Adding a ton of visual interest to mundane objects like bookshelves, warped design is a modern and incredibly eye-catching way in which designers are differentiating their work.
Referencing a surrealist aesthetic while introducing some playfulness to a piece, viewers can appreciate the trippy look this approach to design introduces. Though often used in strictly artistic projects, the wacky look has been integrated into furniture design and other everyday objects as well. Though definitely not for everyone, this look is an effective and surprisingly sleek way to introduce visual interest.
Whether or not you appreciate a distorted look, there's no denying that these designs offer an unexpected take on things. Refreshingly modern in a way that makes you check if your glasses are working, this warped look is here to stay.
40 Examples of Wacky Warped Design
From Warped Portrait Projects to Warped Wooden Seating:
Courtney Scharf — Nov 1, 2013 — Art & Design
40
Surreal Warped Landscapes
Adam Andrearezyk Photography Blends Real Life with Wonderland
39
Warped Geometry Furnishings
The B U K Sideboard by Ji Delugre Features a Wood Construction
38
Warped Pipe Seating
The Tube Bench by Peter Donders Pushes the Limits of Metal Malleability
37
Celebrity Computer Caricatures
Faces 3 by Alberto Russo Reinterprets Famous Features
36
Warped Face Ads
The Colgate Total Dental Floss Campaign Shows How Food Can Ruin Beauty
35
Fantastical Surrealist Artwork
Esao Andrews Brings Dreams and Fantasies to Life
34
Time-Warped Hoteltography
The Jonathan May 'Townview' Series is a Blast from the Past
33
Witchy Warped Fashiontography
Model Elisa Sednaoui in Vogue Italia Suggestions
32
Dynamic Warped Architecture
The Emporia's Unusual Architecture Gives Way to an Unexpected Twist
31
Warped Body Spreads
The Numero #115 August 2010 Editorial is Contorting
30
Distorted Wooden Artworks
Tony Cragg Creates Vivid Bronze and Wood-Warped Sculptures
29
Giant Beach Canvases
Andres Amador ‘Warped Fields' Sand Doodles Span up to 500ft
28
Warped Bicycle Sculptures
'Future Nostalgia: Masterpieces' Shows That Life is Not a Smooth Ride
27
Warped Hanging Lamps
The Samba Pendant Light by Brad Stebbing is Inspired by Dancing Hips
26
Futuristic Warped Furnishings
Voidan Table Adapts Pre-Industrial Materials for an Avant-Garde Look
25
Warped Cameras
Ryan David Francis's Sony DSLR Redesign Offers All-Around Grip
24
Warped Room Dividers
The Phenomena Screen by Sang Hoon Kim is Both Art and Furniture
23
Warped Bridge Screenshots
Clement Valla's Postcards from Google Earth Series Shows a Magical World
22
Warped Retro Portraits
The Art of Julie Cockburn Blurs Retro Portraits
21
Warped Wood Furniture
These Furniture Designs by Kino Guerin are Tactfully Twisted
20
Depressingly Warped Oil Paintings
Artist Yang Na Captures Female Angst Beautifully in Her Oil Work
19
Warped Tire-Like Seating
The Klimp City Furniture is Eco-Friendly and Versatile
18
Warped Watercolor Portraits
Justin Lee Williams Renders Faces Based on Memories of Each Person
17
Warped Ampersand Seating
Chair & Chair by Tatiana Bortkevica is Inspired by an Alphabet Symbol
16
Warped Wavy Keyboards
Tactile Keys by Michael Roopenian is a Wicked Way to Spruce Up the Desktop
15
Warped Hexagon Facades
Exterior of the Pushkinsky Cinema Features an Open Air Lattice Pattern
14
Warped Wooden Furniture
