Because the best possible tribute to the Olympics is to sit down, prop your feet up, and generally do no physical activity whatsoever, designer James Henry Austin has launched Won: a project that takes old English gym floors and upcycles them into home furnishings expressly designed to "keep the excitement alive" now that the Games have gone.
Each piece is hand-sanded and re-coated with a natural wax oil to stop them smelling of teen spirit. The original tape lines are left intact, and all's put together using traditional joinery techniques: much like with superstitious athletes before their big day, there are no screws, as joints are handmade from the wood itself.
Every made-to-order piece comes out looking like the sturdiest thing ever created in D.T. class, from the coffee tables, to the sturdy pub-esque bench, to the coat rack. Each sports a tape line that's totally unique, and you can request specific colours -- this being England, you can expect a fair amount of gold. Hooray us!
Published: September 13, 2012 at 2:00am EDT