French designer Paul Bellila found a beautiful way of bringing piece and calmness of nature into the urban home. He created a furniture collection that features integrated planters. These little islands of greenery decorate everyday items like coffee table, console, bench and others, enhancing the landscape of a city dwelling. The pieces are made from solid oak, the planters are made from elegant stoneware. They come in two colors, black and white.
If you are a packrat, you have two choices – fight the habit or make a ritual out of it. The second choice is what this piece of furniture can help you to do. Balka console by French designer Gregoire de Lafforest is a clever and attractive receptacle for all those forgotten items you might need sometime in the future. The top features a shoot through which you simply slide your things out of the way. And an oversized soft pouch is there to help you find them quickly and easily. The piece can also hold keys, loose change, glasses or any other small objects you don’t want lying around the apartment.
Photography by Colombe Clier
Lean Man table series were created by UK based studio & Then Design. It is the combination of a table and a bookshelf that really made me look. Made out of ash and spray lacquered MDF, the Leaning Man range uses the wall to hold themselves in position. And, as it is typical for any leaning constructions, the more weight you put onto them – the more stable they become. The pieces are produced in seven vibrant colors. Available for purchase here (or, if you’re in the US – here).
Every cat-lover has to face the inevitable – cats will always attempt to scratch furniture. Of course, you can try to plea, negotiate, threat and/or offer them scratchy toys. But all these patronizing techniques are usually dismissed by the animal, who is infinitely better at patronizing than any human. Not to mention – scratchy toys add clutter to the room. So, what are the options? I quite like the idea, developed by artist and designer Crystal Gregory for studio Modernist Cat. She incorporated scratch-pads into lovely mid-century inspired storage. The Circa50 console, aside from the cat-friendliness, is a beautiful leaning piece, ideal for any small apartment. It takes very little floor space and creates a functional solution for keeping important items at hand, while giving your cat the ultimate place to express herself. The piece is handcrafted from walnut hardwood veneer ply and features removable/replaceable carpet tiles for scratching. The carpet tiles are available in five colors.
Minuetto is a cool space-saving table from Milano Smart Living. The elegant and minimalist item works equally well as a console or sofa table (taking virtually no space) and as a dining table (able to sit 10 people). The transformation is done by one person and only takes a few easy moves. Just pull on one side of a console, put the removable panels in place and you’re done. I love how attractive the piece looks in both modes. The dual function only becomes obvious when you transform the table. A beautiful, clever item, can’t wait to see it in the US at some point.
Hidden is a small desk, designed by Swedish studio A2. Created specifically for laptop computers, the piece, as the name suggests, hides both a function and an object. Simply slide the cover to the side to expose the laptop work area, and back again to hide it – brilliant. In the off-duty hours, Hidden can function as a console or a sofa table. The piece is made of painted wood and MDF. It suits laptops up to 15 inches.
(via apartment therapy)
I believe in the virtue of small desks. Especially if our tasks are limited to writing, reading and light computing (which is usually the case for many people at home). Limited surfaces keep you organized and, if you add a clever storage hack to it, you’re set. The Quello table by British designer Phil Procter is exactly that – a tiny desk with the neat storage compartment. When not in use as a work station, Quello can serve as a console in a hallway or vestibule. Add a chair to it – and it transforms. The top of the table slides both ways allowing one to reach the storage underneath without disturbing objects on the surface. Lovely idea beautifully executed.
