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.
When real estate is scarce and precious, every inch counts. And why not use the underutilized space in the corners? Kulma frame shelf by Martina Carpelan is designed to be hanged either in a positive or a negative corner of a room. Good for books and small items, the piece has simple clean lines. Its role is to ‘highlight both the space within the shelf and the corner surrounding the shelf.’ Made from solid oak on request by the designer.
There is never enough storage around the workspace. Small items, desk clutter, writing paraphernalia… Wouldn’t it be nice to elevate all this above the surface and keep it visible and well-organized? This flatpack modular system by German company Pulpo, called Topos, can help. The series of powder coated metal sheets can be attached to the wall to create a storage area as big or small as your space requires. All modules have slots into which metal triangular pockets are inserted. And if you need to store something more substantial than paperclips and trinkets, a bigger tray can be placed instead of the triangles, creating a shelf. Removable storage components come in a variety of colors.
Here is a nifty little thing from London-based design-duo Doshi Levien – Kali mirror cabinet. The piece features glass cantilevered shelves that can slide through the side walls and give you the choice – which bits to display and which to conceal. This clever solution also maximizes your storage and allows to fit items of many different sizes inside the cabinet. Another great detail is that you can rotate the piece 180 degrees and choose between right and left hand door openings, which also allows for double cabinets to be installed. The door consists of double-sided mirror glass and a grip of white, high gloss ASA-plastic.
Since we are on the subject of interesting storage, here is another beautiful piece – 180º shelving unit by Valencia based studio Cuatro Cuatros. This modular storage is part of a collection, called Angles. It is comprised of four pieces, inspired by V’s of different amplitude – two shelves (30º and 180º) , a carpet (0°) and a vase (90°). The line is based on optical illusions and their play in furniture design.
Designers elaborate: ‘The collection s called Angles, given the importance of the point of view from which to observe the products. The effect appears and disappears, provoking an interaction with the viewer. When the effect is created, our perception deceives us and makes us see things as they are not.’
This particular piece is a clever flatpack construction, that can be easily assembled by one person with zero tools required. The shelves have grooves into which the metallic boxes are fitted. You can position the boxes in four different ways, creating various visual effects and alternating between open and closed storage. You can even make your components accessible from both sides of the shelf and use the piece as a room divider. The hight of the unit can vary depending on how many rows you stack. Brilliant!
See the entire Angles collection here.
This beautiful modular line is the creation of Netherlands based studio Pastoe. Simply called Boxes, the collection is comprised of individual open elements that vary in size and color. Fully combinable, these units can form multiple configurations depending on your space preferences and nature of the items you are trying to store. The openness and subtle hue combinations make this storage look almost ethereal. However, closed elements are also available, if you so choose. The separators and rear panels can be selected in a different color. Because there is not a single reason in the world for having boring storage…
Ukrainian designers Valeriy Kuznetsov, Katerina Kuznetspva and Illarion Karnaukh, all together Decorkuznetsov Sudio, have created this family of dual-functional objects. Called Ushanki (Russian for ‘babushka’ hats), the pieces combine shelving and illumination. Each wooden unit is fitted with a fluorescent lamp, which makes Ushanki perfect as a night stand or an ambient bookcase. The piece comes in three sizes.
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.
The Scatter shelf by Nendo is a made out of thin black acrylic panels in a grid form, stacked in three layers and slightly displaced. The result is this rather stunning shelving unit where all stored objects look as if they are suspended in a spider’s web. When viewed on an angle, the glossy acrylic face creates a series of reflections within the shelves, making the ‘opaque’ acrylic appear to be transparent. All this aesthetic goodness makes the shelf perfect in any spot of the room, even in the middle of it as a room divider. Watch the video below for a closer look at the piece.
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…
