Before CDs and DVDs revolutionized physical media in the 1990s, people mostly used floppy disks — little square pucks containing less than 2.8 megabytes of storage. If you collected a lot of floppy disks, for instance, the original release of DOOM (which released across four 3.5 inch floppy disks), you needed a place to put them. Back then, that meant keeping your disk collection in a whole bunch of beige boxes with tinted plastic coverings, locked shut with a simple mechanism.
Apparently, that design — despite its relative clunkiness and odd fit for modern offices — is nostalgic to collectors of modern physical media devices like Micro SD cards and Nintendo Switch cartridges, and, as a result, independent artist Trevor Flowers has designed his own tributes to the classic floppy disk holder design. Calling it the “Smol Floppy Disk Organizer for Micro SD Cards” on his Gumroad page, this adorable replica of days gone by can fit on any desk surface thanks to its near-microscopic size.
“Back when floppies were new we kept them safe in somewhat terrible plastic bins,” says Flowers in the description of his Micro SD card holder.
“Now that micro SD cards can hold thousands of times more data they’re what we use and what we lose! Because, smol. So, here’s a little throwback to the floppy organizer but sized for micro SD cards. I used double-sided tape to stick mine to the top of my PC monitor because I’d lose it on my messy desk.”
The Smol Floppy Disk Organizer for Micro SD Cards is available to purchase on Flowers’ official Gumroad page for $22, though it seems like supplies are limited as only 37 units remain. The same is true of his Smol Floppy Disk Organizer for Switch Cartridges, of which only 8 remain as I write this article. It’s unclear whether more will be constructed, though it’s worth noting the build is quite cute and may even have mass-market appeal for collectors.
Smol Floppy Disk Organizers aren’t the only unique retro design Flowers has come up with. On his page, you can find other bespoke (and somewhat larger) tributes to the TRS-80 Model III and the Osborne One.
Honestly, in time I’ve really come to love office pods or work booths. Office pods have gotten supremely popular ever since COVID-19 hit, not only do they create little isolated spaces to work in, but they also provide a whole other level of privacy, that would have been otherwise unimaginable and completely unattainable in a commercial office. There are quite a few versatile options on the market when it comes to office pods, and a pretty neat one I recently came across is the Phone Booth Acoustic Pod.
Acoustic pods have become a pretty common sight in corporate offices these days, and I hope this initiative is here to stay. Workplace furniture brand Room recently made an addition to the arena of acoustic pods in the form of the Phone Booth Pod. The Phone Booth is a single-person acoustic pod that offers solo workspaces in open-plan offices. The Phone Booth is the first product designed in Room’s catalog and it features three sound-dampening material layers that reduce noise by 30 decibels, to create a quiet and peaceful work environment.
The Phone Booth is clad in sound-blocking MDF and lined with a sound-absorbing PET which is created from recycled plastic bottles. These features in addition to 100 percent natural wool finishes help to control the noise levels and form a soothing workspace. A LED light has been mounted in the ceiling, alongside two super quiet fans to maintain a clean air level inside the booth. The light and the fans can be controlled and operated via a smart sensor.
The Phone Booth acoustic pod is available in two colorway options – light and dark, both of which are accentuated with oak accents. The acoustic pod is delivered in a flat-packed form and can be assembled within an hour by two people with the help of only one tool. The acoustic booth can also be easily moved between locations with ease once it has been assembled. The Phone Booth acoustic pod would make an excellent and functional addition to modern workspaces, providing employees with solo work booths where they can enjoy some peace and quiet without being disturbed.
We often underestimate the importance of great office furniture! When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on our office chairs or typing away on our desks whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, these pieces of furniture need to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And, a great furniture design for modern corporate offices would be the Owwi seating collection by Arnau Reyna for Actiu.
Created by the design studio Arnau Reyna for the office furniture brand Actiu, the Owwi seating collection is an ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing furniture range that includes a wrap-around back and armrests that have been designed to comfortably envelop the sitter. The Owwi seating collection consists of an armchair and a two-seater sofa amped with white textured upholstery on the insides of the seat and the backrest.
