The Shifty desk / hallway stand reminds me of the Secret Stash project. This piece by Daniel Schofield is also a fine example of discreet storage. Schofield leads us to believe that the main storage compartment is the drawer on the front. But in fact the entire desk surface slides open revealing the hidden area, perfect for personal papers and electronic equipment. This sliding of the top also doubles the desk size and puts work area closer to the user. Many points for space-saving! And who doesn’t like the empowering nature of hidden compartments?
Quad is a building block that can be used anywhere in your house to create custom furniture. Designed by Dom Trapp, this modular system is brilliant when you need more storage (and who doesn’t). Bookcases, bedside tables, ottomans, consoles, coffee tables, side or occasional tables, under-desk storage – these are just the few possible Quad uses. Each module is laser cut from a 100% recyclable steel sheet, folded and enameled with environmentally friendly paints. The piece comes in a variety of colors.
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 fruit basket from Kare Frandsen is suspended from the ceiling, allowing you to display and store fruits without using any counter space. The piece is comprised of two interlocking metal rings, connected by rubber mesh. You can pick fruits from any side of the sphere just by sticking your hand between the rubber lines. Aside from its obvious space-saving qualities, this fruit basket has one more hidden bonus. The air around the fruit is constantly replaced, allowing it to last longer. So, no more excuses for not having fresh fruits around…
Garbage disposal is an unglamorous thing, but unless it is properly organized – nothing glamorous is ever possible. And this minimalist trashcan by Hommin makes good organizational sense. Unlike the Cuum piece, I featured yesterday, the Clip trashcan is very low-tech. It consists of two interlocking wooden frames, merged with clothespins on their ends. The object is compatible with all types of bags. You can use plastic ones for kitchen waste, and more elegant textile ones for paper. The Clip trashcan can also be used as a hamper. Smart stuff!
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.
