One of the rare examples of a smart-looking piece of representational furniture is the Pagina Bookcase. It may have been designed to take the appearance of something that it isn't, but it does so in a subtle enough way with formal properties that are appealing to the contemporary eye.
Created for Cassina by Denis Vasset and Jean Louis Berthet, this sculptural shelving unit comes in two models. One moves from left to right with and inward curvature becoming an outward curve, while the other piece is its mirror image. When placed side-by-side, the pair of shelves take on the undulating surface of the pages of an enormous open book. The lacquered wood Pagina Bookcase embodies a whimsical but very appropriate form for a library, especially when treated with a white wash.
Storybook Storage Systems
The Pagina Bookcase Looks Like a Magnified Model of an Open Novel
Trend Themes
1. Representational Furniture - Opportunity to design furniture that takes the appearance of something that it isn't while maintaining formal properties that are appealing to the contemporary eye.
2. Sculptural Shelving Units - Opportunity to create unique shelving units that embody whimsical and appropriate forms for libraries and other settings.
3. Undulating Surfaces - Opportunity to utilize undulating surfaces as a design element in functional furniture.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Design - Furniture companies can explore new designs and forms for shelves and other furniture pieces that also serve a functional purpose.
2. Home Decor - Home decor companies can incorporate representational furniture into their product lines that are not only functional, but also visually appealing.
3. Interior Design - Interior designers can utilize sculptural shelving units and undulating surfaces as unique design elements in residential and commercial spaces.