The Owwi seating collection is designed to be classy and elegant while adding a sense of sophistication and style to modern workspaces, but it could be a great fit for homes as well. Users can pick from a wide collection of colorful fabrics to cover the exterior of the chair. The entire idea behind Owwi was to create a seating collection that allows users to interact and engage in conversations in hybrid working spaces. It also allows users to disconnect from the outside world, and relax in a calming space.
“With Owwi, Actiu has created an icon that is recognizable to the touch and to the eye,” said the brand. “Its design conveys simplicity, formal charge, and versatility to define an armchair that stands out for its enveloping backrest.” “A commitment to new hybrid spaces in which the physical and emotional well-being of people can be enhanced is essential to create environments in which people can connect or simply disconnect,” Actiu concluded. The Owwi seating collection would make for a brilliant fit for modern office spaces, that want their employees to sit down and take a break. The seats could serve as a calming oasis in the otherwise hectic and chaotic environment of offices.
We often underestimate the importance of great office furniture! When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on our office chairs or typing away on our desks whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, these pieces of furniture need to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And, a great furniture design for modern corporate offices would be the Choice Lockers by Narbutas.
Designed by workplace furniture brand Narbutas, the Choice Locker System is a modular and efficient locker system intended to organize office spaces and keep them tidy and neat. The locker system was designed with the goal of making corporate offices more aesthetically pleasing. The Choice Lockers are available in a diverse range of door, lock, and accessory options. This storage solution is aimed at enhancing and improving any office space, or even a reception area. It can be used in corridors as well since it has a slender and compact footprint.
“Even if employees have permanent workplaces, lockers are useful for keeping common spaces uncluttered,” said the brand. “This maintains order in the office and creates a pleasant, aesthetic environment for both employees and visitors.” The Choice Locker System can be customized, and you can pick doors of diverse heights or materials. You can also pick open cabinet spaces for hanging jackets or cushioned nooks for people to sit and rest in.
What makes the Choice lockers even more personalized is that they are available in lock options ranging from combination locks to discreet electronic locks that can be swiftly opened with a swipe card. You can also pick from a wide collection of colors and materials such as perforated metal, melamine, HPL (high-pressure laminate) panels, and wood veneer. The Choice lockers are also designed to be sustainable, hence they are 97% recyclable, and they can be accentuated with planters to add a touch of green to the space, and enhance the overall indoor air quality. The Choice Locker System is a functional, efficient, and sustainable storage system designed to meet the needs of modern offices and modern officegoers.
Modern life carries a ton of environmental and societal stresses, which can easily take a toll on sleep hygiene. Many humans simply don’t get enough sleep at night – so much so, that the proliferation of sleep deprivation has become a public health crisis. And that’s setting aside the potential issues that one missed night of sleep by one individual can create in just one workplace. This phenomenon isn’t specific to any single region, and is rather a part of the modern human condition that many working adults face on a global scale, which is why, for instance, businesses in Japan and Sweden are installing nap areas into their workplaces en masse.
Whether taking a midday nap is a possible solution for chronic sleep deprivation, or if it’s just a symptom of a greater problem, it’s difficult to deny how comfortable the giraffenap nap pod looks, especially with all that cushioning and padding. It comes in two very distinct themes: the cyber-futuristic “Near Future”-themed Spacia, and the far more organic, wood-laden “Japanese Style”-themed Forest, and both of them are clearly designed for use in public Japanese spaces like offices and other common areas.
Both giraffenap pod models are designed with four-point cushioning, providing adequate space for the user to rest their feet, knees, butt, and arms (and head) while resting upright. Its internal controls allow for the height of these cushioning points to be adjusted for comfort, and it all looks both private and space-efficient – allowing for a lot of these pods to be placed close to one another in the same space. It’s probably more expensive than the average bed, but this nap pod makes way more sense to place directly in the middle of a public area.
All giraffenap pods are designed to protect the user from (and keep the user asleep through) earthquakes, but what especially separates Spacia apart from Forest is the unique feature set between both units. Spacia is designed for total and complete privacy, and is advertised as having “high soundproofing and fireproofing performance”, while Forest is designed for maximum airflow.
