proposing a concept of car furniture

[WSCC Student]

Hello every one 

we are  Birmingham City University students on an internship with WSC. We have come up with an idea to create furniture from Westfield car parts. We would appreciate, if you could give us some feedback on our concepts and answer our few questions.

 

1，Do you have an interest in peculiar and unique furniture items, such as engine tables, and other furniture created from car components?

 

2,  Cost-wise, what sort of a price range would you be willing to pay for an item like this? such as a engine table 

 

3,  what is your concern in terms about buying furniture made from car components? Price/quality/eco-friendly/guaranty/durability and so on

 

so, basically what we are trying to do is to figure out why customers could buy a car furniture or why not ? whats the concern about buying a car furniture? therefore, we could adjust our product concept and improve the design. 

 

please feel free to comments, we will appreciate everything you say.

thank you so much 

 

QI 

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

1: yes, but not really automotive themed.  Automotive themed rarely seems to fit in anything other than a large garage/man cave/office or bachelor pad.

2: depends... 

3: reaction of the wife!

 

(The flat table is the best of those designs)

[Bubba]

1 would love an engine table but SWMBO would hate it. Love the look of that suspension table and may even cut the mustard with the mrs.

2. Depends on quality and the aesthetics

3. Price / design / SWMBO

Saw a F1 wheel coffee table some years ago and was popular but whilst the Westfield brand is strong it's not enough to sell furniture IMHO.

[User0083]

I agree with the Westfield brand not being strong enough to support furniture. But I have seen mini's cut up and back seats used as a sofa with a fridge built into the boot. This could work with a Westfield back end and be a pad idea! Also seen mini seats//steering wheel/dash/pedals and stuff used to make gaming chairs. That would bean ultimate racing gamers chair! Half a Westfield!

[Wile E. Coyote]

I think Bubba's hit the nail on the head.  The design needs to stand on its own two feet without relying on any brand association or recognition.

 

Engine tables are obvious.  Nobody needs the fact that it's an engine block explaining.  The wheel arch table might take a bit more work.

 

Just a couple of other thoughts:

 

There's also a potential issue with a lot of parts insofar as they're fibreglass.  The inner surface of the moulding is rarely (if ever) finished to a level that might be expected of furniture but if you improve it beyond standard then you risk losing the authenticity of the component.

 

The other problem with a lot of automotive-based furniture is it needs a big space to put it in.  The majority of people I know would struggle to get half a car into their living room (even if their wife was onside).

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I'd agree with much of whats already been said already and Wile E makes a good point for the nose cone table, you really need to be looking at the outside of the nose not the unfinished inside surfaces.

1. Yes i have an interest in anything thats unique, different or challenges conventional design either through it's aesthetics or engineering. With furniture some of the art deco styles or the designs that grew out of the pop art culture catch my eye as being different.

For furniture made from car parts the key to me appears to be simplicity, either with tables made from engine blocks or seating from wheels and tyres etc. both have easily been adapted to serve as something different to which they were originally designed and their modifications don't detract from what they were before,

2. Honestly, very little. Whist i appreciate good design I have a limited budget for home furnishing so i buy my furniture based on practicality and comfort. If i have money to burn it normally gets spent on cars and holidays.

3. I live in a tiny 200year old cottage, so much as i may like them gimmicky items unfortunately don't blend in well with the rest of my house. Storage space is also a key concern for me when choosing to hide away those everyday essentials.

I have a few things made from car parts but that's largely limited to pen and paperclip holders in the office made from old pistons.

[Hammy]

Garden planters etc might be a good route , chassis as a hanging basket stand etc .

Some if the stuff is too rough and not iconic enough for furinature

[dombanks]

the problem i see with the tables etc from nose cones/wheels/engines or seats made by shoving the base of an argos desk chair on the bottom of a bucket seat is its all been done before. nothing like that is really an idea.ground breaking more of a copy of whats out there already and limited to a very small audience.

 

as some one said in a man cave it would work or a bar/tv show/showroom/exhibit but there is no chance in hell i would get it in my lounge past the mrs or tbf i would want the nose cone sat there.

 

honestly (and i know it probably comes across quite blunt and i apologise if i cause offense) answers to your questions are

 

1. no not really. i like my car but i dont want to have a chunk of it in the lounge, im not a kid.

2 it would have to be damn good to make me part with serious cash but when you get into the price bracket of proper designer pieces its got too expensive.

3. i have several. the item would be a bit of a gimmick. you know that situation like car shape bed for your kid that he likes when hes 10 but at 13 its too babyish. fitting it into a the room: an F1 tyre with a bit of glass is going to fit really well with the designer sofa I've just bought from MADE.com, if you take the item and change it too much i.e use the nose curves shapes but not the item then its no longer a piece of car. 

 

one thing tho just sticking a bit of glass onto the top of the item so its a table is really lazy design IMHO

[Wile E. Coyote]

Don't hold back, Dom.  Tell them what you really think! 

 

Would struggle to disagree with you though.

[dombanks]

Don't hold back, Dom.  Tell them what you really think! 

 

Would struggle to disagree with you though.

like i said i don't mean to be harsh and it would sound better in person but they wanted open honest opinion (im also wearing the jumper of truth today ... apparently every time i wear it i give truthful answers!)