20 most recent innovations in furniture

Flame-Monitoring Stovetops

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 00:00:00 Z

Utilizing a gas stove range usually requires chefs to bend down and look at the base underneath the pot or pan to see if the flame is on, but the 'MirrorHob' aims to eliminate this. Featuring a small V-shaped accent, the 'MirrorHob' puts a reflective portion onto the rear section of the stove to make seeing how big or small the flame is a simple process. Users will no longer have to lift the cooking vessel or crouch down to look underneath again thanks to the functional design of the stove range.

Self-Parking Desk Chairs

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 00:00:00 Z

Nissan’s self-parking desk chairs show off the company’s self-parking technology and offer a fun look at a possible future of autonomous furniture.

The Intelligent Parking Chairs from Nissan are equipped with powered wheels in the base and rely on a pre-progammed layout of the room to allow them to navigate the space. Motion detecting cameras in the room keep track of the chairs’ position as the software directs them into their assigned place at the table.

Currently, Nissan has no plans to commercialize the technology.

3D Printed Joint

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:00:00 Z

World wide furniture company Ikea already has everyone putting together their own bookcases, tables, beds, lights, but Hungarian industrial designer Ollé Gellért, wants to take out the middle man, with a collection of 3D printed joints called ‘print to build’. The idea is not a moonshot, but a clear realization on where the furniture industry could be going in the future because of the steep price decline of 3D home printers.

To design and construct large objects, Ollé narrowed his research, developing and printing just the small joints that are able to connect bigger parts that can be made an assortment of different materials. The joints connect eight millimeter plywood sheets together in a variety of different angles – 90, 45, and 120 degree elements. The key factor to the design of the ‘print to build’ set of joints is the unnecessary need for screws, glue, allen keys or special tools. Ollé Gellért wants to draw attention to the importance of changing our thinking as to how we build furniture with the help of 3D printers, which in turn, would stop our epidemic addiction to Ikea catalogues.

Fold Up Toilet

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00:00 Z

Gareth Humphreys and Elliott Whiteley, two design students at the University of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England, have conjured up a new design for the toilet – something which hasn’t changed for a long period of time. Their university final year project design, named the Iota, is not only reduced in size compared to traditional toilets, but also uses less water per flush – 50% less in fact.

This 50% reduction in waste water means that 10,000 litres of water could be saved per year for a single person. The average toilet uses 5-6 litres of water per flush and in America, this accounts for more than 26% of water use for the whole household – more than showers, faucets or even washing machines. The Iota fold up toilet on the other hand, uses just 2.5 litres of water per flush, which is unarguably an impressive design specification when compared to the amount wasted in traditional toilet design.

And all this water saving is not just for your average environmental enthusiasts; California just became the first state in America to require that citizens install low-flow toilets during all bathroom renovations.

Not only does the Iota save on water, it is also reduced in size compared to the average toilet. When in the closed position, it is 1/3 the size of a normal toilet and this could be another promising factor of the design, as cities are becoming ever denser and space is becoming a design issue. The design could help reduce space required for a bathroom, allowing for a more compact design, leaving space for other rooms.

It works because the toilet bowl contains a built-in U bend that disengages from the waste pipe when in the seated position.

When the flush mechanism is activated by folding the toilet into its upright position, the U bend re-engages simultaneously and an air-tight seal ensures that waste stays where it should be.

An internal frame supports the bowl using a sliding hinge mechanism and a nylon roller. The hinge mechanism keeps the toilet straight, while the roller takes the weight of the user and transfers it through the frame to the floor.

The design remains a concept and Gareth and Elliot have applied for a patent on the design, looking to sell the idea and get it into production. As no prototype has been produced there are still some unanswered questions like how easily can it be cleaned and will it be able to cope with overweight users. That said, the eco-friendly and simplistic design may just be the answer to the future of toilets.

System That Projects Materials Onto Furniture

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 Z

One of the frustrating elements of furniture buying is getting just the right fabric and material combination you want. Or maybe you don’t really know what you want but beige isn’t it. Typically, a salesperson or design assistant presents a giant bundle of fabric swatches usually each the size of a napkin and commences scattering them across the piece you are interested in. This is supposed to enable you to imagine how that 4″x4″ swatch of lime green will look covering an 8′ long couch. Maybe great, maybe a mistake you’ll live with for a long time.

Luxury furniture brand Ligne Roset has partnered with a tech startup Vizera Labs to devise a system to visualize numerous fabric and material options on actual pieces of furniture without stocking all the products on a showroom floor. PSFK received a demo of the system recently at a Ligne Roset showroom in NYC which aims to make customizing furniture a less risky and stressful process for customers.

Vizera Labs started by digitizing all of Ligne Roset’s upholstery and finish options individually along with 3D scans of each of their furniture pieces. An infrared sensor detects a piece of Ligne Roset furniture constructs a real time digital 3D model based on the prior scan. The fabric and material options are then mapped to this model and projected on the “furniture in white” piece. The advantage of the system is that the furniture piece can be moved or turned and the computer will regenerate a new projection to fit the new orientation.

