A chap by the name of Benjamin Vermeulen has come up with self-assembly furniture that uses powerful rare-earth magnets instead of the usual fiddly and time-sapping fixings. It all just snaps together. No screwdrivers, hammers or allen keys required, and none of the frustration of realising there’s a screw missing. Even more useful, I think, is the fact that it can be disassembled so easily – something that can’t be said of traditional flat-pack furniture – which means it won’t take up nearly as much space in the removal van.

It remains to be seen whether MAGfurniture will go into mass-production, but if it’s not a great deal more expensive that traditional flat-pack furniture, then I think many people will value the time-saving, convenience and downright cool-factor of MAGfurniture to part with the extra cash.

Magnets already feature in a great deal of household technology (a surprising amount) and are used in credit/ID cards, in industry to sort and sweep stuff; and to enable super-high speed rail travel (the Maglev Trains). This is yet another way an ingenious human has found to create value from utilising the force of magnetism.

Here’s what creator Benjamin Vermeulen has to say about his Magnetic Assisted Geometry furniture:

“Shipping furniture unassembled is more economical and more environmentally friendly. But flat-packed furniture is often made from low-grade material and its assembly is far from straightforward. Assembling ‘MAG’ (Magnetic Assisted Geometry) furniture is easy, takes minutes, and requires no tools. The furniture, made from high-quality steel and wood, snaps together with the help of powerful magnets. It can be assembled and disassembled without losing its initial structural integrity. This means you can take it apart if you are moving or selling it on. And replacing parts is easy since they come right off and reattach with the same ease.”

Here’s a video demonstrating the impressively quick and easy assembly

Website: www.magfurniture.nl