Originally designed for a private client, the REK bookcase by Reinier de Jong has interlocking shelves that allow it to slide out to make space for more books as required.

The different shelf dimensions hold various sizes, while the narrowest slots are ideal for magazines. At its largest, the bookcase is 228 centimetres wide.

The original REK bookcase was finished with white laminate, but de Jong has now introduced a recycled laminate finish in grey and dark grey.

He has also made the bookcase lighter, reducing its weight to 80 kilograms, and added a stop to make sure the shelves don't slide out too far.

Last year de Jong presented an extendable coffee table to complement the REK bookcase, while in Cologne this year he launched a folding wooden chair made from old wooden broom handles – see all design by Reinier de Jong.

Other adjustable bookcases we've featured include a set of hinged boxes that spin round to create different patterns and a set of modular units with chairs hidden inside them – see all bookcases.

Photographs are by Peter van Dijk.

A new and improved REK bookcase

More than four years after we designed and created the very first REK bookcase for a private client, we have taken a few significant steps forward. REK has a new finish, is much lighter and we have made some great photos of it.

What are books worth when there is internet, smart phones, tablets and e-readers? Not much at first sight. However, it is exactly these digital developments that enhance the appreciation of books. No longer functional carriers of information but rather artefacts representing one’s identity. It is not so much about the quantity of books anymore but what counts is a well-considered selection of quality books. Book shelves are therefore changing as well, from purely functional pieces of furniture to unique design pieces, equally important as the books they hold.

REK was designed back in 2008 by Reinier de Jong as a bookcase that grows with your book collection. The fewer the books, the smaller the bookcase. The zigzag-shaped parts slide in and out to accommodate books in the resulting spaces. The books can also be arranged according to their size. The narrow spaces are excellent for magazines.

The maximum dimensions of REK are: 202 x 228 x 36 cm. The original REK bookcase is finished with white HPL which gives it a cool and abstract look.

We recently introduced a new finish at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne: recycled HPL by Abet Laminati. The solid grey material creates a warm and intriguing result, especially on the edges where it looks as if it is seamlessly folded around the shelves. It is light grey with a texture that people associate with fine concrete or grey cardboard. REK is also available in a dark grey version of this material.

Furthermore, the new REK has lost weight. It has the same dimensions as the first one but weighs only 80 kg. A lot easier to transport but above all, easier to slide. We have also improved the guidance and added a stop, making sure the parts do not slide out too far.

REK can be ordered directly from us. Price is on request

The REK bookcase by Reinier de Jong is featured in our book, Dezeen Book of Ideas. Buy it now for just £12.

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STEEL, which Reinier de Jong will launch at trade fair imm cologne next week, is made from the reclaimed handles of brooms, rakes, shovels and other tools.

The handles have acquired a darkened patina from years of use, but clean wood is visible where they've been cut.

The designer is also asking people to donate their old brooms to be made into chairs, and for each usable metre of wood donated he'll give one euro to charity.

A second version of the chair has also been produced from new white handles.

We've featured a few projects by the same designer, including a yellow table with angular legs and a chair that can be used any way up.

See all our stories about chairs »
See all our stories about furniture

Photographs are by Peter van Dijk.

Here's some more information from the designer:

Dutch designer Reinier de Jong presents a new chair named STEEL, surprisingly made of... wooden handles.

The chair will be on show together with a new version of the acclaimed REK bookcase and REK coffee table from January 14 to 20, 2013 in the stand of Reinier de Jong at the IMM Cologne.

Soil, rain, hands, air, sunlight. Used broom handles show traces of their former use by their patina. STEEL chair is made from handles of brooms, rakes, shovels etc. The chair gives the wood a third life after it has been taken from its original tree and turned into a tool handle. Another version of the chair is made from new, white handles.

The patina has formed itself around the handle like a new bark, as it were. Colour and texture depend on how and where the tool was used. Craftsmen in the Netherlands work the collected handles to turn them into a folding chair. New, clean wood becomes visible at the places where the wood is cut.

The cut-outs form a natural, concave shape where one gets in contact with the chair: the seat and the back rest. The chair has a simple and modest yet refined shape which reflects the everyday nature of its original components.

The STEEL chair is made of different types of wood (ramin, beech, ash), depending on the supply. You can also contribute to this chair. Donate your old wooden handles from brooms, rakes, shovels, flagpoles, banisters etc, as long as they are 28 or 29 mm in diameter.

