A Desk byAlex

Inspired by the clean straight lines of the modernist period, A Desk is the latest piece from the studio of Alex Swain, whose earlier creation, A Stool, has been featured on these pages before and hailed as a contemporary classic by The Guardian.

Both pieces owe their existence to the classic entrepreneurial spirit that I have yet to uncover in myself. Living in a small London flat, Alex couldn’t find functional, flexible furniture that he could afford. So he decided to create a collection that could fill the gap between cheap, disposable furniture and exclusive, high-end products.

He then added a little sustainability and innovative technology into the mix – driven by the conviction that manufacturing waste should be kept to a minimum and, two years later, the A Stool was born.

Cut from plywood, its graphic style was inspired by Alex’s love of typography. An instant hit when it launched in 2011, it has inspired a whole range based on the ‘A’ shape, one of the purest forms in engineering and architecture.

The range now includes A Stool, A Table, A Desk and A Coat Stand. The desk costs £515 and has a tilting top and pen tray.

See the range (or should that be A range) at byAlex