Fogo Islanders are a people who, by virtue of centuries of geographic isolation on an island off the coast of another island in Canada’s Newfoundland, have become masters of making things by hand, recycling, and devising local solutions to all manner of challenges. Following in the footsteps of many respected artists and designers over the last decade, Studiomama was invited to visit Fogo to learn about the island, experience its elemental landscape, work alongside the people who make their lives here; and ultimately design objects for use at the Fogo Inn and for sale in the Woodshop on Fogo Island.
Studiomama designed a simple doorstop using off-cuts of yellow birch left over from existing items already produced on the island, as well prototypes for a desk lamp, wall lamp and floor lamp for use at the inn.
Cut freehand on the bandsaw, the shape of the doorstop resembles the profile of a traditional saltbox house and features a leather cord which is used to hang the doorstop when not in use. The lamps are made from smaller joined pieces of timber held together with intersecting elements and simple pegs
Doorstops are simple inventions with a purpose, universally understood and respected; we were not presumptuous enough to believe that we could add all that much utility to an item that already holds its own against innovations as ubiquitous as sliced bread and the wheel. That being said, we have used design as a tool to convey a sense of place, and to inject our signature dose of colour and fun into an object that usually goes unnoticed.