If you’re an independent millennial who recently moved out of their family home and into their own, then a major issue that you may be dealing with almost every day…is space constraint! Our modern millennial homes have many virtues, but one thing they lack is space! Space constraint is something most of us end up dealing with every day. Smart storage solutions can be lifesavers in such tricky and compact situations. And to make your lives easier, we’ve curated a whole collection of storage solutions that come in the form of furniture designs that, to be honest, are IKEA-worthy! Not only do these products comfortably store your belongings, but they’re also perfect for displaying those special items that you don’t feel like shutting away in a dusty cabinet. From a modular shelf unit inspired by the architecture of Bangkok’s storefronts to a bookshelf that hides a sleek staircase- these innovative storage and display solutions are the IKEA-worthy additions your home needs!
Tenement H is a modular cubby storage system that reflects the exhibition’s ‘domestic’ theme. Inspired by the multifaceted facades of Bangkok shophouses, Tenement H features customizable barriers that range from scissor gates to accordion doors, shutters, and railings. Constructed from aluminum, Tenement H is modular and versatile by design, allowing access to the storage units from all sides and multifunctional as a semi-partition for your room as well. Coated in glossy optic white, scarlet red, and light blue, the modules of Tenement H mimic the color scheme of Bangkok’s city storefronts. Each unit can be configured according to what your space allows–for smaller spaces, Tenement H can be built up vertically while larger spaces would allow for a wider base.
Although their motto is “No tools, no hassle”, the most defining characteristic of staxxiom’s furniture is that it’s so visually simple, you don’t even need a manual. With laser-cut pieces of wood that simply interlock to create your design, staxxiom is building on IKEA’s DIY culture by making their furniture more efficient, more eco-friendly, and as simplified as possible. That last part works in staxxiom’s favor too, because the simplified design gives their furniture a unified, wonderfully minimal aesthetic, along with the added benefit of being ridiculously easy to build too. Try, for a second, to describe the parts of a table in the simplest way possible. You’ve got 4 legs and a tabletop surface, right? In reality, though, furniture is often much more complex than that. There are many more aspects, like glue, screws, bolts, threaded inserts, rubber feet, etc. that go into making a great table that you often forget to describe. staxxiom’s designs outright do away with these minor complexities by keeping their furniture designs as visually and physically simple as possible.
Amidst the catalog of accessories is a basket storage system that doubles as a wood-and-crate step ladder, ideal for the kitchen space or bathroom to store toiletries and reach taller heights. Then, there’s a series of photo frames that can store paper goods like notes and business cards in an integrated slot that traces the perimeter of each frame. Using their own homes and colleagues’ homes as their main source of inspiration, the design students even made niche items like an insect house made from wire and hollow bamboo that could be hung outside an apartment window for hummingbirds and honeybees to drop by and visit.
Furnicloud essentially functions as a system of aluminum rods that can be configured to attach different container modules and create more storage space. Composed primarily of boxes that come with lids and doors, the rods can be vertically placed in varying shapes for the boxes to attach to and fill. The boxes that come with Furnicloud come with drawers, doors, and shelves to optimize their storage capabilities. In addition to storage boxes, Furnicloud includes mirrors, lights, hangars, and other accessory-sized storage containers that can be strewn from the aluminum rods, stabilizing the furniture system as a whole. Constructed entirely from aluminum, Furnicloud comes in different shades, coats, and finishes, ensuring that each furniture system can be customized for each given living space.
While Riders Gonna Ride is a lifestyle brand whose roots come from mountain biking, Bike Box is a storage solution designed for bikers everywhere– from the mountains to the city streets. Bike Box is modular by design and built from black CDF and beech wood to ensure a versatile, yet durable storage unit. Constructed like a storage unit for a professional locker room, Bike Box’s frame is built from CDF, or Compact Density Fibreboards, a highly compressed material often chosen for its water-resistant and long-lasting nature. The storage found on each Bike Box is made available through a peg and socket system of wooden pegs and accompanying sockets. When customized to hang your bike or orient shelving units, the pegs can be positioned however each bike owner sees fit.
Tiny home designs are some of our favorite designs, mainly because they have forced designers to look beyond the obvious space-consuming solutions and think literally inside the tiny home box for out-of-the-box solutions! The stair cupboard manages to do the same and beautifully, with super tight-fitting steel sliding stair in a bicolor oak closet that slides out with ease. The staircase also doubles as a temporary storage space for knick-knacks and other items in the bookshelf when not in use. The dark steel staircase creates a strong contrast to the pale wood while matching the industrial-chic vibe of the remaining apartment. Villa Roco was designed to house a generation of one family that can live together and apart in one plot with its intuitive design. Who said an entire family couldn’t live in a smaller space with their privacy intact!
The idea for the Parachute Wall Shelf came to designer Yusuke Watanabe, funnily enough, as he was listening to Coldplay’s first album titled “Parachutes”. Derived from the Italian word “parare” (to protect) and the French “chute” (to fall), this award-winning universal shelf holds anything in place! Its clever design is influenced by how clothes pegs secure objects on a clothesline by clipping onto them. The multiple pegs or planks on the Parachute Wall Shelf hold your objects in place by gently ‘clipping’ them to the wall. Made from colored sheet metal stripes that almost look like a parachute’s cloth with their wavy design, the Parachute Wall Shelf looks like abstract art when not in use. It sits flat against the wall (unlike most shelves with cantilever forwards), looking like framed art until you tip one of the ‘pegs’ forward and use it to store objects or to even hang items of clothing like your coat, scarf, or hat.
PaiPai Pets’ double basin cat kennel is a cat tower and console storage cabinet in one. Looking at the kennel head-on, two wide doors border a narrower middle door, which opens up to the kennel’s storage unit and jungle-gym interior. On the left and right sides of the kennel, there’s enough space to fit two large litter boxes, which are always accessible through the middle door’s open porthole. Behind the kennel’s center cabinet, storage shelves can be found where cat owners can stow away smaller items like cans of wet cat food and litter scoopers. Painted in bright white, with natural wood accents along the perimeter, the kennel can remain discreet even in busier home spaces like the living room or den. Along the sides of the kennel, smaller portholes allow for plenty of airflows as well as a fun way for you to play whack-a-mole with your cat.
In urban homes, one often has to compromise on the kind of furniture they would like because there isn’t enough space to have a separate piece for each function – in this case, Orte saves the space you would need for a full shelf and a mirror by blending them into one. Its limestone base supports a rotating wooden frame with the mirror on one side and six hidden shelves on the other. The pop of red brightens up the corner where the furniture will be and stretched oblong shape makes it easy to fit in any corner. It can be used as a dresser, a bookshelf, or the stuff you need to grab quickly without it being on display always.
To give the studio space more defined and delineated areas, Alexander Kudimov and Daria Butakhina of Ruetemple, built an elevated module from wood, with plenty of storage options and a cave-like zone that works as the studio’s enclosed bedroom space. The idea to create a bedroom module initially came from Kudimov’s and Butakhina’s plan to build a wooden structure that would absorb the studio’s many functional elements, including storage space, a living area, and a platform area for getting ready in the morning. The bedroom module mainly contains the studio’s sleeping area– a secluded section of the elevated platform that provides a space for the bed to remain separate from the rest of the apartment. The cozy den remains hidden from view for the most part, but a large window situated at the head of the bed dissolves the barrier between the studio’s hallway and the newly formed bedroom.
