The emerging Japandi design trend melds the Japanese and Scandinavian modern interior design styles. Featuring a brilliant combination of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism, the design style is deeply rooted in simplicity and comfort. Although Japan and Scandinavia or the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are distinctly different in culture and geographically different, they are designed on the same principles. The origin of this design style dates back to 1853, when Japan lifted its border policies after years of seclusion. Shortly after this event, Danish designers and creatives started visiting Japan and got fascinated by Japanese oriental aesthetics.

Designer: Ward 5 Design

Also known as the Scandi-Japanese style, the Scandi design follows the notion of “hygge,” meaning coziness, where the home should be your sanctuary that can exude elegance, conviviality, and well-being. The Nordics wanted to add warmth into the interiors so that their homes could feel peaceful and comfortable, especially throughout the cold and dark winters. It aims to improve everyday life and creates coziness with a mix of materials like velvet, leather, knits, and crochets and pays attention to furniture details. The Japanese design follows the concept of “wabi-sabi,” which values contentment and slow living and celebrates the beauty of imperfections. The fusion of “hygge” and “wabi-sabi” determines the critical elements of the Japandi design style. Since both these design trends have many standard features, their core philosophy is to merge the rustic Nordic décor with the sleek Japanese design and create a Zen vibe.

The prime objective of the Japandi design style is to design with intention. This style creates a warm and welcoming space with a fusion of clean lines with functional style. Moreover, its beautiful and practical design encourages one to stay close to nature. These design elements will help you to master your interiors and exteriors.

Beautiful Craftsmanship

Furniture design forms one of the most important components of a Japandi interior design style. Look for artisan pieces of furniture with a timeless appeal so that one can use them for years to come, as the focus is quality instead of cheap throwaway pieces. Japandi furniture design makes a statement without adornment, the details are handmade, and each piece is unique, and there is no similarity between the two parts. Wood is the most prominent material in this design typology since it is readily available in Japan, and the country is known for its mastery of timber. Every piece is intentionally chosen in a particular space so that it can add meaning and purpose. For example, low-height furniture is evocative of the concept of being close to the earth.

Designer: Manh Duy

Warm Palette

The Scandi palette is gray, white, and brown, while the Japanese palette incorporates autumnal hues and colors from the earth and the sky. Create an earthy feel with muted pearl gray and sky blue colors with hints of pale green. The colors of nature play wonderfully with the organic material of Japandi-style space. A bold color can be used as an accent in the decorative accessories and throw pillows to complement the wood tones. These colors can be layered to mimic the look of a natural landscape.

Designer: Nada Hasham

Sustainability

There is a focus on sustainability, the use of natural materials, and eco-friendly aesthetics. Japandi does not believe in the one-time-use culture, and the options should be environmentally safe. Avoid plastic and look for home décor items in natural materials like wood, stone, and woven textiles.

Both cultures have a deep fondness for nature and sustainability. In Japan, there is a psychological exercise called “Shinrin-yoku,” which means “Forest Bathing,” whose purpose is to inspire people to reconnect with the country’s forests. The Norwegian people follow the concept of “Friluftsliv,” also known as “Outdoor Life,” which is about spending time and enjoying the outdoors.

Designer: Sipal-WAFAI.Architecture

Use Organic Materials

Japandi focuses on natural materials like unfinished wood and incorporates organic materials like rattan, wicker, cane, wood, and bamboo, along with comfortable fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp. A mix of materials creates a serene space. Moreover, the design style is distinctly organic, where the ceramics, bowls, and even lighting can be in organic materials.

Designer: Delicate Decor

Introduce Plants

Plants and greenery work as genuine accessories and can bring in a sense of outdoor living. They purify the indoor air and form a decorative accent. The Japandi style has a profound respect for nature and focuses on less but bigger sizes of plants. To complete the picture, beautify the interiors and create a nature-inspired décor with houseplants like hanging vines and bonsai trees or beautiful plants in large ceramics. Plants create a warm and welcoming look and soften a minimalist interior.

Designer: Japandi Lights

Decluttered Spaces

Japandi emphasizes comfort and simplicity, making every item functional yet aesthetically pleasing. There is a focus on openness and zero clutter so that the space looks clean, fresh, and minimal. An open-plan layout exudes a tranquil space connected with the outdoors to create a brilliant indoor-outdoor connection. If there is less space for storage, use natural storage solutions like wicker baskets, boxes, and trays. Use bamboo or folding screens to camouflage clutter.

