Out of many design innovations shown during the Salone del Mobile 2011 in Milan, Synapse from LucePlan is my personal favorite! This modular room divider, that also produces ambient light, can be customized to fit any space. ‘The idea of Synapse came from the awareness of a significant change in the way people live today, – says the creator of the product, designer Francisco Gomez Paz, – Homes have become smaller and narrower, and people have decided to pull the walls down to create wider spaces. So, there is a well defined need for the lighter elements that would handle this new way of living.’ The Synapse divider is based on intelligent modules that can produce light, reflect the light, produced by other modules, and also transport electricity when connected to each other. Ingenious! The piece has another hidden function, that was discovered after it was made, – it reflects natural light from your window and turns it into an ambient one. Perfect for cramped spaces with not enough sunlight…
Here is another noteworthy Kickstarter project. Gypsy Modular is a customizable furniture line that folds flat and requires no screws or tools for its assembly. The product was inspired by lego, it allows you to create any item by isung the same set of building blocks. The only limit is your imagination (and space, of course). While initially envisioned as a solution for students, the furniture may fit into an adult interior as well. The kits come in a variety of colors you can mix and match. Clever stuff!
LED light is great, it is bright, long-lasting, energy efficient. It can also come in strips, which makes it perfect for various design projects. Designer Antoni Arola used these qualities of LED to create a line of luminous furniture, called BlancoWhile. He integrated light with shelves, bookcases, desks. The strips are hidden under the metal sheets and focused in the center to provide an even ambient illumination. The pieces are modular and can create multiple configurations, as big and bright as your space allows.
HT InteriorDesigningBlog
‘Everything is makeable, anytime, anywhere, by anyone,’ – this is the statement Droog made while launching their downloadable design initiative during the Salone del Mobile in Milan, 2011. The project allows people to design furniture by using an online interface. After finishing your unique item – you can download your design and a digital plan to produce it. Then you can either make it yourself or employ a recommended manufacturer.
This approach will have an enormous impact on the dynamic between the design industry and the consumer. “Taking design to the digital realm opens many possibilities. Not only does it have consequence on transport and storage efficiencies, it also calls for new design approaches, innovative digital design tools and online shopping experiences, and innovative business models for all actors along the distribution chain,” says co-founder and director of Droog, Renny Ramakers. And for us, tiny apartment dwellers, it will mean the unlimited power to create and customize objects for our limited spaces.
Designer Christy Oates created this amazing line of fold-out interior pieces, that are attached to the wall. In its folded state each item resembles contemporary art – a perfect disguise. In two simple motions it becomes furniture. Imaginative and very useful for those who live in tiny spaces…
The truth about books is that they are rarely stay neatly displayed on the shelf. Rather they pile up right around the reading spot. So, if you read on your sofa – why not store your books there as well? This is the idea behind the Calypso Chair from Brandon Allen. The piece is generously equipped with storage spaces and transforming parts. You can slide your books and magazines under the seat, you can pull out the shelves for your cuppa, you can flip the shelves and use them for your laptop or writing pad, you can rotate the sitting parts, or you can remove the sitting altogether and transform the sofa into a coffe table. With all these options the Calypso Chair might be the only piece of furniture your living room will ever need.
This storage system from Swedish company Zweed has it all. It is elegant, modular, functional and comes in a variety of colors. The line, called Citti, allows you to create your own shelving unit, as tall and wide as you like (or as your space allows). You can also design your item with or without doors and drawers for the compartments. Beautiful, clever piece. I want one for every room.
Source: TheDesignerPad
Collecting things is a basic human condition. Displaying them is a basic human vanity. This piece from German designer Stephan Schulz gives you both – storage and display. Oh, and a little bit of sitting as well, since it is technically a chair. The Comfy Cargo Chair was not envisioned as a finished product. It is rather a framework, a predetermined space awaiting creative collaboration from the owner. The piece gives you plenty of space for your things – books, pillows, teddybears, collectibles… Whatever you put in the empty slots will change the chair’s design and make it truly personal.
Apparently what’s bad for us can be good for our plants. For one – they thrive on cigarette ashes. French designer Frantz Brougere took this knowledge and put it in design use. His Cindy ashtray not only provides a free-standing place for cigarette butts, it also helps plants grow (monsieur Brougere wouldn’t be the first frenchman who defends smoking). The ashtray is easy on the eyes as well, it looks like an elegant planter. So, next time you send your guests outside with their cigs – let them grow some green.
Lamps and books are interconnected in our mind, no wonder it became a trend to bind them together physically. The Book Lamp from Groupa Studio is a great example of this dual function in action. The wire frame suggests the classic lamp form with a lampshade and a base, where the ‘base’ serves as a bookmark. Fun, simple, clever item that can enhance virtually any room.
Source: Contemporist
