Door-to-door contact

Not one for fans of Larry Grayson with his call to ‘shut that door’, James could still be a useful friend if you’re after a gift for someone who has everything. Who is James? A quirky doorstop designed by London-based German product designer Winfried Scheuer.

Made of injection-moulded TPE, described by Scheuer as ‘a flexible, semi-transparent plastic’, James couldn’t simpler to use. You slip the slim, wedge-shaped end under the door when you want it to stay ajar, and loop the curved ‘question mark’ end round the door handle when the door is closed.

The translucence of the plastic softens the colours, giving muted tones of green, orange, blue, red, black and white – a far cry from the bold, primary-coloured plastics of Seventies accessories, when colour was a last selling point.

German manufacturer Helix-Akantus is hoping to get a foot in the door of the international market with James by launching it at the Ambiente consumer goods fair, which opens in Frankfurt tomorrow (Friday).

Maybe Scheuer and his client can bend their minds to creating a cousin for James, possibly called Jeeves – a kind of dumb waiter whose job is to prop up the legs of wobbly restaurant tables.

Design: Winfried Scheuer

Client: Helix-Akantus

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