Giraffenap pods are slated to begin shipping out in Japan in December 2023, though it’s unclear when or if they will ship globally after their initial wave.
The beauty of LEGO bricks lies in the fact that even though they were designed to help recreate life in a miniature scale, they can be used as actual building blocks to make functioning products and working prototypes. We’ve seen loads of examples of these on the site, from the functional orrery that accurately captures how our solar system moves, to something as benign as a working lawnmower that actually features moving plastic blades! LEGO bricks have endless potential and it seems like we’re still just scratching the surface with them, but ever so often we come across an example like this LEGO mechanical calendar that actually lets you change the date by turning a series of dials on its side.
The Mechanical Flip Calendar is the brainchild of LEGO builder ‘Sariels Bricks and Pets’ who created this marvel to explore the beauty of bricks to replicate complex mechanical linkages and interactions. Featuring three flip-down elements to represent the month and date, the calendar lets you manually change its display every day by rotating the dials on the side. The flip-down elements include all 12 months as well as all days of the month, with individual yellow rotary knobs on the side that let you adjust each element manually. Meanwhile, a slider on the right side of the calendar also lets you highlight the day of the week, completing the entire calendar experience. The entire process is analog (the date doesn’t change on its own), but there’s a joy to watching how the elements change when you turn the knobs on the side. It’s retro design at its very best.
“There is no mechanical synchronization between days and months to keep things simple, instead there are three knobs with stepper mechanisms, so you can easily move each counter flap by flap,” mentions the designer. “[The calendar] comes in a see-through casing, the flaps are just 3 studs thick and built using 4×4 tiles, so numbers can be easily printed or applied using stickers.”
With over 6,000 votes, the Mechanical Flip Clock is blazing through the LEGO Ideas online forum leaderboard. The purpose of the forum is to allow LEGO enthusiasts to share their own unique builds, which can be voted to the top by other members on the forum. If an entry reaches the coveted 10,000 vote threshold, LEGO’s official team internally reviews the entry before turning it into a box set that anyone can buy! You can cast your vote for the Mechanical Flip Clock here.
As someone who sits in front of a computer all day, there’s nothing better than working at a desk that I assembled and decorated myself. Likewise, if you’re working out of your very own home office – where you ideally have space to get creative with the elements that make up your work area – you may want some tips on how to fill that space with items that offer both function and form in equal measure. The possibilities are limitless, and everyone has different tastes. Some of us like putting succulents in our workspaces, others don’t. Regardless, aside from obvious purchases like pens and notepads, there are ten staple desk accessory “categories” that you probably shouldn’t ignore. If I were shopping for a new home office right this moment – from scratch – these are the ten items that would sit at the top of my shopping cart:
1. PowerPic mod Wireless Charger
The PowerPic mod Wireless Charger is a decently-priced yet gorgeous wireless charger that is widely compatible with all types of phones. It’s slated to work with MagSafe and non-MagSafe iPhones, Android phones, and it even lets you customize the frame with your own 4×6 image, allowing it to blend with nearby furniture and match the overall style you’re going for. It only requires a single USB-C cable hooked into the base to power it, making for a clean appearance with no messy stray cables laying about.
2. Lamicall Headset Stand H1
The Lamicall Headset Stand H1 is an inexpensive way to store over-ear headphones on your desk without skimping on quality. The upper lip is designed to protect your headphones’ padding against damage, and the base appears sturdy enough to sit firmly on a desk without slipping and sliding around whenever you remove or replace your headphones. This is a simple product, but it makes total sense to have around; storing your headphones on their side on the desk surface is a missed opportunity to let them shine, and thanks to multiple color options, you can make the Lamicall Headset Stand work with any desk.
3. Shure MOTIV MV5
Shure is one of the best microphone brands on the market, and you don’t even need to purchase one of its premium XLR mics like the popular SM7B. The Shure MV5 is an excellent, affordable, and compact condenser mic that is well-known for outputting high-quality audio while taking very little desk space. This little orb comes in two slick color palettes; white ribs with a black chassis, or an all-black exterior accented with a red inlay. Not only is the versatile MV5 a great microphone for a streamer, a podcaster, or an office worker wanting to sound clear in video calls; it could also be useful for the traveling musician who wants to bring their recording studio on the go.
