Tag Archives: Work From Home Furniture

Multifunctional furniture collection offers simple ways to support your hybrid work life

Posted on by

Many of us have probably become acutely aware of how little space we actually have inside our homes, at least not enough to accommodate other activities that go beyond sleeping, eating, and relaxing. Recent shifts in work arrangements have created the need for hybrid spaces, or areas that can function as a workplace as well as a living space. Aside from making room for specialized furniture, homeowners have found themselves trying to either utilize existing furniture for other functions, like a dining table that becomes your office desk outside of meal times or replace those with multifunctional designs. Multifunctional, however, doesn’t have to mean complicated, as demonstrated by this collection of simple furnishings that ingeniously hide their extra features in plain sight.

Designer: Alessandro Stabile

One of the most important requirements when working from home is having a separate desk just for work or school. As many found out in the past two or so years, that’s a luxury for those living in small homes with a limited number of rooms. Sure, you can use almost any table as a work desk, but that also muddles the separation of your work from other parts of your life. Wally solves this by disguising the desk as a wall shelf that folds to reveal a horizontal surface to work on. It does function as a shelf with a hidden space when the table is folded up, while the top shelf can be home to decorations or more visible objects like clocks and storage bins.

1

This theme of easy-to-access hidden functionality is pervasive across the collection. “Mr. Hyde,” for example, looks like an ultra-minimalist wall-mounted wooden desk, at least until you pull that wooden enclosure to reveal hidden storage inside. Its complement, the In&Out shelf, has the same trick, except it uses a more conventional sliding tray to access the compartments.

1

What makes this particular collection extra special is that they’re designed for simplicity and ease of integration with the rest of your living space. Their minimalist and modular designs allow the owner to decide where and how to use them. Sure, there are parts of the collection that do need to be securely mounted to walls, but some, like the modular Dese bookcase, offer a bit more flexibility.

There are even some that are so simple that you might wonder why there aren’t more of these designs around. Double, for example, is a side table that can either stand low on both legs horizontally or stand tall on one side, offering you a place to put your things on, regardless of your available floor space. Sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones, and this elegant minimalist collection proves how “simple” doesn’t need to be boring, either.

The post Multifunctional furniture collection offers simple ways to support your hybrid work life first appeared on Yanko Design.

Herman Miller announces the Passport Table, a height-adjusting versatile table that lets you work anywhere

Posted on by

The pneumatic-controlled table is compact enough to fit your entire work setup, and can move around the office to let you be instantly productive wherever you go.

Herman Miller’s Passport Table complements the laptop-based work setup perfectly. Laptops were designed to be portable, allowing you to carry them everywhere. They’re untethered, giving you the freedom to work in a cabin, at a standing desk, a meeting room, or in the lobby. The Passport Table encourages that freedom by being the table that accompanies you and your laptop everywhere. It features a compact, lightweight design that wheels around with you, and comes in two sizes that fit both smaller and larger spaces. The smaller variant sports a 22 x 16” worksurface and height adjustability of 12 inches, while the larger version offers a 27 x 20” working area, and the ability to adjust its height by 18 inches. Additionally, the Passport will be made available in a wide range of colors with the ability to customize it by adding accessories like a flexible privacy partition, etc.

Designer: Herman Miller

“The future of work is a trending topic in our current climate,” says Ben Watson, President of Herman Miller. “But for Herman Miller, the convergence of work, life, and play has always been central to how we design our products. Passport is the next addition to our portfolio that seeks to bring forth solutions that are agile, efficient, and fit for a variety of environments.”

The Passport Table prioritizes flexibility over everything else. When used at home, Passport provides a highly efficient work surface with an adjustable height range that occupies minimal space, giving customers the option to upgrade their multi-use or small home offices. In the workplace, it gives you the flexibility to move around so you’re not restricted to the three walls of a cabin. You can wheel the Passport around with you (and your office chair) and work from an atrium or lobby, or wheel it to your colleague’s desk to brainstorm or work together. The height-adjusting feature also lets you switch to a standing desk format, allowing you to metaphorically and literally ‘be on your feet’!

The compact nature of the Passport Table makes it a perfect addition to any hybrid office space, allowing it to ‘maximize performance while minimizing footprint’. The table features a single-column base and lightweight construction, along with optional add-ons like a bag-hook on the central column, or a flexible privacy screen that magnetically snaps into place, giving you a more cozy, semi-private work environment.

Passport will be available in a wide range of finishes and colors, with pricing starting at $495 USD.