The 'Volumptuous' Sidetable by Edward Johnson is a Distinct Piece
13
Warped Perforated Packaging
SeriousMilk Chocolate Branding Captures Abstract Creaminess
12
Illusory Weight-Lifting Rings
A Tiny Man Appears to Be Holding Up This Bent Metal Ring
11
Illustrated Sports Equipment Installations
Folklore Sculpture by Stevie Gee is Full of Character
10
Warped Bookshelves
Sang Hoon Kim Warps the Regular Perception of a Bookcase
9
Warped Trampoline Seating
The Fly by Zanotta Has a Playful Presence
8
Warped Wooden Seating
Spill by Matthias Pliessnig is a Snake-Like Bench
7
Warped World Films
Chemin Vert by Giacomo Miceli is Fast-Paced
6
Warped-Legged Seats
The Twist-Grille Stool is Inspired by Traditional Taiwanese Windows
5
Warped Wooden Seatings
This Wooden Stool by Giancarlo Mino is Fluidly Shaped
4
Modern Olympic Medals
Vancouver Releases Unique Medal Designs for 2010
3
Warped Leather Sneakers
The Sick 'Twisted Leather Hi-Tops' by Alexander McQueen for Puma
2
Warped Portrait Projects
Artist David Szauder Created These Unusual Portraits
1
Warped Gamer Chronographs
The Super Mario Spiral Clock Keeps Time Using Classic Characters
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Geometric Cutout Side Tables
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Topsy-Turvy Couture Gowns
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Transparent Waste-Filled Chairs
The 'No Waste Chair' by Kees Dekkers Puts Garbage in the Spotlight
Mid-Century Modern Furnishings
Todd Hewitt Adds Four Designs to the Last Ditch Series
Retro Vibrant Furniture Series
IKEA Unveils the Nytillverkad Collection Nodding to its Past
Juxtaposed Materials Furniture Collections
The Around the Studio Wool Diaries Collection is Chic
Storage-Centric Minimal Furniture
Julian Topor Designs the KURVE Furniture with Storage Spaces
Furniture Waste-Made Toys
ÉCAL Students Redefine What a Sustainable Toy Is
Ethereal Space-Inspired Lamps
The 'Wormhole' Table Lamp by Will Gibbons is Meditative
Conscious Experimental Furniture Designs
Vaarnii's Whimsical Furniture Was Presented at Tableau
Twisting Donut-Shaped Bookshelves
The Hullabaloo Bookshelf by Deniz Aktay is Perplexing
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Japan-Inspired Hybrid Bakeries
Studio Wok References Japan in This Milan Bakery & Wine Bar
Ultra-Precise Woven Chair Designs
Borja Gomendio Designs the Stunning Atacama Chair
Versatile Modern Shelves
Rachael Heritage Designs the Minimalist Utility Shelf for WOUD
Stunningly Bold Mirror Designs
The Aesthetic of Hogai’s Mirrors is Eye-Catching
Ultra-Elegant Timeless Furniture
Deft Studio's Furniture Collection is Modern and Approachable
Whimsical Stool Designs
Modern Design Review Curates Hem X's Collection
3D-Printed Recycled Material Furniture
The 'LOOM' Furniture Collection is Visually Soft
Public-Oriented Furniture Exhibits
Furnishing Utopia's Jean Lee Displays Furniture for Public Use
Harmonious Helical Coffee Tables
The 'Vortex' coffee table by Deniz Aktay is Elegantly Functional
Artistic African Culture Chairs
The Patewo Chair Evokes the Look of Braided African Hairstyles
Tubular Literature Storage Racks
The 'Interspace' Magazine Rack by Deniz Aktay is Multifunctional
Waste-Incorporated Chair Designs
These Knoll Chairs Have Been Customized by Noel Mercado
Denim-Adorned Furniture Lines
Harry Nuriev Exhibits Denim Furniture, Inspired by the American Drea
