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Innovative, Strange or Unusual Furniture Designs Spotted in 2021

Archaeologists must love the “Form follows function” rule, because when they dig up an old Roman chair, even the intern can tell it’s a chair. But the future archaeologists who’ll dig up our 21st-century furniture will be scratching their heads a lot: What the heck is this thing? What does it do, why was it made, what problem does this solve?

Here’s what we saw this year in archaeologist-confounding furniture designs that we’d call innovative, strange or unusual.

Peter Otto Vosding’s Spielbein: Chairs that nest sideways to form a bench

Soft Baroque’s kinetic chairs that aren’t rocking chairs

Connor Holland’s Inflated Mirror

Sander Nevejans’ ultra-thin folding chairs

Ideaco’s Tiny Walk combination side table/tray

Ikea combines an air purifier with a side table

Secretlab’s Magnus metal desk with magnetic ecosystem

Marco Manders’ rotomolded tulip-inspired public seating

The Lönneberga Stacking Bed by Richard Lampert

Seating Innovations’ chairs are mounted to the floor, but don’t have legs

Agustav’s hanging Book Rack

Moduform’s rotomolded bedroom furniture designed “to withstand intentionally abusive behaviors”

Dan Svarth’s rocker-less rocking chair

Dekay King’s shop furniture

Philippe Malouin’s nylon tables: furniture-sized standalone ball bearings

Jakob Jørgensen’s Hanger adjustable wall rack and shelf

Hitoshi Kuramoto turns industrial wire mesh into comfortable furniture

Cat-centric furniture: A chair with an attached treadwheel

Osteopath turned furniture designer makes a case for rethinking ergonomic chairs, but beware

The Opus SoundBed: A $2,000 bed you can’t sleep in, but it heals your soul, or something

Bpiu’s Eclettica, drawers that transform into a spiral staircase

Buddy the Game Chair

Farm furniture: A one-legged stool

A dining table designed so your cat can say “hey 

Lastly, a gag. "How Every Bookshelf Should be Assembled”