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We love an interesting solution to small spaces and clutter, or just interesting furniture in general. This awesomely designed series is so innovative, we want a piece to hold all of our random stuff too! The No Stereotype Series was crafted by furniture design grad student Dong-yeop Han of South Korea. His collection has the ability to store pretty much anything, both inside and outside, with its plethora of heavy duty elastic bands covering the entire surface. The series includes boxy chairs, cabinets, and small storage ottomans. (Potential play room fix?)

"Each piece is covered in woven elastic bands that stretch around objects to hold and store them in place."

These bands could easily be found at your local hardware store, but Han had the great idea of re-purposing them as an addition to simply designed pieces of furniture. By utilizing the typically unused outer surface for storage, furniture’s original purpose is also doubled. What a great idea to keep clutter safely in its place and reuse common materials in the process!

We love the Scandinavian-esque style of the collection, as well. With their simple color palette, clear form and function, and raw finishes, we could definitely see these pieces used in today's interior design world. Such a modern take on some simple storage solutions.

via Design Milk 

What We're In To: OFS - Eleven

OFS is just one of the many success stories in the industry running with a clearly minimalist design pattern. We love the Eleven workspace, designed around this concept of "Architecture Uninterrupted" by Swiss architect and designer Daniel Korb. He "developed Eleven around a fundamental concept: 'Furniture is Architecture on a Different Scale'." Korb was able to use this to design an effortless blend of function, storage, and media integration for interior spaces. Inspired by the international style and backed up with an architect's eye for detail, Eleven "presents an adaptable, sustainable aesthetic that scales from private to collaborative and open spaces."

We're definitely into making lives easier at the office, and we're always looking for new ways to integrate fresh technology into our spaces. The Eleven tables are perfect for charging up iPads, iPhones, laptops, you name it. When work goes uninterrupted, office productivity can only follow suit. Their sleek design is just an added bonus to these extremely functional tables. There are no visible fasteners or bulky eye sores to interrupt the visual aesthetic of the product, remaining faithful to a truly minimalist design idea. What a perfect addition to your newly renovated space, bringing your office to the 21st century.

Coming in a variety of finishes, these well designed tables aim to match the look you're hoping to achieve...and that's something we can get behind. Here's a closer look at Eleven at work: 

Contact us at NWOI for more details!

Products shown include: Eleven Workspace, Madrid chairs, and Flexxy Swivel Chairs

Get the Look: Kimball

On Monday we took a look in to the success of collaborative work spaces in the office and mentioned our own use of benching desk solutions. Currently, in our showroom, we utilize the Priority product line from our friends at Kimball Office.

Priority is extremely versatile and can be set up in a way that fits your space, and your employees, perfectly. Its functionality is customizeable to fit any office style, from classic to contemporary, with the added option of coordinating storage, bookcases, and tables.

 

Benching in the office has "improved flexibility, mobility, and easy access to power and data, which make it the ideal solution for a wide range of organizations and workers." Encouraging interaction among employees, the system provides a creative and collaborative space for workers to enjoy doing what they do. It also helps fit multiple employee stations in to a smaller space, adding value to your office real estate. Not to mention the allowance for sunlight to pour through office windows instead of being blocked by panels.

Low profile resin screens welcome successful teaming, while maintaining enough privacy for individual work. Similar to our own set-up, sleek lateral files may be topped with cushions for a place to quickly meet with coworkers and share ideas. This Kimball system can adapt to changing work modes with modular, assembled, and mobile components that come finished in wood or laminate and its versatility allows for a bold design statement "from the lobby to the executive wing and everything in between."

Drop by the NWOI showroom for a peek at the product and a detailed consultation.

Now Trending: Clean & Simple

This year, interiors continue to make the shift from heirloom bulky to modern slim. In an attempt to adapt to the New Normal of the current generation, we'll be parting ways with the overly adorned to make room for the purely minimalistic.

According to Furniture News, one of the freshest trends we'll be seeing throughout 2013 is referred to as "Fraction". As you might guess from the name, new products will begin to embrace direct, angular properties with interlocking shapes and an abstract, European feel. Think geometric, Ikea-esque fashion with finishes at an extreme - either ultra-glossy or subdued and raw.

Design will begin to have strong Scandinavian tones, showcasing "pure forms, and smooth and compact finishes" that are controlled and totally non-excessive.

The point is for new age product to act as "discreet, yet direct" functional furniture. Meaning, super sleek lines and non-cumbersome pieces that are pleasing to look at, yet their function is simple and plainly obvious. In our over complicated world, we can begin to feel "freed by the plainness" of this new trend as our furniture starts working with us, not against us.

Patterns this year should draw from cubist mentalities, with repetitions of small scale geometrics being key. Mondrian style grids and bold, typographic patterns will be seen as well.

Find some inspiration in these photos and leave your thoughts on this architectural, low profile trend in the comments!

DigsDigs, The Luxe Home, HomeOOfficee, Maze Home, Lincah Design, Coco Cozy, Decor Advisor, Home Swiss