Tool-less Connectors

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:00:00 Z

IKEA designers have developed new, no-tools-required connectors for their new Regissör line of furniture. Rather than using knock-down fasteners, they've created a wooden plug that looks like a cross between a dowel and a honey dipper.

The way that these "honey-dipper dowels" (not what they're officially called, but better than the "wedge dowel" title other blogs are calling it, which makes no sense) work is that the narrower end is pre-installed at the factory, leaving an exposed male end.

The female end of the connection, meanwhile, has been plunge-routed into the surface-to-be-adjoined, keyhole-style. Because the router bit has the same accordion-like profile of the dowel head, the male end then slides into the routed grooves, maximizing the contact area to create a nice friction fit.

Chairless Chair

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:00:00 Z

If you work somewhere such as a factory, warehouse, or restaurant kitchen, then you'll know how tiring it can be to stand for several hours at a time. Unfortunately, however, it isn't always practical or safe to carry a stool around with you wherever you go. That's why Swiss start-up noonee has created the Chairless Chair. Worn as an exoskeleton on the back of the legs, it lets you walk or even run as needed, but can be locked into a supporting structure when you go into a sitting position.

Company CEO Keith Gunura started developing the Chairless Chair in 2009, when he was a student in the Bioinspired Robotics Lab at the ETH Zurich research institute. He was inspired to do so by memories of his first job, in which he worked while standing at a packaging line.

Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight. The user simply bends their knees to get themselves down to the level at which they'd like to sit, and then engages the damper. The Chairless Chair then locks into that configuration, directing their weight down to the heels of their shoes, to which it is attached – it also attaches to the thighs via straps, and to the waist using a belt.

Recursive Candle

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 00:00:00 Z

Rekindle Candle is a candlestick holder, which collects the melting wax to form a new candle. As the candle burns, melting wax drips down from the candle and accumulates inside the transparent stem where a length of wick is centrally located. Once full, the new moulded candle can be removed from the central section to start the process again.

Shown in stainless steel, Rekindle Candle can also be produced in anodised aluminium and porcelain. Worldwide patents pending.

Stick'n Glide

Mon, 04 Nov 2013 00:00:00 Z

This innovative table display has been created specifically for outdoor applications. It happily stays in place on the most windy days. In contradiction to its name, no sticky substances have been used to achieve this feat. Instead Crea came up with a more elegant and ecological solution.

A combination of slippery plastic and clever design make the bottom of the table display act as a suction cup. As a result the Stick'n Glide can easily slide over a table surface but it will not fall or blow away. Clever!

Cuddle Mattress

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 00:00:00 Z

Mehdi Mojtabavi just wants to cuddle. But his arm would start to fall asleep, and he'd have to roll over. So Mojtabavi came up with the Cuddle Mattress, which allows you to slip your arm down into the mattress and around your partner.

Essentially the Cuddle Mattress divides the upper and lower portions of the bed into a series of slats. Side sleepers can wedge their arm — or stomach sleepers can wedge their feet — in between these slats. Each slat has a firm and a soft side, which you can flip depending on your sleeping preference. The slats come in three different materials: latex, polyurethane or polyurethane memory foam. The mattress also comes with its own stretchable, fitted sheets.

Pre glued dowel

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

Pre-glued wooden dowel pins are available in metric and fractional sizes in both multi-grooved and spiral-grooved. Pre-glued dowel pins are coated with a Type 1 re-moisturizing PVA wood glue that is water activated. Simply replace your glue with water and you’re ready to begin using pre-glued dowel pins which offer 100% glue coverage for superior holding strength. Significant savings and increased production are created by eliminating production stoppages caused by glue buildup and squeeze out.

infinite table top frame

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

Dawing visual reference from the geometrical shapes that permit invisible views of a natural static structure, the 'loop stand frame' by milan-based designer luis arrivillaga is conceived as a universal table attachment, using nothing but gravity and some simple pure ingenuity. This table provides the possibility to utilize infinite table top lengths. available in different colors, the framework is constructed using powder-coated steel.

The Jumpseat

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 Z

The Jumpseat is a super minimal seating system for auditoriums that fits in a fraction of the footprint of typical stadium or theater seating. It uses a unique hinge mechanism to minimize material use.

Plywood and steel create the backbone of the JumpSeat’s cantilevered structure. Folding to less than 100mm thick when not in use, the compact seat allows for the maximum amount of people in the minimum amount of space.

The slim-line profile of this auditorium chair is elegantly resolved and the details have been simplified so that no tooling is needed in production. This allows for the chairs to be produced locally. The design is true to its materials and suited a modern auditorium. It is also easy to dissemble, repair and clean.

Self-destructing chair

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 Z

The question of acceptable DRM (Digital Rights Management) to combat piracy has been a hot-button issue with software consumers for years. But what if the concept of disabling a product after certain conditions are met wasn't just restricted to digital goods? That's the idea that a design team in Switzerland decided to explore with the "DRM Chair," a piece of furniture rigged to fall apart after being sat on eight times.