The post Herman Miller announces the Passport Table, a height-adjusting versatile table that lets you work anywhere first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ignite Desk separates work and personal life in a simple yet effective way

Posted on by

It’s probably arguable that many of us spend the majority of our waking moments in front of desks and tables, whether it’s for work, play, or anything in between. The desk, in particular, has long been associated with working, studying, or other kinds of activities that require a flat surface, and the desk’s core design hasn’t changed much until recently. Limited room space has given birth to modular desk designs, while work-from-home arrangements caused multi-purpose desks to flourish. Even as the world settles down into the cadence of a “new normal,” the need to separate work from other activities at home hasn’t gone away. This customizable desk has a design that respects that separation of concerns, and it implements this in a beautifully minimalist manner.

Designer: Subi Hahn

The same desk can be used for almost anything, of course, and you’re free to configure it the way you like or need things to be. Switching between different modes or kinds of work, however, can be tedious and cumbersome, especially if you use different specialized tools for the job. The amount of work needed to keep your desk organized and tidy can be daunting and disheartening, so most will eventually end up with a cluttered desk that just mixes everything together.

The simplest solution that doesn’t involve buying a new desk is to just cover your work desk when you’re done and uncover it again the next day. The Ignite Desk concept design borrows that idea but expands it to make the same desk usable for two different purposes. In its “neutral” state, the backboard is unfolded over the entire desk, providing a flat and clean surface you can use for activities like reading, playing, or even eating.

To put the Ignite Desk in its “active” state, simply push and fold the backboard to the rear, revealing the second-level work space underneath. Rather than just a simple tabletop, it provides a few sections and customizable modules that let you set up your workstation according to your job and needs. There are containers for stationery and accessories, for example, as well as a wireless charging pad. There are hidden power outlets for your devices as well as movable dividers to really personalize your setup.

The Ignite Desk doesn’t have a sophisticated mechanism, and its design is practically to cover the real work desk with another desk. At the same time, however, it creates a clear yet flexible division between the desk you use for work with the desk that you can use for everything else. Even if you don’t actually use this “neutral” mode desk, it still encourages creating a sort of ritual where you put a start and an end to your work hours, letting you allocate time for the rest of your life and, hopefully, leave enough room to ignite your creativity and the time for work finally does arrive.

The post Ignite Desk separates work and personal life in a simple yet effective way first appeared on Yanko Design.

Walkolution treadmill desks revolutionize the way people work and workout at home

Posted on by

The new year is all about fresh start. If you’re like millions of people around the world that started the year with the goal of getting fit and healthy, you have probably done either of the two: start or stop already.

The first month of the year is usually when people are so hyped up with keeping their resolutions. By the second month, they stop or forget about their goals. You see, being fit is an integral part of a person’s life. Well, it should be but you can agree with me it can be a challenge especially these days when people are encouraged to stay home and there’s not enough space to move.

Designer: Walkolution

Walking is perhaps the easiest and most economical thing to do. You can start with it but what happens when working from home and staying at home are becoming the norm. One can’t just go around the neighborhood, at least, in some parts of the world due to fear of Covid.

A treadmill is an answer. There are plenty of portable and smaller models available in the market that you don’t have any reason not to buy. But for those multitaskers, you can consider this desk treadmill from Walkolution.

Walkolution Treadmill Walk and Work

The German company actually offers several different models of the walking treadmill that differ in size and design. They are similar in many ways as they allow you to start with your own movement revolution. All variants offer the same elements: treadmill and a desk for work.

Walkolution MTD900R KYBUN WANDERLUST

The most affordable model, the MT300 NEW WORK, is very compact and is a silent treadmill. It doesn’t have a desk but you can place it anywhere a standing desk. You can choose to get a handrail and standing aid.

Walkolution MT300 NEW WORK

The other two models, the MTD700R WANDERLUST and the MTD800R ÄRA, are also compact and come with a silent treadmill workspace with an integrated desk and a free-standing premium lift desk, respectively. Both offer ergonomic standing aid and hand-rail. The standing desk on each model is adjustable.

Walkolution MTD900R KYBUN ÄRA

Walkolution Treadmill

Many people say this is perfect for the home office but it’s also ideal for real corporate offices, fitness studios, home gym, and even in spas and other rehabilitation or medical centers. For extra comfort, you can change the treadmill covering. You can choose between the stable birch wood or the elastic wooden slats. To make the Walkolution a very worth solution, its design is modular which means you can modify or retrofit other versions.

