Ten years ago, I bought a 606 shelving system, the legendary shelf designed by Dieter Rams in 1960. By the way, the name comes from the fact that the first two digits of a Rams furniture piece indicate the year it was created. Since purchasing the shelf and learning more about Rams’ work, I’ve become a big fan, especially because I admire his motto “Less, but better” and his early focus on sustainability (as early as the 1970s, he was considering the impact of our consumption). His 10 principles for good design (also available in book form) are still relevant today. No wonder Apple often “quoted” Dieter Rams, whether with the iPod, iMac, or other products.
But back to the 606. Since the shelf has been produced for over 60 years, with minor adjustments over time, it can always be expanded, parts swapped, or added. The design is timeless, functional, and can be configured depending on one’s living situation. And I’ve done this over the years. Similar to USM furniture, which has been around for decades, the value of the 606 increases over time. The only difference is that, with USM furniture in the apartment, I might feel like I’m living in a law office! 🙂
However, the story about expandability is only half the truth. In 1995, the company SDR+ (System Dieter Rams, with the “Plus” representing expansion) obtained the license to distribute Rams’ shelving systems in Europe, but had to transfer this license to Vitsoe at the turn of 2012/2013. Why the license for Rams’ furniture was given to SDR+ in the first place is unclear. The reason for granting the exclusive license to Vitsoe was that Rams apparently wasn’t happy with the color choices of some of the SDR+ shelves. His original shelving system, which had always been in “light grey,” was now also available in “pure white” and other colors. In 2001, light grey was replaced by grey-white (RAL 9002), which Rams believed didn’t clash with other colors and was therefore more neutral than pure white. Allegedly, even the Table 621 was made in grey-white, but as can be seen in the following photo, it doesn’t necessarily look the same.
(By the way, it’s better to pack the metal shelf at the bottom and the wooden shelf at the top, unlike in the photo.) However, if you place the table exactly next to the 606 shelving unit, it is actually the same color. It seems that the material reflects the light differently. The shelves also seem to have been light grey in the past, as can be seen in the following photo.
The suspension system is also slightly different, which can be quite annoying with older shelves. If there’s a screw in the E-profile, I can’t hang the old shelves there.
The new shelves:
On our wall, there’s an SDR+. Not the one from the photo above. In photos, the difference is hardly noticeable anyway, as seen, for example, with an SDR+ 606, a Vitsoe 606, and the 621 table:
With a bit less light, the difference becomes more noticeable:
And if you search for the 606 on eBay or elsewhere, you should be very cautious, because most sellers don’t know exactly what they have—whether it’s Vitsoe or SDR+, white or light grey. The SDR+ version is no longer available for purchase new, though with a bit of luck, you might still find something online, but it’s rare. How do I know this? One of my sons climbed onto a metal shelf of the 606, and unfortunately, it was just too much, so the E-profile that holds the shelves broke and was torn off the wall. This doesn’t mean that the 606 is unsafe. But if you have a 90 cm shelf with some heavy art books, and then a child weighing more than 10 kilos climbs onto it, this can sometimes happen:
Fortunately, the little vandal didn’t get hurt. The E-profile can easily be replaced, but the bent shelf… well, that’s no longer available. You either buy a light grey shelf from Vitsoe and have it repainted, which costs a fortune, or you have to find one elsewhere. As mentioned, this is not so easy. And so, those who bought a Rams shelving system between the 1990s and early 2010s weren’t exactly pursuing the most sustainable route. Bookends from Vitsoe? Unfortunately, they don’t fit the SDR+ shelves.
Would I buy a 606 again? Yes. Because, at the end of the day, you end up spending more money when you buy something cheap than if you just go for something good, even if it’s more expensive. And the flexibility that you get with this shelf is unmatched. Plus, once you’ve bought something from Vitsoe, you’ll find it hard to find such great service anywhere else. Everything is well thought-out, everyone is incredibly friendly, and even for assembly, everything is included—right down to the correct drill bits.
Currently available from Rams’ furniture at Vitsoe, besides the 606, are the 620 armchair and the 621 table, both from 1962. However, this is not the case for other pieces, such as:
- The 57/570 desk
- The 601 chair
- The 610 coat rack
- The 680 reclining program
- The 690 sliding door system
- The 710 storage system
- The 010 nesting table program
- The 030 coat rack from 2003.
Until recently, the office of Dieter Rams, which he had as a professor at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg, was displayed at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. There were stools on display for which I don’t know the number. Many of his design objects were also showcased, though this section has been significantly reduced, making a visit no longer worthwhile.
For those wanting to learn more about Dieter Rams: I helped fund Gary Hustwitt’s film about Rams on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, I was too stingy to pay for a package that would have included a mention in the credits. However, I did manage to shake hands with the director, Hustwit, at a screening at the Savoy Cinema in Hamburg. He hadn’t originally planned a showing there, but someone pushed so hard for it that a screening was arranged in Hamburg as well.
Otherwise, there are several books about Rams and his work, such as the Werkverzeichnis (Catalogue RaisonnĂ©), “So wenig Design wie möglich” (As Little Design as Possible), “Weniger, aber besser” (Less, but Better), and “Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams.”