or simply added to,” Justin says.
Frame Office
The pandemic recently shed light on the importance of practicality while working from home. Justin has taken these learnings and applied them to Frame Office, which functions as a desk, bookcase and integrated storage system. “Our home office spaces are often central to our living spaces,” Justin says. “We needed to provide a simple solution to the clutter of the workplace, allowing everything to have a place and for the beloved object to be displayed.”
Frame Office features powder-coated metal shelving, built-in linen pin boards, below-desk storage, and porcelain surfaces. A solid oak desk with hidden power and cable access is also an option that cements the quiet sophistication of the Frame series. “An otherwise blank wall becomes a functional work of art that is constantly changing with our daily interactions,” Justin affirms.
Frame Living
Frame Living was the first in the Frame series to assert a new approach to home storage and technology. Research into innovative connection systems and installation culminated in a standout example of Australian-made and designed wall-mounted furniture much lighter than traditional wall joinery. “The aluminium sub-structure will last many lifetimes without degradation,” Justin says. “The substructure allows Frame to connect onto any wall substrate without tneedingadditional structural supports.”
Shortlisted in the 2020 Interior Design Excellent Awards (IDEA), Frame Living has been designed to maximise space and storage in communal areas, personalised through different modules, material combinations and finishes. “We use Blum hardware for its high quality and transparent supply chain. This ensures the mechanisms perform as intended for thousands of opening and closing cycles,” Justin adds.
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