606 Universal Shelving System

The power of good design In the man-made world, everything has been designed. Everything. Somewhere, somehow, the idea has taken hold that only certain objects have been designed. At Vits we stand for the inordinate power of good design in everything we do: designing thoughtfully, responsibly and intelligently for our company, our furniture and the many people who share a profound interest in all of our tomorrows.
For over 50 years, Vitss furniture has been designed by Dieter Rams. Today he continues to oversee his brainchild, working closely with Vitss managing director, Mark Adams, as the furniture is evolved and new markets are developed.

Vits was founded back in 1959 with the simple, common-sense notion of designing down-to-earth furniture that could be used for as long as possible. The idea was that discreet, adaptable and faithful furniture would encourage customers to start by buying a small amount and then adding to it as their lives developed. Better still, those customers would take it with them when they moved, rearranging it as necessary. Before long it was clear that customers evident satisfaction was derived from their ability to live better, with less, that was lasting longer.

Today that company is increasingly seen as an exemplar and has been used as a subject in recent case studies for good design, innovation, customer service, and sustainability. Which is reassuring because Vits continues to deploy an unfashionable business tool: common sense.

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606 Universal Shelving System

Designed by Dieter Rams in 1960, the 606 Universal Shelving System was conceived to be timeless. You can add a single shelf to a system bought decades ago and take it with you when you move. At the core of the shelving system is the aluminium E-Track that can be attached directly to the wall. Shelves, cabinets and tables are hung from the E-Track using no tools by simply slipping the notched aluminium pins into place. The interchangeability of the components encourages either day-to-day rearrangements or complete reconfigurations.

Narrow bay 66.7cm (26")

Wide bay 91.2cm (35 7 8")

See how the system works at vitsoe.com/how

Wall mounted You can attach E-Tracks directly to your wall in any combination of the two bays, shown above. The system can be attached to almost all types of wall. Please ask us for advice.

Semi-wall mounted If your wall is obstructed or slightly uneven, the E-Track may be attached to an X-Post and stood in front of the wall, held upright by adjustable wall brackets.

Compressed If you have no wall nearby, the E-Track may be attached to one or both sides of the X-Post and compressed between the floor and ceiling. We can give you advice regarding acceptable ceiling heights, loadings etc.

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Five reasons Over the years there is one comment we have heard more than any other from our customers: I wish I had bought from you sooner. As we do not like regret, we give you the first of five reasons not to suffer.

An ingenious kit of parts While kit and parts need not get any of us excited, there are virtues to behaving like Meccano or Lego. As you will remember, you were able to create all manner of inventions from whichever set of building blocks that took your fancy. Now, as a grown-up, you can arm yourself with tracks, shelves, cabinets and tables to solve different problems in your kitchen, study or library using the same parts. And because of this adaptability, you will never leave Vits behind when you move.

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Looking handsome in the handsome city of New York.

I still cant quite get my head round how something can travel 3470 miles, from your warehouse in London to my apartment in New York, in such a short time! Marvelous! Thanks so much.
From a graphic designer who took his shelves to New York.

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Reason two

Start small How often have you bought something with that slight nag that either the product or the company will not be around in a few years? Vits and our shelves have been around for over 50 years. We do one thing and we try to do it well. So, you do not need to raid the bank on day one. Start by buying only what you feel comfortable to buy. Whether you need one more shelf in 20 years time, or to double your system next year, we will be here for you. Just order less now.

Built by the Huguenots of 1783 to receive the tender loving care of new owners in 21st-century south London. Charming.

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Learn more about the shelves at vitsoe.com/how

Short on space? Even a staircase can be used despite the change in depth of this wall. Solution.

The simple trick of separating the wall-mounted E-Tracks allows both the cabinets (behind the table) and the shelves to float.

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A flawless product matched by flawless services. What more can I say?

From the senior partner of a large architectural practice.

A shelving system is not only for books. Whether you need to sculpt your hair, pamper your skin or clothe your body, here are some ways to achieve it.

