Alvaro Ucha Rodriguez

Better Solutions

Better Solutions is a collection of accessories designed to create a more personal connection between a shelf and its owners.

The idea started as a shelving system design that would incorporate accessories. However, the project would be more impactful if the focus was on the accessories and not the shelving itself. With accessories such as hooks, coin trays, key hooks, and panels, the collection adds functionality to the shelving and allows it to be personalized around daily needs and home layout.

This project’s objective is to extend the life of home furniture by allowing owners to adjust their shelf to the rapid changes in today’s lives. Not only will the shelf become your own workhorse, specifically attuned to your needs, but it will be your own creation. As you have spent time perfecting your system you will never want to leave it behind when you move.

Why the Ivar shelf? In its 50+ years of existence not much has changed on Ikea's Ivar shelf. Sold throughout the world, this shelving system is easily Ikea’s most recognizable shelf and Ikea is the biggest manufacturer of furniture in the world, by far.

I am also a fan of Ikea and I remember seeing this shelf everywhere growing up. It was at my aunt’s house in Spain, in my friend’s bedroom in Argentina, my professor’s studio in Chicago, and it’s now also in my house.

Ikea’s mission to provide the world with Democratic Design is one that I’ve always connected with but this mission comes with its flaws. A lot of times flat-packed furniture is seen as disposable, a flaw I am addressing with Better Solutions by allowing customers to form a deeper connection with the shelf.