American brand Quell Company has referenced Scandinavian home design for its first product: a docking station made from white oak, Merino wool felt and a metal base (+ movie).
Quell Company’s swivelling Spool Dock works as both a charging dock and cable manager.
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The dock is compatible with the iPhone 5c and later editions, as well as the iPad mini and fifth-generation iPod touch.
Conscious that the dock would be on show in a home environment, the brand’s co-founder Jeremy Saxton wanted to create something more in keeping with interior design than technology design.
«Most tech accessories try to mimic the devices they hold, but knowing that a dock is only used for a small fraction of the day I wanted to create an object that felt at home in the home,» he told Dezeen. «Similar to a nice vase, I wanted it to look right whether it was being used or not.»
Saxton selected materials for both their functionality and their Scandinavian aesthetic.
«The cast metal base provides a nice weighty foundation, the white oak spool gives the functional geometry without expensive tooling or machining, and the merino wool felt provides cushioning and compressibility needed to allow for different sized devices and cases,» he said.
«I’ve long looked to Scandinavian design inspiration. By mixing natural materials with clean lines it creates a harmony that is at once calming and warm.»
The base is die cast and powder coated, while the felt is die cut into shape. The wooden spool is precision machined on a vacuum table, branded with a hot wood stamp and hand oiled.
«I hope people recognise the thought that has gone into every part of the dock,» said Saxton. «We’ve truly sweated every detail, trying to make not only a very clever and useful product but a beautiful object that will enhance the aesthetic of the home.»
