The Shelf

Fabrica and &Foam: Still Lights series

The Shelf, mirror and shelf (Sam Baron, France)

This final piece of the seven on display in the Still Lights collection at &Foam is by French designer San Baron. The Shelf makes use of a classic cantilever device to interpret the interconnection of subject, light and frame. A translucent glass vase set to the left of the shelf's fulcrum provides a delicate counterbalance to keep the solid oak shelf in a horizontal position. Set into the wood in the same place is a single LED spotlight (provided by project partner Philips) that sends its beam up through the vase. And the mirror serves to frame the arrangement. In this way, the light plays on the three surfaces with their varying reflective qualities.

But frankly, I'm not sure I could trust myself with such a fragile work. All it would take would be a tube of toothpaste or book carelessly flipped onto the shelf and the whole caboodle would go flying. Perhaps that's why Baron has built in a sneaky locking system. The fulcrum underneath does contain a device which, when engaged, secures the shelf to prevent such accidents. Maybe it does kind of defeat the core idea, but since only 5 vases in total have been produced (which you can buy separately in &Foam, by the way), it's probably for the best.

Jonathan Crawford

You can see The Shelf and the other products in the series Still Lights at &Foam until 21 October 2012.