The bedrooms are minimalistic, with minimal window dressing, few art pieces, and comfortable bedding. A good curation of art pieces, mirrors, rugs, tables, and lamps infuses coziness without creating a cluttered look. Additionally, a Japandi bedroom supports rest and encourages a tech-free space that encourages sleep and minimizes distraction.

Designer: Hilight Design

Bring In Natural Light

Natural light creates a bright, airy interior and is the gateway to the natural world. Japandi integrates large windows to bring in plenty of natural light while the reflective surface of neutral-hued walls bounces the natural light. If there is less natural light, one can use mirrors to reflect more light. The rooms should be softly lit for a tranquil interior. Consider industrial lights to add a Scandinavian vibe that can infuse warmth with handcrafted pendant lights or retro pendants in copper finish. Use floor lamps for a warm and cozy glow.

Designer: chrisfluence

Stripped Furniture

Japandi furniture uses different materials, textures, and colors, infusing peace, serenity, and a comfortable feel. One can accentuate the space with a chair or coffee table in a bold color. Create contrast with dark and light wood tones as Japan uses dark wood Cedar, Red Pine, and Cypress, while Scandinavia uses light wood oak, mahogany, pine, and teak. This is a great way to create visual interest, bring the space together, and create a warm and harmonious feel.

Designer: Hishida Komuten

Sumptuous Textures

Japandi design infuses warmth and interest using sumptuous textures and fabrics. This can be achieved in the curtains, upholstery, and rugs, which will infuse warmth. A big cozy rug in natural materials is a must-have in a minimalist bedroom as it provides a warm underfoot whenever one enters or exits the bed.

Designer: Veronique (Veer.enmeer)

Balance

The Japandi style does not believe in symmetry but uses different furniture pieces that can create an organic feel. One must pay attention to the visual weight of each piece as this design style aims to create balance and promotes relaxation.

Designer: Stewart-Schafer

A fusion of Japanese minimalism and warm Scandinavian interiors has emerged as one of the most popular style combinations of the decade. These tips will help you to create your favorite look.

The post Everything You Need to Know About the Japandi Design Style first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Venus of Willendorf is a significant figure in art history since it is thought to have been created between 30,000 and 25,000 BCE, making it one of the world’s oldest known works of art to have been discovered.

Furniture design is an art that seamlessly merges aesthetics with functionality. The Venus Folding Chair, with its gorgeous design and usefulness, is an excellent example of this idea. This foldable chair not only provides a cozy seating option but also gives any room a sense of style and history. The Venus Folding Chair, which was created with great care and attention to detail, stands out as an example of how form and function can be creatively combined. Because any chair represents a similar sitting person, allowing people to be comfortable, this figure of a sitting woman can be changed into a chair. It’d be similar to sitting on her lap.

Designer: Lameice Abu Aker, Manali Patel and Eva Castany

Rendered on KeyShot: Click Here to Download Your Free Trial Now!

The design and shape of most Venus sculptures are identical. They are often lozenge-shaped, with a large fat belly tapering to the head and legs, and no arms, feet, or face detail. Furthermore, their sexual organs are deliberately exaggerated.

The Venus Folding Chair’s space-saving folding mechanism is one of its most notable characteristics. The chair’s fold-and-store capabilities make it a practical and convenient design. For people with limited room or those who frequently host events or gatherings, this option is especially helpful. A chair is an excellent option for tiny flats, outdoor events, or temporary seating arrangements due to its compact and folding design, which makes storage simple. The form of the figure was outlined by the designer and translated into a chair. It has 2 points of joinery on either side of the chair which have channels for the lower structure to slide upward when the chair is in the folded state.

This creative and simple design can be disassembled very easily into just 4 parts; the mesh seat, the back structure, the front support, and the base.

The chair is a sustainable product on multiple levels. The foldable design can be flat-packed which allows it to be stacked and transported easily. This makes the product transport-efficient and reduces its carbon footprint, allowing more chairs to be shipped in the same amount of space. It can be used around the house as an extra chair as well and can fit in the minimum available space. The single-line nature of the chair makes it even easier to pick up and move around as it has the space to be held all across. Overall, it’s surely a conversation starter and a great pick for history and art buffs who enjoy the evolution and adaptations of classics.

