Context & Problem

In today’s urban living, many young people face the same problem: too many things, too little space. Rented rooms, shared flats, and frequent moves mean that furniture must adapt constantly to new spaces and functions. However, most affordable furniture today is bulky, uninspired, and generic — it stays the same even when life changes. Heavy storage units, like the typical IKEA Kallax shelf, quickly become a burden rather than a solution. There is a clear gap for furniture that is light, modular, and easy to transform — something that doesn’t just fill a space but shapes it to feel like home.

Focus Person / User Persona

Isa, 22, is a design student with too many ideas and too little room.

She moves often, experiments constantly, and loves giving her space a personal touch. Between study projects, daily life, and her creative side gigs, Isa’s home is always shifting. She needs furniture that can keep up — growing or shrinking depending on the space, transforming into whatever she needs next. For Isa and people like her, NODE offers an adaptable system: light, strong, playful, and endlessly reconfigurable.

Concept

NODE takes inspiration from nature — just like a plant’s node where new growth begins, this furniture system grows in all directions.

The concept is simple: one basic unit and a custom-designed joint system allow each piece to connect with another, creating a structure that can expand or change shape as needed. It can stand alone as a small shelf, form a larger storage unit, or become a room divider. The modularity makes NODE not just furniture but a creative tool — it invites the user to build, adapt, and rebuild, over and over again.

Design Goals

Adaptability: A storage system that can expand, shrink, or transform to fit new spaces.

Modularity: Individual units that connect easily and intuitively.

Simplicity: Clean shapes that look light and fresh instead of heavy and generic.

Mobility: Easy to disassemble and transport, making it perfect for renters and students.

Sustainability: A piece you want to keep, not throw away — built to last through moves and changes.

Inspirations

NODE’s inspiration comes from the hidden details that make connections strong and invisible at the same time. The system celebrates joints — the small yet powerful elements that hold everything together. Minimal shapes, squared planks, and an honest material language create a timeless look that feels at home anywhere. The design nods to Bauhaus ideas of functional simplicity and modular systems, blending them with playful possibilities for the user to shape their own space.

Technical Details

The NODE system is built with basic squared wooden planks connected by custom-designed joints. These joints are 3D-printed, with dimensions ranging from 38mm to 57mm. Though small, they are sturdy and precise, locking the planks together securely while remaining visually discreet. This detail keeps the focus on the clean lines of the structure while enabling infinite configurations. Technical drawings and 3D models were created to test fit, stability, and variations, ensuring that the system works seamlessly in real life.

Methods & Making Of

NODE was born and shaped in the workshop. Each plank was cut, drilled, milled, and sanded by hand to ensure precision and a perfect fit with the joints. The joints themselves were designed digitally and 3D-printed multiple times to test different angles and tolerances until they achieved the right balance of strength and simplicity. The prototyping process was both technical and playful — days spent hogging the machines, reworking details, and refining the assembly to make sure every connection clicked into place smoothly.

Challenges & Learnings

The biggest challenge was resisting the temptation to overcomplicate the system. In a modular project, it’s easy to add endless variations, but the goal was to keep NODE clear and intuitive without sacrificing flexibility. Finding this balance pushed me to return again and again to the core idea: simplicity that grows. Another challenge was overcoming my own perfectionism — accepting that a prototype doesn’t have to be flawless, but functional and honest. This taught me to trust the process, stay open to changes, and find joy in the playful side of making.

Conclusion

NODE proves that simplicity can be flexible and fun. It shows how furniture can adapt to the shifting needs of modern life while staying light, strong, and personal. It is more than just a shelf — it is a system that invites the user to shape their own space freely, again and again. For Isa and people like her, NODE is not just furniture — it’s a tool for living lightly, creatively, and on their own terms.