In the contemporary design landscape, few objects manage to successfully bridge the gap between hyper-local architectural heritage and the agile, functional demands of modern creative workspaces. Shushana Khachatrian, founder and design director of Studio Shoo, has achieved precisely this balance with the creation of the Tuff Pencil Cabinet. Conceived as a mobile storage unit for creative tools, the cabinet draws its profound aesthetic inspiration from the iconic pink volcanic tuff stone that defines the distinct visual identity of Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan. Beyond merely mimicking a color palette, the piece incorporates the textures, tactile qualities, and urban storytelling embedded within the porous surfaces of the historic stone, translating the everyday street culture of an ancient city into a versatile piece of contemporary furniture.
The inspiration for the Tuff Pencil Cabinet is deeply rooted in the physical reality of Yerevan. Known widely as the "Pink City," Yerevan owes its unique architectural character to the abundant use of volcanic tuff, a porous stone formed from solidified volcanic ash that ranges in hue from deep rose to soft yellow and earthy beige. Over decades, the weathered façades of these buildings have accumulated layers of urban life: chalk drawings left by children, handwritten names etched into the stone, and simple, spontaneous motifs sketched across rough surfaces. Studio Shoo’s design seeks to capture this ephemeral, lived-in quality, turning the rigid permanence of monumental stone architecture into something playful, mobile, and intimately scaled for the studio or home.
To bring this multifaceted narrative to life, Studio Shoo has released the cabinet in two distinct colorways—yellow and pink—each corresponding to different storage configurations and functional possibilities. The yellow version adopts a more streamlined approach, featuring a single tier equipped with a convenient top-opening drawer. This compact iteration is designed for quick access, making it an ideal companion for desktop tools, sketching materials, and daily essentials that need to be kept close at hand.
In contrast, the pink version expands upon these functional possibilities with a more robust two-tiered structure. This model combines a top-opening drawer with a deeper, pull-out lower drawer, offering enhanced capacity for larger portfolios, tools, and creative supplies. Adding a layer of multi-functionality that appeals to contemporary interior demands, the upper drawer of the pink model is engineered to serve an alternative purpose when needed, functioning seamlessly as an occasional coffee table. This dual-use capability underscores Studio Shoo’s philosophy of creating adaptable furniture that responds fluidly to the shifting dynamics of modern living and working environments.
Central to the design of both configurations is mobility. Fitted with robust, discreet wheels, the Tuff Pencil Cabinet is engineered to move effortlessly across different spaces. Whether transitioning from a primary desk to a communal workspace, or shifting position within a living room to accommodate a sudden burst of creative activity, the cabinet acts as an agile companion. This mobility challenges the traditional static nature of office and studio storage, allowing users to curate their immediate environment and keep their essential tools perpetually within reach.
Through its thoughtful integration of a vibrant color palette, compact form factor, and adaptable storage solutions, the Tuff Pencil Cabinet serves as a tangible link between a specific architectural geography and the practical realities of daily creative work. By distilling the monumental history of Yerevan’s volcanic stone into a movable, human-scaled object, Shushana Khachatrian and Studio Shoo have crafted a piece that honors cultural heritage while remaining entirely anchored in the needs of contemporary creators.
