I was in Berlin last week and passed this stunning shop window, stacked high with mismatched drawers and cases. Next door was a window displaying a finished chest that incorporated some of these drawers. It's not clear whether these are all found objects that have been restored with new hardware, or if some were newly made, but I love the idea of upcycling mismatched drawers into a new piece of furniture. What do you think?

The Berlin store was in Kreuzberg and was called Nachschub, which, it turns out, simply means "supplies." It was closed when I was there, and I haven't been able to find it online … are there any Berliners out there who know the shop?

The idea of collecting old mismatched drawers into one piece is not a new one — it's the concept behind one of Droog Design's most famous limited-edition pieces (image 5). Designed by Tejo Remy in 1991, the collection of mismatched drawers was named You Can't Lay Down Your Memories. Each drawer is sheathed in wood, and then the whole jumble is held together by a packing belt. It's one of my favorite pieces of postmodern design, but each edition retails for about $28,000.

Now Nachschub has given me an idea of how to make something similar happen for less, or even for free!


Images: 1-4 Anna Hoffman 5 Luxist

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