(via: designboom)

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It’s a coffee table. It’s a pinball machine. It’s a “Star Wars” lover’s dream. It’s the Droid, a piece of furniture so cool, you’ll want it whether you grew up with Darth Vader, Yoda and C-3PO or not. Created by utterly inventive Hungarian ALTAR furniture, this “one and only love child of Star Wars pinball and R2D2” has snagged a 2015 A’Design Award and garnered – deservedly – lots of international attention. The object, a bona fide coffee table on wheels, is basically a vintage “Star Wars” pinball field housed in the body of an R2D2.

This next piece of info (get ready for total geek-out), might be the most exciting aspect of this amazing creation: It has a mini slide projector that displays “R2D2 in the Death Stars’ sewage.” It beeps, it blinks, it whirs, it pings (see video below), it took 321 hours to come alive, and it costs circa $13,000 (if still available), not counting shipping from Budapest. It’s epic. We rest our case.

Its creators, ALTAR furniture, have devoted themselves to rescuing pin ball machines after they die, imbuing them with a second, awesome coffee table life as “wonderfully complicated, meticulously planned and crafted sexy beings,” as they so eloquently write on their website.

If “Star Wars” isn’t your cup of Joe, check out these other commissioned coffee table pieces by the European artisans.

Or best of all, if you have the money to spare, have them custom design your very own love child, such as this nostalgic tape deck below!

For more info, visit altars.co

“The ‘lovechild’ of R2D2 and 3CPO is here in all it’s glory! R2PO, the fully working Star Wars pin ball coffee table of Altar Furniture took almost 300 hours to finish.”

“Currently only one item available, this amazing lovechild of R2D2 and 3CPO is probably the coolest Star Wars collectible in the Galaxy. Beautifully crafted by hand, the outer surface has been meticulously covered with #gold leafing.”

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Seating demand in a residential setting tends to vary dramatically depending on the day – most of the time two or four chairs may be enough, but when a half-dozen friends stop by, it can be nice to have some easy-to-free seats ready to unroll.

Enclosed in this cube – which could serve as a side table itself – by Naho Matsuno are a series of birch plywood and maple seats. The stools themselves are very simple, yet each one is slightly different owing to the way in which they must slot together within the box in closed position.

That gives them a bit of extra personality, though, doesn’t it? Like seating for the (six) dwarves.

The only question is: once you take it all apart, will you need to get your guests to help puzzle it back together at the end of the night?

If so, you may want to check out this three-seat variant, which could also prove to be a bit more robust as well. Perfect for those who don’t require quite as much extra seating, it seems like it would also be a lot easier to reassemble at the end of the night. Especially if alcohol is involved.

Matsuno first unveiled this project at the Salone Satellite at the Milan furniture fair, where it got a lot of attention.

About designer Naho Matsuno:

“Born in Osaka in 1981. Graduated from the Department of Design and Design, Tohoku University of Art & Design in 2004. Studied at the Swedish National University of Arts and Crafts Design University in the same year. Graduated from Tohoku Art Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Arts and Engineering. After working at the same department as the product design department, the design office, the furniture maker etc. Emigrated to Oita Prefecture in 2015. Work on a wide range of products and graphics.”

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That might seem like it’s simply not enough space to store all your possessions, let alone enjoy time in your home, but the secret here is all in how you use the limited square footage. Micro apartments utilizing clever space-saving tricks like lofts, built-in storage, and transforming elements can meet just about all of your needs — as long as you stay on top of keeping the place tidy, of course. 

The 22m2 Apartment by A Little Design demonstrates how this can work for a resident who’s a single busy urban professional. The owner of the flat commissioned the architects to renovate the old 236-square-foot space with roughly 11-foot-high ceilings to complement her lifestyle, comfortably fitting in everything she owns and accommodating her habits without breaking the bank.

Some architects would accomplish this by packing furniture and other items into every available square inch of floor space, but this client wanted to leave almost the entire living area open so she could exercise and freely rearrange the furniture. That left a window nook and minimal space along the walls for the designers to work with, but the results prove that they certainly were up to the challenge.

Unsurprisingly, A Little Design prioritized making full use of the ceiling height by adding in a sleeping loft above the kitchen and bathroom. Though there’s only enough room up there to crouch, sit, or lay down, it’s still plenty suitable for sleeping, accessing some of the storage spaces, and even using a desk built into the wall. The stairs contain two shoe storage cabinets, and also hide the television from view when it’s not in use.

