Cords and plugs are the worst kind of clutter, if you ask me. They create unsightly piles under your desk, gather dust and become a Bermuda Triangle of unmanageable maze. Luckily Scott Wilson of MNML created something intelligent to deal with the whole cord situation. The Power Pod, produced by Coalesse, is an extension cord with six sockets, cleverly disguised as an innocent office accessory. Just open the base when you need to plug something in, and close it when you don’t. Thanks to its round shape the Power Pod can accomodate even the bulkiest adaptor, which is another reason to love it.
Since we are on the subject of coat hangers, here is one that any minimalist home can use. The Star hanger from Thai design studio Aesthetic was recently presented at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2011. The best feature of the piece is its compactness. It arrives to you flat, and you assemble it in a few easy movements. You can also dissemble it just as easily and store it out of the way. The Star hanger is handmade from one single piece of ash wood, covered with nothing but oil, so it looks and feels natural.
Source: Designboom
Scratching furniture for cats is like sport for humans. They pride themselves on it. And when you are trying to renegotiate the immunity of your new couch and offer your cat toys and boards instead, – s/he thinks you are just being silly. This collection from Czech Republic company Catworks can provide a mutually acceptable solution for you and your cat. The alphabet-inspired line of functional pieces will look good around the house and channel feline enthusiasm at the same time. Every piece is equipped with a scratchy board and can be used as a side table, stool, accent object, you name it. With several colors available, you can easily incorporate Catworks into any room.
Source: 2 Modern Blog
The Coat Check chair from Joey Zeledón, made for Continuum, is not only modern, fun, and minimalist. It also promotes tidiness. And that makes it extremely lovable (no wonder its designer has already scored the Annual Design Review recognition from the I.D. magazine). The piece consists of steal tubing that serves as a frame for plastic hangers. Brilliant for house parties, this clever little item can bring an element of organization to your entrance area. And do that in a cool and non-condescending way.
Versatility is a must when it comes to children’s furniture, and this clever item from Country Living fits the bill beautifully. These colorful benches, called Groowy, can be transformed into shelving. Stacked on top of each other, they create a bookcase, a free-standing room divider, as high or as low as your space allows. And if your child is having a play-date, and some extra sitting is needed, you can easily take the storage unit apart and transform it back into cool and child-friendly benches.
HT Babble
Rocking chairs are beautiful and universally loved, but how often do we actually use them? Honestly. We sit in them on a rare whim, and watch how they gather dust for the rest of their existence. But what if we could turn any chair into a rocking one when we need it and back when we don’t? This is the idea behind the Skis de Chaise from French designer Marie Thurnauer. These ‘skis’ can be applied to any four-legged chair. The wooden attachments snap into place, transforming your sitting into rocking! Made from wood, the Skis de Chaise has a slightly vintage feel to it, which adds one more complement to your existing furniture.
Here is a rather drastic way to save space – integrate every fixture you need into your walls. Specifically – into this brilliant functional tile system from DTILE. These tiles can house your outlets, ventilation, hooks, napkin holders, planters, provide magnetic boards, hide drawers and more. The system eliminates clutter by fusing all our everyday items into one clean surface. The idea has virtually no cons – the tile is functional, easy to maintain, gives the space a unified look. Clever stuff!
Source: Dornob
Every cat-lover knows this painful sequence: you purchase something, the box arrives at your home, the cat immediately claims it. After the box is appropriated by the cat, it falls into the cat-toy category, and you have no willpower to dispose of it. Before you know it – your place is filled with scratched boxes and traces of shredded carton… But there is a way out! You can offer your cat the Dome, designed by Elizabeth Paige Smith for Kittypod, as an aesthetically pleasing compromise. Made from industrial strength carton, the Dome is easy to assemble and delightful to look at. It even features a scratchy pad to keep your fluffy companion busy. While you are throwing all those unsightly boxes away…
Source: Inhabitat
Flexible Joinery is a clever creation from israeli design lab Dag. The idea is to provide a temporary and adaptable joining function, which can serve many purposes around your house. Made out of a silicone casting over an inner metal skeleton, these joining elements are flexible and strong at the same time. The technology dates back to the 1950’s, with Bruno Munari’s ‘Zizi the monkey’. According to Desingboom, the pink color of the elements is meant to give visual contrast against wooden shelves.
When designer Shay Alkalay created his first Pivot cabinet for Arco in 2008, it became an instant hit. The simplicity, paired with the space-saving qualities, earned this piece a well-deserved recognition. It even received the Dutch Design Award, 2008 in ‘best residential product’ category. Recently the Pivot family expanded. The new Pivot desk and vanity table were added to the line. The objects exhibit the same minimalistic approach to space and form. And because the drawers are hinged together, they can be opened at the same time, – a convenience most traditional cabinets cannot match.
Source: Design Milk
