The IKEA PS 2014 Collection is all about space saving and this triangular leaning wall shelf by Keiji Ashizawa is a perfect example. It’s a highly versatile, low cost shelving unit, which is ideal for renters as it doesn’t need to be screwed into a wall. Instead, the triangular A-frame simply leans against the wall with a horizontal hanging rack for added stability.
The leaning wall shelf – along with much of the 2014 PS Collection – shows IKEA moving away from laminated chipboard furniture and towards more solid materials. The frame of the triangular shelf is composed of solid birch while birch plywood was used for the shelving platforms. The joints are formed with sturdy steel plate brackets, which are powder-coated in cream for both the natural birch and anthracite grey colour options.
The IKEA PS 2014 Collection is primarily targeted towards students and young creative professionals, who are renting small city apartments and have to relocate often. Therefore furniture from the series has to be affordable, space-efficient and to a degree be portable; Keiji Ashizawa’s triangular wall leaning shelf meets the PS 2014 design brief perfectly. It costs just £45 ($50) and offers 5 shelf platforms along with 11 hanging pegs within less than 0.25m² of floorspace. Those renting apartments on short-term leases often aren’t permitted to drill into the walls so the fact that this is a free standing shelf which simply leans against the wall is a real asset.
“I would like to make small spaces more enjoyable. With my furniture, you can enjoy small spaces, make good use of corners and keep things organized at the same time.” – Keiki Ashizawa
The PS 2014 triangular leaning wall shelf has a clean minimalist aesthetic but could easily start to look cluttered during everyday life as we don’t all live in Ikea catalogues. However the way in which the shelves progressively get smaller as the unit tapers upwards could discourage users from over-loading it by making them think more carefully about what items they really need to have in their homes. Tapering also makes the shelf feel less imposing than a square unit of a similar height would be.
This is by far my favourite furniture piece from this year’s Ikea PS Collection and I’ll probably go ahead and pick one up when the collection hits stores in April. It is a remarkably versatile piece that could work brilliantly in any room of the house.
Ikea picture the wall shelf both as a hallway unit for hanging coats and scarves, and as a kitchen storage shelf for plates and cooking utensils. However I think it’d also be perfectly suited for living rooms or in the bedroom for storing clothes. I’m not sure how well the materials used would stand up to moisture but the leaning wall shelf’s unique format could also be ideal for bathrooms, in which space is already often limited, both for hanging towels and for storing wash products.
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