Before Fabsie was a self-care journal, the name belonged to a small design company in London. Its first product was a rocking stool called This Stool Rocks. Design blogs and Creative Commons wrote about it at the time, and those articles still send readers here.
What it was
This Stool Rocks was designed by James McBennett, an Irish designer based in London who founded the original Fabsie. It was a flat-pack stool cut from sheet material. The pieces slotted together by hand, with no screws or glue, and assembly took less than a minute.
It came in three versions, each with a different base.
Buyers could also have a name or logo carved into the seat, which made it a popular pick for offices and studios.
How Fabsie made it
The idea behind the original Fabsie was to make furniture near the people who would use it. If you had access to a CNC cutting machine, you could download the design file and cut the stool yourself. If you didn't, the file went to a maker in your area who cut it and delivered it. Nothing had to cross an ocean in a shipping container.
McBennett launched the stool on Kickstarter in March 2013, with backers able to pledge £35 for one. It was an early example of what people were calling 3D cutting, the flat-sheet cousin of 3D printing. You can read more about that difference in 3D printing vs. 3D cutting.
Can you still get one?
Not from us. If you like the idea, a local makerspace or CNC shop can cut a slot-together stool from plywood for you, and many of them share open furniture designs you can start from.
Why it still fits here
Fabsie today is about small things that make daily life feel better. A stool that lets you move a little while you sit is one of those things. If that sounds like you, start with our Body and Home stories.
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