Interlocking Tiles, 2007
Bathroom tiles resembling swirling water are the latest creation from young furniture and product designer Alanna Johnstone.
Winner of the Ceramic Futures category in the RSA competition, the Interlocking Tiles are a modern version of the traditional white bathroom tile. The corners have been extended
and curved so that the tiles slot together.
“I wanted to take a different approach on a decorative tile,” says University for the Creative Arts graduate Johnstone.
She adds: “I love anything that can stack, fold, change shape or adapt in any way. I like Islamic patterns, how they all have little shapes that fit into each other”
This trend runs through Johnstone’s work, the Slotting Stools also interlock. They consist of a set of seven thick evenly spaced pieces of plywood held in place with a series of metal rods. This enables the user to slot one into the other to save space.
Each piece was cut out of a standard-sized sheet of plywood to reduce as much waste as possible during production.
Johnstone’s fascination with interlocking shapes is inspired from feeling slightly pushed towards function over aesthetics at university. She feels that she pushed these boundaries by bringing a decorative element to her work through function. “Studying furniture design [at university], it’s not that you’re not allowed to, but you’re pushed away from using decoration. I just try to incorporate it in other ways.”
-Gurjit Degun
© 2008 Alanna Johnstone all rights reserved
All intellectual property rights in my designs are and will remain the property of Alanna Johnstone. Any infringement will be taken seriously