Business news: open-source furniture brand Opendesk has launched a service aimed at disrupting the contract furniture industry, allowing businesses to order locally manufactured products that can be delivered and installed in just 14 days.
Building on the successful model of companies like Made and Hem, the Opendesk Express service offers customers looking to furnish their offices a selection of standard workplace products at fixed prices.

Instead of the 8-12 week lead times typically quoted by contract furniture brands, the "desks on demand" system offers free delivery within 14 days. But it also supports local enterprises by giving the work to the nearest fabricator.
"You're still something made locally and on-demand by someone independent, but you also have this easy e-commerce experience with delivery and assembly included in the price," Opendesk co-founder Joni Steiner told Dezeen. "It's about the convenience model meeting the open-making model."

Steiner established Opendesk in 2013 as part of a team of five. Borne out of design collective Architecture 00, the east-London company centres around an online platform that helps users to connect directly with a global network of designers and makers.
Opendesk Express is intended to take this model a step further, by facilitating the order and delivery process.

After specifying dimensions, materials and number of units, the order details are sent to the maker and the items are manu...