2023 · LEAD DESIGNER
Levitate
The architectural guitar mount
Quick Facts
Development from brief through pre-production (early manufacturer sample testing)
Defined aesthetic direction and design language
Sourced and managed international manufacturing and assembly partners
Performed design for manufacture analyses
Opportunity
The wall hanger is a utilitarian category - plastic arms, exposed screws, functional at best. For musicians who treat their instrument as an object worth displaying, that gap is felt every time they look at it. Levitate was a brief to close it: design a hanger that lets the guitar shine.
Brief
Making it Magical
Worthy of the Instrument
Making it Magical
The goal was to hide all exterior fasteners - at the wall joint this was simple: the wall anchor fasteners sit behind the leather tabs, invisible once installed.
The more interesting challenge was the leather-to-frame connection. The leather saddle houses an internal metal plate that engages with self-clinching studs in the frame via a keyhole slide-and-lock: easy to assemble, but solidly locked in place without tools and nothing visible from the front.
This also provides a clear aesthetic barrier between the ‘outside’ of the hanger - durable steel for strength and reliability, and the ‘inside’ - soft leather to protect the finish of the guitar.
Keyhole mounts shown integrated in leather
Frames with internal mounting hardware for leather
Leather and frame combined without visible external fasteners
Testing for leather/steel alignment - tolerance control was key
Worthy of the Instrument
Sewn leather for the saddle - soft to ensure guitars are well protected; bent steel for the frame - visibly sturdy for peace of mind. Both materials are chosen for the same reason: they age well, they hold their character, and they sit comfortably alongside a guitar rather than beneath it.
The leather is padded internally to protect the body finish at the contact points - and it deforms over time creating a natural ‘seat’ for the guitar that lives there.
The overall form is deliberately simple - a shape that recedes, leaving the guitar to occupy the wall on its own terms.
Early testing explored having a backstop to prevent over insertion
We decided that it would be better to leave the space clear
The guitar creates it's own unique mark the leather over time
Levitate lets guitars shine
Outcome
Levitate shipped as part of the Noisy Clan line - a product that sits at the intersection of furniture and instrument care. The decision to fully conceal all external fasteners elevated it beyond the functional category. The keyhole stud mechanism made that possible without sacrificing the ability to remove, clean, or replace the leather saddle.