The post This foldable “Venus of Willendorf” inspired chair literally puts you in the lap of art history first appeared on Yanko Design.

At Yanko Design, we believe in constantly innovating, creating, and evolving. It’s a philosophy that serves as a lifeline for us, and one of the results of this lifeline is the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub! The Inspiration Hub is our ‘ever-expanding encyclopedia’ of design work for you to participate in, to inspire designers, and to get inspired by. Created in collaboration with KeyShot, the Inspiration Hub is your one-stop space for inspiration where designers like you can submit your impressive designs and be awarded to stand out in the crowd and to inspire other like-minded designers.

To kickstart your journey and send some motivation your way, we’ve curated some of our favorite minimal furniture submissions from the Inspiration Hub. These unique and minimal furniture designs will motivate you to create something spectacular and submit the design, as a gateway to sharing it with the best of the design world. Additionally, we will also be picking our favorite Design of the Week, Design of the Month, and Design of the Year – every week, month, and year from the submissions on the Inspiration Hub. Keep an eye on our Instagram page and the Inspiration Hub to see if your design gets picked. Fingers crossed!

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

1. Allieva

Designed by WhynotDesign, this sleek, foldable work desk is meant to fit in any space, making it perfect for small houses and dorm rooms. Despite compromising on size, Allieva is aesthetically pleasing. It takes up as little space as possible and measures only 7 inches deep when folded. The workstation can be set up easily with a simple gesture. It comes with two detachable, multipurpose trays which offer a convenient space to hold accessories when the work desk is closed and become a practical tablet holder during a video call when you flip the desk open.

2. The Loop Chair

Designed by Annabella Hevesi, the Loop Chair is the kind of straightforward and simple furniture piece that instantly makes you fall in love with it, because of how minimally and cleanly it is designed. Built using wood, the Loop Chair has a traditional and archetypical character accentuated with tricky and progressive details that lend an air of character to it.

3. Stretch Desk

Say hello to the Stretch desk. Designed by Teixeira Design Studio, the Stretch desk features a spinning leather bookstand that swivels through a pivot point, enabling the depth of the stand to be changed according to your personal need and requirement. The bookstand can also be flattened on the tabletop, to provide more space for you while you’re working. The various wooden elements of the desk add a rather nuanced and well-crafted feel to it.

4. Tailor Armchair

Designed by SUNRIU Design, what makes the Tailor armchair super interesting, and a rather unique design is that it can be used as an armchair and a desk. If you want to use it as an armchair, you can simply rest and place your back on the raised panel or plank of plywood that is placed at the center of the chair. The raised panel is further supported by a vertical curved panel. These panels function as the back support, allowing you to comfortably sit back against the armchair. If you wish to use it as a desk, you can instead use the raised panel as a tabletop, and fit your legs into the blank spaces created by the intersection of the raised panel with the vertical curved panel.

5. The Form Single Sofa

The Form Single Sofa by SUNRIU Design is a stunning fluid sofa that is defined by a chunky bold structure marked with flowy lines. If you look closely, the sofa looks like a hunk of concrete, and the seating section is a smoothly carved dent, that looks like it will perfectly seat someone’s buttocks. The rear portion of the sofa seems like it could function as a neat hanging spot for your pet as well, allowing you and your pet to sit and chill together.

6. Sushant Vohra’s Stool

Designed by Sushant Vohra, this stool design is pretty cool! It features a concise circular platform that serves as a seating section, with a concrete and clear coated sheet metal volume inserted into it, functioning as a support for the seating area. The result is a visually and geometrically interesting stool with a burst of orange that counteracts the otherwise minimal and simple appearance of the stool.

7. The Bündner Side Table

Designed by the Portuguese architecture and design studio Joana Vilaça Studio, the Bündner Side table is a solid wood table that is artfully inspired by the Swiss Alps lifestyle. It’s a rather interesting muse for a meager table, and not a very common one either. Joana drew inspiration from her own experience of living in Switzerland, where her studio is located.

8. The Chonky Coffee Table

Designed by Frank Brunetti, the Chonky Coffee Table is the perfect name for this piece of furniture! It is chonky, chubby, and occupies a generous amount of space. Its stubby legs and multiple tabletops give the table a unique yet minimal aesthetic. The secondary tabletops on the lower section of the table, as well as the circular one on the primary tabletop, have been given different colors, creating a fun contrast.

