The Yomei Magic Cube reminds me alternately of that classic Barnum and Bailey number wherein innumerable Midgets (ahem, “Little People”) elegantly extricate themselves one by one from the cramped confines of a 72 VW Bug; and that archetypal Professor/Inventor/Magician character who has an unfathomable arsenal of humorous weapons/tricks up the proverbial sleeve. You know the type: brimming with humorous charm one moment and unleashing an apparently unprovoked assault with a disembodied boxing glove the next.

Magic Cube. Designed by André Schelbach for Yomei.

Suffice it to say that both Willy Wonka and Inspector Gadget would be impressed by this German-made space-saver, an ingenious conglomeration of metal framing, MDF cabinetry, and changeable drawer slides elegantly outfitted in designer André Schelbach‘s signature Buffalo Leather. Like any good magician, Yomei and Schelbach seem reluctant to reveal the secrets of the Cube, the “tells” that would explain how this compact mobile cabinet (24″ W x 57″ H x 20″ D) transforms itself from workspace to coffee/libation station to dressing nook, but looking at this trio of enviable incarnations I’d venture the key is in the framing. By this I mean that each of the removable components that create the Cube’s moment by moment identity integrates easily into the two foot wide cabinetry. Some examples: the removable refrigerator that characterizes the Cube as Bar slides easily in and out of the frame’s lower half; the light-up rear view mirror (with 5X magnification and integrated power outlet) that makes the cube into a personal grooming station fits snugly into the cabinet’s rear partition; the heavy duty extensible shelf that supports the weightier components of the cube as mini-office swaps out nicely for the slimmer-profiled shelf that accommodates aperitifs or jars of cold cream.

The Magic Cube thus joins a growing cadre of multi-use/convertible furnishings that not only do a functional double-duty, but look damn good doing it too. Clei Space Savers is one such creature; The Miss Lily Cabinet is another. As solutions to our pressing dilemmas of limited resources and limited space evolve, we’re sure to encounter dozens more. As far as the current moment, if you’d rather not choose between a cozy nook to mix martinis and a place to pay your bills (okay, bad example, but you get the idea…), consider Yomei’s Magic Cube: its penchant for prestidigitation is more than mere illusion.