The Clopen shelf/drawer by Torafu Architects

Shelves are very functional and practical in all types of spaces. They allow us to save precious floor space and give us a great storage alternative for books, decorations and all sorts of other items. The great advantage about them is that they can be placed just about anywhere as long as there’s some free space. But there is a way to make a shelf even more functional.

Japanese firm Torafu Archtiects managed to impress us with their ingenious creation named Clopen. They basically designed a shelf that doubles as a streamlined drawer. A shelf alone would have been very functional so imagine much its functionality increases now that it also hides a drawer. It’s true that the drawer is quite small but it can be very useful for storing things such as documents, jewelry, keys, pens, etc. the drawer is divided into several compartments of different dimensions.

The shelf/drawer has a very simple and plain design. It’s also very sleek and slender. The 34 mm panel is made from aluminum parts and clad with sliced veneer. This allows it to look as if it was made from natural wood. The drawer can be opened with magnetic keys and, when closed, nobody would suspect what hides inside that slender shelf. It’s a great place to hide and store small objects and valuables.