Despite the space limitations, the client also wanted to find a way to fit in some crucial functions: lots of clothes storage, a washer and dryer, a kitchen you could actually cook in, a dining table that could accommodate a guest or two, and a bath tub. After traveling abroad for work, all she wanted to do was come home and have a hot bath before getting a good night’s sleep.

The architects explain: “Firstly, the shower was replaced with a bath, and the washer was moved to the kitchen. Because in Taiwan the gas can not be piped into a house without a balcony and a small electric heater can not provide sufficient hot water for a bath, we adjusted the layout of the toilet to make room for a storage water heater, and a sliding door with a mirror which not only makes the maintenance easy but also amplifies the space visually.”

“Fixed furniture such as the kitchen cabinet, the wardrobe, and the shelf are attached to the wall to fully utilize the height and avoid aisles. The wardrobe is below the shelf due to the higher frequency of use, but a part of the shelf still can be accessed conveniently from the mezzanine area.”

“The tatami area and cabinet alongside the window make full use of the alcove and also provide ample storage. There are two wooden tables alongside the wall in the living room that could [also] be a long bar table, which economizes the room and can be combined in the other direction to be a dining table. Therefore, the empty space is flexible for different needs, and makes the small flat less cramped.”

Lots of bright white paint, pale wood, and ample natural light from the windows visually enlarge the micro apartment, while clutter like clothing and electronic items are all kept behind the doors of the built-in wardrobe and cabinets. A swing-arm lamp and a library-style ladder are two small touches that make a big difference, too, taking up very little space but moving easily when needed. The overall result feels clean, orderly, and anything but cramped.

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Continuing his longtime “Mechanical Cabinet” series, Errazuriz offers modular furniture that doubles as interactive art. Currently based in New York, the Chilean-born, London-raised artist blends traditional woodworking and technological components with unexpected forms to produce fascinating transforming pieces.

At first glance, many of these cabinets and credenzas just seem like beautiful things to look at; the functionality they have to offer is hidden beneath the complexities at the surface. But once you peel back the layers to reveal what’s underneath, you learn that they are just as usable as any piece that overtly prioritizes function over form.

Seeing the pieces in action is fascinating. Just when you think the object can’t transform any more than it already has, Errazuriz demonstrates yet another way in which it can blossom like an alien flower. The Magistral Chest looks inhospitably spiked when closed up, protecting drawers full of mysteries at its heart. The Fan Cabinet unfurls like a tropical bird concealing row after row of dazzling feathers beneath an unremarkable exterior. The Grand Complication Cabinet is especially deserving of its name, starting out small and unfolding one component after another. Other cabinets in the collection spin, twist, and even reveal beautiful kaleidoscopic displays.

“Breaking the Box” is a solo presentation of Errazuriz’s new work, currently on display at New York City’s R & Company gallery. The curators note the mechanical brilliance of the pieces, each of which requires a high level of technical precision to be used to its fullest potential. Other pieces on display at the show include works from Errazuriz’s “Metamorphosis” series, which feature taxidermy birds from the artist’s native Chilean landscape.

The R & Company website reads: “’Breaking the Box’ presents a curated selection of Errazuriz’s newest functional sculptures, [which] exemplify his multifaceted practice and evolution as a contemporary artist and designer. The diverse work on view challenges the boundaries between art, design, and technology while inviting the viewer to question their purpose and function. His experimental approach to this new series is seen through the varying materials and stylistic methods he employs. Unified together thematically through their ongoing exploration of nature, humor, life, and death, Errazuriz encourages viewers to engage and discover the new works in the exhibition.”

Speaking on the project himself, Errazuriz says: “We tend to understand reality by constraining meaning into closed and simplified boxes defined by previous cultural convention. We live within these pre-established cognitive borders, where we only tend to see, recognize, and accept as true that which has been previously ordered and defined. In ‘Breaking the Box,’ I use art, design, and craft to break open our relationship to objects, function, beauty, and time in order to reconsider conventions.”

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A new project called “Coal: Post-Fuel” by Jesper Eriksson explores a “speculative material future” for the stuff. Considering the role it plays in Britain’s history, could it — and should it even be allowed to — develop a sort of nostalgia around it that’s divorced from its longtime usage and effects on the Earth? Could its negative connotations eventually fade away, leaving behind a material that’s actually sort of beautiful in its own right?

