Here is one way to beat the seasonal gloom – Bright Blind by Makoto Hirahara. This ingenious product simulates a window where none exists. Made of electroluminescent (EL) sheets, the piece can illuminate your home, creating an architectural detail (who wouldn’t want more light and more windows?). The function of this artificial blind is quite intuitive – turn the plastic stick and control the brightness! Available at Generate.
This beautiful modular storage system really did make me smile. Called Cheeky Boxes and designed by Lucie Koldová of Czech studio Process, the product features a series of stackable components that can be configured into a unit of any shape and size. Even though stackable storage is not a groundbreaking innovation, this particular one is notable for being adorable and fun. The shape of the segments allows you to create various patterns, making your item unique. It adds stability too. Cheeky Boxes come in a variety of subtle pastel colors.
This sliver of a desk is probably the smallest fully equipped bureau out there. Flatmate, by Michael Hilgers for the German design company Magazin, in only five inches deep. Yet it can hold your laptop, desktop items and writing paraphernalia, along with some filing in the clever cabinet that opens from the sides. Grooves in the backboard can accommodate three metal shelves (included), providing for even more storage. The desk features an integrated power outlet and fluorescent lighting fixture, elegantly hidden from the view.
The UMYD (Union Modular y Democratica) coffee table by CruxFlux+ is actually several lounge pieces in one. The item consists of diagonal panels that expand via simple pivoting motion and form various configurations. UMYD can be used as a footrest, series of side tables, storage unit… The variations are limitless. When collapsed into its most compact form – the piece turns into an elegant low-level table with storage. Truly multifunctional idea.
Last week I had the pleasure to meet designers Brett Teper and Rich Williams of ModProducts and talk about this cool thing they’ve made – a vertical enclosed cat litter that saves space, eliminates odor and can be used in any room. Called ModKat, the piece is envisioned to embrace modern urban setting. Its clean and versatile design allows blending it with any decor. And because the piece considers feline habits, there is no pet training needed. Just introduce it to your cat, and he or she will be naturally intrigued by the top entry. Smart and pleasing object I am seriously thinking of buying. Watch the video to see ModKat in more detail.
And here is the evidence of actual usage:
There is never enough storage around the workspace. Small items, desk clutter, writing paraphernalia… Wouldn’t it be nice to elevate all this above the surface and keep it visible and well-organized? This flatpack modular system by German company Pulpo, called Topos, can help. The series of powder coated metal sheets can be attached to the wall to create a storage area as big or small as your space requires. All modules have slots into which metal triangular pockets are inserted. And if you need to store something more substantial than paperclips and trinkets, a bigger tray can be placed instead of the triangles, creating a shelf. Removable storage components come in a variety of colors.
This unusual desk was envisioned by sisters Anna-Katharina and Isabelle-Franziska Löhn, creators of SÖRdesign. The project, called Woody, is a delight to those who appreciate flexibility and fun in furniture design. The desk can be stretched out when you are working and rolled back into a compact column when not in use. The piece features three levels that not only lead to a better work organization, but also encourage the user to stay in motion. Ingenius.
These technologically advanced furniture pieces were created by Verona based designer Paolo Cappello for Italian brand Miniforms. The collection is comprised of a small desk and an entertainment unit. Both pieces include integrated sound systems – not only a space-saving idea, but an aesthetically pleasing one. The desk, called Torototela, is big enough for a laptop and compatible with any audio source with output jack and playback high-quality stereo sound. The entertainment unit, Caixa, houses two speakers in its side cabinets. It also has an iPod dock and a hi-def amplifier, to which various devices can be connected. The item comes in two sizes and in three colors: white, black or red.
Dual function is a highly beautiful thing, especially when the space limitations are an issue. Singapore based designer Wan Xuan Lim went beyond the dual function. His Lounge Stool can serve not two, not even three but four roles: chair, stool, side table and serving tray. I especially like the idea of a tray ‘serving’ as the back of a chair. The item is compact, truly multifunctional and stackable for easily storage. The Lounge Stool as a concept design so far. I really wish to see it produced!
Here is a nifty little thing from London-based design-duo Doshi Levien – Kali mirror cabinet. The piece features glass cantilevered shelves that can slide through the side walls and give you the choice – which bits to display and which to conceal. This clever solution also maximizes your storage and allows to fit items of many different sizes inside the cabinet. Another great detail is that you can rotate the piece 180 degrees and choose between right and left hand door openings, which also allows for double cabinets to be installed. The door consists of double-sided mirror glass and a grip of white, high gloss ASA-plastic.
