Tag Archives: A Design Award 2021

The IKEA-worthy multifunctional hourglass lamp is an inspiration for the furniture design industry

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One of the greatest perks of my job is researching + understanding the trends that define the Industrial Design world in subtle yet significant ways. If we go by the latest IKEA x SONOS collaboration, the trend in furniture design is to create furniture design that goes beyond being only a piece of furniture, but instead be a well-crafted solution. The difference in both is whether you look at the set of 4 legs and one plank and see it as a table alone or a table that transforms into a chaise lounge when you want to take a nap! This transformative property makes the Hourglass Multifunctional Shelf a worthy winner of the A’ Design Award!

The hourglass shelf takes inspiration from the passage of time, and the functionality of the shelf changes throughout the day. Starting as a coat rack in the early mornings that holds your outdoor wear, the product’s main functionality becomes that of a shelf – to keep your knick-knacks in place. Finally, as the sun goes down, the design works as a detachable lamp, giving light and completing its cycle across the day. “The hourglass is the symbol of time, and the charm of time affects the tide-ups and downs, years change. The change of different roles reminds people to follow the direction of time, perceive the years and harvest exquisite life.” The detachable element of the lamp brings sheer joy to me! As a person surrounded by screens throughout the day, the lamp’s shape and portability make it almost meditative, a chance to literally disconnect and take some time off.

“One plus one is more than two” is the guiding principle behind every thought put into this design. Sure, it provides us with multiple functionalities, but it also creates an emotional connection with the interacting user by sparking joy. With the world leaning towards sustainability, the disposable approach of designing products is now passe. Given the direction mass-manufacturing giants like IKEA are taking (see their latest disassembly guide), the Hourglass Multifunctional Shelf is the perfect furniture design to join the IKEA must-buys. Certainly, given the multitude of usability this shelf provides, it passes the Marie Kondo test of sparking joy, making it a must-have in every home!

The Hourglass Multifunctional Shelf is the winner of the Silver A’ Design Award.

Designer: Ziel Home Furnishing Technology Co., Ltd

This cat tower adopts a minimal hardwood design and stripped-down aesthetics to fit with every room’s interior!

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For as long as they’ve been around, cat towers have been adorned with beige carpeting. Invented in 1968, the first “cat tree” had carpeted perches, boxes, and inclines where cats could look out and observe all the goings-on of their territory. Updating the cat tower to fit today’s interior design standards, designers with Ziel Home Furnishing, a brand enterprise in Zhengzhou, China, have created Watch Tower, a hardwood cat tree that gives the cat tower from the 1960s a modern-day makeover.

While beige carpeting was fashionable when the first cat tower was invented, it has since been swapped for more reserved, minimal designs that feature hardwood accents and stripped-down ornamentation. Watch Tower carries a pretty wide and hefty base, which maintains stability for the rest of the tower. The first tier from the base features a wooden deck shaped like a donut through which cats can climb and jump before heading over to the second tier. Just above the wooden donut deck, cats can saunter their way to the wooden platform that juts out to hover above the ground, where they can hang out and paw at Watch Tower’s ball-on-a-string. Following research done on other models of cat towers, the designers learned that cats enjoy the tower’s top ledge to rest and look out over their home and observe all of its goings-on.

Watch Tower carries just enough understated sophistication to fit into living rooms and play areas where hardwood flooring is the predominant design scheme. Then, its playful design provides just enough entertainment for cats to slowly work their way up the tower for the whole day through. In addition to its adaptive design and entertaining layout, Watch Tower is detachable for easy disassembly and assembly. When the cat deems they’ve had enough time perched away in their observatory, then the whole tower can come apart to be stored away out of sight.

Designer: Ziel Home FurnishingTechnology Co., Ltd.

Following the cat tower from its base to its topmost perch, Watch Tower was designed to offer play on the bottom and a restful sanctuary up top.

The topmost perch provides a cushioned seat for cats to rest in and the circular scratching pad offers a place for cats to strengthen their claws and paws.

Detachable throughout, once your cat is finished rest up top, the whole structure can be easily dismantled and stored away.

Made entirely out of hardwood, Watch Tower was built to fit into any living room, with a minimal, yet sophisticated design.