Elisa Ossino designed Line System and the Line System Desk for Dieffebi on a square-section metal frame about three-quarters of an inch thick. Shelves, boxes, and a work surface all hang off that thin line like notes on a staff.

As a modular shelving system, it covers a lot of ground. Open shelves, closed compartments, and cubbies mix within one bay. Heights run from a 16-inch low unit to just over seven feet, and bays sit side by side to fill a wall.

The desk meets the shelving at worktop height in matching slim metal, so storage and work surface read as one drawing. Most metal storage sells durability, as Kimball International’s latest series do at two price points. This one sells proportion.

Down low, thermoformed textile backs add a quilted grid in eight fabrics. They warm up the metal and give the eye a place to rest.

Run a few bays across an open floor and the modular bookcase turns partition, one that shows off a team’s books instead of hiding them.

_{Images Courtesy of Dieffebi, Photography Credit: Valentina Sommariva}