"Silent ladder" oak and ash

The somewhat cryptic name of this small piece of furniture - silent ladder - is decoded with the information that it is a hybrid (conceived from the ladder) of stepladder and silent servant, which is intended to fulfill both functions. In its role as a ladder, it has two steps together with a safety bar - in ladder construction, this is the name given 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 stiles have a semi-circular cross-section especially for this purpose) and trousers (these can be hung over the rung that cannot be stepped on). The two lower steps and a small leather-lined compartment for trouser pockets on top serve as storage areas. Further re-purposing is not excluded.

Radical reduction in form and material as well as a complete focus on function - that is the guiding principle behind Auerberg's furniture. They are handcrafted products, designed and produced in small series, far away from industrial standards, far away from fashion and uninfluenced by the constraints of marketing. 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 for eternity.

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 professional globetrotter, 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, Auerberg's greatest successes to date include the step stool AEKI by Gerhardt Kellermann and the "Stumme Leiter" by Christoph Böninger himself, a versatile hybrid of step ladder and silent servant.