Side table and shelf uses monochromatic lines and dots springing up from the ground

When it comes to side tables and shelves, I’m the kind of person who prefers it to be functional (also, affordable) rather than aesthetic. But there are also those who prefer for their furniture to be both functional and also pieces of art. Fortunately, there are a lot of designers out there who are experimenting with form while still making them useful as their original purpose.

Designer: Taeg Nishimoto, TN/MOS

Lines and dots is one such kind of furniture wherein the side-table and free-standing shelf are both pieces that you can use to place your items but can also double as sculptures in your space. It uses various materials like clay, wood, sisal twine, discarded concrete chunk, and liquid rubber to bring you something that looks pretty unique with its “spontaneous geometry” kind of design.

The lines are actually intertwining pieces of twine that start from the bottom and up. The concrete chunk that serves as the base is used to attach the sisal twine which also passes through the circular, horizontal planes in the middle. Those planes are the shelves and even though they are round, they are not perfectly circular so you get a sense of movement. The twine lines are covered in clay by hand and the traces of the fingers applying it are left there. Afterwards, all parts of the side table and shelves are covered with white liquid rubber while the clay lines get black dots.

Since the side table and shelves are in white with black dots, it comes “alive” when you place objects with vibrant colors on it. The entire look of these lines and dots gives the impression that your furniture actually “grew” vertically from the ground up. You can only place a few objects on it because of its small size but the main point is adding to the aesthetic of your space.

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Top 10 Styles of Open Shelving for Maximizing Storage

Open shelves and storage solutions not only tidy up your possessions but also incorporate them into your home’s decorative scheme. Open shelves come in various styles and configurations, each offering unique advantages and aesthetic appeal. Here are ten different types of open shelves to choose from.

Designer: João Teixeira

1. Floating Shelves

Image courtesy of: 9_fingers_

These are the most common types of open shelves that are mounted directly onto the wall to impart a floating effect as the brackets are concealed. It is best suited for modern homes and is perfect for displaying decorative items, storage containers, or toys in children’s bedrooms.

2. Wall-Mounted Shelves

Image courtesy of: katrinasid

As the name suggests, these shelves are mounted on the wall supported by visible brackets and are available in multiple materials and designs.

Designer: Evan Clabots for Cozey

The Altitude Shelf, designed by Evan Clabots for Cozey, draws inspiration from Japanese and Danish woodworking traditions, boasting clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. Easy to assemble with included hardware and a placement guide, this versatile shelf seamlessly integrates into any room, offering both functionality and style.

Designer: Markus Hofko of Von Morgen

KUR!O’s innovative shelving unit offers customizable storage solutions with its grid base and interlocking shelving plates. It has evolved into a consumer-ready product featuring durable construction and additional features like dowels for hanging items. The base grid, made from wood-fiber boards, supports powder-coated steel panels, available in various colors for structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. With a modular design and playful color scheme, KUR!O adds contemporary flair to any space.

3. Cube Shelves

Available as rectangular or square-shaped shelves, these units can be used for storage and display. They can be used as individual units or can be combined to create an interesting display.

Designers: Calvin Middel & Bencekommt

Every foyer needs a storage solution for keys, jackets, and daily essentials. Student designers Calvin and Bence crafted Bügal designed a fusion piece blending a coat rack with a shelf system. Utilizing 3D printing, they molded Bügal’s body, achieving a sleek, semi-matte silicone finish. Bügal hangs securely from a wooden peg, accommodating multiple garments and bulky items like cameras or plants. Its deep pocket provides space for keys and phones, offering practical storage without sacrificing style.

Designer: Jean Couvreur for Kabata

The Fréquence shelf by Jean Couvreur, designed for Kabata, offers a versatile storage solution for compact living spaces. It features minimalist aesthetics with clean lines and a sleek white finish. This modular shelving system allows for various configurations, serving as a bookcase, base unit, or room divider. Its geometrically shaped modules, crafted from durable aluminum, enable creative arrangements while minimizing material wastage during manufacturing. With its sturdy construction and modern design, Fréquence adds functionality and elegance to any home environment.

Designer: Deniz Aktay

Deniz Aktay’s ‘Overlap’ table is a versatile and functional piece of furniture designed for modern living spaces. It features two rotated wooden boxes ingeniously joined to create a sturdy tabletop and storage unit. This compact yet stylish design prioritizes both form and function, offering ample storage while occupying minimal space. Its geometrically intriguing form adds a touch of sophistication to any room, making it a perfect fit for small corners or as a centerpiece in a living room.

