Plyco at Melbourne Design Week 2024: Fostering Innovation in Pet Furniture Design
In yet another exciting chapter of innovation, Plyco is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Never Too Small at Melbourne Design Week 2024. Building on our prior involvement in 2022's "A Chair For Colin" initiative, this year we're venturing into an equally exciting realm of design and practicality – Multifunctional Pet Furniture for Small Space Living.
Design: "Shiro" by Colin Chee & Ee Keong. Photo: Never Too Small
Australia's love for pets is well-known, with nearly two-thirds of its population sharing their homes with a beloved pet. Notably, in Melbourne alone, pet ownership has surged nearly 50 percent since 2018. But how well are our homes adapting to accommodate our furry friends? How can we ensure their comfort without sacrificing space, especially with the current trend towards smaller, compact living environments?
Fuelled by these questions, Never Too Small's event ignites the imagination of designers worldwide. They're tasked with creating functional, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing pet furniture that seamlessly fits into compact homes. What's unique is that each piece is not meant to merely serve as a pet house or bed, but also to double up as storage units, extra seating, shelves or planters. This important design feature ensures that the furniture retains its purpose even after our pets no longer need it.
Design: "Doggy Loungey" by Tsia Design. Photo: Never Too Small.
This year's exhibition sees a diverse collaboration with eleven globally acclaimed designers. Each participant will be using Plyco's 12mm Exterior Hardwood Plywood, meticulously cut out using CNC Machinery supplied by Like Butter. This method is part of a design process that champions accessibility, ensuring that great designs are affordable and within reach of everyone.
Among this illustrious group, designers include Paolo Bagna, Studio Mama, Mariana Delas and Tra.ma. These creative minds are united by the shared goal of revolutionising pet furniture for the benefit of pets, owners, and the environment alike.
Design: "Pet Level" by Studio Mamma. Photo by Never Too Small.
Along with Plyco, this year's event has been sponsored by Like Butter. Based in Castlemaine, the furniture maker's commitment to sustainable design and craftmanship, resonates both with Plyco’s and the event itself.
This event seeks to stimulate thought, discussion, and positive action towards improving how we cater to our pets within our living spaces. It encourages us to explore the potential of our homes and the furniture within them, urging each of us to be more inventive with our space. In doing so, we don't only create a more harmonious living situation for our pets and ourselves but also promote a greener and more inclusive world.
"Dogpod" by Tra.Ma. Photo taken by Never Too Small.
Plyco’s collaboration with Never Too Small at Melbourne Design Week 2024 offers not only a glimpse into the future of pet-friendly furniture design but also a validator of our ongoing efforts to support sustainable, creative use of plywood. We eagerly look forward to welcoming everyone and witnessing the transformative power of good design.
Melbourne Design Week 2024 is set to commence on May 24th and will run until May 31st. Hosted at the Never Too Small Studio in Collingwood, Victorian residents and visitors alike can experience firsthand the remarkable designs created with Plyco plywood.
Tickets to the eight-day exhibition can be booked online via the event page on Melbourne Design Week's official website.