June 14, 2013

yoy_canvas_13

These flat chairs, called Canvas, are the latest creation of Japanese studio YOY. The humor and versatility of this design makes it a winner in any space, big and small. Shoebox apartment dwellers, however, will appreciate the space-saving element of this cool item that doubles as artwork. Hang it on the wall for display or lean it against the wall for extra seating – how cool is that! The frame, made of wood and aluminum, is covered by an elastic fabric, printed to resemble a canvas texture with a drawing of a chair. The piece comes in three varieties – chair, armchair and sofa.

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March 4, 2013

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A few days ago I was talking about the alternatives to a traditional wallpaper. Here is one, that is as fool-proof as it can get – Tempaper. The idea for Tempaper was born when a group of set decorators for the film, television and entertainment industries decided to create a peel-and-stick wallpaper that was affordable, easy to install, and just as easy to uninstall. Because it’s self-adhesive, you can use the paper not only on walls, but on any smooth surfaces in good condition, such as doors, cabinet faces, ceilings, and paneling. Genius! It even comes in the DIY Art variety – a peel-and-stick wall covering that is blank and ready to take paint, crayon, pencil, marker, pastel and just about anything else. Perfect for kids and artsy adults. To install Tempaper remove the backing along the top edge and roll it down your wall, pressing with your hands to smooth it out as it sticks. No glues, pastes, water or brushes are needed. To take it off just pull from a corner and let it rip. See the video after the break for a demonstration. Available for purchase here.

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February 28, 2013

patterned-paint-rollers

These patterned paint rollers made me look. Clare Bosanquet, the artist behind The Painted House Etsy store, created a number of beautiful retro designs, resembling old sun-bleached wallpaper. It’s still rather unclear how to do corners evenly with these textured rollers, but I love the idea overall. Everything that frees us from applying (or, more importantly, removing!) wallpaper gets thumbs up from me. Check out Clare’s website for more ways to use these rollers.

(via chictip)

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October 8, 2011

If you like blackboard paint but not quite ready to drastically apply it all over your walls, you might consider the IdeaPaint. It offers a similar concept and much more predictable color scheme. This paint turns any wall into a dry-erase surface, allowing you to communicate messages, pin down ideas and generate volumes of marker art. With several colors available, the IdeaPaint may be used in any room – kitchen, home office, entrance area… It will definitely be a hit in a kids room! The application is as easy as painting the walls.

August 26, 2011

This good-looking kitchen clock, available at Terrain, doubles as a writing surface. Its chalkboard face is minimal and uncluttered, providing enough space to write notes, shopping lists and reminders. You can also fill your own numbers, if there is nothing else to say. Made from birch wood, the piece contains chalk and eraser storage (points for space-saving!). Assorted chalks in primary colors are included.

May 12, 2011

The City Coat Rack by Michael Rösing and the Radius studio team celebrates urban landscapes by bringing them to your doorway. The laser-etched silhouette of landmarks and architecture will make a sophisticated statement, and nineteen hooks will provide more than enough space for your jackets and scarves. The City Coat Rack is available in the skylines of Paris, London, Berlin, Stuttgart, and New York. You can purchase them here.

May 11, 2011

This amazing thing is a computer powered art frame by Yugo Nakamura of interactive design agency tha and screen-based media gallery SCR. The Framed display is basically a perfected version of a digital picture frame that allows to feature interactive art, web applications, motion graphics and illustration. It is also integrated with an iPhone app to make purchasing, choosing and controlling the artwork even easier.

April 22, 2011

This inspired piece of design offers you a reality check – how many books in your home you have actually read and how many are only gathering dust? The Read-unread bookshelf by Niko Economidis will let you see (and display) this ratio. When I say ‘bookshelf’…  All we have here are three wall-mounted metal rods, a belt-like leather strap and a few buckles. The books are suspended in the air, giving you the visual indication of your progress. Thus, the Read-unread bookshelf can serve as a flexible storage, a conversation starter, and a guilt factor that reminds you to finish those novels you have been passing by.

Source: Dornob 
 
 
 
 
April 2, 2011

Urban Gardens, one of my favorite blogs, posted this clever thing today. Urbio is a magnetic-backed and modular vertical garden system that can bring beauty and greenery to urban walls. The system includes small, medium, and large vessels or pots, wall plates, and individual wall mount pucks that can connect the pots to each other or mount them to the wall. Urbio is a collaborative conceptual effort of two studios – Enlisted Design and Volare. Designers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and bring the product to market.

March 14, 2011

If you are blessed with a bit of outdoor space – you might like this clever system from Haldane Martin, called Wallflower Urban Garden. The modular system is made up of three different sized planters, creating a hexagonal, fractal pattern that climbs up vertical surfaces. Each of the three sizes of planters has been specifically designed for the differing soil depth requirements. The video below explains more about the system, its inspiration and usage. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/20332051