Walkolution products are sold by a Germany-based company. Founded by Dr. Eric Söhngen and Frank Ackermann in 2017, the Walkolution brand quickly became a success. The treadmills made by the company are now sold in more than 40 countries and are used by private consumers and corporate customers.

Walkolution MTD900R KYBUN WANDERLUST

Each treadmill uses proprietary technology. It’s eco-friendly as every treadmill doesn’t need electricity to work. If you want to move, you will really need to get moving and walking.

Walkolution has built an eco-certified high-tech production site where all treadmill products and engineered and manufactured. Each product is crafted following high standards for top-notch German quality and excellent customer service.

A walking treadmill offers a lot of benefits. Many people know that sitting on a chair while being in front of the computer for hours is not that healthy. It can be now with Walkolution. You have no reason not to walk because the treadmill is there. You can place your laptop on the desk to work and walk away from that extra weight.

No electricity is required. It only needs your weight and pace for it to work and change the intensity level. It’s noise-free too because there is no motor that runs inside.

Walkolution Treadmill Design

The treadmill comes with a design that allows a leaning back position. This results to more comfortable walking. Working and staying healthy at the same time is possible. You just need to be determined to really do this thing. You ready now?

The post Walkolution treadmill desks revolutionize the way people work and workout at home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This modular furniture building system takes an artistic approach to construct functional and playful pieces

Posted on by

Deku is a modular furniture building system composed of wooden planks that fasten together at the planks’ 45-degree, pyramid-shaped edges.

While modular furniture is functional by design, it also evokes the designer’s most creative tendencies. In time with our world’s rapid WFH movement and mobile lifestyles, the emergence of modular furniture has redefined what our living spaces could look and feel like.

Designer: Takuto Ohta

Combining their artistic skills with the practical edge of an industrial designer, Takuto Ohta designed Deku, a modular furniture system comprised of wooden planks that can be stacked and configured together to form numerous different furniture pieces, from tabletops to benches.

Named after the Japanese word for wooden puppet or doll, Deku is inspired by the stone piles that wash ashore on riverbanks. In creating Deku, Ohta sharpened the ends of each wooden plank to form 45-degree angles, allowing each wooden plank to slink into one another with ease.

This triangular building system is essentially what allows for so many different configurations to be made from Deku. Using colorful masking tape to fasten each module together, Ohta was able to add some playfulness to the project’s overall display and assembly process.

Using human instinct as their natural guide for building each piece of furniture, Ohta notes, “I don’t think about what I’m making, I feel the laws of physics in the freedom and inconvenience of combination, and I see the forest with the smell and texture of trees. When I moved my hand, the furniture was made naturally.” In the development of Deku, Ohta seems to find the human’s most primal desire: to play and fill the gaps.

The post This modular furniture building system takes an artistic approach to construct functional and playful pieces first appeared on Yanko Design.

This WFH desk concept bucks the trend to offer some peace of mind

Posted on by

Sometimes, the traditional and the familiar can offer a calming refuge against a stressful storm of changes.

The past two years have forced many changes in the world, not all of them warmly welcomed. Work, in particular, has taken on a new form, one that finally proved that some work could actually be done at home. But as the world changed rapidly, so did the need for resources and tools that adapted to that new world order. This sea of changes gave way to a flood of new products in dizzying variety and numbers. One idea, however, tries to swim against the current to offer something with a familiar face that inspires confidence and offers a bit of tranquility.

Designer: Can Türker

As more and more people worked and studied at home, the venerable home desk was no longer enough to support the added demands. This gave birth to a new breed of desks and office equipment that boasted creative ways to improve productivity or maximize space, some of them bordering on the gimmicky. While a lot did lean more towards minimalist aesthetics, more offer advanced features that ironically complicated life and added to the mental burden of already stressed-out people.

The Bold Desk concept is bold in two ways. The designer’s expressed intent is to make the desk inspire boldness in facing the unknown of new work from home arrangements. Intentionally or not, the desk is also bold for eschewing complex features and gimmicks to present something immediately familiar and comfortable.

Nothing says familiar better than a wooden desk, and the Bold Desk’s choice of material scores points for both sustainability and design. It offers an immediate connection between the desk and the user, and its organic origin evokes feelings of warmth and life compared even to wood that’s been painted over with unnatural hues. The drawer and the bottom side also have a soothing effect, thanks to their curved edges. Rather than cram everything into a space-efficient area, the wide surface of the desk also gives some space to breathe.

That’s not to say that the Bold Desk is plain and unremarkable. It puts an emphasis on storage space to help hide away the clutter, even if temporarily. The inconspicuous gap on its back also offers a way for cables and power cords to snake out of sight and out of mind. The Bold Desk, despite its name, focuses on being subtle and unobtrusive, putting an equal value on people’s mental health as much as their productivity.

