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.
The CADO modular shelving system/wall unit is undeniably a beautiful and functional design classic, but the CADO system isn’t the only successful design by the great Danish designer Poul Cadovius. If you’re tired of scouring eBay and 1stdibs for CADO parts such as extra cabinets, shelves, and metal brackets, why not consider another great Poul Cadovius design that is currently in production?
The Abstracta system of tubes and connectors was designed by Poul Cadovious and was covered in Design Magazine in 1965. More than forty years later, it is available under the Abstracta brand of Consort Display Group.
Rakks and ISS are two of the leading sources for contemporary compression or wall-mounted pole shelving systems. So which is better?
Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer: it depends on your needs, your location, and your appetite for DIY projects. In terms of market positioning, Rakks is known and well-respected among architects and has many commercial applications, while ISS aims for the consumer niche. If you’re working with an architect, Rakks might be a better choice, as their site offers thorough specs and CAD drawings. New Yorkers can also have Rakks systems installed for them by the experts at Shelf Shop. If you’re handy, or if you’re near an authorized ISS dealer such as Astech closets in New York, ISS might be a good choice. In terms of cost, ISS looks to have an edge, as the company frequently runs online specials, but it really depends on the scope of your installation.
Custom Furniture Review offers a more thorough look at the two choices. And for the handy and hardy do-it-yourselfer, Apartment Therapy reader John McCrory has generously provided pointers to doing your own pole shelving project.
And if those aren’t enough choices for contemporary modular pole shelves, Vitsoe offers a lovely–but pricey–pole shelving system available from Moss in New York.