Pole Shelving

Over at Instructables, the aptly named ‘useful guy’ has detailed instructions, including annotated photos and a video, explaining how to inexpensively make compression poles for use in home photo studios.  These aren’t shelving systems, but are suitable for hanging backdrops and lights.  The post is well worth checking out; even if photography isn’t your thing, useful guy’s instructions are bound to get you thinking of new ways to use compression pole in your home or home office.

Believe it or not, the Swedish giant IKEA can fit comfortably into your Danish Modern home with elegant, reliable, and useful pole shelving systems such as Stolmen and Broder.

The Stolmen modular shelving system, designed by Ehlén Johansson, was originally conceived of as a wardrobe or closet storage solution, but quickly became a favorite canvas at places like IkeaHacker, where it was modified to store media and bicycles, among many others. IKEA has since released media accessories for the Stolmen unit.

A more heavy-duty option is the Broder storage system, designed by Nicolas Cortolezzis and Olle Lundberg, which uses galvanized steel where Stolmen uses fiberboard, plastic, and aluminum. The Broder unit is also available as a free-standing piece with L- or T-shaped legs as well as in compression pole form.

The newest additions to Ikea’s modular shelving system lineup are the Änga series, designed by Eva Lilja Löwenhielm, which looks to echo the materials used in the Stolmen line with the shape of an ISS or Rakks system, and the Antonius, designed for clothes storage.

We’ve used the Stolmen for media storage with good effect–anyone have experience with the Broder, Änga, or Antonius lines?

From designer Julie Scheu comes the pogoHome collection, a functional and witty system well suited to loft spaces, in which threaded steel poles function as room dividers and, indeed, rooms themselves.  Scheu sells these as custom pieces, but we’d love to see them get distributed more widely.