New flat-pack pieces from St Louis-based furniture company Artifox include a vertical bike rack and a standing desk with a writable surface (+ slideshow).

Artifox was founded last year by an architect and a visual designer – Sarah Mirth and Dan Mirth, a husband and wife team. According to the founders, there is a high need for "compact and multi-purpose products" due to the increasing number of urban professionals.

"The company was born out of frustration with the lack of options in the market," said Artifox. "For our own homes and office spaces we wanted highly functional pieces made from lasting materials and weren't able to find them readily available – so we decided to make our own."

All of the company's products are shipped in flat-pack boxes and can be quickly assembled using a single tool that is provided with purchase.

The adjustable standing desk is made of black walnut or white maple hardwood, with an inlaid aluminium skeleton that improves structural stability.

"This strength also allows the desk to be easily assembled and reassembled over time," said Artifox's Sean Kirkland.

The desk features a writeable surface made of white dry-erase board or black slate, along with a built-in docking station for mobile devices and a storage area for cables and external computer drives. A peg in the front can hold bags and headphones.

The legs can be adjusted to between 40 and 45 inches (1.016 to 1.143 metres) to ale sure the work surface is the right height for standing users. The rear legs have embedded magnets and soft leather bands, which are used to manage dangling cables.

"They guide your cables from the interior cable tray and down the back legs to the floor," explained Kirkland.

Artifox, which launched in June 2014, released a sit-down version of the desk last year.

That model has also been updated to include the metal skeleton and inlaid magnets in the legs.

The company has also released a vertical bike rack designed to "look great with or without a bike". The rack is made of solid hardwood and powder-coated steel.

"Installation consists of a simple mounting system that self levels the rack along any surface, while a cleverly placed magnet conceals the final screw," said the company.

Artifox has also designed small magnetic pegs that measure 3.5 inches by 1 inch (89 by 25 millimetres).

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The company describes the objects as "a minimalist approach to designing your desktop".

"When paired with our Draft Surfaces, these little guys generate enough force to book-end an entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica," said Artifox.

Four pegs come packaged in a wooden container that doubles as a pencil cup.

All Artifox products are made in St. Louis by local craftspeople and are sold through the company's website.

Other companies designing flat-pack, quick-assembly furniture include Greycork, which intends to be a "better alternative to IKEA," and furniture by Benjamin Vermeulen which snaps together using super-strong magnets.