Funky Colorful Storage Units
Pavel Vetrov's Funky Storage Units Capture Attention
Contemporary Extravagant Houses
Wittehaus Unveils the Gerendák Residence in North Carolina
Interior Design Concept Guides
IKEA Unveils its Inaugural Style Guide on Home Design
Minimalist Clutter-Free Desk Designs
The Parallel Work Table by Eldho T Jai Enhances Productivity
Incredibly Vibrant Homeware Collections
IKEA's Nytillverkad Captures One's Eye Immediately
Upcycled Book-Made Marbled Furniture
Willem Zwiers Designs the Tranformed Remnants Series
Minimalist Book Storage Tables
The 'Pocket' Coffee Table by Deniz Aktay is Split Open
Knotted Wooden Furniture Capsules
Claudio Larcher Designs the New Paco Y Paco Set of Furniture
Rope-Like Dynamic Chair Designs
Miray Ozlem ER Designs the Caterpillar Lounge Chair
Repurposed Denim Furniture
Levi's Icons Re/Outfitted Refreshes Iconic Designs with Discarded Denim
Seashell-Inspired Chair Designs
Ernesto Pastore Fuses Traditional and Digital Techniques
Ultra-Minimalist Metallic Coffee Tables
The 'Whisk' Coffee Table by Deniz Aktay is Chic and Simple
Historic Fashion Try-Ons
The Design Museum's London Fashion Exhibition Integrates AR Mirrors
Discarded Wood Construction Materials
Woodoo Uses Wood in Place of Glass, Leather and More
Bauhaus-Inspired Pattern Collections
Design En Rogue Architecture Recently Debuted Its New Line
Tailor-Made Furniture Ranges
Last Ditch Design's Capsule Balances Aesthetics and Functionality
Craftsmanship-Centric Artful Exhibitions
OMA Designs the Loewe Crafted World Exhibition
Minimal Dynamic Lifestyle Sneaker
New Balance Presents a New Look at its Warped Sneaker
Versatile Curvaceous Side Tables
Teixeira Design Studio Designs the Proust Side Table
Staged Room Design Projects
Tekla Evelina Severin Presents the Dimensions of Colour Project
Oozing Cake-Like Furniture Designs
The 'Roll Furniture' Makes Use of Discarded Materials
Sliding Wintery Landscape Bookshelves
This Manhwabang Bookshelf by Jisu Kim is Whimsical
Upcycled Object Exhibitions
Nendo and Daniel Arsham Design, Break, and Create Functional Objects
Calming Orb Lamps
Studio Waah's Orb Lamp is Minimalist and Eye-Catching
Simplistic Organically Sculptural Speakers
Western Acoustics Unveils New Customized Speakers
Sexuality-Exploring Artful Exhibitions
Faye Toogood Explores Sensuality with the Rude Arts Club
Re-Imagined Furniture Identities
Herman Miller's 2024 Brand Refresh is Vibrant and Functional
Playful Furniture Exhibits
SFMOMA Presents Conversation Pieces: Contemporary Furniture in Dialogue
Barrel-Adorned Whiskey Bars
This Bar's Interior Makes Generous Use Of Wood From Discarded Barrels
Candy-Inspired Laminated Artful Furniture
Ezra Ardolino of Timbur Designs the N90N Series
Room-Dividing Bookshelf Designs
The 'Fréquence' Shelf Focuses on Customization
Bookshelf-Incorporated Coffee Tables
The Overlap Table by Deniz Atkay Boasts Multiple Purposes
Optical-Illusion Home Decor Collections
Sevval Kalaycikli Designs a Series of Light & Glass Tables
Quirky Structural Clothes Hangers
The HANG / WE Hanger Emphasizes a Sense of Individuality
Recyclable Wax-Made Lighting Capsules
Daydreaming Objects Designs the Soft Solids Collection
Minimalist Monochromatic Desk Designs
The Arqus Desk Prioritizes an Airy Feel
Minimal Wooden Webbed Stools
found/Founded Designs the New KNOT Stool with Refreshing Tones
Twisting Timber Lampshade Designs
