Piegato Shelving by Matthias Ries for Serafini

Installing bookshelves used to be a difficult chore that involved a massive package of hardware, a variety of power tools, and a textbook-like instruction manual. Designed for German brand Serafini by Berlin based designer Matthias Ries the Piegato series changes this old scenario turning it into a fun and stylish do-it-yourself experience. The shelf is both easy to assemble and easy to produce. In the form of laser-cut and scored steel sheets, the shelves are shipped flat-packed to the consumer for assembly, which consists simply of bending the metal template. The actual plane for the shelf folds down, supported by metal triangles that flip open from underneath, and tabs pop out to form functional bookends. The remainder of the sheet acts as the wall mounts, and four simple screws complete the installation. Though the shelf comes in a determined range of bright colors, an empty folded shelf leaves a cut-out in the sheet that reveals the wall behind, offering the opportunity for customization without too much intervention within the room. The magnetic source material makes the shelves recyclable and eco-friendly, such that even disassembly of the home furnishing is a cinch. Ries’s design of this origami assembly conserves material as well as time, leaving more hours for enjoying the end product.