Page 38 - VE Magazine - Issue 26

homeware
directly into them in a modular way.
While Rams also designed other furniture – some
rather Space Age looking armchairs, sofas, side tables, desks and lighting – he remains best known for his modular system, which has remained in con- tinuous production for 50 years.
SYSTEMATIC AND MODULAR
In 1962, Rams was appointed director of Braun’s fine team of young industrial designers. Always ready to grapple with a new challenge he relished the chance to work on many different products and devised a white and grey system of colour coding, with the switches and dials the only splashes of colour. These were reduced to a minimum and arranged in an or- derly manner on units designed in modular sizes to be stacked vertically or horizontally.
A smoker himself, Rams loved to design lighters as “small sculptural objects,” which, he said, should be, “a pleasure to look at and use.” A particular fa- vourite was the 1968 T2 Cylinder, inspired by a new magnetic ignition technology.
In the 1970s and 80s, as new segments of the market became important, new demands were made on the Braun design team. Hand-held hair dryers were developed in the 70s, followed by other hair styling appliances, with design focused on ergonom- ics and ease of handing. Clocks, watches and calcu- lators came into play in the hi-tech 1980s and Braun set new design standards for clarity.
The company bid farewell to its hi-fi past with an exclusive ‘Limited Edition’, then switched focus to the more lucrative small appliance sector. Shavers became, and remain, Braun’s biggest seller, but its range today spans personal grooming and dental devices, household utensils, and watches.
Meanwhile Braun’s abandoned entertainment electronics, film and photo products are sparking new interest among Vintage lovers. Rams’ designs made them extremely successful when new, now surviving items are very highly prized again today!
There is nothing so simple as the perfect solution, 38 / February-March 2016 / ve
The 601 sidetable has legs similar to the Kangaroo stand, while the 621 table can
be a side table, technology table, bedside table
– or a coffee table. Turned on one side, it can slide over the seat arm of the 620 chair! The highly versatile 606 Universal Shelving System (left)remained in production for 50 years
Right: Braun HW 1 from 1968 uses coloured disks as weight markers for different family members
www.vintagexplorer.co.uk
There’s a real Space Age feel about Rams’ furniture design for Vitsœ - just look at the
620 Suite in brown leather and fibreglass designed in 1962. Take out the bolts on the sides and the arms can be removed so that another chair,
or two, or three, making it as long as you like
www.vitsoe.com