1 Tonic by Ames

Inspired by small living spaces – and their need for flexible furnishings – Frankfurt’s Reinhard Dienes Díaz designed Tonic. Assembled without hardware or tools, the system comprises wooden boxes and the painted metal legs that lock into their sockets. The modules come in various sizes, for building everything from a short sideboard and a tall bookshelf to a stool that doubles as a coat hanger.

2 St16 by Angela Schlösser

A plastic connector is at the heart of Angela Schlösser’s expandable system. Shaped like a squared tube that has been cross cut, the joints are installed into the vertices of the horizontal and vertical panels and fastened with a locking device. Because there are single and double connectors, vertical shelves can be adjusted to varying heights. Coverplates in cyan, magenta and yellow conceal the seam and add a punch of colour.

3 Stavebnice 01 by Jan Plechac & Henry Wielgus

The lacquered steel joints, which also come in fluorescent orange, that make up this modular furniture collection from Prague designers Plechac and Wielgus are real scene-stealers. Along with ash dowels, they can be used to create a work table, a clothes rack, a floor lamp and a shelving system – all of which can be expanded as desired.