4. HappyLight Luxe by Verilux
It’s fall, which means seasonal affective disorder is coming sooner than many of us are comfortable with – at least, up here in the Northern Hemisphere. That said, the rather tiny and comparatively affordable HappyLight Luxe Therapy Lamp could be a great assistant to get rid of the SAD by tricking your brain into believing the sun is fully visible, even when it’s dark outside. Its convenient tablet shape makes it way easier to fit on a packed desk than some of the other, bigger therapy lamps on the market. But it doesn’t compromise on power to achieve such a slim and slender form factor; the HappyLight Luxe is rated to output 10,000 lux, which is roughly how bright it is outside in the middle of a clear summer day.
5. LEATHER VILLAGE Vintage Leather Bound Journal
The Leather Village Vintage Leather Bound Journal is a rather unconventional alternative to smaller, cheaper journals. But hear me out: how much cooler would it be to write work notes and conduct journaling sessions with a giant, leather-bound journal that looks straight out of Middle-Earth? Leather Village balances rustic charm with eco-friendly principles, vowing to only use leather from water buffalo that died of natural causes and paper made from recycled cotton waste. In any case, this is one of the most stylish journals I’ve ever seen – perfect for stationary enthusiasts.
6. Bose 700 Headphones
Sure, the Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones are on the expensive side relative to other noise cancelling headphones in this range, but the key difference is that this pair is also wireless. You can’t argue with Bose’s durability and sound quality, and the Bose 700 is built with high-quality materials to provide a balanced sound stage and decent noise cancelling features with a 20 hour battery life. Its extra mics allow it to pick up more of your voice as well, making it a strong daily driver for phone calls and video conferencing.
As far as $300 headphones go, this is an all-rounder that hits every box on the checklist of features you might want when isolating yourself from annoying sounds in your work environment, and it also sounds good, looks good, and lasts for a long time without needing a charge. When you do finally need to recharge it, it should only take about two and a half hours plugged into the wall via USB-C. It comes in black or luxe silver.
7. Goblintechkeys Pastel Pink Seaside Desk Mat
Goblintechkeys’ Pastel Pink Seaside Desk Mat is one of several custom desk mats from Goblintechkeys, and though it happens to be my personal favorite, all of them look gorgeous and immediately breathe life into any desk surface they’re placed on. It’s advertised to use 100% natural rubber to create a spill-resistant, non-slip surface that works great as a mouse pad, a desk surface protector, and a cushy place to rest your wrists. I recommend the extra large (90x40cm) desk mat, which can comfortably seat a keyboard and a mouse on a desk surface while livening up the entire workstation.
8. YETI Rambler 46 Oz Water Bottle
Everyone needs to drink more water. Fortunately, water bottles are always in fashion, and the YETI Rambler 46 Oz Water Bottle is just as useful in an office as it is in the middle of a desert. Yes, this is an expensive bottle, but YETI bottles are famously sturdy, clean, aesthetically appealing, and designed to maintain internal temperatures longer than other brands. This is probably the fanciest water bottle you’ll ever buy, but it’s also potentially the only water bottle you’ll ever need to buy. It comes in several color options, including navy, charcoal, seafoam, black, and white.
9. Serenilite Hand Therapy Stress Ball
Working long hours in one position is stressful business, which is why I always keep my Serenilite Hand Therapy Stress Ball nearby in my own home office. Squeezing these colorful little balls can build up your hand and wrist muscles while easing tension in your body. I even gave it a few good squeezes while writing this article, but the best part of using it so often is it’s never scratched or torn; in fact, it still looks exactly like it did the day I bought it in 2020, when I was first setting up my workspace. Fortunately, Serenilite offers these in packs of three (in case you lose one) including soft, medium, and hard options if you have a preference for one or the other.
10. Samsung T7 Shield
USB storage options are abundant nowadays, but I don’t regret purchasing a Samsung T7 Shield earlier in the summer when I needed a way to migrate all of my data from an older external HDD to something faster and more secure. This tiny portable SSD can carry up to 4TB of storage space and is now shipping for a relatively low price, though you can buy a 1TB model at sub-$100 these days. Thanks to USB 3.2 connectivity and the T7 Shield’s lightweight design, you can use it to easily store and transfer information between all of your devices – allowing you to let Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, iPad Pro, or even gaming devices like the PlayStation 5 transfer files between one another.
