I’d been working off and on since 2014 on the design of a shelving system that could adapt to fit any space, and could be easily reconfigured. The challenge of specifying separate individual units that could accommodate different rooms, my children's growing book and toy collections, the possibility of a move, and a desire to explore different room layouts, felt unnecessary and wasteful. Things got serious in 2021 when I rented a bay at Alameda Point Studios, and started benefiting from access to professional tools and advice.
I made 5 prototypes driven by fundamentally different design approaches, and throughout the process I sought simplicity, material authenticity, and above all, flexibility. The XYZ Studio Shelf shipped in 2022, and the studio’s founding principles were clarified to reflect durable design through radical flexibility. Durable design not just in the sense of solid materials and construction, but also in the idea that our designs should provide lasting interest and practical value.
Founder Bio
Eric studied engineering and technology policy at MIT and sculpture at the California College of the Arts. He is a recipient of the San Francisco Foundation’s Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship in the Fine Arts, and was artist-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park. His work has been exhibited at local galleries, the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, and at the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art in San Francisco.