Speaking about living in a shoebox! Felice Cohen lives in a studio apartment that measures 12 feet by 7 feet. When faced with the old urban dilemma – space vs. location – she clearly chose location. This beautiful Upper West Side neighborhood is enviable for many. By settling for a tiny 90 sq ft studio, Felice managed to afford it on a budget of $700 (whereas the usual monthly rent for a studio here comes up to $3,600). Check out the video below to see the tricks she used to make the place not only livable but even charming and cozy.
If you are looking for a non-linear solution for your shelving – consider this cool and colorful Parametric Bookshelf from Caterina Tiazzoldi. The unit is custom-built to your liking (you determine three crucial parameters – length, height and color), which is another advantage for us, space-challenged folks. This interactive approach lets you co-create and personalize your shelving, effectively utilizing your living space, no matter how big or small… Clever stuff!
Urban Gardens, one of my favorite blogs, posted this clever thing today. Urbio is a magnetic-backed and modular vertical garden system that can bring beauty and greenery to urban walls. The system includes small, medium, and large vessels or pots, wall plates, and individual wall mount pucks that can connect the pots to each other or mount them to the wall. Urbio is a collaborative conceptual effort of two studios – Enlisted Design and Volare. Designers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and bring the product to market.
This inspired piece of design was created by Jiyoung Seo, who is studying at the HDK School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Catalist Shelf is equipped with the silicone flap that not only keeps books in place, but can also serve as a bookmark. ‘My shelves aim to invite the user to interact with its form, – says designer, – they utilize various “play signals” that engage the user to touch, feel, and react to the object… The Catalyst shelf has a thinner layer on the upper part that holds things like books, papers, pens, whatever you want. And can also be used as a bookmark. A bookmark of your favorite page can make this shelf more special for you.’
Photographs taken by Annie Song
Source: Dezeen
French designer Matali Crasset has done it again. His new creation, the Double Side chair, is a fine attempt to make our lives a little easier. The piece holds a double function, with one easy movement it can be transformed into a small desk, that can hold your laptop, writing paraphernalia, lunch etc. ‘At home today the structures are fixed, like a paused video with a paused picture, life is changing and it’s in movement and it reactivates the video so to speak. My projects work in the interstices of the activities, in passages between one paused picture to another in order to reattach them to one another and to renew the movement and the action in between the spaces,’ – Crasset says. The Double Side chair will be presented as a part of Danese exposition during the Salone del Mobile 2011 in Milan. 
This anti-consumerist idea of a mobil room belongs to German design studio Caluso Concept. As a response to the increased flexibility and mobility of today’s life, designers Marcel Krings and Sebastian Mühlhäuser combined all furniture essentials in one compact box, which can be easily moved. ‘We take on obligations and responsibilities and obtain house goods far beyond what we really need. When it comes time to move we are aware of the burden of our increasing accumulations. We must overcome our fundamental ideas of consuming so that we can move and change,’ – they say on their website. So, if you frequently move houses (and can stop yourself from acquiring things) – this mobil solution is for you. Check the video below to see the demonstration.
Source: The Designer Pad
If you want to see something truly efficient and ergonomically aligned – lend your attention to office furniture manufacturers. They know their stuff! Office furniture has different exploitation standards, and it rarely gets changed on a whim, so – designers have to really know if their idea will still be relevant in a few years’ time, both functionally and aesthetically. For us, shoebox dwellers, it is also important. We have our own limitations and need well thought out design. Which brings me to this piece from German company TopdeQ. The Ciconia lamp, designed by Rainer Bachschmid, is a striking example of dual function done right. When folded, it can serve as a delicate ambient light sculpture, that spreads soft light around itself. But if you take the two symmetrical components apart – you get a powerful desk lamp with 30 LEDs. The reflective stainless steal, the body of the lamp is made from, empowers the light source. And with the lifespan of the LED 100,000 hours, you can forget about changing bulbs for over a decade.
Sitting combined with storage is always a good idea when the space is limited. Observe MP3 from Tunto – a seat that doubles as a versatile storage box. Made from birch 1/5 plywood, MP3 is available in a variety of colors and patterns. So, store away your precious items and sit on top of them. It is a nice feeling.
(HT BLTD)
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