I personally keep my T7 Shield hooked up to my PC, where I offload Steam games and play those games directly from the drive, which works way better in practice than I expected, given that it’s an inexpensive way to seamlessly add terabytes of storage to my device.
What makes it truly stand out, however, is just how durable and secure it is. As a Windows user, I can use Samsung’s proprietary software to set a password on my T7 Shield, which locks anyone out of accessing or even viewing the drive partition unless I personally unlock it from my Windows computer. This means nobody is going to be able to break into it and access my data if it gets stolen. It’s also rated to survive up to 9.8 ft drops and is even rated as water resistant and fully dust-proof.
Health experts generally recommend regular sessions of low-intensity exercise to keep a steady routine going, especially for individuals who don’t already spend a lot of time working out in the gym or playing sports. Luckily, the widespread emergence of home offices has given way to many creative methods of staying fit while staying largely in one place.
One of my personal favorites has been VR fitness; specifically, putting a Meta Quest 2 on my head, hopping on the treadmill, and walking through neighborhoods in distant cities like New York City and Tokyo via YouTube VR.
Now, thanks to TikToker Hope Zuckerbrow, a new term, coined “cozy cardio”, has rapidly become popularized across the world since her July 23 TikTok video went viral. The hybridization of home office workspace and home gym is ingenious, especially for those who do their best work while in motion – or, simply, those who struggle to stay in their seat – and now it’s taking the media by storm. There are five essential products you’ll need to get started if you want to make your home office cozy cardio friendly: a standing desk, a tiny foldable treadmill, a coffee maker, comfortable socks for a long day of walking, and a nice essential oil diffuser. Here are the ones I’d choose if I were shopping for a cozy cardio office today.
1. CORSAIR Platform:6 Sit-stand Desk
The CORSAIR Platform:6 Sit-stand Desk is a gorgeous-looking adjustable desk that contains a litany of quality of life features like two monitor mounts, four built-in power outlets, a cable management system, and a spacious surface that is perfect for displaying a full desktop build. It’s not available yet, but it’s hopeful that we’ll see more information about it in the fourth quarter of 2023. Still, if I were shopping for a new desk, I’d wait for the CORSAIR Platform:6 to become available, because it’s almost exactly what I’m looking for – even if I don’t end up putting a walking pad underneath it.
2. WalkingPad C2
Second to the standing desk, the WalkingPad is a necessary part of any cozy cardio setup. At least, any cozy cardio setup that involves exercising while you work at your desk. We had plenty of nice things to say about WalkingPad when it was in Kickstarter, and now that it’s all grown up, it’s still one of the best mini-treadmill designers you can find on the market. You can’t really go wrong with any of the products listed on the WalkingPad store, but the WalkingPad C2 is a winner for one reason: it can fold up, making it easy to put away when you’re finished exercising at your desk.
3. FinalPress V2 coffee maker
Your cozy cardio session wouldn’t be complete without a nice jolt of caffeine to wake you up. The smell of fresh coffee emanating throughout your home is part of what makes the whole experience “cozy”, and there are plenty of great coffee makers in the market. None of them are as portable as the FinalPress V2, however, which you can practically keep on your desk at all times. The compact and visually-appealing mini coffee maker uses an infusion process – similarly to how a teabag works – to make hot (or cold!) coffee inside of the very same container you intend to drink it out of. To make it work, simply pour in up to 35 grams of ground coffee, close the FinalPress capsule, and stir it directly into hot or cold water.
4. HercSocks 5.0
You’re going to want some nice socks to keep your feet comfortable in all conditions. If you plan to walk for a long period of time on your WalkingPad, you’ll want sturdily built socks that also keep your feet warm and comfortable. That’s where the HercSocks 5.0 come in. These socks are rated to keep feet insulated, protected, and comfortable on any terrain – even keeping your feet dry if you jump into a puddle. I’d make these part of my cozy cardio routine simply because I’m too lazy to put shoes on every time I want to hop on the treadmill in real life; why not maximize the coziness by wearing socks that also double as walking shoes?
