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A Couch Made of Mushrooms and Other Cool Trends From ICFF

Ninety percent of the fun of having a home is decorating it—and if you’re looking for ideas, it doesn’t get better than the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Over 500 designers from 30 countries gathered in New York City from May 14 to 16 to unveil their latest in furniture and home decor. So of course we were on the scene to check out what’s new. From a couch made of mushrooms to crocodile floors, here’s what caught our eye.

A couch made of mushrooms

Mushroom is the new plastic. Or so say the people at Terreform ONE, which designed the world’s first “mushroom chaise”—a couch grown in a mere seven days from various strains of fungus. While you’d think such a sofa would be squishy, the fungus is actually heated to feel firm, yet surprisingly comfortable. Best of all, it’s 100% biodegradable. While this isn’t for sale yet since it’s just a statement piece, it does make us wonder what’s next. Mushroom beds? Mushroom homes? It seems like anything is possible.

Paper walls

“These walls are thin as paper!” is usually not an expression of approval—but with the advent of high-end paper walls by Molo Design, it really is. They expand like an accordion to carve out some privacy in any open floor plan, then fold up when you’re done. They start at $1,200 and are surprisingly sturdy—so much so, that Molo also offers paper closets, tables, and chairs.

Home workout equipment that doubles as furniture

Stationary bikes, treadmills, and free weights are just so darn ugly—which is why we were thrilled to see a nicely designed wooden workout bench that converts into nice-looking furniture.

“The Tidewalker Bench was a response to a need: We couldn’t find a workout bench that would fit in an apartment without detracting from the space, so we decided to make one,” Brooklyn-based designer Asa Pingree says on his website. “Our converting bench folds down into a subtle living room seating when not in use. When open, it is much like a butterfly weight bench.”

It’ll cost you $1,400, about the price of an annual gym membership, so it’s not a bad deal.

Gardens on walls

Why waste precious walking space in your yard or home with plants sitting on the floor when they can scale the walls instead? That’s the concept behind Garden on the Wall, which graces the halls of Google for good reason. These arrangements are as low-maintenance as it gets: You don’t have to water or care for these plants beyond taking a leaf blower to them once a year to remove the dust ($150 per square foot).

A stylish way to stash your bike

Need a safe place to put your bike—where you won’t trip over it? The Cycloc bike storage could be the answer. This rubber wall attachment makes it easy to pop your bike on and off, and it looks nice to boot. Plus you can hang your bike horizontally or vertically depending on the space ($99).

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