Three New Tree Bookshelves Named Tess, Sam and Louane by Christophe Boulin.

Tess, Louane and Sam are three new open tree bookshelves and storage for children's rooms, libraries, playrooms or even offices. The Arbres Collection was designed by Christophe Boulin for MATHY BY BOLS, a Belgian company that makes adorable and functional furniture for children.



Consisting of three differently shaped and sized open tree bookshelves, the handmade MDF bookshelves are available in a variety of colors and offer a whimsical alternative to storage.

TESS:





LOUANE:




SAM:




above: Sam shown with dresser (available separately)


For more information, visit Mathy By Bols

Letter Perfect Shelving. The Anita Collection from Quattria.

Available for wall and floor, ANITA consists of letters that form words to support books, picture frames or whatever you like. The thermoformed acrylic shelving was designed by Ricard Mollon for Quattria and comes in translucent red, blue or clear. Whether you place them on the floor, stack them or wall mount them, these configurable shelves will add some expression, literally and figuratively, to your home.











Learn more here at Quattria
all images courtesy of Quattria.

The Booken Is A Table, A Shelf and a Library In One.

At this year's IMM Cologne, Italian furniture design company Lema collaborated with Raw Edges designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay who founded their studio in 2007 with the aim of creating soulful and yet, ironic, objects (such as this unusual commissioned piece, to create a unique piece.

Lema, who has long created shelving systems and bookcases for the home has been closely following the evolution of market and consumer needs, especially given the evolution of the library in a modern world that is increasingly oriented towards paperbacks and e-books. Yael and Shay have worked on the concept of the book as an object and as material, which transforms its function and reinvents itself. From these two companies comes a new collaborative effort: The Booken, which is simultaneously a table, shelf and library.



"We were inspired by the fact that people do not re-read the novels that are so often on the shelves," says Raw Edges. "Most books are usually read once and not re-read, and then we thought, why not use the volumes as if they have a plan? Of course you can always remove the book and read it, but at the same time the books take on a new role. "

And that is why the designers chose the name Booken. In English, the suffix 'en' applies in furnishing the material names to identify those with which objects are made. Following this concept, the book becomes the constituent material.



The essence of Booken is captured in two parallel tracks supported by legs on which rest several wooden slats that echo the classic form of the bookmark. The books are literally "hanging" transforming the library from a vertical element to a horizontal element.

"For us it was definitely a challenge from the conceptual point of view," says Angelo Meroni, chairman of Lema. "But at the same time a fun and cool project that brings us closer to a different audience giving us, after collaborating with young designers like Nendo and Giopato & Coombes, a way to look at the future of design and creativity in the field of furniture."

Raw Edges Design Studio
Lema 

source: Archiportale

Prouvé RAW. G-Star Reinterprets 17 Classic Pieces by Jean Prouvé for Vitra.

Prouvé RAW presents a collection of Jean Prouvé furniture classics – newly interpreted by denim specialist G-Star and Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra in collaboration with the Prouvé family. The collection of seventeen design classics embrace the essence of Jean Prouvé’s work, while at the same time adding contemporary colours, textiles and details.

Robox - The Robot-Shaped Bookcase for Casamania by Fabio Novembre.

Looking for a fun way to store the books in your children's room or modern office? Irreverent designer Fabio Novembre's Robot shaped bookcase for Casamania may be just the thing. Presented at this year's Salon del Mobile, the Robox is made of varnished metal and stands 184 cm tall.





Fabio Novembre

Seeing Skulls. James Hopkins' Vanitas.

above: James Hopkins, Decadence and Demise, 2006 (image courtesy of hamburger-kunsthalle)

Skulls, skulls, skulls. They are everywhere these days. But Artist James Hopkins at least has a diference take on them. He has a series of mixed media pieces called Vanitas in which random objects and furniture are composed to create the image or illusion of human skulls.

The term "Vanitas" (sometimes the term "Momento Mori" is used in its place) comes from a practice in which Dutch painters put symbolic imagery of death into their still lives during the 17th century.


above: Last Chord, James Hopkins

Hopkins has created a contemporary version of the practice and is quoted in a Wallpaper Magazine interview in 2006 as saying: ‘I think of vanity when I see my image in the mirror, of knowledge when I read a book, and of indulgence when I drink wine or play music; but all of these things are lost in acknowledgment of seeing the skull reveal itself.’

Black Still Life, 2007 and Consumption & Consequence, 2006:

Design for Life, 2006 and Prosperity & Decay, 2006:

Wasted Youth, 2006 and Shelf Life, 2006:


However, says Hopkins, ‘I don’t want people to think of these works as being negative or morbid — in fact, they should be read as a celebration of life.’

In addition to this work, John Hopkins has many wonderful pieces. See more of his work here.


Another collection inspired by the Dutch "Vanitas", if you have not yet seen it, is the chair, ottoman and lamp by Vladi Rapoport:

Funky Find Of The Week: See Saw Bookshelf

The See-Saw Bookshelf

Every book tells its own story. Every book has its own weight. By playing with balance, the See-Saw bookshelf visualizes the breadth of our home libraries.

Is Kafka truly heavier than the latest issue of Vogue?..

Designer: BCXSY

Product Specs:

Dimensions:
shelf: 47.25" x 9.8" x 2"
stand: 13.75"
Price: Available upon request
Materials: Walnut wood with powder coated steel parts.

Availability: 6-8 weeks
Shipping: Ground Shipping to US & CAN is included*.

Available by clicking here.