The items of this kind are great fun. But when your children grow up, they often become a nuisance – too bulky to store, and too emotionally memorable to dispose of. As the result, they create clutter. This vehicle, Japanese designer Masahiro Minami made for his son, is employed to fight clutter instead of creating it. Minami proposed a simple solution that integrated a pull-out drawer attached to a tail-like rope so that the vehicle could also be used for storage. Beautiful!
2B is a fun bookcase, created by Mexican studio Mob. Its most notable feature is the dynamic between simple classic shelves and rotating colorful dividers. These moving panels allow to accommodate larger items and also create a beautiful backdrop for whatever is displayed on the shelves. The piece comes in walnut or lacquered ash.
This cool attempt to combine furniture with lighting reminds me of the Blanco White collection I featured some time ago. Light in Drawer, the concept design by Shinoby Koizumi, also adds an ambient touch to storage. Each drawer of this cabinet is fitted with the lighting source, beaming through the wooden facade. By opening drawers you can create various lighting effects. The knobs are nothing more than the screw caps of the same bulbs used for illuminating the piece (lovely humorous detail). Besides, having light inside your drawers is always a helpful thing.
This concept project by Noon Studio made me gasp, that’s how clever it was. A stool that can also serve as a building block for a modular shelving system! Called simply Steel Stool, the piece is made from steel and oak. And if you put several of them together, you can get yourself a good-looking and functional bookcase; and when extra seating is needed – take your shelving unit apart in seconds. Thanks to its shape, the item provides storage even when used as a freestanding stool. Design that multiplies storage… I really like that.
Here is another clever way to organize things – Lap Shelving by Marina Bautier, produced by Case Furniture. Instead of traditional shelves, the system features folded sheet metal components, supported by the solid wooden frame. These components vary in size and function. The range includes a bookshelf, a tray shelf, a deep box end and a shallow box, which can drop into and overlap the frame. Thus, you can adopt this shelving to fit your specific storage needs. And when all items, big and small, are stored within one flexible unit – there is no need for additional storage pieces. What a bright approach to space-saving!
This bed is a new addition to the Air series by Daniele Lago. It also has a transparent base, allowing for the illusion of floating in the air (hence the name). And just like Air sofas and shelves, this bed has adjustable details that can be customised to your preferences and space requirements. With the Air bed you can easily change the headboard configuration to make the piece look like a sofa (perfect for studio apartments). And of course, nothing can beat the integrated storage, which can be made to run along the entire perimeter of the bed.
This piece from New York based artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz reminds me of the Piano Hanger, I featured earlier this year. Here too, the simple and ingenious principle of a piano-like structure is applied to generate adjustable storage. The Piano Shelf folds flat when not in use, occupying zero space in the room. Once you need to store something – simply unfold the sufficient number of ‘keys’ to accommodate the item. Brilliant! The shelf comes in black and white.
This sleek and concise piece is a combined effort of designers Bastian Diephaus and Ismail Özalbayrak of Studio Unieke. The minimalist wall desk, called S01, can serve as a practical storage unit when closed. When opened, it creates a comfortable workspace for one person. It even features a built-in power-strip for your cables – a nice touch for such a compact item. The So1 wall desk is made from powder coated steel and coated multiplex.
(HT Carl MH Barenbrug)
Jye Stool + Table is a multifunctional object created by Sydney based company Craft Design Realisation. It can be used as a stool, occasional table, night table or bench. Several Jye pieces can interlock and form longer surfaces. The item is beautifully handcrafted from assorted solid timbers and covered with natural Danish oil. And because CDR people specialize on handmade one off items, they can make it in any size or finish of your choice.
This multitasking object, called Scalo and designed by Benedetto Quaquaro for Cerruti Baleri, is not on a cheap side ($2,016.00). But it can do so many things! You can use it as a side or ocasional table, stool, shelving unit or a stepladder. Thanks to the hidden hinges, the transition is easy and seamless. Made from bent plywood, the piece features different colors on the inside. A durable stainless steal stop locks Scalo in both open and closed positions.