4. Corner Shelves

Image courtesy of: olegbreslavtsev

Make optimum use of the corners and maximize storage with corner shelves. These shelves are available in triangular and curved designs and are ideal for enhancing the utility of vacant corners.

5. Ladder Shelves

Image courtesy of: bialasiewicz

These shelves resemble a ladder, lean against the wall, and are perfect for displaying books, plants, and decorative accents. Note that these shelves are wide at the base and narrow at the top.

6. Pipe Shelves

Image courtesy of: ckstockphoto

If you love the modern, rustic, or industrial look then go use metal pipes as the support brackets for holding wooden or glass shelves. These are perfect for a modern or rustic décor.

7. Cubby Shelves

These are open compartments of various sizes that provide flexible storage solutions and are very popular in offices and children’s bedrooms. These are perfect for storing books, baskets, and decorative objects.

Designer: Freia Achenbach

A shelf named “Spectator” captivates with interlocking puzzle piece design, subtly resembling distorted human faces. Hand-painted resin pieces create a glossy finish reminiscent of ivory and bone. While minimalist, it challenges observer roles, blurring lines between viewer and viewed. Despite its unconventional appearance, it seamlessly interlocks, symbolizing the mental space objects occupy. Though not the most functional, it offers a unique perspective, prompting contemplation on perception and cognition in a compact, artistic package.

Designer: Narbutas

In major cities, space scarcity persists, particularly for independent millennials transitioning to their own homes. Office environments face similar challenges, necessitating efficient storage solutions. Narbutas’ Combus Shelving System addresses this need, offering versatile storage and space partitioning with customizable shelving types and heights. Its innovative configurations facilitate dynamic office layouts, while optional accessories enhance functionality. Made from recycled materials, it promotes sustainability and can be easily disassembled for reuse.

8. Wire Shelves

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Image courtesy of: bilanol

These shelves provide a lightweight appearance and are highly recommended for use in the kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom to store kitchen essentials and bathroom items.

9. Console Units

Some console units come with open shelves and are primarily used for storing books. These not only look neat but are versatile pieces of furniture that can be used in the entryway, living room, or bedroom.

Designer: Carlos Platz

The Svolta shelving system epitomizes simplicity, with ingenious joinery inspired by alpine architecture. Using precise cutouts, it assembles effortlessly, relying solely on the shelves and legs themselves. Named after the Italian word for “rotation,” Svolta utilizes wooden pieces with fitted cutouts, allowing swift assembly. Crafted from sustainable European oak, it offers an elegant, scalable solution with minimal environmental impact.

10. Decorative Shelving

Some shelving units resemble a piece of wall art and can play a role in enhancing storage with creative shelving configurations of various colors, shapes, materials, and more.

Designer: Kengo Kuma for More Trees

Marumarushikaku is a modular wooden shelf with assorted stacked shapes. Its unconventional design serves as both functional storage and captivating artwork. Comprising rectangular and round boards, it enables personalized arrangements. Despite its delicate appearance, it securely accommodates items like books and plants. Crafted from locally sourced wood, it adds a minimalist touch with rotating plates and is ideal for enhancing any office or living space.

Designer: Lisa Brustolin

The new collection of everyday furniture challenges the prevailing minimalism trend in design by offering vibrant and visually intriguing pieces. Each item combines colors, materials, and shapes to create highlights in any room. For example, the Differ Shelf features translucent epoxy resin legs and opaque shelves, creating a captivating interplay of light. The Opticabinet, crafted by Venetian artisans, creates an optical illusion with alternating patterns of blue and green. Lastly, the Wrong Mirror offers a modern twist on a classic design, prompting reflection with its unconventional form and materials.

Designer: George Bosnas

Drawing inspiration from the beloved 1980s toy, the Rubika bookcase seamlessly merges modern aesthetics with nostalgic charm. While resembling a three-dimensional cube from a distance, upon closer inspection, it reveals the dimensions of a traditional bookcase. This captivating illusion is achieved through a clever arrangement of cubby shapes and a blend of assorted woods, resulting in a visually dynamic and intriguing piece.

Each type of open-shelf design comes with different advantages, and aesthetics, and can be integrated with the decor of different rooms. However, choose the best one according to your individual preferences and space.

