Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This unusual object is the Aluminum Stool , by Rimowa and Vitra. The German luggage manufacturer and the Swiss design furniture company collaborated to create just 1,000 of these; and while the overall look is pure Rimowa, the piece is meant to be storage furniture, not luggage.

"It is almost a typology of its own," says Christian Grosen, Vitra's Chief Design Officer. "While the cube format might not be so practical for a suitcase, it's ideal for sitting and storage." "During the design process, we decided to leave out the handles so that the stool wouldn't closely resemble a trolley or a transport container.

There is a seat cushion and the inside is also padded; we deliberately left the wheels, as they are emblematic of both furniture and suitcases. The Multiwheel system is a RIMOWA trademark, as are the grooves in the aluminium.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

In design, the transitions between surfaces are everything. And in a perfect world, those surfaces are designed at the same time, giving the designer the luxury of thinking things through.

Sometimes, however, things need to be retrofit. And then it's up to someone who may not have any design training at all to come up with a coping solution.

What do you think of these four executions: 1 2 3 4 My opinions: 1. Way too busy, and distracts from the original molding, which is meant to be a design feature; downspouts are not.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

The beauty of sailboats is that they don't require power in order to move. However, modern-day sailboats have a host of onboard electronics that do require power: Navigation lights, radar, a VHF radio, a GPS unit, the navigation console, interior lighting.

These are typically powered by batteries, which are charged by an auxiliary motor if the boat has one, or the boat can be plugged in at the dock. However, a Belgian startup called Phileole has invented an alternative: This Grain Blanc wind turbine.

This can be bolted to the mast. Because of its vertical orientation, it can capture wind from any direction.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This Roulette Cart , by a Belgian company of the same name, is designed to make grocery shopping easier in urban environments. It was designed by Belgian industrial design firm Futurewave (though at press time it wasn't yet on their website).

It's sized for the city, at 64.5 cm H × 34 cm W × 24.5 cm D (25.4" x 13.4" x 9.6"). The frame is powder-coated aluminum, and the bag is waterproof nylon.

The skateboard-like wheels are made out of TPU. The bag has a 40L (10.6 gallon) capacity and features several interior pockets.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This beautiful Topos Chair and Sunlounger were designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. They're in production by Spanish furniture manufacturer iSiMAR.

The indoor/outdoor pieces are made out of galvanized steel and offered with powder-coated finishes in multiple colors. Alas, you can't really sit on the wire frames (if comfort is a concern), and the pieces look rather less good once the seat cushions are on them.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

As all parents know, children rapidly outgrow both clothing and furniture. In the 1970s, Luigi Colani designed this plywood Tobifant furniture set, which could grow in height along with the child.

Colani designed it to not only be flatpacked, but to be utterly easy to assemble. The joinery consists of simple wedged tenons.

The set went into production in the late 1970s, by West German children's furniture brand Kinderlübke. Today you can still find surviving examples on vintage reseller sites.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

In some manufacturing facilities, you may see gigantic storage cabinets that look like this: That's the Hänel Rotomat , by German office equipment company Hänel Bu¨rosysteme. They developed the design in 1957, inspired by the Ferris Wheel.

The company reckons their system has three major benefits: Space saving Hänel Rotomat® storage lift utilizes the available room heights and, thanks to its compact design, creates space savings of up to 85 % in relation to the footprint. Work time slashed The Hänel Rotomat® storage carousel brings the required parts to the retrieval area in just a few seconds.

Ergonomics No more bending, ladder-climbing or walking long distances to search for and store parts or articles. The required items are brought automatically to the optimum ergonomic retrieval height.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This handsome Plinth is by Swedish industrial designer Martina Claesson. Inspired by the form of a gymnast's vault, her aim was to make a simple, elegant stool and storage piece.

They're made of solid oak, and they stack. Claesson is a freelance designer, most notably for Ikea, but for this one she signed a production deal with Denmark's Andersen Furniture.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This striking Ultras Sconce is by 6:AM Glassworks. Though based in Milan, the Italian design brand is dedicated to showcasing Venetian glassmaking techniques practiced in Murano.

The sconce is actually blown as a single piece of glass. To achieve the two colors, the artisans use the Venetian a canne ("with cane") technique.

This is where separate glass rods (canes) are assembled into a single mass, then blown into shape. The manufacturing procedure actually yields two separate objects.

Core77 - Blog • Jan. 19, 2026, 4:31 p.m.

This sideboard is by British furnituremaker Nick James. It's made of solid Oak, and features a single height-adjustable interior shelf.

The real beauty is on the outside: No crazy router jig used here. The texture was achieved purely with a CNC mill.

He's done the same with this taller bar cabinet below. I know it's totally subjective, but while I find the sideboard elegant, the bar cabinet is too much for me (in the closed position).

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