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
The Coat Check chair from Joey Zeledón, made for Continuum, is not only modern, fun, and minimalist. It also promotes tidiness. And that makes it extremely lovable (no wonder its designer has already scored the Annual Design Review recognition from the I.D. magazine). The piece consists of steal tubing that serves as a frame for plastic hangers. Brilliant for house parties, this clever little item can bring an element of organization to your entrance area. And do that in a cool and non-condescending way.
Versatility is a must when it comes to children’s furniture, and this clever item from Country Living fits the bill beautifully. These colorful benches, called Groowy, can be transformed into shelving. Stacked on top of each other, they create a bookcase, a free-standing room divider, as high or as low as your space allows. And if your child is having a play-date, and some extra sitting is needed, you can easily take the storage unit apart and transform it back into cool and child-friendly benches.
HT Babble
Rocking chairs are beautiful and universally loved, but how often do we actually use them? Honestly. We sit in them on a rare whim, and watch how they gather dust for the rest of their existence. But what if we could turn any chair into a rocking one when we need it and back when we don’t? This is the idea behind the Skis de Chaise from French designer Marie Thurnauer. These ‘skis’ can be applied to any four-legged chair. The wooden attachments snap into place, transforming your sitting into rocking! Made from wood, the Skis de Chaise has a slightly vintage feel to it, which adds one more complement to your existing furniture.
