• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Mercedes-Benz’s Foray into Office Furniture

September 8, 2012 By Nadeem Muaddi 4 Comments

Repurposing car interiors for home decor is not new. While auto trimmers have been doing it for years, new companies – like David Clark Designs – have recently taken the practice upscale. Now Mercedes-Benz is getting in on the action.

Benz has challenged South African designer Katie Thompson to upcycle the front cabin of its popular SL model into a functional, high-end office room setting.

Katie, who specializes in breathing new life into discarded junk, caught the German automaker’s attention after several of her designs made a splash on the interior-design scene. At only 27 years old, she’s regarded as an innovator and visionary of repurposed home furnishings.

Describing the challenge and its results, Benz writes:

As part of the assignment, the functional artist picked seven elements from the wealth of individual Mercedes-Benz SL components to recreate the fixtures and furnishings of an office. Thanks to her ability to picture these designs in front of her mind’s eye all the way down to the tiniest detail – without a single sketch or stroke – Thompson passed this unusual task and test with flying colours. Together with local artisans and craftsmen she turned the car’s dashboard into a unique desk, replete with plenty of new practical functions: Here, the former speedometer became a magnetised pad, the air vents gave way to a business card slot and the ignition lock now sparks office technology via a USB charger. The driver’s seat gained a new lease of life as a comfortable office chair, while the oval speed and rev counter now displays a gently curved world clock. And in order to underscore the dynamic drive experience – during office hours and beyond – Thompson transformed the rear-view mirror into a desk lamp, complemented by a gas and brake pedal pen holder. [more]

The final product is definitely cool – and would look perfectly at home in any auto upholstery shop’s office. However, I’d probably try it with a different model. Ripping the dash out of a $100K car doesn’t sit well with my stomach.

Filed Under: Archive, Concepts & Designs, Inspired by Furniture Tagged With: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Car Seat Furniture, David Clark Designs, Katie Thompson

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Selvage says

    September 9, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    That’s cool!
    I have a recaro office chair, and two BMW seats on rocker/swivel bases.

    Reply
    • Naseem Muaddi says

      September 9, 2012 at 8:33 pm

      Recaro office chairs are awesome. I especially like the Sportster CS. Did you make the BMW seats yourself?

      Reply
  2. Selvage says

    September 9, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    Athough, I am against hoarding, I like re-purposing.

    Reply
  3. Edward Munday says

    September 18, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    Retired…Very Nice Work On The Mercedes Office. You Would Have to Go To A Junk Yard Here Or You May Find It In A Goodwill Store But Anything Automotive Used Dosent Last On The Shelf Long. Once Knew A Body Repair shop The Office Door Was Covered In Ever Car Emblem You Could Think Of. The Bad Part About This It Creates A Lot Of Theveory From People With An Ideal But No Source Of Said Products. Which Is Probably Why At One Time The Car Emblems Went From Metal To Just Tape Or Paint On’s.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation RIght Rail - Ad 2
Top Down Group
Apex Leather
  • Moore & Giles Ad 1
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Albright's Supply
  • Premium Auto Fabrics
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Keyston Bros
  • Hyde Leather
  • MasterTech Expo Ad 2

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Sculpt Garage

Shop Profile: Brent Davison of Sculpt Garage

Sculpt Garage has only been in business for … [more] about Shop Profile: Brent Davison of Sculpt Garage

Photo: Alligator-Grain Vinyl Top

No this isn’t a wild aftermarket upgrade. In … [more] about Photo: Alligator-Grain Vinyl Top

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Dan Miller Upholstery

Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

The VLF Force 1 — an all-American supercar … [more] about Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

Is Auto Upholstery Under-Appreciated?

How often does this happen to you? A customer … [more] about Is Auto Upholstery Under-Appreciated?

The Hog Ring - 3 Ways Trim Shops Can Increase Profits

3 Ways Trim Shops Can Increase Profits

Auto upholstery shops that generate a lot of … [more] about 3 Ways Trim Shops Can Increase Profits

The Hog Ring - Your Steering Wheel is Dirtier than a Toilet

Your Steering Wheel is Dirtier than a Toilet

The average steering wheel is four times … [more] about Your Steering Wheel is Dirtier than a Toilet

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • WyoTech is Launching a Hall of Fame
  • Premium Auto Fabrics is Giving Away Hog Ring T-Shirts!
  • Classic Upholstery Won Big at the Rick Ross Car Show
  • Moore & Giles Sponsors The Hog Ring!
  • Trimmer Vincent Robert Mikla Dies at 70

Recent Comments

  • papa's pizzeria on Premium Auto Fabrics is Giving Away Hog Ring T-Shirts!
  • A on Leaked: Nissan ‘Do Not Resew’ Policy
  • Karen Newberne on Photo: Lambretta Sidecar Convertible Top
  • Karen Newberne on Photo: Lambretta Sidecar Convertible Top
  • Ron on Auto Upholstery Forum Connects Shops

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.
anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in