The baraboda Twisted Lasercut Wooden Lampshade is intricate
Twisting CGI-Designed Sideboards
The 'Bookscrew' Sideboard by Deniz Aktay Has a Perplexing Form
Toy Block-Inspired Wooden Bookshelves
Waiting Woood Designs the New Rotating Picture Book Rack
Psychedelic Canned Wines
WAVES Shares Quality Varietals Without the Seriousness
Film-Inspired Bottle Shop Interiors
Studio Paul Chan Draws Inspiration from Wes Anderson
Hanging Lantern-Like Table Lamps
The Woodo Table Lamp by Mahmoud Mahroos is Charming
Modern Vibrantly Designed Craftman
Leah Ring Transforms a New Craftsman House with Bright Hues
Ultra-Colorful Design Studios
Camille Walala and Our Department Partnered on this Whimsical Studio
Wavy Lounge Chair Designs
Fereshteh Hajigholami's Design Was Granted the Iron A' Design Award
Unorthodox Footwear Designs
The Wacky Pack Footwear Project by Ye Shen Includes Three Styles
Architecture-Inspired Turntables
Jorge Paez Designs the Reinterpreted RYTM Turntable
Terrazzo Side Table Concepts
Stuart Cole Designs the Simplistic Balance Side Table Concepts
Japanese Culture-Honoring Vases
Ryosuke Fukusada and Ceramic Japan Design the WATOJI Series
Sandbox-Like Modular Storage Cabinets
Roee Magdassi Channels Childhood Whimsy for Poventura
Craft-Inspired 3D-Printing Styles
Gareth Neal and The New Raw Create the Digitally Woven Series
Demountable Wooden Retail Spaces
Architecture for London Designs Present & Correct's New Space
Warped Dynamic New-Gen Eyewear
Andrew Mok Designs the VERN, MORPH and FORM Glasses
Asymmetrical Industrial Side Tables
The 'Mura' Side Table Has a Flowing Base Design
Asymmetric Linework-Based Furniture
Leah Ring Joins Another Human on the Doodle Collection
Sculptural Futuristic Sneakers
New Balance Presents a New Version of its Warped Runner Sneaker
Bent Wooden Sculptural Furniture
Poul Kjærholm Designs the PK15 chair for Fritz Hansen
Inflated Dynamic Design Exhibitions
Vienna Design Week Hosts the Series Exhibition this Year
Warehouse-Transformed Homes
Fala Atelier Designs the House of Many Faces in Porto
70s-Inspired Structural Furniture
Nouveau Standard Creates the Collection 12 of Retro Designs
Accessibly Designed Coastal Homes
Dane Taylor Design Unveils the New Butterfly House in Australia
Speaker-Base Table Design Concepts
The verre Desk is Rests on Four Speaker-Disguised Legs
Vibrant Furniture Collections
Unform Studio Unveils Its Inaugural Furniture Collection
Dynamic Geometric Bookshelves
Maryam Pousti Designs the Cheft Bookshelf Under Studio Pousti
Floral-Inspired Sculptural Designs
Chris Wolston Designs the Flower Power Furniture Series
Worldly Paint Collections
Dstrezzed x We are WOW Makers Shares Travel-Inspired Hues
Rustic Recycled Wood Tables
The 'Primitive Structures' Table Design by Jongwon Lee is Stone-Like
Post-Apocalyptic Aluminum Furniture
Students at HEAD Genève Create 2084, Diorama of the Future
Mesmerizing Fluid Art Installations
Dutch Invertuals Creates the Flow Fountain Installation
Bauhaus-Themed Contrasting Sofas
Jens Juul Eilersen Designs the Cocoon Sofa for Eilersen
Spectral Painting-Inspired Furniture
Nick Thomm's THOMME Collection is Vibrant and Geometric
Woven Upholstery Textile Capsules
The Elemental Wright Collection Highlights Organic Architecture
Gradient Tonal Optical Vases
Bo Zhang Designs the Stretch Color Collection of Vases
Artful Reflective Art Exhibitions
