BRILLIANT INGENUITY

I've come across many multi-functional, space-saver pieces of furniture, but this slick desk is one of my favorites. Deskbox is a brilliant wall-mounted desk/cabinet unit designed by Israel-born, UK-based designers Yael Mer and Shay Akalay of Raw Edges studio for Dutch furniture company Arco. It has a retraction system that allows it to easily open and reveal a comfortable work space, and close to its original compact form. Either way, it's a beautiful piece of furniture.

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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

What do you get when you leave a stack of cardboard sheets alone in a room with some of Europe’s brightest engineers? How about this amazing line of furniture made completely, you guessed it, of cardboard. Australian company Karton is all about keeping things simple and easy. By following their basic fold and tab system (without the need of any tools or glue), you can put together a whole bedroom essemble, a complete office, funky storage units and even a dining room table that will give your guests plenty to talk about. Besides being an impossibly strong, exceptionally handsome and conveniently cheap way to sleep, sit, store or live, these designs are also 100% recyclable. BTW, if you're digging this fun and unique decor concept, you will also love these other cool versions here and here.

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STYLE COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES

It's hard to believe this jewel of an apartment is barely 420 square-feet. The whole studio was so cleverly planned that they were able to accommodate a living area, an eat-in kitchen, a cozy sleeping quarter and even a small home office—all done exquisitely with plenty of style. The use of black and white was key to giving the space a cohesive look and a feeling of continuity, which makes the pad seem more spacious that it actually is. The combination of styles is delicious, particularly the mix of pendants in the dining area. What's not to love about this charming home?

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A SMALL SWEDISH JEWEL

Studio-apartment dwellers are always faced with the tough challenge of making a small space functional without sacrificing style. But the owner of this precious, 430-square-feet Swedish pad is proud of having accomplished both beautifully. With a little planning and editing, this chic studio was successfully laid out to include a living area, room for a small home office and a cozy corner for the bed. Of course, it also helps that the apartment has a charming foyer/hallway which separates the kitchen and bathroom from the living area and provides extra storage room for the owner. Overall, this little jewel is a winner in my book.

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A HANDY RACK

Most times closet space doesn't come in abundance. I remember when we were searching for apartments, one of the first things we would look for was storage and closets. Unfortunately, here in New York City that is a commodity that's hard to find—I would say ninety percent of the places we saw had tiny ones or none at all. But guess what? That's part of living in the big city and we make do. I know people who in order to compensate for the lack of storage, buy metal racks to hang their clothes. So if you ever find yourself in that situation and would like put your skillful hands at work and make your own, I came across this pretty-easy-to-make and inexpensive coat rack in Weekday Carnival. The beauty of this rack is that you can customize it to a size that best works for you and paint to match your decor. All you need is a few copper pipes, six corner pieces and four T-connectors. Enssemble, polish, wipe, paint and voilá. You have a pretty industrial-chic rack that will look great either in your bedroom or foyer as a handy coat rack.

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A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE

As part of a collaborative effort between Danish furniture company BoConcept and Egyptian-born designer Karim Rashid, this collection of affordable dining room pieces is just to die for. Every single piece in the Ottowa Collection has the distinctive fun and quirky style that Rashid is known for. It includes a complete dining room set with table, chairs, sideboard and cabinet. But that's not all. Rashid wanted to extend his vision to complementing accessories as well to create a complete dining experience. From lamps, dishes and vases the accessories add the finishing touches to the room. But one of my favorites is the bold black and white fingerprint rug that I find simply irresistible. Although the collection was designed for the dining room, most of its components would work just as well in any room of the home.

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Ride on!

When living in tight quarters, one is always in search of storage solutions that make our lives easier, and most importantly don't become an eyesore in our homes. Sometimes we sacrifice the enjoyment of having certain things for the lack of space where to store them. A bicycle is one of those treasured possessions that could be very challenging to keep in a small space. But Italian company BYografia found an genius way of solving this problem by creating Bookbike. This handsome bookshelf/bike storage combo will make many city dwellers quite happy. The piece is very versatile: it adjust to fit any size bike and is equipped with adjustable legs to guarantee stability. Happy riding!

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Stylish Trash

No more messes while sorting your trash and recyclables. This towering trash can is the answer to your prayers. Created by French industrial designer Constance Guisset in collaboration with Grégory Cid, the TRI3 is a garbage station of sorting with three different canisters. The top bin is for regular trash and includes a handy bag dispenser; the middle one is for packaging, plastic, etc.; and the bottom one is for discarding glass. The best thing about it is that there is no need to get your hands dirty as it has three pedals at the bottom that open each of the containers. Neat-o!

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