Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Expandable Furniture Pulls Out all the Stops For Your Space

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST

Book lovers know the perpetual bookshelf problem: you have too many books, so you get another bookshelf, but then the shelf looks empty until you get more books to fill it up entirely. Then as soon as you acquire a few more books, the problem just starts all over again. It isn’t a world-ending problem, of course, but it often keeps a home from looking tidy and organized.

Reinier de Jong has a clever solution in the REK Bookcase. It is an expandable and collapsible case that changes size to accommodate exactly the number of books you have at that moment.

When the bookcase is completely closed, it resembles a piece of modern art, adorned with maze-like lines. It can be opened one small column at a time, pulled from a closed monument to an easily-expanding set of shelves that are always just the right size.

Because the openings are all of different sizes, they are perfect for a variety of book heights. The shortest openings are perfect for stashing magazines, while the tallest hold the oversized coffee table books we love so much.

When you want those large picture books to actually reside on the coffee table, however, the matching REK coffee table is just as impressive. The also-expanding table provides an ever-changing number of surfaces on which to rest one’s drink or stack precious reading material.

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Sewing Box Cabinet Offers Traditional Style at Macro Scale

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST

Through many generations, grandma’s sewing box has held a kind of magical appeal for kids all over the world. This project from Kiki van Eijk takes that sewing box magic and amplifies it, turning it into something that is truly larger than life.

Despite its huge size, this cabinet opens easily with a simple pull on one side. The function is distinctly reminiscent of the classic multi-level sewing box design, right down to the sturdy legs on the bottom of the main volume.

The Dutch designer spent four years perfecting this massive cabinet, getting it to function in exactly the right way. She was sure that she did not want the cabinet to require more than one person to open – that, according to Kiki, would not mesh with the idea of the project.

The project was taken from design to finished product by a carpenter in Arnhem. It is made of solid elm and features beautiful brass knobs. Its slightly whimsical nature is balanced by its decidedly elegant silhouette and impressively smooth functionality.