This post is sponsored by Volvo, a company that designs with meaningful purpose to combine the benefits of form plus function, and to enhance your well-being.
We’ve all seen that perfect piece of furniture with an incredibly funky, cool design that turns out to be the opposite of useful or comfortable. It looks good, but it takes up too much space, the doors don’t open, or you get a backache after sitting down for more than a few minutes. This post is dedicated to all things stylish and modern that have not only a unique and fun design, but also fulfill the basic needs–and sometimes more–of practical, useful furniture.
1. Multifunctional Sofa Bunk Bed
This design by Bonbon is a clever solution for compact, modern living. The space-saving couch doubles as a bunk bed and combines practical function with super chic design. With one simple movement, convert the daytime seating area into sleeping accommodations for two. Bunk beds in the living room?! This calls for a 1980’s slumber party with Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins! You can learn more about all of the space saving designs on the Bonbon website.
2. ABC Bookcase
Typography enthusiasts will just adore these alphabet-inspired cubes that combine letters and numbers with useful storage. An interesting departure from your standard bookcase, the shelves can be organized to form any words or phrases that you choose. I particularly enjoy the idea of having an ongoing game of tic-tac-toe in my living room! Designers Eva Alessandrini & Roberto Saporiti really did it right with this custom design for furniture company Saporiti.
3. Little Black Dresser
Every fashionable woman has at least one basic Little Black Dress (LBD) hanging in her closet, but this LBD makes an extremely bold statement functioning AS the actually place to store clothing. The Straight Line Designs, Inc. concept, carved in the shape of a flirtatious dress, contains a chest of drawers that hang on the wall and store all of your precious clothes and accessories.
4. Lomme Egg-Shaped Bed
Lomme (Light Over Matter Mind Evolution) is an egg-shaped luxury bed designed to maximize comfortable sleep and rejuvenation. The LOMME World team developed this sleeping atmosphere with light, sound, and massage therapies that foster a cleaner, healthier, happier existence. Owners can scroll through a variety of interior colored lights, a selection of soft, soothing music and meditations, and built-in massage options via the installed iPhone. Once the settings are in place, fall into a deep sleep as the gradual fading light simulates sunset and then naturally awaken from a restful night as the virtual sunrise brightens the interior space. Seriously, I don’t think sleeping can get much better than that!
5. Centipede Bench
I’m no engineering expert, but common sense tells me that all of the legs on a wooden bench should be touching the ground. This Centipede bench definitely shatters that assumption! Designed by Hctor Esrawe for the green furniture manufacturing company Pirwi, the piece is an undulating seat design with multiple legs that visually generate a light, airy sense of movement. There are three versions: Centipede I and II are made as a single seat and Centipede III is a longer bench that can accommodate multiple people. Even more reason to like this piece, the materials are environmentally friendly and allow for minimum waste. I just hope it doesn’t scurry away while I’m taking a rest.
6. Wha Cabinet
Designer Tembolat Gugkaev is an expert in clever, yet practical, furniture design. The designer’s Wha Cabinet not only serves as your average, everyday curved bookcase, but at night, it turns into a practical reading lamp. An additional surprise is the rainbow lighting that makes for easy shelf navigation in the evenings. This unit has such great personality! Find out more about all of his unique designs on his website.
7. Giant Birdsnest Chair
The Giant Birdsnest Chair, designed by O*GE, can serve two functions. First, it seems like the perfect place to snuggle up and take a nap. Second, and probably a bit more functional, the seating area was designed to encourage working, playing, and socializing. It can fit up to 16 people and is meant to inspire creativity and new ideas. Also, based on these photos, I think a giant lamp to shine overhead is a must-have accessory!
8. Stacked Cabinet No. 6–Together We Can
There’s nothing boring about this stacked cabinet. It seems like it could topple over at any moment! But rest assured, designer Vincent Leman from Dust Furniture* always combines beauty with high quality construction to produce, “gravity bending furniture with personality, while leaving function fully intact.” This particular design was based on the concept of three people lifting each other up to reach a higher goal, and stands seven feet tall. I love the playful, cartoon design that will easily add a little fun to any room.
9. Modular Shelving: Vjunok/Bindweed Series
With this unique design, you can bring a touch of nature into your living room and use it as a bookcase. Russian designer Maria Yasko merged her interior and industrial design skills to create this tree-shaped shelving entitled Icelandic Tree. The combination of the shelf structure with the wall art adds a certain charm to an otherwise bland wall. Plus, the curved and bending shelves are an efficient use of wall space. Check out two of her other shelving designs on Behance.
10. Floating Lamps
This futuristic lamp will spark intrigue and conversation in any room in the house. Designed by Light-Light, the Floating Lamp is constructed with several cutting-edge technologies to create what appears to be an optical illusion. But don’t be fooled, once you get up close you’ll see that the lamp actually consists of a base, above which a magnet disc floats. The low power consumption and sleek, elegant design make this piece a timeless classic while at the same time leading the trends in funky, must-have interior design.
Which one is your favorite?