When space is limited each item has to add something valuable to the equation. It can be done by amplifying the function or, in this case, the visual impact. The Bushel Table, designed by the New Yorker Devin Rutz, was not meant for blending with the wall color. It demands the room to itself. The name came from the idea of a bushel of sticks in your hand. ‘If you were to take that bushel of sticks and cut them down on one side a surface would be created,’ – Rutz explains. The other side of the sticks became legs. The holes in the surface add to the random beauty of the piece. They can be used for greenery or simply left alone.
I might loose some of you there, but I must admit that astrology bores the living hell out of me. However, there are people infinitely dear to me, who love discussing the discipline in some detail. In order to make them happy I tried to learn the whole ordeal of counting days, months, and matching them with a specific year… Skeptics know how futile these efforts are. Finally, the system was found and put into practice! This perpetual calendar, designed by my astrological savior Vladimir Mospanov, was inspired by ancient sun clocks. The idea is simple – cut out the circle and the hands, connect the parts with a rivet in the middle, then move the hands to a specific year, month and date. The piece was created for personal use and is free to download. So – help yourself and delight a few astrology-loving aunties at your next family gathering…
Here is an idea, striking in its simplicity – a coat rack when you need it, an easy to store plank of wood when you don’t. No more piles of guests’ coats in your bedroom during dinner parties. An elegant solution from the Swiss designer Carlo Clopath, called Gardaroba, allows us to deal with the known outerwear situation with grace. The setup process is easy – just slide hooks and legs into the slots. When disassembled, the piece takes only a few square inches of storage capacity. And that is what we, small space dwellers, want to hear…
One of the greatest principles of minimalistic design lies in amplifying the function of an object, while limiting its form. There is also an inherent beauty in raw function, to which this piece is a striking example. Flip is a floor lamp designed by Alain Monnens and produced by tossB. It efficiently dispenses mood-enhancing light, easily adjustable via discrete and simple-to-use foot dimmer. The understated shape of the lamp blends into virtually any space, living you with nothing but the light. Hence, it transforms the space without stealing any attention, which is exactly what an intelligent minimalistic object would do…
Observe the following: two living room hits, fireplace and TV, come together in one clever design. Envisioned by the Dutch designer Jan Des Bouvrie and produced by Safretti, this piece brings you the best of both worlds. An eco-friendly ethanol fireplace and an LCD TV screen are incorporated into a slick, modern object. This model, logically called Double Vision, comes in two finishes – basic black and even more basic brushed stainless steel.
Oh, the peculiar things that drive designers’ fantasy! This time it is an earthquake, or thee earthquake rather. This coffee table, designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Garza Marcos, is called San Andreas and reminiscent of the San Andreas fault, the famous tectonic boundary in California. The sides of the table come apart just like the plates of the earth during a massive natural disaster. Only instead of a gaping abyss, here we have a cheerful color and some useful additional storage space.
Collecting things is one of the inherent human conditions, that’s why storage disguise has always been a form of martial art for designers. Here is an impressive effort from a Netherlander Sophie Mensen, who decided to build storage into a column. At first glance it may look as a decorative feature or an element of structural support. But in fact the upper part of the column is a wooden cabinet suspended from the ceiling, while the lower part is a marble stand that can serve as a step stool or an additional sitting. ‘I have chosen to work with a shape that gets absorbed by the space; the column, a constructive element of the house. A column is also a monument to impress, to remember important events that may not be forgotten. The column as a monument and the column as a constructive element are like the equivalent of my Column, but in the size and scale that fits to our interior,’ – says Sophie Mensen. Each piece is custom built to fit a specific space and disguise storage perfectly in plain site.
A book and a pillow make for a perfect combination. So, when designers at Kix studio in collaboration with the fashion designer Marei Loellmann decided to actually combine these two things in one object – they have created an instant hit. This is Kissen, an ideal companion for readers, a pillow and a book bag that can be used at home, on a plane, in a park, and anywhere you can rest your head and read. Made out of durable fabric and leather, Kissen will last its owner through many pages and naps. Or, if it comes first, till the end of the era of analogue reading…
It is not enough for our furniture to work, we also want it to work hard and multitask. As does this piece from Brazilian studio Baita Design. Reindeer chair and coat hanger is a perfect solution for any entrance area, especially a cramped one. You can sit, relax, take off your shoes and hang up your things without even lifting your bum. The chair is made out of polyethilene, which allows for any color imaginable. It also comes in three sizes to fit any space.
Tensor Voting is the name of this clever thing from Swiss designer Guilio Parini. It is a wall sculpture that serves as a customizable storage system. It arrives to you as a pile of rods and fasteners; you decide on a shape and build a skeletal system of your choice. Tensor Voting allows to play with different geometric configurations, so you can really let your artistic flag fly. As a shelving unit this model can withstand a reasonable number of books and small items.
