Since I often engage in an itinerant lifestyle, I find myself having to work in some unusual places—a short list of the strangest would include a windshield repair shop in the Colorado mountains, the customs line at a puddle-jumper airport in Trinidad, and the storeroom in a Babies R Us. As you might infer, the worksurfaces at these locales left much to be desired, as there was nary a DeskBox in sight.

DeskBox. Designed by Raw Edges. Manufactured by Arco.

Arco’s DeskBox Turns Small Spaces Into Work Places

Designed by the studio Raw Edges—otherwise known as Shay Alkalay and Yal Mer—DeskBox is a transformable surface that appears to be a simple shelf of modest dimension, yet, and with the ease of opening a drawer, projects slightly downward and mostly outward to create a laptop-sized work surface.

To denizens of the domestic, the motion of DeskBox might be familiar from the nifty projecting trays on the insides of sewing boxes. And this is no accident, for once upon a time these clever mechanisms were the raison d’etre of manufacturer Arco, who made the similar, wall-based Pivot cabinet as well.

In devising DeskBox, Arco capitalized on their earlier expertise by challenging ten designers to parlay the production potential of the company into new ideas and, ultimately, new products. DeskBox was Raw Edges’ contribution.

The product represents an auspicious new entry in the millennial push towards smaller, slicker, more functional workspaces. As a proud member of the transient workforce, I’m certainly an admirer of this “practical small table/cabinet… ideal for settings where there is little space available for furniture.”

Via DesignBoom.

About the Manufacturer: For more than 100 years, Dutch company Arco has been creating high-end furniture for home and business. Self-styled as “relatively serious,” Arco is known for injecting an occasional dose of humor into their day-to-day operations as well as their products. Pieces like the Code Bench, the Spine Chair, and the DeskBox Projecting Shelf demonstrate the company’s commitment to this agreeable balance.