These quirky wall hooks look like squirmy critters crawling on your wall

Minimalist designs often suffer the stigma of being plain, clinical, or boring, as if such designs have to follow rigid forms and a fixed set of drab colors to qualify as minimalist. Of course, the actual interpretation and implementation of minimalist design principles can vary from person to person, and there is no hard rule that prevents injecting a bit of whimsical and eccentric elements into a product. Take, for example, these wall hooks that are nothing more than plainly colored strips of metal but twisted and bent in such a way that they turn any wall into a curious piece of abstract art filled with what looks like creepy crawlies wriggling their way across the room.

Designer: Christian Neumeier

Wall and door hooks often have very utilitarian designs, primarily because they get obscured by things hanging from them most of the time. The times they don’t hold anything often see them blending into the background or hidden behind doors. It’s a missed opportunity, however, to turn them into decorative pieces as well, whether they’re in use or especially when they’re not. Bender is an attempt to remedy that situation, and it does so in a strikingly simple way.

As its name implies, Bender hooks are just powder-coated strips of steel bent in this or that direction, creating a form that you might presume to be unsuitable for its purpose of being a wall hook. But thanks to precise industrial design, the ends and sometimes even the middle of these metal strips instantly become places to hang bags, clothes, and accessories. The hooks come in different sizes but are all simple in form, despite the twists and turns, making them just as space-efficient as regular hooks.

The real pull of Bender is, of course, the creative freedom it gives homeowners in sprucing up their space. Any wall can become not only a wardrobe but also a mural, with these bending critters creating patterns in your design. The hooks come in different colors as well, so you can make the composition as regular or as chaotic as you want. Perhaps you want a more uniform pattern of black and white stripes similar to a zebra, or perhaps you prefer a random kaleidoscopic scattering of hooks as if somebody splattered your wall with gigantic gummy worms.

The one unfortunate factor that could limit your creativity is the fact that you’ll have to drill holes to install these hooks. While it does come with all the screws, dowels, and guides needed to set the hooks up, you can’t change the arrangement on a whim once they’re screwed in place. It might also be a deal-breaker for renters and even some households, leaving them no option but to use dull old wall hooks instead.

The post These quirky wall hooks look like squirmy critters crawling on your wall first appeared on Yanko Design.

This simple table has an equally simple solution for hanging your bags

Everyone has a bag these days, whether it’s a backpack, a messenger bag, a handbag, or one of the more fashionable descendants of the fanny pack. Despite varying designs and sizes, almost all bags have two things in common, they have handles or straps, and you wouldn’t want to leave them lying on the floor in offices and coffee shops. Some tables in these public spaces now offer hidden bag hooks under the table, but these seemingly ingenious solutions come with their own drawbacks. A proper solution doesn’t have to be overly complicated or sophisticated, and sometimes, the simplest one wins. That’s the kind of thinking that may have gone into these ultra-minimalist tables that hide their bag hooks in plain sight.

Designer: Hajime Kumazawa

The need for bag hooks has been a rather recent phenomenon as more people flocked to coffee shops and communal spaces, including those in offices. There was even a phase when bag hook accessories became trendy because very few tables had such hooks built into them. Such tables are more common these days but still not standard, so you might find people awkwardly groping under a table just to check if there are any hooks for their bags.

Therein lies the fundamental design problem of bag hooks. Intended to hide bags from view, they sacrificed practicality and ease of use on the altar of keeping up appearances. Ironically, these tables are places where things can get a bit messy, either from food or from work. Hanging the bags beneath the surface doesn’t even help in getting them out of your way because they often result in uncomfortable leg positions to avoid hitting the bags in the first place.

The DTN Table design fixes this problem by being simple and honest about its purpose. It doesn’t pretend to be some stylish piece of artistic furniture by hiding bags from sight. Instead, it makes it super simple to hang bags on the four legs of the table, allowing for easy access and really getting out of the way of your legs. This might invite some messy arrangements, and it does limit how many people can hang their bags at the corners, but the purpose of the table is more for transient activity, like meals, meetings, and similar.