9. The Sado Chair

Martin Luu designed the Sado chair as an experiment in unconventional design. Sado’s intriguing form reminds you of a horizontal tree log or horseback, suited for a straddled seated position that encourages a healthy posture. When positioned atop Sado, the chair’s seat rotates freely to enable 360-degree accessibility to nearby objects within arm’s reach. Adjustable leg supports also provide a place for your legs to rest while helping to sustain a leveled spinal position. Sado is an incredible ergonomic option if you’re looking for a chair that encourages and support a great posture!

10. The Savioardi Sofa

Designed by SUNRIU Design, the Savoiardi Sofa, is a big chonky sofa made up of several modular components that are held together by a sturdy belt-like strap. The various components are long and spherical in shape, while a few are more squarish. You can select how many and which components you want to put together, to create diverse seating solutions of diverse sizes. The configurable and modular feature of the Savoiardi Sofa makes it super unique and interesting.

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to start creating your own design and submit the design to us to get featured on the Inspiration Hub and the Yanko Design Instagram Page.

The post Top 10 minimal furniture to inspire your interior design process first appeared on Yanko Design.

Furniture has long ceased being simply functional products that take up space in homes or offices. Given their very visible roles, they have also become decorative pieces that add to a space’s ambiance. This is especially true for chairs, sofas, and large tables like coffee tables, but even smaller items like side tables can have an impact on the overall appeal of the room. Some of these side tables use elaborate designs, unusual forms, or even showy colors, but those are not the only ways to grab people’s attention. There are times when simplicity works better, and this particular design uses extremely simple shapes and constructions to the point that the side table looks almost magical as if its top was simply hovering above the ground.

Designer: Jonas Herman Pedersen

Tables need to be steady and stable to be able to hold things, and that’s normally accomplished by having four or at least two even legs raising the tabletop up. Even for a table with a single “pillar,” that support is often located in the middle at the table’s center of gravity to help keep it from toppling on one side. The Stilk Side Table, however, throws convention out of the window, resulting in a design that seemingly challenges common sense when constructing tables.

Completely made out of wood, Stilk’s top rests on a thin monolith that stands not at the center but off to one side. Of course, balance is achieved through the counterweight, which is a pile of four thick wooden discs joined to the base of the monolith, also on a single side only.

The top itself isn’t a flat circle but has the edge attached to the stem folded up a bit. This makes the tabletop look like it’s hovering with nothing supporting it while also acting as a sort of locking mechanism when something heavy is placed on the table. Despite its simple design, Stilk actually has a secret function where the owner can adjust the table’s height by simply removing a small wooden rod and positioning the top on one of three available heights.

Stilk is an unconventional side table design that admittedly would make some people nervous about placing fragile objects on it. In a sense, its appearance creates an illusion of lightness and instability that definitely catches people’s attention without actually going beyond simple shapes and finishes. It’s an effective example of how challenging the status quo can lead to interesting and effective designs while still keeping things simple, minimalist, and beautiful.

The post How this beautiful wooden side table seems to hover in the air first appeared on Yanko Design.

There are many nature-inspired designs these days, but many of them take that inspiration too literally. Sometimes they’d literally have the shape of a rock or the moon, or they might even use actual natural objects like leaves or twigs. While there’s definitely nothing wrong with that kind of interpretation, there’s also something to be said for gentler nods toward natural things and phenomena. These can lead the mind the wonder and wander, picking up hints and sparking the imagination to make connections and draw their own conclusions. Sometimes they might make cherished memories surface; other times, they become reminders of the more important things in life. This bowl-shaped table and lamps, for example, try to nudge our minds towards calmness and peace by subtly calling to mind the otherworldly serenity of a lake reflecting the moon in the dark of night.

Designer: Yifu Guo

The side table of this Lake Collection of minimalist furniture is already quite interesting on its own. Having a bowl shape, though not unheard of, isn’t exactly common. Tables with this form often have a central cylinder for its lone support, but the Lake side table has two rectangular legs on each side holding it up.

The glossy and reflective surface of the table is meant to resemble the dark waters of a lake at night, though you probably wouldn’t be able to make that conclusion immediately unless you knew the name of the furniture collection. It’s that kind of indirect and subtle association that makes such designs open to more than just one interpretation, which makes them more effective at conveying messages. In this case, the simplicity of the table’s form becomes not only a tribute to minimalist design but also a reminder to keep our lives simple.

