We, shoebox dwellers, know that growing plants in tiny urban apartments can be challenging. Plants need light and space, and even if you have a windowsill – its precious real estate is most likely occupied with other things. But don’t let that discourage you! Sky Planter from Fire Escape Farms offeres a great solution. It allows to turn your plants upside down and hang them off your ceiling. A locking disc holds the soil and plant in place, and an innovative reservoir system conserves water by 80% and gradually hydrates the plant’s roots. There you have it – simple, beautiful, zero conter space infringement… Sky Planter is made from ceramic with stainless steel wire and comes in two sizes.
This cool colorful table from KAYIWA, called Nzela, is not only a delight for the senses, it is also functional, foldable and easy to store. The base is made of two panels with slots, which makes it a child’s play to assemble (or take apart if you need to free some space). This clever slot-in construction is sturdy and allows plenty of legroom. Ingenious! The Nzela table is available in three color combinations of your choice.
Source: 2Modern Blog
This beauty of a chair was designed by Robert van Embricqs, whose idea was to create a comfortable, three-dimensional piece that folds flat. ‘The foundation of any chair is the flat surface you’ll eventually sit down on. Using this notion as a starting point, I made several cuts in the flat surface and pulled up the different beam-like strands of cut surface. This created the preliminary but already distinct features of any chair: back, seat and legs,’ – says the designer. The chair can be painted in various colors to emphasize its flowerpetal-like shape. Or two different colors can be applied to the sides of the chair to underline the contrast between them. The Rising Chair only exists as a concept yet, but something tells me – not for long…
This cool dishrack from Black + Blum is perfect for small kitchens, for it can be folded flat when not in use. Inspired by architectural forms, High & Dry dishrack is both beautiful and functional. It holds an amazing for its size amount of dishes. All thanks to a clever design, allowing to store plates and glassware using the same set of spikes. The draining tray has a folding spout, so you can choose whether excess water drains or not. Smart stuff!.. Available here in Europe and here in the US.
This minimalist Slope desk by Jenk is designed to eliminate clutter and distractions that come from working from home. Its angled top is ergonomically correct and allows you to finish your work faster. It also prevents things from piling up, forcing you to tidy them up right away. The built-in storage compartments allow you to put away your work when done, creating a physical (and psychological) barrier between work and play. The Slope desk comes with two wedges – one to level your drink, another to prevent your pens from rolling away. No frivolous add-ons, only the ones we cannot be without. Very disciplining!
Since we are on the subject of modular lighting – consider this incredible design idea. The Guss lighting system by designer Santiago Sevillano has countless number of possible configurations. Its identical curvilinear segments can be rearranged into any light-related object of your choice. With Guss you can build pendants, wall lamps, table lamps, floor lamps, you name it!.. And the lamps are eco-friendly too, they consume 80% less energy than standard incandescent lights.
Source: Yanko Design
This modular system from Crop, called Notebook, is a combination of desks and cabinets connected via holes and red rope. These fun connecting elements resemble notebook and provide a pleasing distraction from otherwise ordinary white lacquered wooden surfaces. You can also thread your cables and cords through them to reduce clutter. The holes alone can be used for lamps, screens, partitions and other accessories, specifically designed for the line. The system consists of various sized desks, as well as a bench, which can be used both for sitting and as a base for cabinets. All pieces are freely combinable and allow for many configurations.
Branch Light is a clever modular light system that changes depending on your illumination needs. Designer Bruno Fosi created a branch-like structure you can add to (or subtract from) and transform your light fixture entirely. And the best part is that this transformation does not require any complicated assembly methods. The lightweight ceramic body of Branch Light is held together by neodymium magnets. So, no wirings, no threads and no holes are needed. Just a weightless, elegant object you can handle with ease.
This 22 m2 Barcelona apartment used to be a service room, where the water tanks were stored. But that was before Christian Schallert, its present owner, and architect Barbara Appolloni took on the project. Now it is a fully functional pad, smart, versatile and very stylish. Complete with the little terrace – the space can be transformed into several rooms – bedroom, kitchen, dining room, office. All thanks to clever storing solutions, hidden in walls. Christian calls it ‘an active apartment’ and claims that these daily space-transforming ‘exercises’ keep him in shape. Another hidden bonus of living small…
When it comes to making our space appear bigger, the less storage we see – the better. This cool little item, called Selfshelf, allows you to create stacks of books seemingly floating in the air. That is because the bottom ‘book’ is a shelf in disguise. The title of it reads ‘Ceci n’est pas un livre’ (which is a fancy way of saying ‘this is not a book’). A subtle gag, only noticeable under closer inspection, adds charm to this lovely design idea. The shelf is available at Dutchbydesign.com.
