I received this email about a year ago, and just never had time to post this. Sandy Lam has created an ingenious system. The pieces of furniture are built into the floor of a terrace and easily slide up to create a table or a bench. This is the perfect furniture solution for people who have minimal space, and don’t want their precious room to be cluttered with furniture all the time. This is essentially on-demand furniture.

This is not necessarily a new idea. I think the first time pop-up furniture comes to mind is in my grandfather’s bass boat. On this vessel, the seats popped up out of the floor. However, I really have not seen such a simple and useful device as Spaceless for some time now.

The current trend is over-the-top baroque furniture, and this piece focuses on spartan utilitarianism. After this simple idea, though, designers my be inspired to rethink possibilities with concealed furniture.

Looking to get a little more green in your life? You could plant some grass in your back yard, or you could just buy one of these rings by Hafsteinn Juliusson. One ring is sort of the brass knuckles for greenies. I can imagine a new brand of superhero who respects the environment by punching oil company executives in the face with this invention leaving a welt in the shape of blades of grass.

sub-studio design blog: Hafsteinn Juliusson

I remember back in college the first time I ever saw a Rem Koolhaas house. I cannot remember the name of the house, now, but it was built for a wheelchair bound man and his wife. The house seemed simple enough at first glance, but it always seemed odd to me. Much later, I realized why: the house defied gravity. There was no simple explanation at to how this structure stood up. And this is the same feeling I got when I first viewed Stack. Initially, it didn’t blow my mind until I realized just how strong its illusion took hold of your imagination. Now, I find myself staring at this shelving for hours in awe. Okay, maybe not hours, but this furniture from Established & Sons‘ collection and the design house of Raw Edges garners, at least, minutes of deep pondering.

If you’ve read this blog from the beginning, you know I have a propensity to write about things finished in gold, ashtrays, and witty titles of design objects. This piece brings all three of my loves together in the golden “Up Yours” Ashtray. It gives a big fuck you to all the smokers out there while still allowing the final few addicts the ability to put down their smoke for a moment.