The table itself is unabashedly utilitarian in design, practically just a slab of melamine on top of four steel legs with aluminum die-casting. It is as minimal as it can be, with few options for different colors of the tabletop or the legs. It also comes in either rectangular or square sizes, and you can easily put them side by side if you need more space or more bag hooks. That’s not to say there’s nothing else to this table. By default, it comes with two casters and two glides to make it possible to move the table around just as easily.

Admittedly, the DTN Table might seem plain and unexciting on its own, with its singular visual quirk being the top of the legs that serve as bag hooks. Almost ironically, having those bags hang on the outside for everyone to see does add some flavor to these plain tables, making them feel like living places where people interact with each other, which is exactly what such tables are designed for in the first place.

The post This simple table has an equally simple solution for hanging your bags first appeared on Yanko Design.

Deal Of The Day: 50% Off On The Anchor, The Original Under-Desk Headphone Stand Mount

The little things can sometimes make the biggest difference. Take The Anchor: The Original Under-Desk Headphone Stand Mount as an example. It’s an inexpensive and simple solution of finding an elegant place to put your headphones, that doesn’t take up valuable desktop space.

Need somewhere to put your headphones when you’re not using them at your desk? How about hanging them underneath with The Anchor, the original headphone hanger? This sturdy yet flexible hook adheres to your desk with industrial-strength adhesive, giving you a spot to hang two sets of headphones that won’t shatter your knee cap if you happen to bump it. Organize your desk, take care of your headphones, and preserve your knees, all with one little hook.

Normally $20, today’s deal slashed that price down to $9.99.

[ Get The Anchor, The Original Under-Desk Headphone Stand Mount ]

Is This the World’s Most Attractive Bicycle Mount?

shelfie bike mount Is This the Worlds Most Attractive Bicycle Mount?
Most bicycle mounts are little more than a hook (or pair of hooks) that holds up the bicycle frame off the ground and on the wall. The Shelfie is not only more attractive than a hook, it’s also way more useful because it’s also a shelf- as the name would imply. You can store your helmet right in the middle or use it for other bike riding related gear and accessories.
shelfie bicycle mount Is This the Worlds Most Attractive Bicycle Mount?
The bike is not held up by the frame at all but instead by the seat. That allows the bike to hang at a pleasing angle and take up slightly less horizontal wall space. It also won’t scratch up your frame like hooks might. Great idea and a possible game changer for bicycle storage. (via uncrate)

Is This the World’s Most Attractive Bicycle Mount?
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Keyboard Key Hanger

keyhanger Keyboard Key Hanger
Why throw away an old computer keyboard when you can re-purpose it into something more useful? This Keyboard Key Hanger just adds hooks where the keys used to be. And on those hooks are keys. So technically, there’s keys instead of keys. Confusing. As a bonus, when you remove the keyboard keys, you can put them back however you want, perhaps spelling “keyboard” (or something cooler). It looks like they used plastic drywall anchors for the hooks.

Keyboard Key Hanger

Cubby is a Hook and a Storage Bin

cubby Cubby is a Hook and a Storage Bin
Get multiple storage options in one clean modern design with Cubby. Designed by Materious and made of 100% recycled polypropylene plastic, the wall-mounted Cubby works as a giant hook with room inside to store smaller items like cellphones, wallets, gloves, glasses, change, etc. Measures 6.5″ square. Arrange them in groups, either in a line or randomly to create varied storage options for all members of your family.

buy now Cubby is a Hook and a Storage Bin

Cubby is a Hook and a Storage Bin

Umbrella Handle Coat Hooks

umbrella handle coat rack Umbrella Handle Coat Hooks
Well here’s a super smart way to reuse what is generally the only salvageable part of broken umbrellas. Dutch firm Schroot Hoop Design creates these surprisingly attractive coat racks from old umbrella handles. With piece of wood and a drill, you could DIY this one at home. Of course you don’t have to hang coats on them; you can use them to hold more umbrellas too. Or as I now call them- future hooks.

Umbrella Handle Coat Hooks