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Reason three

Built to last Most of the furniture we have ever made is still in use. How do we know? Because we see it at our loyal customers homes and offices time and again. Sure, on day one you might be able to spend less money than at Vits. But once you realise that our shelving system is genuinely built to last you quickly appreciate that it might be considered ercheap.

A customer who has been buying from Vits for some time. Note the 25-year-old beech cabinet next to the new integrated table with Brauns 1962 RT 20 radio. Tracks of varying length accommodate the awkward space. Wiring tucked under the table. Look carefully and you will see the wall-mounted system become a compressed system. Clever.

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The undisputed harmony of modest parental architecture that led to Pompidou in Paris, Lloyds in London and beyond.

I have been raving about the Vits service and product to anyone who will listen. I have always been a little fanatical about service quality and have never come across a firm that is so joined up on service from the website to the consulting and drawings through to the delivery and installation.
From a director of investor relations.

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Drawers on tracks on a wall. Bedroom, living room or office sideboard? Its hard to tell.

Very well packaged and the spirit levels are a lovely touch bordering on genius.
From a curious web developer.

See the cabinets in action at vitsoe.com/how

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Reason four

A design classic Design classic and the adjective designer are over-used. But our shelving system is the work of Dieter Rams. He was head of design at Braun from 1961 to 1995 and many of his teams products have found their way into the collections of the worlds finest museums. Today he is often cited as the man who created a gentler world a world to which many people now aspire. We are proud of him and his work and we are delighted that many respected commentators regard our self-effacing shelving system as a design classic.

Occasionally a design classic has to make an appearance in a museum here at Londons Design Museum for an exhibition of Dieter Ramss work.

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A long-living academic institution uses furniture that can be added to and rearranged at any point in the future. Obviously.

The service you provided was exceptional very easy to use and all went according to time, budget and specification!
From a busy architectural team leader.

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Reason five

Our happiest customers are those who have dealt with Vits the longest. So said Niels Vits (1913-1995). He was a charming man whose modesty was only equalled by that of his furniture. But he knew that his furniture was nothing unless it was supported by outstanding service from intelligent, sympathetic human beings. Today, in a world that too often forgets about old-fashioned service, we remember the virtues of please and thank you. We genuinely enjoy dealing with our customers whether by email, phone or face-to-face in our shops. We offer a lifetime of support.

Whether older house or newer, your shelves are equally at home. Here the DVDs allow bed-time cinema while the clothes hide in the drawers. Orderly.

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I wish every company I dealt with was as professional as Vits. From the moment I first discussed the system with you through to the installation it has been simple, efficient, hassle-free and very professional.
From experts on branding and packaging. Believe it or not, this is a bed-head. The bed is to the left behind the shelves. But the laptop can perch on this side. Multi-functional.

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While we feel a duty to remind you that you can buy your first system from Vits for surprisingly little money, we have to be realistic and understand that we all dream. Aspirational.

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Shops in London, New York, Tokyo and at vitsoe.com

New York

Although our founder, Niels Vits, died just as the internet was starting to take shape he would not be surprised to see that investment in both physical shops and the web is now taking Vits around the world. If you cannot visit us in London, New York or Tokyo, you can visit us at vitsoe.com and still deal personally with any one of our affable planners in whichever time-zone suits you. Niels Vits would recognise that we still insist on human beings planning your shelving system with you, even though online drawings can be refreshed in real time and you can pay, securely, online for rapid dispatch. Oldfashioned courtesy and modern technology in harmony: precisely as he would have wished.

To work with one of our planners, go to vitsoe.com/start

London

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Making it
Each cabinet is meticulously built by highly-skilled cabinet-makers.

The aluminium structure is prepared individually for each order.

For more than 50 years Vits has been making furniture learning, improving and evolving so that our customers, suppliers and employees can reap the benefits. We employ only the most talented people we can find because we know that genuine care and attention-to-detail are appreciated by our customers around the world. In addition, we have worked for decades with world-class suppliers in a spirit of genuine, mutually beneficial, partnership.

