The Tray Table by Bao-Nghi Droste design studio is one of those generous items that combine several functions in one while looking elegant and sleek. This free-standing object can act as a shelf as well as an occasional high table. All sides of the tabletop are elevated to prevent things from falling down. An additional panel can be placed on top to create a pocket for concealed storage. And finally six hooks are mounted on the bottom of the tabletop, letting you hang bags, scarves, clothes and other everyday items. Beautiful piece, thoughtfully constructed.
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Donald M. Rattner.
More than forty years ago, Swiss engineer Paul Schärer and architect Fritz Haller set out to create a flexible shelving and storage system based on modular architectural structures. Reflecting their respective professional backgrounds, they made it a goal to marry technical perfection and durability with design elegance. The result was the USM Haller furniture collection.
Being streamlined and contemporary in styling, USM furniture works as well in the private home as it does in office and other environments. And since it’s modular, you can configure the piece to slip comfortably into the available space rather than settle for something just because it ‘fits’.
The USM palette comprises just three elements: a metal panel, chrome steel tubes and a chrome-plated brass ball joint that connects them. These elements provide the supporting structure and the exterior envelope for the components and materials contained inside the modular units. It’s hard to imagine a more minimalist vocabulary yielding as broad an array of design possibilities.
This month MODULE R is holding a promotion on USM products. Click here for details.
– Are we all hostages of modern comforts? An astounding account of what can happen if the lights go out.
– Possibly the cutest and smallest humidifier ever made. All it needs is a glass of water and a USB port.
– Funny – the hall of unwanted dotcoms.
– This little iron is amazing. Two plates, no ironing board, fits in a pocket – every shoeboxdweller’s wet dream.
– Incredible microscopic photos.
– Trace of Time clock – wipes out tasks as they happen.
– This is a serious contender for my holiday list – an iPhone cable that also acts as a flexible tripod. Awesome.
– And finally – a great selection of space-saving staircases.
Enjoy your weekend, everybody!
These simple boxes are created by the French studio YPLFL for the purpose of storing small items. The inspiration for the series came from designer’s habit to store change, car keys and other essentials into actual building bricks. Eventually the concept was streamlined and transformed into these wooden boxes – Les Briques – that are colorful and fun. You can stack them on top of each other to save space. Available for purchase here.
The Un-tidy side table by Milan based designer Kostantia Manthou provides a clever and unexpected extra storage for various reading materials. Thanks to its accordeon-like leather pocket, the piece expands, creating a bookshelf between two surfaces. Perfect as a bedside table and a reading chair companion, Un-tidy is flexible and can store as much or as little as you like. The item comes in a variety of finishes and several colors of leather.
(via designboom)
Leading a sustainable life is a noble aspiration, but a tricky one to have if you’re living in a small apartment. Take compost, for example. Aside from being a messy process, it requires space we don’t always have. Luckily, designers do think about these things and come up with ideas. Here is one from London based design student Fanny M.E. Nilsson – a portable waste processor that turns your food leftovers into a liquid fertilizer. The piece, aptly called Re-Feed, is no bigger than a toaster. The idea is to throw the leftover food into the machine, close the lid, push a button and walk away. No fiddling with soil, no sacrificing units of space for bulky containers. “Inspired by lacking food waste recycling infrastructures in flats and high-rise housing in central London, the Re-Feed provides a simple alternative to sending waste to landfill or composting.,” – says Nilsson. When the fertilizer is ready – it can be fed to a plant through the convenient nuzzle. Re-Feed is fitted with the rechargeable battery, so it can be easily moved to any room. The piece is only a concept at this point. Can’t wait to see it produced.
Whenever Keiji Ashizawa comes up with a new item – I’m always excited. For those who don’t remember – I featured some of his works in my previous posts. I love the simplicity, beautiful craftsmanship and mobility of his designs. This piece, called Bon Drawer, is no exception. The object is comprised of five drawers that double as trays (the closest translation of the word Bon). These trays are removable and can be used to carry and display the items inside. The metal frame is equipped with two small wheels and a handle for easy movement. The Bon Drawer can be taken completely apart for storage. I can see it being an ideal companion for a desk. Wishlisted.
Without any reservations – this must be the most innovative hybrid I’ve seen so far. The Random coffee/dining table by Germany based designer Philipp Grundhoefer is converted into either state by pivoting the legs (see the photos after the break). The simple L shape allows for both lengths to be seamlessly interchangeable. Once the legs are pivoted – the table top can be turned upside down, the leg lock into the slots and voilà – the new function is achieved. How simple and clever! The tabletop consists of alternating layers of oak and MDF, the legs are made of oak.
Here is something new and exciting from the world of flat packed design – a lamp that is delivered in an envelope! Created by the French studio Well Well Designers, the Pop-up Lamp is constructed from a sheet of paper, lined with polyphane. The paper is cut and incised, in such a way to produce a square, triangular or circular module when folded at a 90° angle. The piece is intended for the corners – the most neglected and underutilized space in any home. “Intended for the corner of a room, the lamp creates a luminous shape, interacting with the architecture, – designers describe. – It cleverly takes advantage of a space often unexploited in design.” Each lamp is handmade to order.
This inventive space-saving layout is a work of architect Kyu Sung Woo, hired by his son, Wonbo, to help with remodeling his newly purchased New York loft. The apartment was located in a former hat factory, which entailed a lot of drastic planning decisions. The place was narrow and dark, with kitchen and bathroom awkwardly cramped in one corner. “That’s typical in Manhattan loft construction, where you don’t have quite enough for two full floors,”- the architect says. – “They line up all the elements side by side against one wall, and block off the spaces above and below.” To change all that, the layout was changed completely. The kitchen has been made a focal point with the bedroom loft, placed above it. The kitchen ceiling was elevated, giving the bed a familiar two feet height. The area, separating kitchen from the hallway is used as a massive closet – a luxury in any NY pad. To make the space appear bigger, all horizontal surfaces are covered with light wood, and the remaining vertical surfaces are painted white. Natural light bounces off the light shelves over the windows to wash the vaulted ceiling in a soft glow.
(via dwell)
