There is something distinctly architectural about this piece – a wooden side table with acrylic windows looks like a miniature building. Designed by Teddy Luong in collaboration with Dennis Cheng for Umbra, the Condolisa table provides more than just a place for your teacup and a book. It has compartments for storage inside, which can hold books, magazines, pillows, throws, – you name it. The frosted acrylic windows add visual interest and also give the subtle view of the stored items. The removable lid works as a surface. Thus, the Condolisa side table is multifunctional and minimalistic – the two M’s we, shoebox dwellers, appreciate the most…
This piece is a combination of raw function and illusion, created by the Lisbon-based designer Fernando Brízio for Droog. From a certain angle it looks like a real side table with an open drawer, but, as the product name suggests, What You See Is Not. In reality only the drawer is three-dimensional, the rest of the piece is a sticker on a wall. Here is how Brizio describes this concept: ‘The illusion in this piece creates a situation where you observe the object’s form and deform, depending on your position in space. I am interested in this type of interaction between the object and the viewer—what you see is a result of who you are, how you think and how you are mentally and physically constituted.’ The What You See Is Not side table also allows to save on materials. So, it only tricks the eye, not the environment…
If you like multifunctional, adjustable and slightly nerdy designs – you will love this lamp. The LichtKiste from German creator Clemens Tiss is a light box with two panels removed. The remaining panels are rearranged to adjust the light intensity. The LichtKiste lamp can take numberless shapes and formes. It also dobles as a side table with the possibility of shelving (when the panels are slided closer to each other). What is not to love?..