We use the best quality materials and always take decisions that will benefit everyone for the long term. Good enough is not a phrase heard above the whirr of drills and chatter of screwdrivers in our workshop. We add together the cost of people, suppliers and materials and charge our customers a price that allows Vits to invest its modest profits for the long-term good of all concerned.

All high-value aluminium components are transported in wooden stillages designed and built by Vits. Some are 15 years old and still going strong.

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As the system evolves, some details may differ from those shown/described

Narrow bay 66.7cm (26")

Wide bay 91.2cm (35 7 8")

Aluminium tray For use in double shelves, desk shelves and cabinets with doors. On surfaces, too. With a finger hole to lift out your papers.

Metal shelf: flipped Flipping a shelf creates uninterrupted surfaces whilst keeping big books upright.

Metal shelf Ideal for your vinyl collection.

Cabinet: three drawers Stationery, odds n ends even your smalls. Add drawer dividers and a pencil tray or two. vitsoe.com/ accessories

Metal shelf: rotated The simple act of rotating a shelf to become vertical gives you a pinboard for your magnets. Choose any one of the four shelf depths.

Bookend Non-tip, available in two heights with non-slip base to keep everything in place. vitsoe.com/ accessories

Metal shelf Four depths for your paperbacks, CDs, art books, and much more.

Cabinet: up-and-over door Ideal for higher level storage. Optional perforated back for wiring and ventilation. Internal shelves and aluminium trays available. vitsoe.com/ accessories Cabinet: fold-down door For hiding what needs to be hidden. Optional perforated back for wiring and ventilation. Internal shelves and aluminium trays available. Lockable. vitsoe.com/ accessories

Mounting panel A simple wooden panel to which you can attach your screen.

Integrated table Shallower for you to sit face-on; deeper to sit side-on.

Sloping shelf 79 For near-upright display of large-format books and magazines. Use magnets to hold drawings in place.

Double shelf To contain your aluminium trays and/or extend your work-surface.

Shelf with hanging rail For the wardrobe, the hall, the office or the shop (for clothes, fabric samples, etc).

Sloping shelf 18 For display of books and magazines but often used for shoes, too. Create an entire wardrobe.

E-Track Various lengths. Screwed directly to the wall. Download our planning guide from vitsoe.com/how to see every component.

Desk shelf Complete with two different depth surfaces. It may be used either way up here for your typewriter or laptop. Other way up for monitor and keyboard.

E-Track, X-Post, wall bracket See vitsoe.com/how for detailed explanations of structures and to download our much-admired planning guide.

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Cabinet: two drawers Capacious drawers especially good for clothes and larger office items. Drawer dividers available for CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and similar. vitsoe.com/ accessories

Metal shelf A discreet home for your printer.

Cabinet: one drawer For suspension files (any format), bottles, toys etc. Also available with lock.

Shelf with drawer Put a drawer where you need it. Add drawer dividers and a pencil tray. vitsoe.com/ accessories

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Thank you

Marta Narbona Toby Clark

Colours

Stefan Beckman Pace Kaminsky

Lars Nittve Shideh Shaygan

Chad Wollen Sin Davies

Andrew Collinge Hairdressing

Cowshed

Alistair & Odette Moncur

Dada Rogers
Off-white Black Silver

Sophocles Maraveyas

Design Museum, London

Jan Kaplicky

University of Cambridge Faculty of Divinity

Off-white

Black

Silver

Monika Hary Michael Haberbosch

Stuart & Maya Brisley

Leigh & Brian Message

Aloha Rag

Beech and off-white

Beech and black

Beech and silver

Words Mark Adams Thank you to our customers for the generosity of their quoted comments 40 vitsoe.com

Photography Illustration Ken Kirkwood, except Airside (pp38,39) Tommy Dobrzynski (opp pp1,7,14,35) Anne Brassier (p1) Ake Eson Lindman (p8) Jo Henderson (pp15,35 bottom) Luke Hayes (p23) Philip Lauterbach (p28) Geof Howe (pp36,37)

Design Thomas Manss & Company Printed in the United Kingdom Vits 2010 All rights reserved Vits is a registered trademark vitsoe.com

CB062010

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