$2800?

Methinks not.

Aaaahahahahahahaaa!
no,
seriously,
really.
phew!
That's a good one.
$3200 hehehe

wow. that's a joke right? i mean, i would totally own one, but for that much money.. no. i'm a designer, and i still think designers are taking advantage of their potential customers just because it's 'designed' or 'green'.

wow.

i'll wait for the knock off

DIY knock off:

a) finding an old piece of steel, paint it, and put a wood counter top piece on it (cheap), or

b) have a metals fabricator weld some aluminum plates together and then have it powder coated, then add wood counter top (probably still $500-$1,000)

now imagine how many more they would sell if they sold for around 300-500. I think that you especially shouldn't price something that high that can be easily knocked off, because once that knock off comes around, guess who's going to sell better?

I agree, this would be soooo easy to DIY.

These are really good looking and I could see a red one on my patio. But yeah, I can't see me spending $3,200.

after two phone calls to local places:

go to your local machine shop, have them weld three pieces of aluminum together, then have your local powdercoating outfit spray them.
voila - only about 300 bucks.
oh, and then but a pice of wood from Home depot (or find it by the side of the road)
another 20 bucks or less.
so for around 300 bucks, you can make your own.

Maybe a large portion of the price goes towards the fork-lift rental and transporation of the piece? I'm cracking myself up today.

Regardless of price, this is my favorite kind of re-purposed furniture/art. Love it.

Very cool-pricey but cool

Dopey. WHy not make these from salvaged pieces of I-beams?

Now we know what the "katch" is... it's going to cost you two arms and leg.

Great idea for a bench though. Just not mental enough to actually look into purchasing one. Oh, Ikea or other affordable retailer, take notes. I'd consider it at 10% or less than the price listed above.

I love these! But like someone else noted, I'll wait for the knockoff.

Hahaha, what?? I'd have it made for a fraction of the cost, and get it sprayed in exactly the colour I wanted.

Cashew, when you do, give us the source who will custom extrude an aluminum beam and then powdercoat it.

Mdorothy--I'll bet these are just I-beams, powder-coated. But I love that the company offers a free consultation to help you place it in your space.

And here's a source for I-beams

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=963&step=2&top_cat=0

7ft. long is around $535.00

holy moly, I already make these using reclaimed steel i-beams and have been working on pricing, now I need a rethink ;-)

Cool but I couldn’t justify the cost, also not very kid or pet friendly, those edges look a bit pointy.

FantasticMrFaux (love the handle!) I was thinking that making friends with someone who works with I beams might help one score a scrap piece cheap or even free . . .

I think they're pure genius. And I also think it's okay for a designer to charge whatever they want for a brilliant idea. Good luck to them! Their site is gorgeous and so full of inspiration!

kirstlambert, thanks for doing the legwork on this! They really look cool but I don't see the justification for such a hefty price.

I love them! And I too would buy them, but not at that price.... especially when it's such an easy DIY (comparatively).
It may even look nice if it wasn't powder-coated, and had more of an industrial/train-yard look... haha.

To me this post just reads like a sponsored piece...

Could it be the cost of the bench IS only around $300-500 bucks and the "free consultation placement" is actually what the remaining $3K is for? Reminds me of a sign my artist friend used to put up at art fairs: "FREE ART with Purchase of Cookie (Cookies: $1200 each)".

I better not say anything...

Looks good but imagine stubbing your toe against it?

These gorgeous benches don't look like just a spray paint job with Rustoleum. These paint jobs are gleaming! I'm a good painter and could never pull this off on my own. I don't think I could ever afford one, but I doubt I'd buy a length of a 300 lb I beam, take it to an autobody shop, then schlep it back to my place and then move it around till it's just right. If I had the money, I'd just write a check and have it brought with a lift gate and placed wherever my fancy suits.

It's possible that the fabrication is more involved than what's written here or on their site, but the "design" part eludes me. It's a good idea, but I'm not sure that I think the finished product is all that designed.

Maybe that's a topic for a post? When is an object actually designed? As a concept, design seems to have become a catch-all term for "dreamed up, planned, figured out, put pillow on", like "curated" for "shopped and stored".

i luv all the "diy's" out there: yeah you go weld -- aluminum-- and/or drill out slabs of aluminum or find someone who "extrudes" aluminum i beams (ones BIG enough for you to actually sit on comfortably and don't weigh a ton) and then powder coat them "yourself" and then go find yourself a "reclaimed" slab of wood that you, yourself cut and sand to the right dimensions and then you yourself can celebrate in the joy that is DIY... untill you realize that there is actually -- among other things -- time and skill involved, and that you don't have the money, skills or the tools to actually DIY.

the whole point of selling THEM selling YOU furniture is that they can do it better than YOU can. and skills cost MONEY. and i know those of you who actually have the skills and the tools to "DIY"... DO. that's why you're not here complaining. but if you are complaining, you're just thinking "I wish I'd done that".

I love the high-gloss finish and think that would be really hard to DIY.

@NH42CO3H2O Why is your user name the chemical name for smelling salts?

wow. you just trampled all over my attempt at the esoteric.

BUT in answer to your question: after reading some of these posts, I was compelled to wake people up!!!

Just because something looks simple and comes from a simple idea doesn't mean it's simple to execute.

THANK YOU, NH42CO3H2O!!!

Right you are! I-beams are incredibly rare, and powder coating is almost a lost art! Who could doubt how precious this piece might become in later years? I'm sure that George Nakashima's work will pale besides the genius of this inspired design and craftmanship.

Thanks to all for their comments and feedback on the LUCKY BEAM....

The use of an actual structural steel I-beam poses a number of logistical and practical problems-- such as radical weight and poor ergonomics for seating.

The piece is hand made in Brooklyn (small carbon footprint) one by one, of solid aluminum. The seat itself is Heart Pine reclaimed from industrial Brooklyn. Each LUCKY BEAM requires advanced skill, notable time and close attention to create.

We hope this explanation is clarifying to those who seemed bewildered by the piece. Thanks to Apartment Therapy for the posting, and to the community for the valuable discussion.

- Pamela and Steph Katch