Everyone who follows this blog is aware of my book storage fetish. Here is another item I couldn’t pass by - the Slotted System Bookcase by Book/Shop. Ideal for a desk or a windowsill, this portable bookshelf is designed to fit a large variety of books - from small paperbacks to large art books and lps. Made in California of natural birch ply, each piece is cut and trimmed by hand to ensure an exact fit, then matte clear-coated, edge-banded, and hand rubbed with a light finish of natural beeswax. The result is gorgeous, practical and mobil. Perfect for those actively perused books you need to have in front of you at all times.
These cardboard box inspired planters by Flora made me look. Produced from zinc plated sheet metal, the items turn this seemingly temporary design into the permanent and iconic one. The planters range from a container for large plants, such as shrubs and bushes used in landscape design, to the smallest box for a cactus or table-top candle. So, you can choose the size, suitable for your unique space requirements. They can also be equipped with wheels and optional plastic insert for indoor gardening. The Box planters come in light grey, black or Corten steel.
Maisonnette (French for little house) is a collection of three mobile units, created by Italian designer Simone Simonelli. As the name suggests, the pieces are ideally suited for small spaces. Each item combines several functions in one. The small table can be turned upside down and used as a tray; the trolley is also a side table and the tallest piece can serve as a bookshelf as well as a clothes rail. I am also quite taken by the feminine fragile aesthetic of these designs. Exquisite, almost graphic lines create delightful silhouettes and let the eye forget about cramped living…
(via gessato)
Soapbox is an ingenius modular ‘ready to assemble’ storage system, that allows building various configurations. Made from quality veneered plywoods (no particle board or MDF), the pieces are held together by clever hardware components. These strong and colorful brackets connect wooden parts into boxes and also serve as visual accents. The system allows for the unlimited transformation – the boxes can be built horizontally or vertically, sitting on the floor or hanging on a wall. Great idea for small urban dwellings!..
This beautiful minimalist panter, called hanabunko made me look. Produced by Japanese company 224porcelain, the piece dicguises itself as a book. It even comes with its own book cover… A beautiful way to add greenery to any shelf and save space.
(via Spoon & Tamago)
- A real cardboard office, made for an advertising agency.
- A beautiful Vitra video by Florian Böhm.
- If you are a bookwormy person, you’ll love this – a Bookshelf book by Alex Johnson (there is also a Bookshelf blog – one of my all time faves).
- Unfolding rhino is fun.
- Another awesome Kickstarter project – Brydge. It turns your iPad into a laptop.
- Gorgeous packaging for sushi takeaway.
- Youtube Time – a handy tool that allows you to link to a specific part of a youtube video.
- Spectacular imagery - 100,000 LED lights float down the Sumida River.
Have a pleasant weekend, folks!
This piece, generically titled Folding Chair, was created by Monstrans design studio. And unlike its name – it demonstrates a lot of character and originality. The structure of the piece is comprised of thee wooden parts, and it folds completely flat when not in use. The components are held together in the closed position by the eight rare earth magnets. Paired with strategically positioned handles, this makes the Folding Chair incredibly easy to lift, hold and transport. Two quater inch thick wool felt pads make the chair comfortable. The piece is made from eco-friendly rapidly renewable bamboo.
Who can resist cool book storage? Not me. This lovely project, called Book Rack, was designed by Danish studio Agustav. The principle is simple – 12 pins/bookmarks hold your tomes attached to the wooden rail. The pins are removable and can be rearranged to meet your needs. The books rest on a small wooden plate so the pages stay intact. The plates can be moved back and forth on the bottom of the book to control the height of which the book hangs, making it possible to line different sized books up in a straight line. Elegant solution.
The Matryoshka Bench has been developed by Canada based designers Jaewoo Chon + Antariksh Tandon as an exploration of social interaction and collective stability. Comprised of six individually unstable elements, the piece gains its many functions from rearranging these components into various configurations. No item works on its own, but each can be carried by one person and reassembled collectively as desired. The piece is made of plywood with polyurethane finish.
This has happened again – I’ve fallen in love with an item. This time it’s the Corner Ladder by Company & Company Design Studio. The genius behind this thing is in its simple and precise folding, allowing the ladder to collapse into a thin pole. Space-saving points fly here. “A ladder is a domestic standard tool that is rarely used,” – designers elaborate, – “The idea was to be able to fit it in any corner, so as to simplify and increase its use and basic operation.” Beautiful thinking, masterful execution, a must for any small home.