Based in Constitution Hill, Sydney, Australia; Simon Alexander Cook, Eco-designer and habitat artist has some real design to offer that we found worth featuring across our trendy audience i.e. ET TU VALET Stand.

The stand no doubt makes you think ‘The Nanny’ goes to Bondi via New Zealand’

ET TU Valet is an iconic new clothes stand to hold jackets, coats, loose clothing, hats, accessories and merchandising. It is modeled using an original dynamic linear timber form, is light in structure and spatially open to support the days’ clothes. Suitable for hospitality, business and domestic uses the form is inspired by Simon’s fresh understanding of New Zealand’s traditional kiwi carved aesthetics.

ET TU expands on a traditional English/American ‘valet’ stand with a calligraphic brushstroke merging Australian Aboriginal boomerang icons and the Kiwi “hei matau” fish-hook motive of Aotearoa. This then catches clothes thrown in effect to a Valet Butler – (or Nanny), standing sartorially at the foot of the bed.

Distinct curves act out a bilingual pun in name Et Tu, which means in Maori to “stand up” [lines from the NZ film Sione’s Wedding “Et Tu Brutus?” - “Why are you speaking Maori?”] with a sense of humour. Comic clothing relief.

This considered design embraces ecological sustainability by “upcycling” urban salvaged timbers of Camphor Laurel (an asian exotic yet scented ‘weed’ species in Australia), or indigenous Sydney Blue Gum and Blackbutt Eucalypt trees that fall or are demolished in the Sydney City region. The handcrafted pieces are cleanly finished raw with a flat natural look of china-oil, or may be polished to order with an water-based lacquer.

Usability / Utility: The stand responds to a need for an innovative day-to-day clothes support that is mostly unconsidered in the marketplace. A smooth and harmonious open structure is an improvement on the ‘back of a chair’ as there is scope for those clothes worn again, but not ready for the wash basket. Et Tu Valet can support suit jackets, long coat, several jeans, scarves, tshirts or singlets slung free at the end of the day. As bespoke natural timber series pieces volume is minimised by pairing an “au pair” in freight cartons, his+hers, his+his, hers+hers…

Target Audience: Intentionally egalitarian ET TU VALET serves both the transient design collectors and the architecturally established executive or creative professionals, while being cross-cultural and invigorating new possibilities with global appeal.
Price: from AU $3000 ea crafted timber series – now available, [AU $2500 cnc eco-ply, available 02/10]

Dimensions: 1800h x 600w x 750d

Thanks Simon!