"Silent ladder" oak and ash

The somewhat cryptic name of this small piece of furniture - silent ladder - is deciphered with the information that it is a hybrid (thought of the ladder) of stepladder and silent servant, which is to perform both functions. In its role as a ladder, it has two steps along with a safety bar - the name given in ladder construction to the combination of stiles extended in the direction of stepping and a cross-connection. As a mute servant, the furniture from Auerberg in Bavaria offers space for a shirt (thrown over the top; the ash wood rails have a semi-circular cross-section especially for this purpose) and trousers (which can be hung over the rung that cannot be stepped on). The lower two steps act as storage areas, as well as a small leather-lined compartment for the contents of the pants pocket on top. Further rededication not excluded.

Radical reduction in form and material as well as a complete focus on function - that is the guiding principle behind the furniture from Auerberg. These are handcrafted products that are designed away from industrial standards, far from fashion and uninfluenced by the constraints of marketing, and produced in very small series. Behind each piece of furniture is the authentic personality of the respective designer - and because there is no restrictive program dictate, the product designers are only committed to their own standards. Accordingly, all Auerberg furniture is unmistakable, sometimes purist to the point of stubbornness, extremely solid in terms of craftsmanship, and thus virtually made to last forever.

The furniture is manufactured regionally in Upper Bavaria, the wood - mostly oak, ash and beech - comes from certified, sustainably managed forestry operations. The mastermind behind Auerberg is Christoph Böninger, once a globetrotter by profession, now a settled design publisher. Böninger, who is very well connected in design circles, works in Munich and on his farm in Auerberg - hence the name of the project - near Bad Aibling. And even though Böninger has gathered a number of designers and architects around him for his "product lab" - established greats are on an equal footing with up-and-coming talents - he still lends a hand himself. Sometimes he oils wooden furniture and makes it ready for shipping. Incidentally, among the greatest successes of Auerberg to date are the step stool AEKI by Gerhardt Kellermann and the "Stumme Leiter" by Christoph Böninger himself, a versatile hybrid of step ladder and silent servant.