Born in the north of England, the ColorPlaey table was handcrafted in Plaey’s workshop, based in scenic Saltaire, near Leeds. From there, it travelled to our factory in Hull to meet its Colorplan components before arriving at its new home - ArtLink Hull, the local arts charity championing creativity for young people. Now standing proudly in our home city, the table invites the next generation to get hands-on, explore and bring their ideas to life - on paper!

We spoke with Matt Kelly, founder and director of Plaey, to lift the lid on the ColorPlaey table project, including why it came about, how it was made, and the question every furniture maker wants to answer - if you were a piece of furniture, what would you be?

We hope you enjoy learning about this project as much as we enjoy being a part of it.

Why is it so important to maintain an element of playfulness in design?

It’s all about play. I studied art and have no formal training in furniture or design, which means I’m coming at it from a slightly different starting point.

What I make is very initiutive, and I try to keep this beginner's mindset. I have a vision of something I would like to make, and through play, I try to make it work. So I think my work will always feel playful because there is definitely a lot of exploration and play in the process.

Where are you based? Does your location influence your work?

My workshop is in Salts Mill, in Saltaire. A beautiful world, UNESCO village near Bradford and Leeds, West Yorkshire. Lots of like-minded and creative people live here, which makes for a great community. Salts Mill is also full of David Hockney’s artworks - I often find myself wandering through to soak up some of his work.

Please talk us through the design process for the ColorPlaey table.

It started a couple of summers ago, I think - when Josh and Dave, from GF Smith, visited - we talked a lot about the potential in Colorplan being used to make furniture.

I continue to be overwhelmed by the team at GF Smith and their generous spirit in collaboration and the creative process. Over the last couple of years, with a hiatus for the TEMPLO rebrand, it's been a beautiful back and forth - trying out ideas and playing with paper, it almost felt like a residency of sorts.

Once I saw the new rebrand by TEMPLO, it seemed to pull focus on the design process, and a big step was when we added the smile shape to the legs. This allowed us to simplify the top and make it more practical. Something clicked, and it became a more user-friendly table which still celebrated the Colorplan paper and the potential of play.

What was the reasoning behind incorporating paper into the ColorPlaey table design?

It was always about the colour for me. I wanted to celebrate the beautiful colours of the papers and play them off the palette of the Valchromat I use in my furniture.

Talk to us about Valchromat. What is it and why do you use it?

Valchromat is a beautiful, sustainable sheet material made in Portugal. I first came across it at the Hepworth Wakefield, where the architect David Chipperfield used it for wall panels and furniture throughout the building. They used black and dark grey - but when I discovered that they also made a range of colours, I was hooked. Valchromat is coloured throughout, made from natural dyes, which gives a really beautiful natural colour.

How do the materials you use shape the final outcome of a design?

I work with a limited material palette of Valchromat and plywood. This has given Plaey a signature and recognisable style. We will occasionally add another material depending on the project, such as a solid surface, jesmonite or now paper.

How do you approach using colour in your work?

There are only 12 different colours of Valchromat, so this restriction really simplifies things and helps me not get too overwhelmed by the endless choice of colours. It's a lovely stage of a bespoke commission process when you give the client the valchromat samples and see them play with colour combinations. From that point, it's very intuitive playing the colours off each other, and I tend to use plywood as a base colour.

What are the three items in your studio that you can’t live without?

I would have to say my CNC machine is top of the list. I’ve had it for about a year now, and it's been a real game-changer in so many ways.

Next, I would have to say my trusty kettle as I drink a lot of tea in the workshop and find it's a nice way to break up the day - “I’ll finish this bit and have a brew…”. And then I would say my ear defenders / headphones. I have to be listening to something when I’m working, either music or podcasts. It's all about the workflow, and I find these really help me focus on the task at hand.

The first iteration of the ColorPlaey table has been installed in Artlink, a community arts charity based in Hull. Why was it important to you to create a piece of furniture that makes creativity more accessible for children?

I work a lot with education and learning teams in art Galleries & museums. I think it's down to my colourful but considered designs that lend themselves to these environments. Plaey is well known for our Art Carts that sit in gallery spaces and invite play and exploration. So I have been thinking a lot about this over the last few years. I think the more we can encourage creativity, the better. The ColorPlaey table really is that in a nutshell, two stacks of paper, pens and the potential to play.

On your website, you state that ‘Furniture can be an extension of our personality’ - if you were a piece of furniture, what would you be, and why?

Hah, this is a really good question. A few pieces come to mind, the Penguin Donkey, the Red and Blue chair, but today I would probably say Finn Juhl’s - Glove Cabinet from 1961. It was originally designed for his wife to store her gloves and has these colourful painted drawers; it was so ahead of its time. I got to see it when I visited Finn Juhl’s house just outside Copenhagen.

I think the best design often happens when you make something for someone, which is obviously the case when you make bespoke furniture - but when it's personal like the Glove Cabinet, there is real magic there. I really like how it's this experimental piece, made from a traditional Japanese cherry wood, and then when the cabinet is opened, it reveals the playful colourful drawers. I think that's a bit of me.

What would be your ultimate
GF Smith Colorplan shade combination for a project?

That is a very hard one - in terms of working with the valchromat colours and plywood, I love how the Candy Pink and Lavender look. I’m also a big fan of the Turquoise and Marrs Green. Oh, and I’d love to do something with the Factory Yellow and the Yellow Valchromat.

What’s next for Plaey?

Lots of projects in the pipeline, which I’m very grateful for. More Art Carts, museums & gallery projects, and some new product development. And hopefully, more projects with GF Smith. I’m feeling very inspired after my factory tour and seeing all the processes!

About Plaey 
At Plaey we design and make modern, affordable modular furniture that combines form, function and a sense of fun.

We appeal to people who share our passion for great design and a belief that furniture can be an extension of our personality.

We specialise in making playful and engaging furniture for Art Galleries and Museum. Our clients and collaborators include - TATE St Ives, The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Fitzwilliam Museum, York Art Gallery, COS, Studio.Build, Hot Chip, Warp Records, Colours May Vary.
plaey.co.uk 

About Artlink
Artlink Hull | 87 Gallery is a community arts charity dedicated to bringing the creative arts to everyone, especially people who haven't had the chance to get involved before. We are based at 87 Gallery in the heart of HU5 in Hull - a hyper local visual art gallery with a national outlook, rooted in the communities we serve, developing world-class talent. 

Since 1982 we have led creative workshops, learning programmes and events that are inclusive and reduce barriers to entry, working with strategic partners to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in high quality arts and cultural experiences. We treat everyone as an artist, whatever their background or experience, and we work hard to build confidence and skills using our co-creation model. 
artlinkhull.co.uk 

Photography by Jim Marsden
iamjim.co.uk