Perhaps you're one of the lucky few-like my mother-for whom the high school experience was the epitome of "good times" (or "happy days," as her particular generational clich© has it). But I suspect that the bulk of readers-whether children of the 70s, 80s, or 90s-remember high school as an emblem of subtle despair, and think of it fondly only in regards to its termination. Italian manufacturer Seletti offers the latter a cool retro way to recontextualize the past: Seletti Stack is a modular storage solution made of interlinking metal cabinets, the largest of which resembles the iconic high school locker.

Stack. Designed by Alessandro Zambelli.

Designed by Alessandro Zambelli, Stack debuted in April at Salone, but with the fearsome threat of back-to-school on the horizon, late July seems an ideal time to re-visit this colorful and creative assemblage of painted metal storage containers. In spite of the timelessness of the school locker, the piece certainly has a 50s vibe. This is owed to the muted pastel palette as much as the reference points for the various items (old-school safes, filing cabinets, office drawers, lab cabinets, and industrial closets). Stack is decidedly contemporary, however: back in the mid-century environs in which these items would have served a purely functional task, the color would have been uniform-and, most likely, uniformly drab-and the items would have been uniform as well.

So Stack's eclectic assemblage poses quite a contrast from the rows of avocado lockers that symbolize high-school entrapment in films from Rebel Without a Cause to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Admittedly, Stack's profusion of various shapes, sizes, and functions may seem a bit off-putting to those who prefer a highly symmetrical brand of organization. But if you appreciate a touch of chaos to your personalized method of arrangement, Stack has high appeal indeed

For other faux-messy modular storage pieces, check out A Pile of Suitcases, Schubladenstapel, and Decades by Wis.

Via InteriorDesign.