This table from Studio Uli Budde has a lot to be in love with. It is elegant, compact and loaded with functionality. The piece is a logical combination of coffee table, side table, and magazine rack. The central island is a practical surface for placing coffee, plates, sketchbook, or laptop. The area that wraps around is a storage space for books and magazines. The outside rim also serves as a bookmark when taking a break from reading. Simple and unobtrusive aesthetic of the reading table makes it perfect for the living room, bedroom or waiting room. The piece comes in two sizes.
I can never get enough book and bike storage, and when I see these things combined – it’s Christmas. Bookbike by BYografia is a clever hybrid, addressing both your reading and riding needs. The piece is comprised of two parts – one features shelves for your books, another – a hook for your bike. And because the rack is adjustable, it can accomodate a bike of any size. The base is equipped with adaptable legs to ensure the stability of the structure. I also quite like the somewhat retro feel of this design. Bookbike comes in chalk white and gray antracite.
Instead of letting your favorite, memorable or otherwise significant books gather dust in the back of your bookcase, why not show them off, creating a beautiful decorative arrangement? This was the idea behind Miriam Aust‘s bookshelf, which is built around the books you choose to display. ‘A quite arbitrary number of shelf boxes in different heights, cutting and turning round each, are forming this shelf. Every crate is oriented in its height and depth on a pair of books and forms an individual frame for it. Put into grooves, with an extended lid each, the books are forming small hinged storage spaces in the shelf,’ – explains the designer. With the growing popularity of electronic reading, books are pushed further and further into realm of purely aesthetic pleasures. And this beautiful and nostalgic project is a pleasure indeed.
If you have piles of books growing on the floor around every seat – congratulations. You are a proud bookworm, and you will love this piece. Le Bouc was created by Mathieu Gabiot in collaboration with Speculoosbook, graphic design company specialised in editorial design. The piece is dedicated to books in all forms and sizes. It supports them, open or closed, keeps them available at all times, whether you are in your office, drawing room or garden. Small enough for a small room, Le Bouc is versatile and mobile. The piece can also be a very useful and attractive addition to a desk – something many of us chase for.
Here is another cool idea for bike storage – Pedal Pod by Tamasine Osher. The piece is a perfect urban combo – a bookshelf and a bike rack in one. Made from walnut, this clever little unit can accomodate a few books and small items while proudly displaying your two-wheeled transport. It also allows storing the bike vertically, freeing precious square footage. Great piece for a small city apartment.
This minimal bookshelf was designed by Max Lamb for British brand Deadwood. The piece is nothing but a single bar of wire extended from the wall. But thanks to its U-shaped form on one side, it allows you to support and showcase your favorite book, which in turn serves as a bookend and keeps all other books in place. It is amazing what one cleverly directed piece of wire can do…
This unusual modular lounge piece was created by Portuguese designer Joana Santos in collaboration with Patricia Fernandes and Ines Carvalho. The concept explores the physical nature of reading and aspires to provide the most comfortable position for the bookwormy user. Comprised of several modular panels, the piece can be put together to create a lounger with several different levels of support – horizontal, vertical and inclined. One of the pieces can even be used as a free-standing foot stool. Santos thought that reading is a process deserving its own furniture. I couldn’t help but agree.
This wall bookmark by Es Collection made me smile. Such a simple way to make any avid reader happy… The piece is called Book Smart and can be mounted on a wall near your favorite reading spot — bed, chair, couch, wherever. The ribbon detail is a lovely humorous touch. You can group these colorful bookmarks together for a whole library. Who reads one book at a time anyway? Available at Sleek Identity.
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.
Graphic designer Jack Curry made these brilliant (and orange!) bookends, called Biblio, for his own bookshelves. He also gained an instant fan the minute I saw them. As a typographically inclined individual, Jack initially searched for ready-made type-centric bookends. But after series of unexciting woodblock letters or “A & Z” bookend sets, he decided to make his own. ‘Using some off-the-shelf black bookends as a reference, I began figuring out how each letter would begin to look if used in the given framework, – says the designer. – After several different directions I came to the conclusion that the best solution would be to simply have the foundation of these forms contain both sides of the base, which would swing out in opposite directions; not unlike a gymnast doing forward splits.’ The first batch of letters (spelling out “READ”) were then produced from 16 gauge stainless steel and powder-coated in classic library orange. Beautiful!
(HT Typetoken)
