Staples

Staples & Co. Ltd., commonly known as Staples, was a British furniture company founded in 1895. The business first became known for producing high-quality mattresses and upholstery but later diversified into a broader range of furniture. Its most famous creation was the Ladderax modular shelving system, designed by Robert Heal in 1964 and produced by Staples until the 1980s.

Ladderax was a self-assembly, modular storage solution that perfectly captured the spirit of mid-century modern living. It featured teak-veneered cabinets, drawers, and shelves supported by slim steel ladders, which gave the system both its name and distinctive look. Affordable, lightweight, and endlessly adaptable, Ladderax allowed users to customise configurations to suit their homes, making it a stylish yet practical alternative to expensive Scandinavian imports of the time.

The system quickly became a design icon of the 1960s and 70s, celebrated for its clean lines, flexibility, and modernist aesthetic. Although Staples eventually ceased operations in the 1980s, partly due to changing tastes and the growing popularity of flat-pack furniture from companies like IKEA, Ladderax remains one of the most recognisable examples of British mid-century furniture design. Today, original Ladderax systems are highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts, a testament to Staples’ enduring influence on modern interiors.