After an initial attempt involving charges made of gunpowder proved to be ineffective (and dangerous), the team settled on a design with each piece of the wooden chair held together using wax joints fitted with nichrome wire.

An Arduino-based mechanism attached to a contact switch keeps track of how many times someone sits on it and knocks on the wood each time they get up, indicating the number of uses left. After eight people have sat on it, the mechanism triggers a self-destruct system, which heats the wire until each joint melts and breaks away.

Turn any object into a stool

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 Z

the stooler allows you to reuse and recycle almost any object and turn it into a comfy stool. it consists of four wooden legs with some ratchet buckles that are adjustable to any object or shape. this way we can have a stool made of old newspapers, clothes, stuffed animals… let your imagination do the trick!a project by spanish designer andreu carulla. for utoopic.

Bringing shape memory polymers to the next level

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 Z

Belgian designer Carl de Smet of Noumenon has developed high-tech foam furniture that can be squashed to 5% of its original size for easy transportation and then expanded "like popcorn" by heating it up.

Under the proposal, which is still at the research stage, products made of polyurethane shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are compressed into flat, lightweight slabs , meaning they take up very little space until they are required. When heated, the furniture returns to its original shape thanks to the "memory foam" properties of the material.

"It's light, so for shipping it's almost taking up no space," de Smet told Dezeen. "If it gets damaged and it's heated again, the damage disappears. If you ship the packaging and something happens to it, it doesn't matter because it isn't the end product; that's in the imprinted memory."

The project evolved out of a research project to design a parabolic antenna for outer space that would be compressed to make a smaller payload on a spaceship, then expanded to full size when exposed to the sun's rays. This project involved shape-memory alloys (SMAs) - advanced metals that perform in the same way as SMPs, but which are highly expensive.

"I wanted to bring it back to daily life and not only use it for high technology projects, and for that the metals were too expensive," says de Smet. "With polymers, when you produce them in large quantities, it's affordable."

At the moment the items need to be placed in a large heated environment like a sauna to reach the required temperature of 70 degrees, but de Smet is researching other ways of triggering the transition from the compressed to the expanded form, for example by "programming" the material to return to its remembered form when electricity is passed through it.

"At the moment ,it's programmed to expand at 70 degrees, because of the logistics of transport," de Smet said. "For example in the summer and the truck is stuck in traffic, then inside it is building up to 50 degrees and we don't want the furniture to pop, like popcorn."

The foam, which is strong enough to be structural, can be turned into furniture by milling solid blocks of the material or by injection moulding.

Flexible chair

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 Z

The Owl Chair by h220430 is a functional object and it allows its little user to play around with its structure.

It might look like it’s made of foam but this innovative material is EVA lumber. Bendable and durable, the single piece of soft stuff forms the entire tiny seat. The sustainable and child-safe substance has been stamped out with snags and slots so that the simple act of folding and fixing it can make a supportive seat from a thick flatpacked sheet.

The beauty of the Owl Chair by h220430 is in its adaptability, its space-saving characteristics and the inspiration it evokes in kids to exercise logic and imagination in assembling it.

Playful furniture made by folding foam mats

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

German design graduate Meike Harde has designed a range of upholstered benches and stools simply by folding foam mats and fixing them to wooden frames with elastic bands.

Meike Harde created the furniture with the motivation to explore new methods of upholstery construction, aiming to create a stiff cushion from a flat foam mat.

“Other upholstery products are trying to use fabric without wrinkles. I want to use the natural creases in a big dimension as ornamentation, and to construct stiffness,” explains Meike, adding that stretching fabric over foam to create a flat finish requires a difficult construction process that takes a lot of time.

By contrast, the simple, fast construction method that Meike has invented uses just three components: foam, rubber bands and wood.

The foam mat is layered and gathered tightly to create waves that are held together at the top and bottom with elastic bands. The cushion is then compressed and fixed using longer elastic bands in the opposite direction, before the wooden stool is inserted underneath the elastic.

This design avoids permanent connections between the foam and the wood, making it easy to replace cushions when they become worn.

The small stool, which Meike says ”looks like broccoli, is made from a square piece of foam while the benches are made from a rectangular piece of foam.

When asked about the comfort of the stiff benches, Meike told Dezeen “the furniture should be used as a bench, not as a very soft armchair,” comparing the comfort to that of Chesterfield leather furniture.

Invisible Bookend

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

Product designer Paul Cocksedge has launched an invisible bookend to find out if people will buy an object for its function rather than its appearance. The designer revealed that the Invisible Bookend is a freestanding object made of metal, but gave no further clue to how it works.

“The idea is it’s not about the object,” said Cocksedge. “It’s all about the fact there’s not anything interesting about the design, it’s just a great functional object.”

Table extensible

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

Operating Venetian blind-style, Table extensible by Julien Vidame features a rotating-slat surface that forms the compact version with the narrow edges up, and the long version when extended so that the wide sides face the sky.