Once you add one of the two table lamps that are part of this collection, however, the moonlit lake inspiration becomes a bit more pronounced. The yellow circular glow of the lamps reflected on the table’s surface immediately calls to mind the unearthly light of the moon on dark waters. The reflection is clear, smooth, and undisturbed, hinting that the waters are similarly clear and calm, a metaphor for calming our minds at the end of the day.

The Lake Collection’s simple design is meant to encourage reflection, especially of the world and nature around us. But even if you miss those cues, the attractive forms and sleek materials still make the furniture a sight to behold, no matter where you place them in the room. It’s a nature-inspired design that, just like nature itself, doesn’t shout to call your attention and simply immerses you in its beauty and wonder.

The post Tranquil furniture collection is inspired by an enchanting moonlit lake first appeared on Yanko Design.

We probably don’t always think about how chairs and stools look as long as they’re comfortable. After all, you don’t exactly see their visual design when you’re already sitting on them. You won’t always be sitting on a particular chair all of the time, however, and those moments when these pieces of furniture are empty can have an impact on your space’s overall ambiance. They can make or break the particular theme you’re going for or enhance the atmosphere inside a room. They can even be conversation starters, depending on how distinctive it looks. This stool, for example, might not look like the most comfortable or stable thing to sit on, but it’s hard to deny how it injects a bit of character into an area with its color combinations and raw vibe.

Designer: found/Founded

Compared to chairs, stools don’t seem to be inherently designed for long periods of use. They don’t have backrests or arms to make you feel comfortable, but they do make up for it by making it easy to sit down on one and then get up again quickly. It’s as if this kind of seat was made for more transient and very temporary situations where you just need a few minutes to rest or chat but never to lounge or work.

The KNOT Stool seems to take that image to the extreme. It is flat all around with nary a curved surface or corner that would have made it look more inviting. You can even directly see the layers of wood that make up its parts, giving it an almost brutalist aesthetic if not for the painted surfaces. Two slanted legs make up the entire support, but their thin profiles don’t really inspire much confidence.

It’s probably still a usable stool, but it seems to be designed more for viewing rather than sitting. The three wooden pieces can be painted in the same or different colors, for example. The decorative webbing strap that wraps around the top of the stool’s legs can also come in complementing or contrasting colors, not to mention being made of different materials.

The result is a stool that looks more fun than ergonomic and more decorative than utilitarian. Of course, it might still be possible to sit on it for a bit, or it can be used to hold other objects if you’re not that confident about its stability. Regardless of the purpose it will ultimately serve, the KNOT Stool is clearly not a typical stool, especially in the way it adds a bit of whimsical fun to your interior.

The post Minimalist stool combines wood and webbing to create a fresh and fun look first appeared on Yanko Design.

Although it doesn’t have a monopoly on the word, the smartphone market has appropriated the term “notch” and, unfortunately, given it a bad reputation in terms of design. Although their purpose can always be justified, the initial implementation of the notch on smartphone displays felt more like a solution in search of a problem. Of course, there are plenty of uses for cutouts, even the straight rectangular ones. This folding chair, for example, uses that design element not only as an interesting point of interest but also as a mechanism that gives the piece of furniture a more flexible form that makes it a lot more usable for many purposes.

Designer: Kostas Synodis

There is nothing inherently good or bad about a notch. It’s simply a cutout that can be used to create an empty space for visual effect or to make room for some other things. On smartphones, the notorious notch takes a bite out of the display to make room for cameras and sensors at the top instead of having the entire row unusable like in traditional designs. For this chair named “Notch,” the cutout functions both as a visual contrast to the rest of the product while also acting as the way for the chair to become a flat plank of wood for easy storage or transportation.

Most folding chairs implement a lever and fulcrum mechanism where the seat folds down from the backrest, and the legs fold close to each other. In the Notch’s case, however, the parts move in the opposite direction, with the seat folding down and the legs folding away from each other. Since the seat and the back legs are finished in a different color than the backrest and front legs, the notch practically creates a window for this contrasting part of the product, turning the chair into a sort of decorative piece when it’s folded up and propped against a wall.

In addition to its rather unusual design inspired by African foldable chairs, the Notch is also designed with sustainability and efficient production in mind. Made from high-quality plywood cut using CNC technologies, the chair can be made using precise, cost-effective, and low-waste techniques. Because it folds perfectly flat, the chair is easier to ship and can be stored easily when not in use.

