boa shelf

This shelving system starts simple: a wall-mounted wood display shelf. A few carved slots and added strips of felt, though, transform an otherwise minimalist storage solution into something new: a decorative but useful, adjustable and unique piece wall furniture that combines designer style with a a playful arts-and-crafts approach.

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modern felt shelf design

Looped through small slits in the shelves, hanging pieces of felt are suspended at (adjustable) levels to accommodate various under-shelf storage and display configurations. Beyond the basic flexibility concept, however, this Boa Shelf by Tuyo Design Studio is intentionally also modular – you could ‘string together’ an entire series of one-shelf modules, endlessly connecting one, two, three or more individual wooden shelves with felt elements across a whole room and perhaps even around corners.

boa shelf with wine bottle holder

Naturally, their tendency to round at the bottom makes them a perfect fit for likewise curved objects such as wine bottles but they can also stretch in various ways to store and show off irregular decor as well, and their flexible height adds to the possibilities as well – the shape of the shelving system forever shifting along with its contents. If these units go into mass-production, however, it might be worthwhile to offer a more muted black-and-white alternative to such a bright purple-and-yellow color palette.

morse magazine rack

A similar project called Morse uses felt straps woven through wooden panels to create a bold, graphic magazine rack.

snitt felt seating

Tuyo also uses felt to dramatic effect for “Snitt,” a custom built-in bench with interesting angles. The modern, striped look of the seating contrasts with the worn, weathered stone of the building in which it’s placed. These projects are all proof that even the simplest and humblest of materials, used frequently in children’s craft projects, can be elevated into beautiful modern designs in the right hands.

About design studio Tuyo:

Founded in 2009 by Margarita Garcia and Pål Jacobsen. The studio is based in Norway, where they find their inspiration from the nature and natural materials that surround them.