“Problematic, glorious, scandalous, essential — coal has many facets to it,” says Eriksson. “Coal has sustained communities and enabled technological progress, all the while polluting and harming the health of those who work [with] it.”

“It is the CO2 that is released from burning it that is harmful, not the material. In fact, the compressed organic sedimentary rock or million year-long geological process is in itself a rare and quite extraordinary carbon conservation — a way to store energy, not release it.”

Eriksson wants us to start thinking of coal as analogous to marble, or any other organic material that’s mined from the earth. Just look at it’s deep, dark, not-quite-black hue, or the way it gleams in the light. Dirty as it may be to handle, it’s not entirely unlike a gemstone. After all, coal and diamond are both just forms of carbon, with nothing more than pressure and heat deep beneath the Earth’s crust making them what they are.

To illustrate his concept, Eriksson has developed a series of practical coal-based materials for architectural and interior design applications. First presented at the Swedish Pavilion at the London Design Biennale 2018, the collection includes flooring and furniture made from coal bricks that could ostensibly be used for building structures, too.

“Some pieces are left in the material’s raw state, others are processed into a finish similar to black marble. By changing the material’s aesthetic, a debate opens up about our relationship to this utilitarian substance: If the idea of coal as a building material is accepted, how and why does a coal mine differ from a marble quarry? Can we not begin to call the mine a coal quarry? This future narrative is intentionally problematic.”

Controversial as the idea could be, it’s hard to deny that this use of coal is surprisingly beautiful, producing dramatic furnishings that are evocative of their source. Eriksson’s suggestion that a decision to “re-brand” coal mines as quarries could redeem the material introduces some troubling questions about how we, as humans, tend to gloss over aspects of our history that only become less and less acceptable over time. But in terms of pure aesthetics, “Coal: Post-Fuel” certainly achieves what it sets out to do.

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The Mother of Invention

Yu Li, the inventor of the kitchen-in-a-case called “Assembly” and a graduate of the Royal College of Art, was inspired by the quandary of a friend who had lived in an urban industrial space for several years. Since there was no kitchen in his makeshift apartment, he survived on a portable inductive cooktop and a utility sink mounted on a cart for cleanup. Li’s heart went out to him, and as she actively helped him move into a fancier place with a proper stove and sink, her mind started churning out solutions for all the other appliance-challenged renters out there.

The Components

Li started by listing out the bare necessities of cooking, dining, and after-meal cleanup. Each component had to be portable, small, and lightweight — not to mention effortlessly capable of being returned to the main carrying case to be stowed out of sight in a closet or cabinet.

“The idea is to trim the original kitchen space down to a few minimal elements so space can be designed simpler, neater, and transformed into other purposes to increase the space utilization,” said Li.

The kitchenette’s inductive cooktop had to be ultra-thin to allow other components to fit in the carrying case too. The cooktop itself features an ignition switch, temperature controls, and a timer. Also included in the case are one stainless steel pot, one shallow stainless steel pan, a serving plate, eating utensils, and a dish drying rack. Pulling double-duty are the serving plate, which also houses a wooden cutting board, and panhandle, which can easily be transformed into a pair of serving tongs. You may have to wash the dishes and pans in an actual kitchen sink, but at least you have the luxury of a drying rack. The entire set is bright white with a cherry red trim, and that includes the coated cookware.

Alternate Scenarios

Of course, Li’s design is perfect for lots of other scenarios, too. You may have a kitchen, but if you also have multiple roommates utilizing it, you’ll be thankful to have an Assembly on hand. Don’t care for balancing campfire cookware on disintegrating hot coals at dusk whenever you want to eat in the great outdoors? Just set up your Assembly and carry on. Even a solo trip to the beach can include a delightful meal as long as you have a few ingredients, a bottle of wine, and Assembly at your side.

The Future

With any luck, Li’s design will inspire other innovations in the kitchen and help make cooking in absurdly small spaces both feasible and fun. Some culinary experts even see Assembly as a boon to preparing and consuming healthier meals, since it’ll allow so many people to stop relying on fast food and take-out.

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While the cubical office space setup efficiently utilizes space, productivity and efficiency suffer when audio and visual distractions proliferate. Hoping to remedy the situation, Kirei, a foremost designer and supplier of pioneering acoustic materials, recently added a new piece to their burgeoning line of partition solutions.

