This little folding chair was created by the Finish born and Paris based designer Elisa Honkanen, who proved once again that even inexpensive, utilitarian and temporary things can add delight to our lives. Hasta chair consists of two components – folding tripod and a cotton cover, which resembles kids ‘tell the fortune’ paper game. The beauty of the piece comes from its lightness and naive, even childlike simplicity. But in fact, to achieve the effect, the designer had to experiment a lot with textures and proportions. The piece is currently on show at the Making Of exhibition in Paris.
Shelving is as unavoidable as human need for collecting things. Ordinary shelving, however, is possible to avoid. Consider this piece from Opulent Items and see for yourself. Justly called Contemporary Flexi Shelving, this modular collection can fit any space. The units are sold separately and can be compiled into various configurations. The choice of two sizes allows for an exciting visual variety. Each circle comes with a level base, that stabilizes the items displayed. The piece can be used as a shelving unit, a room divider, or both.
It is that time of year again, when the Imm Cologne (one of the biggest furniture fairs in the world) is in full swing. It started three days ago and will end this weekend; and some sneak peeks have already began to emerge. Here is one jewel I could not let go unnoticed – the Rewrite desk, created by GamFratesi design group for Ligne Roset. The concept of this piece goes beyond aesthetics and ergonomics. The desk is build around the phycological aspect of the writing process. A wooden table is surrounded by a soundproof and light resistant ball, made out of walnut and Kvadrat Divina wool. The user feels secure in this work bubble, even if the room is full of people. A lacquered metal box is attached beneath the desk to hide electrical cables and transformers. The shape is both traditional and surprising. And because it is so secluded in its own space, the desk can be located anywhere in the room without interfering with the overall design scheme. Rewrite has already been displayed as a prototype at the Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen.
If you grew up on this planet during the last two decades of the twentieth century – you were at some point addicted to tetris. So were most of the contemporary designers. Which is why there are so many reenactments of the game – tetris sofas, tetris shelves, tetris rugs… What we see here is the Tetris mirror – a beautiful addition to the tetris family, created by Julia Dozsa for Fiam. This set of modular mirrors can be arranged into various configurations, from slik and classic ones to extremely elaborate. Each angular segment is fitted with the mount, so it can be attached to the wall individually. The Tetris mirror is versatile, playful, it adds light and depth to small spaces. And this is what we, shoebox dwellers want to hear.
These unusual bookshelves belong to an emerging French designer Adrien De Melo, who very deservingly called her creation Upside Down. Weightless, modular, transparent, suspended from the ceiling, these pieces truly give a new dimension to the idea of book storage. Each shelve consists of five simple components: translucent inflatable cushions, stainless frameworks, lifting straps, maintenance pins and fixing accessories. The units can be organized into different configurations. The Upside Down bookshelves are currently on display at Galerie BSL in Paris.
Update: Designer clarified that the shelves were ordered as a special command from Louis Vuitton Malletier to equip their cultural space, 7th floor of the Champs-Elysées building. The Upside Down shelving is exhibited at the Pavillon des Arts et du Design in Paris until April, 3rd. And if you are lucky enough to be in Milan for the Salone del Mobile’11 – do check out SPAZIO ROSSANA ORLANDI exposition. These shelves will be there!
This is not your average bed with his and her sides, headboard, drawers and things… No. This one is for the brave! Designed by the young Italian Federico Bergese of Light Bulb Lab, Bside bed abandons all traditional attributes. It has no frame, no mattress, and no legs. The business part consists of covered in leather polymeric gel and rests on a single wooden structure. The inside part of the wooden support contains LED lighting strong enough for reading. And because the light envelopes the main part from all sides – it creates the effect of the bed floating in the air… So there you have it – a few elements can create a huge impact. All it took to produce this inspired pice of design were leather, wood, polymer, LED, and a bit of madness.
Since we are on the subject of letters, here is another typographical treat for you, delivered all the way from Helsinki. This funky bookcase is called AAKKOSET, and is suitable for children of all ages. Created by the young Uganda born designer Lincoln Kayiwa, this piece not only makes a strong visual statement, it also provides a versatile storage for your books, CDs, magazines at cetra. Because the letter openings have different shapes, they make for an interesting and dynamic shelving. The letter-free space in the middle can be used as a bulletin board. Neat freaks, who dislike open storage, can even leave the bookcase empty and use it as a room divider. Made from durable fiberboard, AAKKOSET comes in a variety of colors.
Observe the following: two living room hits, fireplace and TV, come together in one clever design. Envisioned by the Dutch designer Jan Des Bouvrie and produced by Safretti, this piece brings you the best of both worlds. An eco-friendly ethanol fireplace and an LCD TV screen are incorporated into a slick, modern object. This model, logically called Double Vision, comes in two finishes – basic black and even more basic brushed stainless steel.
Tensor Voting is the name of this clever thing from Swiss designer Guilio Parini. It is a wall sculpture that serves as a customizable storage system. It arrives to you as a pile of rods and fasteners; you decide on a shape and build a skeletal system of your choice. Tensor Voting allows to play with different geometric configurations, so you can really let your artistic flag fly. As a shelving unit this model can withstand a reasonable number of books and small items.
If you hate camping activities and consider yourself a victim of civilization, there might still be hope for you. Being attached to homely comforts and enjoying great outdoors are no longer two mutually exclusive things. If you have spear 25K you can own Opera – a fully functional mobile home from Ysin. Opera is not your grandpa’s caravan, it is a mobile designer suite, complete with the hot air heating, two electrically adjustable beds, ceramic toilet, hot water, and many other perks and cool features. Inspired by the Sydney Opera House, this mobile home (a winner of the Wallpaper Designer Awards 2010, no less!) is a delight for the senses too. So, enjoy the nature, if you really must. Opera will get you covered.