The post This WFH desk concept bucks the trend to offer some peace of mind first appeared on Yanko Design.

Every one of these WFH furniture pieces includes a secret feature to keep your work and life separate

Posted on by

Every piece of Taku Yahara’s line of WFH furniture reveals a dual function or hidden compartment that’s designed to keep work and life balanced.

When working from home, the conditions have to be prime. Whether you’re working from the patio or the kitchen, the mood has to be just right. It’s no surprise most of us went straight to the drawing boards to transform our bedrooms into hybrid working spaces after WFH orders went into place. Helping move the process along, Taku Yahara designed a line of versatile pieces of office furniture to keep our working and living spaces separate, making WFH that much more comfortable.

When designing his line of WFH furniture, Yahara looked first to versatility. Equipping most of his pieces of furniture with dual features and hidden compartments, Yahara wanted to ensure work and life could remain balanced even when working from home. The Mobility Desk, for example, is a portable desk that can transform into an inconspicuous storage basin when the workday is finished.

In its initial form, the Mobility Desk is a narrow wooden storage bin and then transforms into a drop-front desk for working. Keeping the design work to a minimum, the Mobility Desk is stripped down to its barest form to emphasize its accessibility. Then, Yahara conceptualized a router box with convenience at the forefront of his design.

Since finding good WiFi is the number one priority when working from home, Yahara developed the router box at an appropriate height to ensure open access throughout the day, from anywhere in the house.

For work-on-the-go, Yahara designed a desk work bag that functions as a carrying case for all of our office supplies as well as a storage bin for the desk. Rigid by design, the desk work bag can be carried with little to no fuss and then remain in place on the desk. Finally, an extended drawer can turn any table into a working desk. Softened with a leather top, the extended drawer reveals an additional storage bin for office supplies.

Designer: Taku Yahara

The desk work bag can remain in place on top of the actual desk or hang from a table edge with accessory hooks. 

With an integrated secret drawer, the extended desk functions as a working space and storage basin.

The post Every one of these WFH furniture pieces includes a secret feature to keep your work and life separate first appeared on Yanko Design.

This modular furniture system can be reconfigured endlessly to keep your kids entertained while you work from home!

Posted on by

Loop is a modular furniture system that aims to keep your kid entertained while you’re working from home, incorporating a mixed array of play modules and work modules that can be reconfigured endlessly to create the ideal WFH space.

Working from home has tested each of our house’s office efficiency and versatility. Few of us have come out on top–sinking into the couch is great for Netflix, but not Zoom, and mid-meeting snacks end up as a layer of cracker and chips on the carpet. Add kids to the mix and a home renovation project couldn’t come soon enough. But before you completely transform your living room, look to Loop, a modular furniture system with integrated kid-friendly features designed by industrial designer Buse Kaya for parents who need to keep an eye on their kids while working from home.

It always feels like the doctor’s office waiting room has everything to keep your kid entertained, from wooden toy blocks to sheets and sheets of stickers, whereas the magazine rack is there for you to peruse while you sip on your coffee and fill out the paperwork. Loop (stylized as Loop.) is a little bit like that.

From a chalkboard to a bead maze and tactile puzzles, each module that makes up Loop is designed for your child to play with while you work. Considering its modular formation, Loop can be configured in countless different ways. In one space, users can stack each module on top of one another to create a partition and standing desk space, allowing you to work freely while your kid remains entertained and within eyesight.

Alternatively, users can position Loop so that the storage modules bunch together while the play and work modules attach to one another to form a hybrid WFH space. Or, true to its name, Loop can form a circle similar to horseshoe desk formations in grade school so while you work at one module, your kid can play away right in front of you.

Since WFH has sprung into high gear, those of us with kids are reconsidering our home spaces to make sure we’re filling out the correct paperwork while watching our kids and keeping them entertained. Comprised of attachable modules, Loop is a furniture system that can adapt to any living space. Each module comes with its own function and personality, offering an array of different play spaces for your child or children to stay entertained.

Designer: Buse Kaya

Each module that comes with Loop can be broken down to create detached play areas for your kid to bring anywhere they like.

The modules can even function as seats that imitate a rocking horse.

Built with kid-friendly materials, Loop is as playful as it is safe. 

Loop comes with an assembly booklet that guides users through the building process. 

Loop’s final form was ultimately decided following multiple ideations and an involved research period.