5. Lei Battery-Free Aroma Diffuser
Essential oils can create a lovely atmosphere inside of any home office, and you can even use certain scents (like orange or peppermint) to ease into a focused state of mind – which is great when you’re trying to work while also doing something a bit more physically active, like walking on a walking pad. Most essential oil diffusers rely on batteries or plug directly into the wall, but if you want a stylish and somewhat rustic non-electric alternative to those, you can check out the gorgeous Lei Battery-Free Aroma Diffuser. We love the aesthetic appeal of its all-black body and candle.
We often underestimate the importance of great office furniture! When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on our office chairs or typing away on our desks whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, these pieces of furniture need to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And we’ve curated a collection of furniture designs that meet all these criteria. From the ultimate task chair for you to a minimal cubicle-like furniture system – these innovative furniture designs are not only great for maintaining a healthy posture, but are also super comfy to work on, and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern office. Enjoy!
1. The Flow Wall Desk
The Flow Wall Desk is truly a unique and excellent piece of office furniture intended for office spaces that don’t have a lot of real estate. The desk is quite functional, and yet impressively decorative while managing to maintain a simple and sustainable design philosophy.
Why is it noteworthy?
When “stored” and folded up, it looks like a piece of art on your wall with its minimalist, geometric shapes. Initially, it’s a flat canvas and when you unfold it, it looks like a “spiraling caterpillar” and you realize that it is turning into a desk where you can work, read, or write in your journal.
What we like
Features a convenient and effective flatpack form
Multifunctional furniture design that can be easily stored away
What we dislike
Folding and unfolding the desk whenever you need to use it means we can’t have a constant setup
2. Qyos
Spanish office furniture brand Acitu recently designed its first acoustic meeting pod called Qyos. Qyos was launched to create “islands of privacy”.
Why is it noteworthy?
Qyos is a range of modular and sound-insulated cabins that were created by Actiu’s research and development team. The cabins are ideal for calls or tasks that need your complete focus and attention.
What we like
Provides an escape from office spaces especially when you have tasks on priority
Can be easily and effortlessly assembled
What we dislike
There are similar designs on the market, it has nothing too exciting to set it apart
3. Anthros Task Chair
Anthros designed this innovative task chair with an entirely fresh approach. They used scientific evidence and research to build a task chair that boosts your productivity, improves your posture, and minimizes pain points.
Why is it noteworthy?
Anthros has spent quite a lot of time working with wheelchair users, so they know how important the right seating is. They utilized this experience to create a new and improved modern task chair.
What we like
Equipped with 4D armrests to adjust the height, pivot angle, depth, and weight to create a completely modifiable experience
What we dislike
4. Beam Collection
Nienkamper’s Beam furniture collection includes a variety of seating and table designs that are compact and curvaceous with a chonky aesthetic that warmly invites you in!
Why is it noteworthy?
The collection is casual and playful, while also managing to have a low carbon footprint! It includes a single lounge chair, two-, or three-, seater.
What we like
The various pieces are intended to be combined to build dynamic and playful combinations that can be customized to specific work environments.
What we dislike
Space-consuming and bulky pieces
5. Sphere Office Chair
The Sphere Office Chair was designed by Japanese furniture brand Okamura and is a sleek and good-looking office chair made using recycled fishing nets that were salvaged from the ocean.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Sphere Office Chair features a “3D physical fit shell” with a kinematic structure that effortlessly adapts to the contours of the user’s body. This allows the users to sit for long periods of time on the chair without feeling any discomfort or fatigue.
What we like
The chair adapts to the contours of the user’s body, making it super comfy to sit for long periods of time
What we dislike
The aesthetics of the chair are quite similar to other office chairs on the market
6. Cubicle
The design studio Form Us With Love collaborated with Danish manufacturer +Halle to create the ‘Cubicle’ – an interesting and functional “bench and wall system”.
Why is it noteworthy?
Cubicle is designed to replicate and mimic the particular qualities that people seek while searching for seats in an open indoor workspace like a library or a co-working space.
