The fact that the company eventually adopted for itself the name given this piece of furniture says all we need to know about its unique significance. The Interlübke wall unit (today known as SL) was the initial spark to which the Westphalian firm owes its rise and its prominent profile today. The design actually arrived at the company as an unsolicited idea and almost landed in the waste bin. Walter Müller of Team Form, a Swiss design studio that still works with Interlübke today, had sent a newsletter to German furniture makers in which he proposed a new, unprecedented closet system. The interesting aspect for Leo Lübke was that the unit could be put together out of very few parts, as the crown and base were identical. Turning the closet around 180 degrees thus makes no difference. Units could be placed sideby- side to form an endless floor-to-ceiling wall unit. The wall-to-wall surface all in white was a major departure from the traditional solitary wardrobe, as well as from the modular wall unit made up of small parts such as the M 125 system by Hans Gugelot (1950). The aesthetically appealing additive principle, significant for its doors opening in the same direction, concealed a highly variable interior arrangement including diverse shelves, baskets and drawers, and even a foldout bed.

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