furniture

A start-up launched on Friday aims to make furnishing an office as simple as assembling a cardboard box.

Bloxes are the latest option in cardboard furniture (see photo gallery), which is gaining a toehold in the world of 'green' design. The corrugated cardboard puzzle pieces lock together to form sturdy shapes such as chairs, walls, and play forts.

Bloxes founder Aza Raskin turned to his childhood for the idea, toyed with as an art project by his father Jef Raskin, known as the "father" of the Macintosh computer.

The junior Raskin is using Bloxes to furnish the lofted … Read more

Live in a studio apartment or have a penchant for clown cars? Then check out the Casulo, an entire bedroom (complete with a dresser and a desk) that fits together in a box that's about the size of a large steamer trunk. The contraption was created by German designers Marcel Krings and Sebastian M?hlh?user who can be seen unloading the entire collection in the 7-minute video embedded below.

The duo won an Abraham and David Roentgen Award for innovative design last November, although if you're waiting to get your hands on a Casulo of your own … Read more

After seeing so many chairs and sofas that play music, we didn't think that there were many other ways to pipe MP3s through upholstered furniture in the living room. Then we saw it: the musical ottoman.

Actually, it's called the "Audio Cube," according to Chip Chick. Just slip your MP3 player in a pouch on the side, plug it in, and kick back--literally. Our only quibble is the choice of upholstery, which, other than black, isn't exactly understated (French pink, polka dots, etc.). Hardly the kind of patterns one would find in "Salon du Emo.&… Read more

Who says creativity is dead? Sanity, maybe, but not creativity. Just hours after learning of a concept that lets you use your laptop while walking, we came across another invention that does it one better: a chair that does the walking for you.

The ingeniously named "Walking-Chair" is the brainchild of a couple of mad-scientist designers in Austria, for what purpose we have no idea. The eight-legged beast is made of steel tubes, plastic, and an "electronic heart," according to Gizmowatch.

The price might be a bit on the high side for the office budget, however: … Read more

As noted before, the dreaded '70s-era wall unit is making a 21st century comeback, in no small part because flat-screen TVs have obviated the need for the equally cliched entertainment armoire. And we're relieved to report that, unlike their predecessors, the newer generation doesn't require gouging one's eyes out.

Not surprisingly, the Italians have taken the concept to an entirely new plane. Their latest accomplishment is the "Monos" line by MisuraEmme, a flexible modular apparatus that includes a bar as well as appropriate space and compartments for all manner of media gadgetry in a museum-like … Read more

Finally, a media cabinet for the world's most expensive TV. Flatlift has created a suite of media furniture that includes 50 carats of "diamond dust" sprinkled throughout its finish.

The high-gloss cabinets include automated drawers designed to accommodate everything from media components to liquor. The dust supposedly flashes when illuminated, an effect matched only by the LED stripes that can "change colors according to your mood," according to BornRich.

And of course, as its name would imply, Flatlift has built in a motorized life the TV itself in the back of the central piece of … Read more

Take a look at the "D-Box GP-200" game chair posted just a few minutes ago, which looks about as aesthetically polished as its industrial name would suggest. Now imagine it morphing into a designer form worthy of the most Spartan interiors. That would be the "Battle-Rig Pro."

This German-made game station can be built with various color choices and personal specs for integration with any decor, according to Techie Diva. The apparatus includes built-in speakers and anything else that can be accommodated by its various storage compartments.

There's just one catch: Only Germany, Austria and … Read more

As far as furniture goes, nothing makes us shudder more than two words: wall unit. Anyone who lived through the '70s will remember the oak-veneered, round-cornered shelves that could be stacked or assembled together, forming an unsightly mass on which to place innumerable ceramic Garfields and prom photos. So we were slightly afraid to look at Gruber Schlager's "Cubiko TV Wall Unit" based on its name alone but, thankfully, it had none of those lovely trappings.

The concept is similar--addressing several home entertainment needs at once--yet the Cubiko has been updated for the digital era, in form … Read more

Finally fed up with needing half a dozen remotes just to watch TV, Crave recently splurged on one of those universal Harmony models that we kept hearing about, the kind that uses radio frequencies so it can work through walls like Superman. Just one problem--Best Buy wanted $400 for it. For a remote. So we promptly went home and found one on Amazon for half the price.

That's a long way to say why we think it's a good idea for Best Buy to be getting into home furnishings business. Let's face it: The big-box retailers simply … Read more