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Modular and multi-functional shelf and mirror is an aesthetic addition to your space

Normally, the shelves that I look for or I actually get have one purpose only: to hold and store my books. And I have a lot, and I mean a lot, of books. But there are times when I want to be able to get something that is also decorative or can be a conversation piece (although that still hasn’t happened yet since I still need for it to just be functional). A lot of designers now are creating ideas, concepts, and sometimes actual products, that can be multi-functional and modular and shelves are no exceptions.

Designer: João Teixeira

Wave is a conceptual design for a shelf that also doubles as a mirror. Even better, it is modular so you can arrange it into different layouts, depending on your need, your preference, or your mood. Just don’t expect a full mirror of course since the shelf part and the shape of the entire thing can be a bit obtrusive. But if you’re just looking for a surface that can hold your books, decorations, and other knick knacks that happens to have a mirror attached to it, then this is something you will be interested in.

Since the concept is named Wave, the shape of the mirror and the shelves is wavy and reminiscient of the letter S. It is modular yes but no matter where you place the different parts, you’ll still get the wave. The renders show that there are around 4-5 parts that you can assemble and play around with, depending on where you want to place the shelves part or if you want it to be horizontal or vertical in orientation.

If what you really want is to look fully in a mirror, you may be annoyed with the way this is designed. But if this gets made into an actual product, those who will buy it will probably just see the mirror as part of the whole design of the multi-functional shelf. You can also probably only just place a few objects on it (most likely not part of my book collection) but again, this is more for the added aesthetics rather than a fully functional piece of furniture.

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The panels on this crockery shelf are actually designer plates that you can remove and dine in!

A wonderful twist on how crockery gets stored in cabinets, the Gere Multifunctional Crockery Shelf turns your plates into decorative panels that contribute to the furniture’s aesthetic. The Gere Multifunctional Crockery Shelf looks like a gorgeous piece of furniture with abstract art on the front… but what appears to be art is, in fact, a series of partitioned plates for eating different food. Each plate has a uniquely different partition design, which not only contributes to the shelf’s eye-catching facade, but also makes eating a rather fun experience! Behind each plate lies a storage area for your other crockery, giving you a fun, yet functional shelf for your kitchen!

Designer: Florian Beser

The inspiration behind Gere stems from the growing trend of minimalism and the need to optimize small living spaces. The project focuses on addressing the issue of large shelves filled with round plates that result in wasted space. The goal is to create a crockery shelf that is compact yet caters to the storage needs of individuals in smaller households.

To achieve this goal, the design team employed a comprehensive research process that included surveys, market analysis, interviews with the target audience, and the creation of a user journey map. The insights gained from this research provided a deep understanding of kitchen storage preferences, structuring items in the kitchen, and interaction points with shelves and plates.

Gere seamlessly combines shelves and plates, utilizing the plates to form a relief-like front for the shelf. This unique design creates additional interior space that can be efficiently utilized to store more crockery, cups, glasses, and other kitchen essentials. The gridlike structure of Gere allows for scalability, enabling larger or smaller versions to cater to different household sizes.

Ideal for placement in kitchens or dining rooms, Gere can be hung on the wall. The individual rows of plates can be folded down, providing easy access to stored items or allowing the removal of a plate from the front. The plates themselves feature segments, enabling users to separate main courses and side dishes on a single plate for convenient transportation. In addition to the front storage, Gere offers additional shelf space for storing crockery, cups, glasses, and more, making it a modularly expandable crockery set.

The functionality of Gere relies on the careful consideration of material properties. The shelf is crafted from local oak wood, chosen for its sturdiness and resistance to water. The plates, conceptualized using 3D graphic software, are 3D printed, translated into plaster molds, and ultimately cast in porcelain.

Specifications for Gere include 240mm x 240mm x 20mm dimensions for the plates and a prototype shelf measuring 1200mm x 200mm x 1300mm. The customizable size of the shelf ensures that Gere can be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of different users.

Gere stands as a testament to the marriage of form and function in the realm of kitchen storage. Its innovative design not only maximizes space utilization but also brings an element of aesthetic appeal to the utilitarian aspect of crockery storage. As the demands of modern living continue to evolve, Gere offers a practical and elegant solution for those seeking to optimize their living spaces without compromising on style or functionality.

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