Steel cutting
Sheet steel cut to your measurements, corners radiused, edges deburred by hand.
About us
Our West Country story
Our West Country story
How we got here
Duncan & Amanda, founders
Hello!
We’re Duncan and Amanda.
We met at art school many moons ago when we were both studying graphic design in the 80s. We left college and skipped off up to London to register our design business. We built a busy design agency and wore power suits and shoulder pads!
We got married and had two great kids. One day we installed a new fitted kitchen with an integral fridge and suddenly had a problem. Where do we put the kid’s artwork, invitations and school letters etc?
We had a brainwave and painted a huge sheet of steel that we used as a giant magnetic board. Everyone said it was a brilliant idea and where did you get it?.
So, back in 2007 we took the plunge and set to work devising a unique way of making them with our own designs. Just like the old enamel metal ad signs we loved so much and Beyond the Fridge was born.
We get asked “why Beyond the Fridge?” Quite a lot! Apart from describing our solution to the problem people have with integrated fridge doors, we thought it was a memorable pun on 'Beyond the Fringe' (you have to be of a certain age!).
Over the years we’ve developed products that reflect our joint love of art and design. We always enjoy designing new magnetic boards ourselves and seeing the amazing designs and images our customers create for their own homes.
How a panel is made
Four stages
Coating
A scratch-resistant enamel with a high-gloss dry-erase surface.
Decoration
The design goes into the coating, so it cannot peel or lift.
Packing
Pre-drilled, fixings included, boxed with corner protection.
Our ethos
Longevity first, planting alongside
The greenest panel is...
the one you keep.
Steel is the most recycled material on earth and our panels are made to outlast the room they go in. That is the substance of it. The tree planting is real too, and the ledger is public, but it is the smaller half of the argument.
In partnership with Ecologi
Visit Ecologi
One board sold, one tree planted.
We’ve teamed up with Ecologi to support their responsible tree planting. That’s why, thanks to you, for every board sold we can plant and sustain one tree.
The numbers behind it
2,848
Trees funded with Ecologi — one planted for every single board we sell. The ledger is public.
19 yrs
Panels made in 2007 are still on walls. A panel that is never replaced is the whole argument.
100%
The panel and everything we send it in are recyclable.
What we actually do
Made to order
Most of what we sell is made after you order it, so there is no warehouse of unsold panels being written off if a design is no longer popular.
Recyclable
The steel panel is 100% recyclable and so is everything we send it in.
A tree a board
We plant a tree for every single board we sell, through Ecologi.
Made where it’s sold
Made in the West Country, so the only journey the steel makes is to us and then to you.