An Open Understanding's work for LO.W brings a slice of luxury to the deadstock furniture world

As a deadstock furniture company, Laurence Olynn Works, or LO.W, retrieve classic furniture that’s been discarded and make it fit to go back into homes and apartments. The graphic design practice of James Kirkup, An Open Understanding, was tasked with elevating the company away from its immediate adversaries through the creation of a high-end visual identity. To appeal to customers who, traditionally, wouldn’t consider deadstock a luxury option, An Open Understanding found inspiration in luxury fashion, travel and publication design without an overt consideration towards the aesthetic of LO.W’s competition. “With a consumer persona in mind”, Kirkup explains, “the first point of call was to think of where else that demographic shops, then think backwards”. “This trail of thought landed us in exploring serif typefaces alongside stark, modern imagery”, he reveals. The result is a supremely elegant logotype set in Set Sale Studios’ La Luxes, making the most of the typeface’s beautiful ‘LO’ ligature. It’s combined in application with a contemporary sans, Libre Franklin, and a polished selection of colours, making for an identity that feels more like that of a luxury fashion house than a deadstock furniture company.