Good news for fans of fabulous storage: Formbar’s customisable shelving units – which can be designed to fit even the most obscure spaces – are now available in South Africa.

Founded as a university start-up called Okinlab, Formbar’s parametrically designed furniture and shelving pieces have been brought to South Africa by local entrepreneur Matthew Swart. “The freedom of customising your own furniture allows you to be more creative than usual,” says Matthew. “There is something deeply pleasing about surrounding yourself with pieces that are perfectly fitted to your purpose.”

With a focus on organic and ergonomic shapes, each Formbar piece is designed to fit the particular dimensions and requirements of a client’s home, office or hospitality or retail space, providing a functional solution for storage and presentation. Suitable for any space, whether it features pitched roofs or circular walls, Formbar products are made using CNC machines and slot into place with 0.1mm accuracy.

A digitally driven process allows the customer to choose the size, layers, doors, number of shelves and colours through intelligent software that creates a blueprint for each new design, making it unique.This all begins with the online “self shaper”, which gives clients insight into and control over the creative process, and allows them to play around with varying looks and feels until they find the right solution. Following this process, the design is submitted online, after which components are cut to size, flat-packed and sent for home assembly.

Formbar’s ability to serve both small and large spaces, and meet needs that range from decluttering a home to creating large display units, means it is a genuinely versatile option for building a calming, organised aesthetic.

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Cape Town-based studio TimHarris Design has released a modular shelving system that can be configured to suit a variety of spaces.

From the home office setup, available in seven different configurations, starting from R1 000, to 10 different wardrobe setups, starting at R3 175, the system can be customised to suit your needs for use in your office or bedroom, as a wardrobe or as a lighting display. You can also choose from a list of components to create your own own setup from scratch.

Made from lightweight birch ply and powder-coated steel, the shelves hang from your walls by means of horizontal rails – you can also move the shelves along the rails to suit your needs.

For more information, visit timharris.co.za. 

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1. Pipe Dream

Shelves bracketed with iron plumber’s pipes will lend an industrial-chic edge to any contemporary interior. Give your pine shelving boards a suitably masculine look by treating them to a couple of coats of dark wood stain – do this at least 24 hours before you start your installation process. Use pipe clamps to fasten the boards to the pipes and attach the pipes to the wall with dry-wall anchors to ensure a secure connection. If your screws are not wide enough for the pipe flange holes use a washer for each of the screws.

2. Covert Cabinet

If storage is skint and the four walls of your kitchen are a little closer together than you’d like, you’ll need a compact solution to incorporate a breakfast nook into your space. Surprise! This unassuming hinged cabinet swings into action when it unfolds to form a handy eating surface. For avid DIYers, the project is easily accomplished with little more than a few pieces of strong hard- or ply-wood, hinges and hinge supports. Some designs require piano hinges with S-hooks and chains, while others will make use of a pair of folding brackets.

3. Pretty Neat

Decorative display units such as this unusual pair are ideal for turning shelving into a focal point. Where the unit on the left makes ingenious use of a series of mirrored hexagons, the one on the right is configured around a collection of different sized floating boxes. The key to creating a shelving vignette is to work with the negative spaces as much as you do the positives. Don’t fill every nook with things – instead, remember that empty space allows the eye to rest and focus on the important things you want to show off.

4. Culinary Contrasts

Doorless cabinets are trending in kitchens and this desirable duo shows the striking effects that can be attained when sticking with a strictly monochromatic display. Your choice of cupboard paint is all-important in the kitchen, which is exposed to high levels of grease and steam. Plascon Kitchens & Bathrooms is a water-based enamel formulated with Silver Protect, which is designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mould and fungus, reducing the chances of your units discolouring. Remember to first apply a wood or melamine primer, such as Plascon’s Tile & Melamine Primer.

5. Divide and Conquer

Once thought of as an organisational necessity hidden behind closed doors, shelves have come out of the closet and are making a grand entry into the design world. Open shelving is not only an efficient and typically inexpensive way to sort, display and store your sundries, but can also make a space feel lighter, bigger and more open. What is required, however, is that you be a ruthless editor – get rid of or store all those dust collectors you just don’t use. And if you’re going for a floor-to-ceiling ensemble, consider investing in a stylish stepladder.

For more DIY inspiration, not to mention plenty of take-home ideas for planning and building, including walls, floors and finishes, be sure to visit the interactive Builders DIY Theatre, sponsored by Builders, at Decorex Joburg 2016. Gauteng’s biggest annual décor and design event takes place from 5 to 9 August at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. Tickets on sale at decorex.co.za.

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We may know Airloom’s David and Rose Bradshaw better for their amazing collection of rugs, but this time round, it is the couple’s range of exclusive geometric laser-cut shelves made in Cape Town that has caught our eye and implored us to get all our stuff sorted – beautifully.

After a visit to Maison et Objet in Paris in January 2014, the two returned inspired to further develop and explore a fabulous modular design shelving system they saw there.

Says Rose: “Shelving and storage solutions really give you the opportunity to walk that fine line between aesthetics and functionality. We like to think of the Airloom shelving as three-dimensional wallpaper.” 

Airloom’s unique storage design is available in all colours and styles, enabling you to make your own special wall statement. You can use just two or three units and add more later to either make a pretty pastel hexagon hive or build trios of triangles right across the wall. If you move, simply take it with you and switch the shelving around to match the mood of your new home. 

Pretty, practical and available in pastel, all that’s left to say is: get sorted!

Visit airloom.co.za for more information.

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Looking for a modern shelving option to freshen up your space? Here’s 6 contemporary choices of all shapes and sizes you should definitely keep in mind.

1. Stacking Shelves R899.99, Mr Price Home

2. Elegant Magazine Shelf R1 699, @home

3. Frama Bookshelf R15 819, Simpli Decor at Hello Pretty

4. Hexagon Shelf Set of 3 R699, B&K Design and Decor at Superbalist.com

5. Teak Minimalist Bookrack (3 Shelves) R6 995, Weylandts

And if you prefer something bigger and slightly more traditional…

6. Jefferson Bookshelf R46 996, Block & Chisel

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From monotone photography and staircase murals to a spinning lounger and solid brass shelving, this is the stuff that gets the VISI team’s creative blood pumping. Here are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 59.

1. nhm.ac.uk
2. amuneal.com
3. pulptastic.com
4. theawesomer.com
5. oge-group.com

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 59 on picks of the week 21. 

 

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