On first sight, the Octocube is all smoke and mirrors. You could spend quite a while trying to figure out what it is or does. Go on. See if you can figure it out. If you can’t work it out from the pictures alone then how about the name. Octocube. Any help? The sharper eye will observe the 2 cables/pipes at the rear so surely it does something right? Designer Vivien Muller has created this little mystery for your Thursday morning enjoyment.

Designer: Vivien Muller

Ok boys and girls, you may need to squint a little on this one. What you are looking at is a fishbowl design that looks as though MC Escher was hired by Superman to create a mini fortress of solitude for his gold fish Doug. Ha, you didn’t know Superman’s goldfish was named Doug, did you? Other than my early morning fact checking, the real clever aspect here is that this design loops the fish around in an infinite tunnel of water and glass.

Designer: BCXSY Studio

Split Bamboo is probably one of the most sustainable products we’ve seen in awhile. The entire manufacturing process consists of harvesting and scoring the ends of the bamboo stalk. While the stalk is still somewhat pliable - pressing in the ends creates a foot stand and loops; the perfect coat hanger.

Designer: Jinhong Lin

Cleanliness is next to Godliness or so they would have you believe. If you’re the messy type who tends to toss clothes all over the floor, you need this Tidy Room by Todby Evans. All you have to do is be responsible for strategically tossing you clothes onto the mat. If you can at least do that, when laundry day rolls around - just roll up the mat and you’re good to go.

Designer: Toby Treyer-Evans

The 1960’s saw some truly amazing design, both graphically and industrial. Along with Roy Lichtenstein, famed Italian artist Guido Crepax is considered one of the fathers of the graphic pop art movement. His most famous character “Valentina” was a massive comic success and it’s title character is a sexual icon and his most famous creation.

Designer: Canevese Giuseppe

Well it’s official, cubes-that-turn-into-things is officially a trend. Maybe designers are inspired by last years Transformers movie, or the Borg on Star Trek, but these squared squares just keep on coming. The latest is by designer Naho Matsuno called “Cube 6.”

Designer: Naho Matsuno

Got a lot of stuff? Can’t remember where you put the power cord for that mobile phone you never use? Well designer Pietro Arosio for EmmeBi has your number. He just might be one of the first designers to think of something so obvious it makes my brain ache. He put numbers on these lovely drawer designs, making finding your stuff that much easier. That’s it! Numbers! Genius.

Designer: Pietro Arosio

What’s this? A giant jewelry box for “power-ups” in Zelda? Nope, it’s a fine example multi-function furniture by designer John Nouanesing. Calling it the “One To Three For Five (Seconds)”, this giant white cube table can easily split up into a pair of low riding chairs and a red table/foot stool/extra life. How long does this transformation take to complete? Well as the name implies, it takes five seconds and a deep desire to interdimensionalize your surroundings.

Designer: John Nouanesing

Are your objects of tactile reality not quite giving you enough depth, dimension and shading? Neither are mine and thankfully Swedish designers Front are exhibiting their “Shade” project at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during this years Milan furniture fair. Using standard silhouettes of common household items and shading them as if on paper, the designer states his intriguing designs are “like materialized illustrations.”

Designer: Front Design Studio

After the “Habitual Bedside Table” presented by Yanko design in March - readers questioned its usefulness in contemporary interiors since not everyone reads bedside. Optionally here’s its sister; a reversible magazine rack in powder coated steel. The side used depends on your reading/living habits. The great thing about this design is how you can get so many different ways to hold a magazine or book using only two simple adjoined shapes.

Designer: Stephane de Sousa