Although the Notch’s practical and aesthetic benefits are unmistakable, the comfort it provides might be a bit questionable. The angle it reclines might not be familiar to everyone, and it definitely makes it less useful for those times when you need to sit upright. The seat itself is relatively short, and the design doesn’t have room for softer materials like cushions or even textiles that could add to the chair’s comfort and ergonomics.

The post Ultra-minimalist folding chair tries to redeem the notch’s tarnished reputation first appeared on Yanko Design.

Most people treat lamps and lighting fixtures as mere functional products that illuminate a given space. While that is indeed their primary function, the kind and quality of light can actually have an effect on our minds and moods. Some lamps have decorative designs that spark interest and awe, while others use different tones and intensities to soothe or excite. Most lamps that provide these varied experiences, however, are often tied down to their locations or are impractical to move around. Portable lamps, on the other hand, are more utilitarian in design. This simple-looking lamp tries to bridge the gap between those two extremes, offering a lighting solution that can easily be carried anywhere to set the right atmosphere while also looking stylish in any setting.

Designers: TENT and Fujita Metal

Click Here to Buy Now: $134 $149 ($15 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

At first glance, this lamp might not even look like a lamp. On the one hand, it almost looks like a miniature stool, similar to those with round, rotating seats you’d see in some bars and diners. On the other hand, it might also remind you of mushrooms with its tall, thin stem and circular cap. Whichever way you look at it, the ICHI table lamp is going to grab your attention with its distinctive shape, its powder-coated iron finish, and its minimalist design.

The mushroom table lamp is so minimalist that you will see neither cords nor buttons on its pristine surface. Pressing anywhere on the edge of the lamp’s top turns it on and cycles through its different brightness settings before it turns off again. There’s no specific area you have to press, making it easy to operate the lamp even without looking at it. Each press has a soft and comfortable clicking feel to it, so don’t be surprised if you get a bit addicted to the gesture.

Six high color rendering LEDs generate the clicky table lamp’s warm light while a thick milky-white board diffuses it to a softer glow. The yellowish tone creates a more soothing atmosphere compared to bright white, and it can also make certain colors and compositions pop up, making food look more delicious, for example. The absence of cables suggests that the lamp is battery-powered, but it eschews the trend of using built-in rechargeable batteries and opts for AA batteries instead. This helps prolong the life of the lamp since you can easily replace the batteries when they run out of juice. Of course, you can also use rechargeable AA batteries to really capitalize on the lamp’s sustainability.

Almost like a mushroom, the ICHI lamp can pop up anywhere you want it to. Simply unscrew the top and the base and stash all three parts inside a bag to carry the lamp with you. With its warm light, tactile experience, and modular design, this minimalist lamp lets you create the atmosphere you want anywhere you go, allowing you to bring your own bubble of light and calm inside the house or outdoors.

Click Here to Buy Now: $134 $149 ($15 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post Minimalist modular lamp shines light anywhere you go with portable design first appeared on Yanko Design.

A beautiful piece of furniture can complete a room. It can be the final piece that makes a space come full circle, building a comfortable and cohesive haven, rather than a random area. Furniture pieces make or break a home, they add on to the essence or soul of a home, hence one needs to be extremely picky while choosing a furniture design. The design should be a reflection of you, and what you want your home to be. When you place a piece of furniture in a room, it should instantly integrate with the space, creating a wholesome and organic environment. We’ve curated a collection of minimal furniture designs that we believe will do this! Each of these pieces is unique, well-crafted, and made with a whole lot of love, and the love really shines through in the fine detailing and workmanship. We hope you feel the love too!

1. The Drum Stool

The Drum stool is minimal, elegant, stackable, and not to mention sustainable! At first glance, the Drum stool looks like a cute little wine cork to me. But when you dig deeper, you realize it has much more to offer than its adorable good looks.

Why is it noteworthy?

Teixeira picked materials such as cork and wood to build the stool, instantly rating it high on sustainability. Cork was used to create the seat, while wood was the material of choice for the legs.

What we like

The cork seat is comfortable and inviting and provides a grip while handling, so the stool is quite easy to move around and place in different positions

What we dislike

The wave pattern of the trimmed cork seat seems uncomfortable to sit on for long durations

2. Wormhole Coffee Table

Wormholes can hypothetically connect two disparate points in spacetime via a tunnel. And they’re quite commonly found in science fiction! And this mind-blowing coffee table by Olivier Gomis attempts to convert the hypothetical wormhole into a physical manifestation.

