BRITISH furniture brand Plæy has announced the launch of its latest lifestyle accessory: Phone Home, a family-friendly mobile phone holder with a difference.
Developed with the support of long-time distribution partner, James Latham, and pioneering material brand, Valchromat, this unique product offers much more than just a convenient place to store a mobile device.
The Phone Home has been conceived not just with Britain’s professional community in mind, but also the nation’s youth. Plæy founder Matt Kelly sees this solution both as a remedy to the relentless pace of modern life and a way to reduce the increasing digital dependence amongst younger generations. Ingenious in its simplicity, it gently nudges the user towards a more mindful way to live, enabling them to switch off from the incessancy of the 24/7 news cycle and constant communication.
According to Plæy’s founder and principal designer, Matt Kelly, “As a parent, I understand the trials and tribulations of maintaining a child’s balance between analogue real-life connections and digital learning. Whilst Phone Home isn’t going to cure your phone addiction, it will hopefully help and make you think. Rather than just reaching out to grab your phone from your pocket, table, or usual resting place, it provides an extra step that’s out of arm’s reach. I’d like to think this pause will be enough for most people, from pre-teens to OAPs, to break the cycle.”
Valchromat gets great reception
The Phone Home is made from Valchromat, a premium MDF produced by Valbopan using wood from sustainably managed forests and industrial waste, giving new life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.
With colour that saturates the entire material, there is no need for paint or laminate.
Its impressive collection of 12 full-body colours, all supplied by James Latham, which range from inky blank, off white and muted grey to vivid blue, verdant green and vibrant red, made it a particularly attractive choice for this project.
Firing the imagination of Matt and his team through the sheer number of contrasting combinations they could potentially create, it was well-suited to achieving the project’s aesthetic objectives.
Commenting on using Valchromat, Matt continues, “Tech storage solutions tend to stay within the boundaries of grey and black, which means they’re not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing option to have in a home that appreciates colour. Functional and fun is the sweet spot we have aimed for, and it’s something Valchromat delivers in spades.”
Stuart Devoil, head of marketing at James Latham, adds, “Plæy have gained recognition over the past seven years for small runs of well designed and characterful pieces, with Valchromat as one of the main materials. Matt’s designs are often Mondrianesque in their appearance. Lots of squares, oblongs and other rectilinear forms, all with crisp, straight edges and filled with colour. The Phone Home is a great example of this. I can’t think of a more perfect product to use than Valchromat.”
As Matt concludes, “I want to thank Valbopan, Investwood Portugal (manufacturers of Valchromat) and James Latham for their support throughout the conceptual development and creation of the Phone Home. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve such amazing results without their close and constructive collaboration. We look forward to continuing to work together and develop further innovative products, which really showcase Valchromat’s versatility.”
See page 44 of our August/September 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