This multifunctional desk features entertainment and work modules to help you switch off from work mode

Posted on by

The Layout desk is a multifunctional workspace that comes with various entertainment and work modules to blur the line between WFH and play.

WFH has transformed our desks into micro versions of our homes. Blurring the line between work and play, spending so much time at home has made our desks representative entertainment systems, craft stations, and storage bins all in addition to first functioning as our workspaces. With so many WFH-inspired desk concepts coming out, a team of designers aimed to build the Layout, a modular desk that can do it all, and then some.

Inspired by the blurring of work and play in WFH spaces, Juwon Kim, Jiwon Song, and Eunsang Lee framed Layout with a translucent, corrugated exterior finish that immediately catches the eye. Wrapped in sea green, the Layout desk is modular by design to incorporate a plethora of different work and entertainment features. The Layout desk is topped off with an upper cover that’s designed to conceal the workspace after the workday’s done.

When you’re still getting in those hours, though, the Layout desk’s upper cover folds up and functions as a partition to create some privacy and a sense of spatial boundaries for the workspace. When closed, the desk features a front display panel, similar to the Mac’s Touch Bar, where users can add widgets to play with after work. The widgets range from a music player, clock, and micro-control grid. But all the fun is also kept underneath the desk’s cover.

Different modules outfit the inside of the Layout desk, bringing a mix of practical and leisure modules. The light controller and paperclip modules, for example, operate the desk’s interior glow light and create storage space for small stationery items respectively. Phone charging and calendar modules make it easy to stay connected and on top of your schedule while working and a pencil holder creates some more storage space.

Then, the desk’s music modules take the form of a CD player and accompanying speaker for slow jam, ambient music while you work. Finally, an electronic memo pad is also worked into the desk’s modular interior, so you can always keep note of your day-to-day.

Designers: Juwon Kim, Jiwon Song, and Eunsang Lee

Layout’s team of designers took the traditional desk form and topped it off with a lid to incorporate entertainment and work modules.

The translucent, corrugated cover for the Layout desk speaks to the designers’ inspiration in blurring the line between WFH and play.

The Layout desk’s top lid draws back like an awning to provide a partition. 

Inside the desk’s storage space, an integrated glowing light keeps the workspace bright.

When closed, users can enjoy the desk’s touch bar control panel, which comes with default clock and music widgets. 

Users can add their own widgets to the control panel to optimize its usability. 

The integrated memo pad module allows users to keep notes of their daily goings-on.

The light dimmer adjusts the desk’s interior light, while a paperclip storage bin provides space to store small stationery items. 

This slim wall cabinet opens into a sleek, modern, functional workspace!

Posted on by

Nils Holger Moorman presents ‘der vorstand’, a slender wall cabinet that transforms into a multifunctional think tank, creating the sense of space whenever users need it. The structure features a back wall on wheels that rolls out with a single pull to reveal a work desk with integrated bookshelves and a top light at the center. The project seeks to provide maximum atmosphere and minimum surface area at the same time.

Unlike any other sleek wall cabinet, ‘der vorstand’ by Moorman can easily unfold into a small, yet convenient workspace. The fold-out ceiling creates a sense of space, affords light, and connects the essentials: the back wall mounted on wheels with its magnetic exterior and the desk at the center. In keeping with the trusted Moorman ordering principle, everything has its designated place: from pens to the books and the binders, while the electronic devices can be charged with hidden cables. In addition, a curtain can be added to the side and the illumination of the ceiling and workspace can be adjusted to the users’ personal preferences.

‘der vorstand’ was initially designed as a submission to a design competition, and since then this winner model has ventured out on its own as an independent room-in-room solution. The first prototype was developed and built by Moorman’s in-house designers following the ideals of lead designer Nils Holger Moorman. Surfaces and materials are reduced to the basics: solid ash wood and light beige linoleum where hands and eyes rest or work in concentration; black surfaces and quiet restraint where nothing should distract the users. Precise details for storing, cabling, and locking the fold-out mechanism convey integrity and guarantee self-assured performance on the executive level.

‘we are in search of furniture creations based on a special idea. Sometimes absurd, sometimes brilliant, sometimes a detail, sometimes a revolution. Typically a minimalist formal language with a high level of experience – but always with a subtle twinkle in the eye’ shares the Moorman team. When the professional slips into the private sphere, then the convertible ‘der vorstand’ piece comes in to maintain order at home. It helps generate a private space according to occupants’ needs and wishes, or otherwise, it closes discreetly and retreats elegantly into the background.

Designer: Nils Holger Moorman