Why is it noteworthy?

The shape of a table is already quite eye-catching on its own. It’s almost like a wooden plank that has been bent so that the two ends are on top of each other and then joined together by a double cone. These are then glued together with sheets of maple veneer in between, which give the appearance of those faint light lines that form the grid.

What we like

• A lamp was installed in the center of the hole, giving the table an eerie appearance in the dark

What we dislike

• The inward curving section provides a risk for products that could roll inside and get stuck like a marble or a coin

3. The Alada Desk

Designed by Daniel Garcia Sanchez for Woodendot, the Alada folding desk is a nifty space-saving desk that doubles up as a super cute decorative shelf. Within seconds you can transform the Alada desk into a display shelf that can hold your favorite souvenirs from picture frames to even potted little plants.

Why is it noteworthy?

Sanchez designed the Alada desk, as he witnessed an ever-growing need for smart and flexible desk designs for working at home. Since work from home is a pretty common norm nowadays, it’s important to have a transformative and space-saving workspace at home – one that can be neatly tucked away when your workday ends!

What we like

• The multifunctional desk has also been equipped with hidden storage spaces when it is folded up, to provide neat hiding spots for your laptop and notebooks

What we dislike

• Not suitable for people who need a larger and more elaborate working space

4. Kabinett

Conceptualized by Stockholm-based designer Alexander Lervik and manufactured by Finnish furniture manufacturer Adea, the Kabinett is a minimal and sturdy cabinet designed for modern home offices…that also doubles up as a work desk!

Why is it noteworthy?

Kabinett is a part of Adea’s Smartwork range, and it aims to function as an ergonomic set-up for home offices. While functioning as an efficient work table, Kabinett also serves as a rather stylish and elegant dresser.

What we like

• Multifunctional + ergonomic design
• Its minimal aesthetics are a plus point since this allows the furniture to seamlessly merge with all kinds of home offices

What we dislike

• Bulky + space-consuming design, not ideal for small homes

5. The Fortune Chair

Designed by Hyeyoung Han and Hanyoung Lee, the Fortune Chair is really a mix between a bean bag, chair, and a pod, and it also happens to look like a fortune cookie.

Why is it noteworthy?

The chair includes a fortune cookie-inspired wooden outer wall, which functions as a covering frame that surrounds the user. This outer wall creates a cozy, comfortable, and private space for the user to sit in.

What we like

• Irrespective if you’re working in a corporate office or at home, the Fortune Chair functions as a little oasis for you to work in peace, much like the office pods we find today in commercial offices

What we dislike

• Given the inwards curving design, the chair may become uncomfortable as the user cannot change their position frequently

6. The Bündner Side Table

Designed by the Portuguese architecture and design studio Joana Vilaça Studio, the Bündner Side table is a solid wood table that is artfully inspired by the Swiss Alps lifestyle. It’s a rather interesting muse for a meager table, and not a very common one either.

Why is it noteworthy?

Joana drew inspiration from her own experience of living in Switzerland, where her studio is located. “Having lived for five years in the beautiful Graubünden canton of Switzerland, the collection is inspired by the art of living in the Swiss Alps,” she said.

What we like

• The self-assembly design is ideal for residential or public interiors, where it can be utilized as a bedside, coffee, or side table

What we dislike

• Would be great if there was a folding/space-saving version of it as well

7. Allieva

There’s always been a need for compact and functional workstations. But this necessity is further compounded by the growing trend of distance learning and working from home, especially after the pandemic. To address this problem, Whynot Design has introduced a unique and innovative solution called the Allieva. This foldable wooden workstation is designed for Foppapedretti, one of the most well-known Italian brands for baby products and wooden furniture since 1945.

Why is it noteworthy?

This sleek, foldable work desk is meant to fit in any space, making it perfect for small houses and dorm rooms. Despite compromising on size, Allieva is aesthetically pleasing. It takes up as little space as possible and measures only 7 inches deep when folded.

