A startup company aims to add a touch of class to the micro-living experience. Style and space are of equal importance with this brand of furniture.
Boston-based company Ori, which is named after the Japanese art form of origami, is unique in that its furniture maneuvers to create different spaces for different past times. These include the most fundamental of activities such as sleeping, working and everything in between.
The standard set includes a full or queen sized bed, closet, desk, media center and additional storage. This all fits ergonomically into one piece and reveals different parts through mechanized rails.
Whatever mood you’re in, the Ori can be readjusted. For example, users can click a button so beds can roll out when it’s time to sleep. Or guests can enjoy more space by pushing the system to the side.
The hi-tech furniture startup has partnered with 13 real-estate companies in 10 different cities. The pilot program is expected to be a success, paving the way for 1,200 more units across North America.
Ori’s CEO Hasier Larrea believes that the furniture system will help bring luxury living to people who struggle to make space in their apartments.
“The systems and robotics that we’re building prove that a 300-square-foot apartment could have the functionality of an apartment twice the size,” Larrea said.
According to Larrea, the system uses one-tenth the electricity that a hair blow dryer would. And even when turned off, the furniture can be moved manually. The bend slides into the storage space to create the illusion that it is, in fact, a walk-in closet.
Made from plywood, the system has a minimalistic, modern design, which was designed by company Fuserproject, one of Ori’s partners.
Larrea’s ultimate dream is that one day he’ll be able to license the technology to other companies and hopes for the systems to be regular fixtures in offices, hospitals and even college dorms.