Smooth stainless phone booth

There isn’t a screw to be found anywhere. Even experts look at it and ask: “How is this thing put together?”

The Framery soundproof phone booth has been the talk of the design world since it took home Gold at this year’s Neocon Awards in Chicago, the Oscars of the furniture business – an amazing achievement for a first-time entrant.

Described as “the world’s smallest office”, the soundproof booth is designed for private phone calls in open-plan offices. It contains a ventilation system, a charging system, optional hi-fi and an ergonomic chair, and it can be configured in 1,000 different stylized options to suit any office.

Smooth operator

But the thing that made clients fall in love with Framery is the smoother-than-smooth brushed stainless steel exterior of the “business edition”, which gives the booth a distinctly high-end look and feel. Painted options are also available.

What’s the secret? Where are the screws? “The outer shell is attached magnetically so you get a totally flush surface,” reveals Ossi Paija, CEO of the Finnish start-up. This sumptuous smoothness would not have been possible without intensive support and advice from Outokumpu during the product development process.

“Initially we worked with another supplier who told us we should varnish the exterior. When we asked Outokumpu, they advised us that varnish isn’t needed – stainless steel doesn’t rust. Now we have the pure, clean surface we wanted in the first place,” reveals Paija.

It just clicked

“We used Steel Finder and we received lots of valuable support from Outokumpu. They helped us find the right magnetic grade and the ideal surface treatment. Steel is robust, easy to handle and offers good sound insulation properties – plus a fabulous, sleek look, so it’s a win-win-win in every way,” adds Paija.

“After Outokumpu stepped in, I knew it would come together. It all just clicked because the expertise was there.”

The Framery phone booth has been added to the range of Empire Office, the world’s largest furniture distributor. Read more on Framery's website.