Furniture

For an idea that has yet to make it to Kickstarter, a remarkable amount of work has gone into Tetran - a modular system possibly best described as LEGO for furniture. Tetran consists of a variety of standardized modules, blocks and cushions that can be fitted together to create just about any item of furniture you can think of, or even room-filling amalgamations custom designed to suit the user's personal needs.  Read More

There's nothing quite like the heady aroma of fresh herbs, and nothing more satisfying than growing your own. Whether you use them to scent a room or give your cooking some much-needed taste bud titillation, if you live in tightly-packed city accommodation then indulging your appetite for fresh greenery can be difficult. If your home is not blessed with enough window space for a hanging garden like Windowfarms, but you have lots of floor space that's just begging to be divided up, then take a look at the Herb 2 project from FABRIKAAT. An experiment in folding and bending, this flexible partition wall is also a herb garden and an unusual source of low-energy lighting for your living space.  Read More

Designers and scientists at the University of Cambridge have been collaborating on a project that demonstrates a potential future application of Biophotovoltaic (BPV) technology. Dubbed the Moss Table, the concept furniture piece was exhibited at this year’s Salone Satellite – a parallel exhibition of young designers that took place during the Milan Design Week last month. The idea behind the table is that energy generated from the moss during the day could be stored in a battery and later used to power the adjoining lamp in the evening.  Read More

Salone Internazionale del Mobile has been showcasing the latest in home-furnishing design from Italy and around the globe since 1961. This year, Gizmag was lucky enough to be in Milan to preview the best the show has to offer. Our top three exhibits range from innovative design and ecological use of materials to wish-list outdoor kitchens. Here's a look what we consider the best of the fair, from three top Italian companies – Campeggi, Tao and Foppapedretti.  Read More

Anyone who has been through earthquake drills in school knows the standard defense against falling debris is for students to crawl under their desks. Unfortunately, while this might block a few pieces of stray drywall and glass, a wooden desk isn't going to withstand the crushing weight from large chunks of concrete or steel. In fact, people hiding under their desks could very likely become trapped with no way out. That's why two designers have developed an "earthquake-proof" desk that can absorb the impact of up to a ton of weight and even provide emergency routes for rescue crews to reach trapped students.  Read More

Following in the footsteps of the Ciclotte design, it looks like exercise equipment continues to get a makeover. Moving away from clunky equipment that often folds away to stay out-of-sight, two new pieces are designed to adorn a living room. TECHNOGYM presented their latest range of exercise equipment during Milan Design Week 2012, while LUNAR's striking Vela concept turns your home workout bike into a work of art when not in use.  Read More

The Mercedes-Benz brand name holds up well in any company, so it's not surprising that is being extended into other luxury markets. This time last year we were writing about Mercedes' first luxury helicopter, and the big news from the Milan Furniture Fair is that Mercedes-Benz Style has presented a furniture collection and it will be sold worldwide via exclusive furniture stores, showrooms and interior design stores from October 2012.  Read More

Being lovers of style, comfort and technology, you've doubtless already decked your living room out with a multimedia sofa and a recliner with a built-in sound system. Perhaps you've even gone to the trouble of hiding your plasma TV behind a nice art print or surrounding it in a home-theater-like frame. If you're now a tad underwhelmed by that functional, but otherwise rather dull, coffee table, then we may have something to bring a smile to your face. Furniture maker Charles Lushear has supersized the brick-like controller from Nintendo's iconic 8-bit gaming system launched in the mid-1980s, swapped the cold plastic for the elegance of wood and positioned some mid 20th century legs underneath to make a fully operational Nintendo Controller Coffee Table.  Read More

During Milan Design Week 2012, Italian furniture maker Calligaris has introduced the use of liquid wood, a composite biomaterial consisting of polymer and wood. Producing its first range of chairs, liquid wood is 100% recyclable and produced with raw materials that are easily available and renewable.  Read More