Pocket Furniture for Picus by Studio Droog

Studio Droog
Pocket Furniture for Picus, 2001

Dutch cigar box manufacturer Picus assigns Droog to develop new concepts that leverage its high-quality production expertise.

Pocket Furniture for Picus is a design project by Studio Droog, developed for Picus. The project takes the wooden crate (box) as its starting point and explores how this humble, utilitarian object can be transformed into a versatile and playful furniture system.

Rather than designing conventional furniture, Droog approached the crate as a basic, human-scaled module: a container that can be adapted, expanded, and reinterpreted. Several designers were invited to work with the Picus crate, each creating a distinct interpretation that blurs the boundary between furniture and storage. Seating, tables, shelving, and hybrid objects emerge, all retaining the recognisable character of the original box.

The resulting pieces emphasise portability, flexibility, and everyday usefulness. Easy to move, stack, and reconfigure, the furniture responds to changing needs and spaces. Minimal interventions, such as added surfaces, partitions, or functional extensions, enhance the crate’s role without disguising its origin, allowing function to grow naturally from form.

With Pocket Furniture for Picus, Studio Droog highlights the hidden potential of ordinary objects. By rethinking the box not as a passive container but as an active element of daily life, the project reflects Droog’s ongoing interest in adaptability, reuse, and design as a process of intelligent transformation rather than decoration.