Description
An awesome shelving system by Beaver & Tapley. This highly sought after adjustable system would look fantastic within any mid century environment. This is an adjustable, modular system – i.e you can choose the heights / positioning of the cabinets. This is a high quality example of mid century design and has a fantastic retro style to it.
This system consists of 4 cabinets – 2x single drawer cabinets, 1x fold-down drinks cabinet (or bureau) and 1x two door shelved cupboard. The 4 brackets, which allow the cabinets to be positioned on the wall, are all present. As well as offering storage space, in its own right, each cabinet can also be used to display items on its top. There is also the option of using the single drawer units as a desk surface, providing they are securely attached to the wall.
Beaver & Tapley was founded in London by Newman Richardson, shortly before the end of the first World War, to deal in Government surplus. Surprisingly, there was never a Mr Beaver or a Mr Tapley. The name was created by Newman Richardson to sound as if the Company was old and established. This led to the sale of regimental ties and from that to screw-up tie presses and trouser presses which were a great success.
In the early thirties the company started manufacturing tea trolleys, utilising the same raw materials, which is how Beaver and Tapley became furniture manufacturers. The company made and sold an increasing range of occasional and some bedroom furniture, with a break during the Second World War, selling the product ranges wholly on price. In 1956 Roger joined his father Justin Richardson in the business and together they decided that just being cheaper than their competitors was not the way forwards in the long term. They decided on a number of new strategies; to use some top designers; to advertise nationally; to sell on quality and design and not purely on price.
The way forwards became clear when, in 1960, Roger Richardson and the designer Robert Heritage, visited the Cologne Exhibition. Here they saw a Swedish range of cabinets and shelves systems supported by wall fixed wire ladders. They decided to do away with the constricting ladders, providing a concealed fixing batten for each piece, making space saving furniture with complete freedom of arrangement. The first wall fixed range Tapley SL (SL for spirit level because there was one in every batten) was launched in 1961.
Dimensions: The cabinets are all 84cm wide. The 3 deeper cabinets are 40cm deep and the shallower cabinet is 28cm deep.
*Please note that the cabinet with glass doors has now been sold separately.