For each usable metre of old handles, 1 euro will be donated to charity. Or you can donate your handles to have them turned into a chair for yourself. One chair contains approximately 10 metres of handles.

Along with the new STEEL chair, Reinier de Jong will also present both REK bookcase and REK coffee table at the IMM furniture fair in Cologne from January 14 to 20, 2013. A brand new version of the bookcase with recycled HPL will be on show. The Dewar Glassware and the Copper Lights by designer David Derksen will also be exhibited in the stand.

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This coffee table by Rotterdam designer Reinier de Jong can be expanded by sliding the middle sections outwards in either direction.

The top and two sides are finished in white while the edges are veneered in oak, birch or beech. Stoppers prevent you pulling the inserts too far.

The REK coffee table is a continuation of his slide-out bookcase from 2008, which was one of our most popular stories that year. The bookcase grows with your collection and is included in the Dezeen Book of Ideas, which is on sale now for £12.

See more work by Reinier de Jong here.

Here are some more details from de Jong:

REK is a coffee table that grows with your coffee needs. When you have visitors, just get some chairs and extend the table any way you like. Enough space for all those coffee cups and store your book or knitting set in the spaces underneath the tops.

You can extend REK in various ways. Built-in stops make sure you will not extend the sliding parts too far. Of course you can also put REK in a permanent position that fits your interior.

The top and two sides of REK are white HPL and the edges are finished with your choice of parquet wood: oak, birch or beech. The end grain side of the wood is beveled in order to get a grip: a subtle detail.

The dimensions of REK table obviously vary with its configuration. REK is 60 by 80 cm in collapsed state, its maximum lenth is 170 cm and its maximum width is 130 cm.

REK coffee table is related to another REK by Reinier de Jong Design: the bookcase that grows with your book collection.

Reinier de Jong is designer and architect. He designs furniture, interiors, houses and other buildings. He is best known for some furniture designs like REK bookcase, KEER chair and VOLT table.

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Milan 2010: Here's another yellow table! This one is by Rotterdam designer Reinier de Jong, is made of plywood and has triangular legs.

Called Volt, the table will be launched in the Lambrate district of Milan this April.

If you like yellow tables, see our story from last month about the E8 Table by Mathias Hahn.

See all our stories about Milan 2010 in our special category.

More about Reinier de Jong on Dezeen:

REK Bookcase (December 2008)
Keer Chair (February 2008)

Here's some more text from Reinier de Jong:

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The new table design named VOLT by designer Reinier de Jong is ready. The table will be on show at the design fair Salone del Mobile in Milan which takes place in April.

VOLT is a table with integrated legs and table top. The legs seem to be part of the top and the top seems to be part of the legs. Faceted surfaces and at the same time a fluid, continuous shape. Dynamic and at the same time minimal. A table with a form that seems impossible like an Escher drawing. It continues to fascinate due to its elusive appearance. And last but not least: it’s by all means a practical table with four legs and space for six chairs. VOLT is 75cm high (2.5 ft) and the table top measures 220cm (7.2 ft) by 100cm (3.3 ft). The table is spray painted and can be produced in various colours.

At the Salone del Mobile taking place from April 14-19, VOLT will be part of an exposition of a group of promising Dutch designers. This will take place in the new Salone area of Lambrate among other cutting edge exhibitors. The designers of this group present their work to find international points of sales and design brands.

VOLT is designed by Reinier de Jong and manufactured in collaboration with BOM interiors, a company specialising in made to measure furniture for both private and professional market. Reinier de Jong works on both architectural and product design. Key words are subtlety, flexibility, ingenuity and spaciousness. Reinier de Jong has designed several acclaimed furniture designs and award-winning architectural designs.

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Keer Chair by Dutch designer Reinier de Jong has gone into production.

Created from polyethylene pieces connected together by magnets, it functions as a chair in three different arrangements.

See our earlier story from February 2008 about the Keer Chair prototype.

Here's some information from Reinier de Jong:

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KEER means 'multiply' and 'turn' in Dutch. Simply turn KEER and you have three different chairs: a lounge, a regular chair and a stool. Each light-weight polyethylene piece is 20cm (8") wide and can be connected to another by built-in magnets. It's up to you to decide the size. You can even make it a bench if you like! KEER is excellent for both indoor and outdoor use.

Keer Chair is available to by from Reinier de Jong.

Retail price: 149 euro (excl. shipping)
Size: 93x77x20cm
Material: PE
Colour: white
Weight: 4kg

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