Rice Roshan Showcases The Space in Between Exhibit
Artful Sculptural Ceramic Collections
Jessica Sellinger Designs the New Wave Collection
Modular Beam-Themed Furniture
The Beam Collection by Adam Weir has a Harmonious Structure
Wine-Catered Vibrant Artful Tables
Gustaf Westman Designs the Wine Table in a Bright Tone
Water Ripples-Inspired Chairs
The a Design Awards Recognizes Kuo-Hsiang Kuo's Water Ripples Chair
Junkyard-Inspired Art Projects
ÉCAL and Philippe Malouin Unveil the Junkyard Diving Project
Psychedelic Flower Print Chairs
Brain Dead and Modernica Collaborated on Side Shell Eiffel Chairs
Demystified Research Design Guides
Ray and Charles Eames Unveil an Eames of Your Own Guide
Candy-Colored Glass Lighting
Curiousa Designs the Wave II Collection of Vibrant Lights
Futile Material Design Exhibitions
Objective Gallery Presents Please Sit for an Alternate Ending
Jacquard Textile Design Exhibitions
Kutsaa Saksi Unveils In The Borderlands in Helsinki
Tranquil Plant-Filled Offices
Daniel Boddam Studio Transforms a Warehouse for Wyer & Co
Digital Gallery Furniture Collections
Christopher Gentner Presents His Mock Collection
Archetypal Conical Light Designs
The Fragile Lamp by Jaume Ramírez Has a Timeless Look
Artful Coffee Table Concepts
Liza Chernova Designs the Vertushka Table with a Handle
Kiss Lip-Shaped Lounge Chairs
Marcel Wanders Designs the Kisss Lounge Chair for Moooi
Versatile Modern Furniture Series
Wittmann Presents a New VUELTA Modular Collection
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Stool-Inspired Design Exhibitions
Daisuke Motogi Presents the Hackability of the Stool Show
Vibrant Furniture Collection Expansions
The Sight Unseen Collection Continues to Grow
Life-Exploring Colorful Furniture
Arper Presents Five New Collections of Vibrant Furniture
Hand Carved Cork Furniture
( ae ) offices Designs the DOL Furniture Collection with Tactile Detail
Relaxing Dual Leg-Framed Beds
Alain Gilles Designs the Wabi Bed Inspired by Wabi Sabi
Plastic Waste Textural Benches
The New Raw's Knotty Project Stems from Sustainable Values
Weaving-Inspired Knotted Furniture
Kelly Wearstler Unveils the NUDO Collection for Miami Art Week
Dynamically Playful Furniture Collections
Note Design Studio Creates the Wekino with Capsule
Pixelated Furnished Eyewear Stores
Bogdan Ciocodeica Studio Designs the New Lunet Eyewear Store
Visually Warped Keyboard Caps
Vivaan Singh Designs the Warped New Ergonomic ESC Keycap
Contemporary 1960s Italian Villas
The Twisted House Honors its Past with Modern Updates
Table Design Exhibitions
Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity Debuts Tables, Tables, Tables
Celebratory Odd Designs
Ridiculous Design Celebrates Weird and Wonderful Ideas Within Design
Bright Artful Cabinet Collections
Muller Van Severen Introduces the Bridges Collection
Upcycled Down Furniture Series
Christoph Kurzmann Breathes New Life to Old Furniture
Warped Stacked Residence Buildings
Contaminar Designs the Dynamic Quinta do Rei in Leiria
Hopeful Design Installations
Annemoon Geurts Presents the Evolving Harmony Exhbition
Organically Shaped Furniture Capsules
Kelly Wearstler Deisgns the Echo Collection of Furniture
Warped Visual Luxurious Timepieces
Berneron's Debut Timepiece is Dubbed the Mirage
Motion Blur-Inspired Rocking Chairs
Muddycap Designs the Fast Rocking Chair with a Visual Illusion