Introducing the EchoScreen

Many modular panel manufacturers tout their products’ portability, but when it actually comes time to reconfigure a large workspace, the panels prove themselves bulky and difficult to arrange. By contrast, Kirei’s new EchoScreen can be mounted to most wall surfaces or suspended from any ceiling. You can install screens individually or group them together to create new arrangements and help diminish sonic and visual overstimulation for a healthier, more dynamic office environment. The EchoScreen’s “Rolling Track” hardware permits the panels to freely run on a movable ceiling track — a process that’s controlled by an accompanying set of cables and rods. EchoScreens are easily mounted to existing T-grid ceilings with T-grid clips, already making them well-suited for most conventional office environments. Furthermore, the panels can be set up in uninterrupted runs or side-by-side to wrap around or overlie each other.

Options

In addition to the more traditional designs, EchoScreen panels can be customized and printed out in any one of 20 muted and vivacious colors. Use a single one as an artistic focal point or use several to create enclosed spaces of any size. Each panel measures 94 inches tall by 46 inches wide and 12 millimeters thick, and all of them are constructed from a mixture of recycled aluminum and PET by Woven Image, the main manufacturer of all Kirei’s North American EchoPanel products.

About Kirei

“Kirei” is the Japanese character that signifies “beautiful,” though it’s also commonly associated with purity, truth, and cleanliness. The company believes their products illustrate their commitment to these qualities with respect to our ecosystem. They describe themselves as “the source for ecologically responsible, high-performance interior elements.”

Dedicated to manufacturing products that are sensibly sourced, Kirei offers tiles made from recovered coconut shells and sustainably harvested Kirei Board and Bamboo panels. Their EchoPanel acoustic material, which aided in the rescue of over 80 million plastic bottles from landfills, is completely recyclable when it loses its usefulness.

Since the company launched in 2003, architects, interior designers, and other professionals across North America have looked to Kirei for eco-friendly, original, visually intriguing, and practical design resources. Kirei’s products have been used for major projects around the world, including restaurants, offices, hotels, schools, hospitals, and government buildings.

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Wave Bookshelf by Studio Lorier

When it’s in its straight, fully upright position, the Wave bookshelf by Studio Lorier looks fairly ordinary. But give the individual segments a little push or pull and you can radically transform its overall shape, creating anything from zig-zags to ripples. It’s made of solid pine wood, and individual segments can easily be added or removed to change its height. No need to fuss with a whole lot of screws to hold it in place once you’ve settled on your own custom configuration — there’s just a single bolt to tighten in the back.

SHIFT by LAYER

What initially appears to be a flat wall panel reveals its secrets when you pick and prod at its surface. The SHIFT shelf by LAYER is a flexible shelving system made of industrial textile waste, with zero metal fasteners required to pop its shelves into place. Instead, the designers have manufactured kerf grooves into each panel to allow them all to bend, with fold-out segments offering support from underneath. SHIFT is available in either yellow, gray, blue recycled denim, or white recycled hospital bed sheets.

T.SHELF by J1 Studio

The T.SHELF by designer Jaewon Cho of J1 Studio uses a triangle as its most basic shape, slotting modular wooden boards together in a virtually infinite number of configurations. Putting them together is a fun design challenge because the end result is completely up to you! Multiple sets of these shelving components can be combined to create geometric installations that cover entire walls, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious. The shelves are all made of plywood, and putting them together is much easier than it looks. You simply secure the corners with zip ties.

SET by Stephanie Hornig

When you move into a new home, chances are the dimensions of your new rooms will be a little different than the ones that you’re used to. When your shelves expand and contract, you never have to worry about a piece you love no longer fitting into your space. The SET shelf by Stephanie Hornig features folded steel shelves that do exactly that, sitting atop the rails of an accordion-like beech wood frame. These rails are connected by pivots reminiscent of the way scissors fit together, allowing you to adjust the width of the shelves within seconds. The metal shelves also serve to stabilize the frame once they’re put in place.

REK by Reinier de Jong

You’ll never have to worry about running out of room for your growing book collection with the REK bookcase by Reinier de Jong. It starts out as a compact, portable unit when all of its segments are pushed together, but pull on the ends, and the shelves expand to much more sizable proportions. Because of the way the zig-zag segments of the bookcase fit together, you end up with several different shelf sizes, which can be used to accommodate both your smallest paperbacks and your heftiest tomes.

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