What we like

• The workstation can be set up easily with a simple gesture
• Comes with a large compartment at the base of the table that allows you to keep everything

What we dislike

• The folding and unfolding mechanism could be considered tedious by users

8. The Spectrum Workstation Round ST160

Studio Geckeler Michels designed the Spectrum Workstation Round ST160 for Karimoku New Standard. Karimoku New Standard is an offshoot of Karimoku. It was founded to easily combine the brand’s craftsmanship with design studios around the world. The studio designed the minimal workstation to bring a semblance of calm and tranquility to our hectic workspaces.

Why is it noteworthy?

The station perfectly embodies Japanese craftsmanship and German design, in an attempt to merge stunning aesthetics with efficiency and functionality. It has been crafted from solid Japanese oak wood and is designed to support a flexible and dynamic style of working.

What we like

• Works well for both home and corporate offices
• The workstation can seat up to six people quite comfortably, so it’s also great to sit together and interact and collaborate

What we dislike

• The circular shape brings a conference room table for collaborative work but takes away the privacy of a personal cabin

9. The Outside In

This multifunctional shape-shifting table is called the Outside In, and it integrates beautiful hand-carved grooves into its timber frames, which resemble the raked ruts of Japanese zen gardens.

Why is it noteworthy?

Japanese zen gardens have supplied ceaseless inspiration for designers. While the sheer meditative quality of zen gardens is enough to insight into some new ideas, the artful design of zen gardens rakes its own creative vision for designers. Melbourne-based furniture, lighting, and object design company Sabu Studio found its own creative vision by way of Japanese zen gardens when designing the minimalist Outside In table.

What we like

• Features a sinuous timber surface that resembles the hand-raked grooves of a zen garden
• Outside In is a crafty piece of furniture that would look right at home in hospitality common spaces or even event halls

What we dislike

• Space-consuming & bulky design

10. Solar

MyZoo, a cat goods company, designs modern cat furniture that caters to your cat’s every need, while not disrupting your interior design. Solar, one of their more recent designs, is a wall-mountable floating cat bed that mounts onto any vertical surface so cats rest midair in their own designated space.

Why is it noteworthy?

Shaped like the sun, Solar is a small, but sturdy floating cat bed that’s built from pinewood. In a similar fashion to their other pieces of cat furniture, MyZoo lined Solar with a slotted resting platform for safe jumping. Ideal for small spaces, Solar provides a resting spot and jumping platform for your cat and saves space in the meantime.

What we like

• Solar doesn’t take up any ground space and easily mounts to any wall where there’s room
• Easy to assemble

What we dislike

• There’s no cushioning on the bed which would make it easier for the cat to lounge on

The post Top 10 minimal furniture designs to add a bit of peace and calm to your home first appeared on Yanko Design.

Furniture may have started out as purely functional objects, but they quickly transformed into decorative pieces that add some flavor to a given space. Sometimes that flavor is ornate and grandiose. Other times it can be unadorned yet elegant. Eye-catching features don’t always have to come from embellishments and accents. Sometimes, just the shape of the furniture can already be a conversation starter, especially if they come in weird forms or distinct appearances. This side table, for example, is reminiscent of an elusive mythical monster rising from the depths of a lake, but despite its odd shape, it actually has a few useful functions beyond just holding your coffee mug.

Designer: Deniz Aktay

The Loch Ness monster, sometimes affectionately called “Nessie,” is one of the most famous mysteries that have filled books and cameras over the decades, right next to Bigfoot and UFO sightings. It is commonly speculated to be an amphibious creature that raises its long neck above the water from time to time, leading to its now iconic silhouette.

Nessie is a side table whose name and shape leave no doubt as to its inspiration. What is also clear is that it’s a fine example of woodwork craftsmanship, considering the difficulty in producing its unconventional form. It is practically made of two planks of wood that curve upward to join a square tabletop at two of the latter’s adjacent edges. Since such a composition would normally topple over, a wooden triangular prism serves as the counterweight on the opposite end.

Despite its rather unusual shape, reminiscent of an animal sticking its neck up, each part of the side table’s design serves a particular purpose. The long triangular block, for example, acts as a bookmark for more than just one reading material. The empty space beneath the table top can also serve as a hiding spot for other items like small storage boxes.

As far as side tables go, Nessie definitely takes up more space and requires some planning on where to put it. That said, it isn’t wasted space either since every part serves a function. It might even be possible to extend the design to create some storage space inside the triangular end, with a door that easily lifts to reveal its contents.

The post Eccentric side table puts a mythical beast in your living space first appeared on Yanko Design.