What we like
Available in a couple of different variations to cater to your customized needs
What we dislike
Not well suited for smaller spaces or offices with space constraints
7. Eto Desk
Australian designer Tom Fereday created the Eto Desk for the furniture brand King. The sleek desk features minimal angles and integrated smart accessories!
Why is it noteworthy?
The desk is quite sleek and minimal and includes an aluminum frame and a timber veneer top that is available in three finishes – Smoked Oak, American Walnut, and Congo.
What we like
Features a slim desk built into the design that provides discreet and easily accessible storage for stationery
What we dislike
Aesthetics are a bit simple and unassuming, which may not be preferred by some
8. Liberty Ocean Chair
Designed by Humanscale, the Liberty Ocean Chair is as its name signifies, built using one kilogram of abandoned fishing nets found in the ocean.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Liberty Ocean chair range claims to be “first task chairs made from recycled fishing nets”, and is a brave and commendable effort on the part of Humanscale to tackle the evergrowing issue of ocean plastic.
What we like
Claims to be the first task chair made from recycled fishing nets
Ergonomic and minimal
What we dislike
The aesthetics of the chair are quite similar to other office chairs on the market
9. Lives Post + Beam Workspace
Designed by Japanese furniture brand Okamura, the Lives Post + Beam workspace is designed to be a flexible + versatile workspace for corporate and commercial offices.
Why is it noteworthy?
The focal point of the workspace is that it includes a frame with sliding wall panels. What’s interesting is that the various wall panels are customizable, so users can customize the square frames with fixed or moveable panels that can be attached to the top rail.
What we like
Enables companies to create personalized workspaces customized to the personal needs and requirements of their employees
What we dislike
It’s not available yet, so we don’t know how the actual design will be
10. Nouhaus Ergo3D
This brilliant high-back seating chair isn’t your average ergonomic chair. It features a 3-segment backrest, dynamic lumbar support, 4D adjustable orbital armrests, and a class-4 hydraulic gas-lift main pillar, and is called the Nouhaus Ergo3D.
Why is it noteworthy?
This high-back chair looks like an interesting modern throne, and features a 3-part backrest that conforms to the shape of your spine, providing you with support and comfort via the company’s unique ‘Just-For-Me’ Lumbar Support System.
What we like
Conforms to the shape of your spine
The adjustable headrest cushions your cranium through the day
Honestly, in time I’ve really come to love office pods or work booths. Office pods have gotten supremely popular ever since COVID-19 hit, not only do they create little isolated spaces to work in, but they also provide a whole other level of privacy, that would have been otherwise unimaginable and completely unattainable in a commercial office. There are quite a few versatile options on the market when it comes to office pods, and a pretty neat one I recently came across is the Qyos acoustic cabin by Actiu.
Spanish office furniture brand Acitu recently designed its first acoustic meeting pod called Qyos. Qyos was launched to create “islands of privacy”. Qyos is a range of modular and sound-insulated cabins that were created by Actiu’s research and development team. The cabins are ideal for calls or tasks that need your complete focus and attention. The acoustic pods are an excellent option to escape when you need to get some work done on priority without the entire office bothering you.
“The booth can be a counterpoint solution to the overuse of meeting rooms and a strategic tool to organize space and encourage the optimal movement of people,” said Actiu. “Like the Greek island of Chios, Actiu’s booth is presented as a place of calm and refuge for a few minutes of the intensive and collaborative day-to-day.”
The Qyos cabins have been designed to be easily and effortlessly assembled. The cladding can be swiftly clipped on or off without the need for tools. The door of the acoustic pod can be oriented to either side, which allows it to adapt to any space it is placed into. The size of the cabin is compact, optimizing it for efficient and easy transportation. The Qyos cabin is built using recycled PET plastic, acoustic glass, steel, and extruded aluminum.
The cabins are available in varied finishes such as epoxy, textile, and melamine finishes in myriad combinations. Qyos also utilizes low-consumption LED lighting, and an air renewal system to offer maximum comfort to the user. Optional accessories such as high or low tables, screen hangings, stools, and soft seating are available as well.
