If you think rocking chairs are a space-consuming luxury in a limited urban setting, you’re in for a sweet surprise. The Cleat chair by Vancouver based designer Tom Chung is a clever piece that folds flat for storage and moving purposes. Here is how the designer describes it:
“‘Cleat‘ is a knockdown rocking chair inspired by the harbours surrounding both Vancouver, Canada and Stockholm, Sweden. The first prototype was designed and built while studying abroad in Stockholm with the intention to bring it home to Vancouver in my carry on luggage. The chair is constructed from massive birch and is held together with zero stretch climbing rope.”
A prototype at this point, the chair is a beautifully minimal, well-thought-out object. I really hope it sees the light of production.
Netherlands based designer Ruben der Kinderen is the creative force behind this beautiful collection. Inspired by bushcraft (survival) techniques, these objects are assembled without screws or glue, but purely by using the forces of nature.
“I’m fascinated by survival and the things you can use in nature to make your stay comfortable,” – says Ruben. – “I went for 2 weeks to Sweden (into the wild-style) with a tent some food and my knife. By using different bushcraft techniques, to make my stay comfortable, i came to the conclusion that nothing in our own home interior has to by screwed or glued. Just by designing and making clever solutions everything can be of wood and rope.”
The system is modular. The tops of the tables are interchangeable, which provides for great flexibility. The simple and clever tripod construction is at the core of this project. At the bottom of the tabletop there is a chamber where the legs fit in. If there is a force on the tabletop the legs will spread, but as far as the walls of the chamber. Thus, the piece stays bendable and stable at the same time. A bright and elegant idea…
London- and Verona-based designers Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri of Something Design created Club, a clever hybrid of a mirror and a coat hanger. The piece was made for German manufacturer Schönbuch. Club is a freestanding item, so it can be used anywhere in the house where you need to have a reflection and a holding place for a few pieces of clothing. Minimalist and multifuntional, it wins many space-saving points. Club comes in solid oak and walnut.
(via design-milk)
This cool multifunctional stool belongs to ideaco, an innovative design agency known for many organizing ideas. This particular piece provides extra seating where it is needed, and, thanks to a clever cubby in its base, some extra storage too. Rack & Stool can be placed near the sofa, in the office, serve as a bumrest in an entryway… There is truly no limit to how you use it. The piece comes in many different colors too. Sweet.
Who can resist a clever flatpack item? Not me. Especially if it is as beautiful as this one. The Wired shelf by Siyuan Zhang uses a metal elastic connection as the main source for keeping the wooden assembly together. The string provides tention between the parts, keeping them tightly together. It also allows to use fewer components and avoid gluing things together – both great achievements. So there you have it – an aesthetically pleasing, smart piece that can enhance any room. Watch the video to see what a breeze the assembly is…
(via designboom)
This foldable side table, called Hook, has been created by German-based designer Eric Degenhardt for the brand Richard Lampert. A lot of good thinking went into this design. The piece is lightweight, compact, foldable and can be suspended on the wall via the hook (hence the name). The piece is quite a looker too, in both folded and unfolded states… “Hook is a small, round side table offering a multitude of uses: you can put your feet up on it or use it to rest your book or glass, depending on your needs at the moment,” – says the designer.
This clothes hooks reminded me of the Piano Hanger in miniature. Same pull-down principle, same great concept of a piece that folds completely flat when not in use. Made from 18 mm cleated plywood, Percha coat hanger by Identidad Diseño can be an elegant and compact addition to a busy entry area. Many points for space-saving and visual delight…
While folding furniture and small space go together like milk and cookies, folding furniture and elegance – is a rare combination. Usually when we think of a folding item, we see images of something rather cheap and unsightly. The works of German designer Nils Federking are a refreshing exception. His pieces are slick, beautiful and really thin in its folded state. Each item has a well-though-out mechanism, allowing to fold/unfold it in seconds. They are not one-track design either. Federking experiments with different forms and shapes and invents a specific folding principle for each one. I also appreciate the fact, that most items are free-stranding when folded, so you can display them. Clever.
Some of you might remember German designer Florian Gross and his awesome Konnex Shelf System (which is still one of my favorite modular storage products of all time). He hasn’t been idle. He emailed to tell about his new enterprise – StudioApart – created in collaboration with Barcelona based designer Kike Macías; and a beautiful new design – Andamino Shelf. The piece is a modular shelving system, which was inspired by traditional Indian scaffolding. No tools or hardware is needed for the assembly of the unit. Each shelf is adjusted to the appropriate height to cover different functions, the width is expandable too. The Andamio Shelf is made from environmentally friendly and recyclable materials. The project is going to be unveiled at the Tendence Fair in Frankfurt, August 24-28.
