Zerino table by Italian studio AK47 is a fun and multifunctional piece. It can be accessorized with various additional uses according to your changing tastes and necessities. The table can feature a planter, a candleholder or even a small elegant fireplace, thanks to the addition of a ready-to-assemble bioethanol burner kit. The tabletop is not really on a small size, but neither is a storage compartment underneath it, which can hold your books, periodics, work-related items and more. Beautiful, clever design, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
(Via Urban Gardens)
This unusual modular storage system by Barcelona-based design studio BeaMalevich looks more like an avant-garde art object than a shelving unit. Created by Finnish designer Pekka Kuivamäki, Box 1-7 consists of seven cubic boxes that fit into each other like Russian nesting dolls. The boxes can be attached to seven ropes of different lengths to create many beautiful configurations. Kuivamäki’s inspiration for the piece came from a variety of artists and movements, including Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian, and Donald Judd.
This multifunctional piece by my fellow Brooklynite Isaac Krady has a lot to offer to a shoebox dweller. A clever little table, called Tre, can be adapted to different tasks and serve several purposes around your house. Designer explains: “Placed horizontally, the Tre can be used as a coffee table or an end table – its contour providing a nook for books and magazines. Placed vertically, the Tre works within the means of its name and doubles as a tray or laptop desk.” The piece is made from bent plywood.
Some of you might remember the brilliant and innovative REK bookcase by Rotterdam-based designer Reinier de Jong. He recently extended this idea to another piece – a coffee table. Called REK just like the bookcase, the piece is based on the same functional principle – the smaller panels slide inside the bigger frame, allowing the table to grow with your needs. Built-in stops prevent you from rolling out the sliding parts too far. You can also secure the piece in a desired position. In its collapsed state, the table is compact – 60 by 80 cm – and can fit even the tiniest of rooms. And with the maximum size of 130 by 170 cm, you can expand it to accommodate a large party comfortably. I also like how the end grain side of the wood is beveled in order to get a grip. A subtle and beautiful detail.
This storage system by Caspar Huckfeldt made me look. Called Angerichtet (German for Served), it is comprised of a series of trays (hence the name), sometimes combined with containers and pots, all of which can be attached to a clever wall-mounted panel. Thanks to the abundance of configurations, Angerichtet is perfect for just about any room in your house. It can even be taken out on a terrace or balcony (if you are lucky enough to have that type of real estate luxury). Understated and fun, these trays provide truly multifunctional storage. They even allow to incorporate greenery and lighting.
(via Stilsucht)
Cleaning up one’s desk is one of the most dreaded household chores. Wouldn’t it be nice to eliminate clutter in an instant or at least make it invisible? This desk by Danmark-based studio Line Depping lets you cheat and tidy up in a matter of seconds. It opens up in the middle to reveal a flexible pocket, serving as a holder for your things. And once the work-related paraphernalia is swiped away, the desk surface can be used as a dining or entertainment area. The storage pocket can also be used for cordage and electronic clutter during work time. Lovely idea!
Riveli shelving system by Mark Kinsley is a clever and visually delightful storage solution. Not only it is modular and transformable into any number of layouts, it can be disguised as artwork when not in use. The system is comprised of two components – wall mounted base kits and actual shelves. The artwork is attached in parts to the back side of each shelf to create an image. You even have a choice in the way of attachment. It can be permanent and achieved via peel-away adhesive strips; or temporary, done via magnets or slide-in rails. And with three types of modular base kits available, you can create an unlimited number of configurations, even frame a flat panel TV or window.
(HT Bookshelf)
These beautifully constructed side tables by London based designer Tomas Alonso can be folded flat in seconds. Collapsible and storage friendly, they comply perfectly with any, even extreme, space limitations. Designer describes: “Contemporary living in big cities like London, usually implies living in small spaces, spaces that need to be flexible for different uses and that will change from time to time, as we move from one flat to the next, which makes us ‘long term visitors’ in a way. This is a proposal for a “temporary” piece furniture that would accommodate to this kind of living.” The items are made from powder coated steel, ash and laminated plywood.
There are two fundamental problems with pet beds in small spaces – 1) they take up precious floor or counter real estate; 2) pets ignore them, giving preference to your furniture. As the result you end up with a bulky item, completely dissed by your pet and thus turned into clutter, plus you have to give up a piece of your own. Opposite of space-saving, if you ask me. But what if we anticipate our four-legged companions’ behavior and get furniture that accommodates both human storage and pet lounging. This was the idea behind Bloq, a clever pet-friendly unit by Binq Design. Thanks to its minimal cubical shape, the piece can be easily integrated into any interior and used as side, occasional, bedside or even coffee table. The bottom shelf features a pet cushion and is big enough for a cat or a small dog. And with 13 cushion color choices, it is easy to individualize the piece and blend it with the existing decor.
(HT The Designer Pad)
If you humanize objects (I do), you will be delighted by this piece. Listen to Your Hands desk by Sanghyeok Lee has just won second prize in the [D3] Contest during the IMM Cologne 2012. The drawers of the desk are connected, so if you push one with force – others will respond by moving. But if you are gentle – the drawers can be operated individually, without setting other parts of the desk in motion. Designer elaborates: “Listen to Your Hands looks at the most sensitive of human senses, touch; it communicates a whole world of information to us and it explores how we can create a relationship to an object, a sort of dialogue, through touch. A push of one drawer pulls out another as if in direct conversation with the action. A gentle closing of a drawer keeps the others intact thus communicating to us that we need to act with intention, we need to listen with our hands.”
