Kay Leroy Ruggles Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Killer UMBO bookshelf by Kay Leroy Ruggles made by Directional. Fully modular, and can always be added to and reconfigured with additional pieces. Fading and oxidation consistent w...

Striking UMBO modular shelving system designed by Kay Leroy Ruggles and produced by Umbo Design Inc. during the 1970s. This iconic modular furniture system exemplifies the bold exper...

c. 1970s. USA. Modular shelving unit with gorgeous sun fading.

Very hard to find 10 piece 1970’s UMBO Shelves, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional. Original white has faded to varying degrees of beige, as typical, and ...

by Kay Leroy Ruggles c. 1970s in great vintage condition with minor scuffing, scratches, and other normal wear

Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit Unit can be taken apart for transport.

Brown modular Umbo storage by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s. Total of 13 pieces+endcap. Can be set up in a multitude of configurations depending on the space. Physically a...

Iconic Umbo modular shelving designed by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, USA 1970s. Strong molded abs plastic in multiple shapes to facilitate endless ...

Iconic and highly collectible Umbo modular shelving system by Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional 1971. These systems are highly desired by collectors and design enthusiasts for their incredible versatility. From shelving, to tables, to bed-frames, to dj booths...

Modular Umbo storage unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, USA 1970s. Breaks down for shipping. Ample pegs included. Please see my other Umbo listing.

Rare 18-piece Umbo corner unit by legendary American designer Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional. 75” from corner to corner. Plenty of pegs included. Can be broken down for shipping.

This rare shelving system is the 'UMBO' system designed in the early 1970s by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, and was first published in New York magazine on September 25, 1972. This monumental example in a beautiful brown color with a total of 53 elements, detailed below. Constructed from Uniroyal ABS, a product which is durable, nontoxic, and more heat-resistant than wood which was also used to make telephones at that time. Was offered in white, tangerine and brown - this set is in the brown color option. The color was sprayed on in the factory and should not chip off under normal use. The modular system allows to create different types of furniture such as console or coffee tables, bench, bookcase, room dividers, sofa tables, cocktail tables, side or end tables, nightstands or bedside tables, cafe and breakfast or dining tables and more. Produced only for a short time from 1972 to around 1974, due to the ensuing energy crisis of 1973 which marked the end of the era of cheap gasoline and, therefore, plastics causing UMBO to go out of production in 1974 making these examples extremely rare and sought after by collectors. Finding a set this large is much more rare. This wall system became a huge hit for Directional who produced a wide variety of modules and since UMBO was fully modular, it could be arranged and re-arranged at any time into fun and creative solutions and uses for your home. UMBO was even available with a desk, dining table, bed frame or wall shelves module which made it perfect for small apartments such as those in Los Angeles and New York. The particular configuration seen in our photos was put together by our photographer just as an example of how it can be configured but it can be rearranged, expanded or divided to your liking. Kay Leroy Ruggles was a pioneer of inventions and lifelong entrepreneur with a highly successful career winning many awards and holding numerous patents in which he designed and developed over 100 products in a wide range of industries, including automobile, space, furniture, window coverings, amusement park and musical instruments, for example he created the tubular water slide and when Richard Nixon wanted a new bathroom for Air Force One, that job went to Ruggles. Later, Hugh Hefner had custom-designed rooms by Ruggles and so did Ted Kennedy and Disney World. Consider this original UMBO bookcase...