Every cat-lover has to face the inevitable – cats will always attempt to scratch furniture. Of course, you can try to plea, negotiate, threat and/or offer them scratchy toys. But all these patronizing techniques are usually dismissed by the animal, who is infinitely better at patronizing than any human. Not to mention – scratchy toys add clutter to the room. So, what are the options? I quite like the idea, developed by artist and designer Crystal Gregory for studio Modernist Cat. She incorporated scratch-pads into lovely mid-century inspired storage. The Circa50 console, aside from the cat-friendliness, is a beautiful leaning piece, ideal for any small apartment. It takes very little floor space and creates a functional solution for keeping important items at hand, while giving your cat the ultimate place to express herself. The piece is handcrafted from walnut hardwood veneer ply and features removable/replaceable carpet tiles for scratching. The carpet tiles are available in five colors.
Bikini Island by German designer Werner Aisslinger, created for Italian furniture brand Moroso, is a new approach to a living room couch. Instead of traditional mono-directional sofa, facing the common TV screen, this modular item can be arranged to accommodate different space uses.
Here is how designer describes his idea: “Life in the living room has changed quite a lot recently: families and their kids are ‘chilling’ with different activities: reading, downloading files, writing emails, gaming, chatting with friends, watching movies on a pad, relaxing, talking, thinking, meditating… The easy to arrange bikini-sofa landscape invites to find ones own composition due to space and activities.”
The piece is comprised of various soft volumes of three different heights. Additionally, small storage items, coffee tables, bookshelves, and other accessories can be integrated into the unit. The curtains allow to isolate certain segments and provide privacy – perfect for a single-room layout.
– Feed your Eames fetish, if you have one – Best Eames Videos.
– Absolutely stunning parking garage in Miami (thank you, Steve).
– Fascinating read about quantum computing.
– The mystery of Prince Rupert’s Drop explained (and shot with a high-speed camera – yay science!).
– Incredible lava kayaking footage.
– The most confortable mug in the world. Why haven’t I thought of that…
– Here is what you can do if you have a slow day at the office and lots of post-its. Post-It Note Arcade.
– And for your visual pleasure – a plane dives into fog…
Have a fantastic weekend, everybody!
There are quite a few hydroponic systems out there, and they all make sense in terms of cultivation of plants (more or less). But there is one thing I dislike about many hydroponic kits – they tend to look like appliances rather than beautiful planters. Luckily a Chicago couple Sarah Burrows and Nick Behr managed to bring together technology and aesthetics by creating Modern Sprout, a stylish windowsill box you actually want to look at. Here is how Nick and Sarah describe their project:
“Modern Sprout was created by the two of us, two people who live and work in a tiny apartment. As avid cooks, eaters, and project planners, we decided the next logical step was to grow our own garden. Unfortunately, we have no space. (Our small Chicago apartment doesn’t have a yard). After researching non-traditional options, we found hydroponics. But every kit we tried was expensive, difficult to set up, and more homely than homey. We were unimpressed with our options, so we planted the seeds for Modern Sprout. Now we provide planters that are simple, stylish, and fertile with success. Just add water.”
The planter is narrow enough to fit any windowsill, tall enough to hide all its hydroponic equipment inside and comes in four finishes – chalkboard, weathered gray, high-gloss white and reclaimed wood. Pledge on this Kickstarter page to get yours.
(via urban gardens)
Seating and storage are the things any home needs more of. So Sweden based designers Kyuhyung Cho and Hironori Tsukue obliged and created the Oneness collection, consisting of two chairs and a low table that can be flipped, stacked and turned into a shelving unit. Designers explain their vision: “The multifunctional purpose and extendable system can enrich a variety of spaces from office to home, through its simple, combinable and modern form inspired by the fusion of East Asian and Scandinavian design.” The assembly is easy and intuitive – the structure is fixed by connecting each element with a clip inserted into small holes on the corners of the chair or table. This way you can build your storage as high and wide as you like by adding more chairs and tables. When the chair is turned upside down to make a shelf, it reveals a hidden space on the bottom of the back for books and other small objects. Oneness is made from Finnish natural birch plywood.
There is one European habit I can never give up, no matter how long I live in the U.S. – and that is the need for espresso. A day just isn’t complete without this fragrant heart accelerator. That’s why I understand every bit of thinking behind Piamo – a portable espresso maker by Lunar. This clever piece is envisioned to work in the microwave, which makes it a perfect contender for travel, office and, yes, tiny apartments with limited counter space. The principle is simple – just fill in water and insert an espresso pad or ground coffee, stack it, flip it and place it in your microwave for 30 seconds. The pressure from the steam will extract the flavor, filling the cup with strong espresso. Watch the video after the break to see the product in action.
Pools is a minimalist collection of stoneware by Vancouver based design studio Fleet Objects. The line consists of plates, bowls and other types of multifunctional vessels that can be combined or used separately in many different ways. The pieces can work equally well as tableware for serving food and drink, vases for displaying flowers, containers for storing things, or all of these purposes depending on the occasion. Minimalist and multifunctional – the two of my favorite m-words… Add to this a well-thought-out color scheme that allows you to mix and match these pieces and always strike a beautiful combination. They make a great gift too. Available for purchase here.
This table/day bed by UK based brand Another Country is a sure contender for a small urban apartment. A beautiful and versatile piece of furniture can be transformed from one state to another in seconds. The base is solid FSC oak and employs a screw leg system. The mattress has an organic latex core wrapped in organic coir and wool. It comes upholstered in a Bute fabric from Scotland with a six-button detail and piped edges. So no matter how you use the piece, as a table or a bed, it looks stylish and well-malde.
– Absolutely brilliant book cover for Orwell’s 1984.
– If you heart Tina Fey as much as I do – you will enjoy this read. (via swissmiss)
– Florian Gross, who created my favorite storage item of all time, emailed today to brag about his new project – Nordic Fashion Design Store. It’s quite a looker, don’t you think? Love the simplicity and use of the material.
– Fruits like you’ve never seen them before. A collection of re-imagined fruits and vegetables by Sarah Illenberger.
– The world’s loudest purring cat, possibly a future Guinness record winner.
– Lapka – a cool gizmo that collects information about your invisible surroundings and displays it on your phone.
– Here is a bright way to deal with unsightly cordage – Wire Skyline.
– Lumoback – an iPhone app that reminds you not to slouch.
Have a pleasant weekend, guys!
– Everyone who travels a lot will appreciate this innovation – ExtraLarge flexible bag.
– Stunning appetizer utensils – Scoop-Stab-Spread.
– Simply mesmerizing – laser cut street map.
– What a timely topic… Portraits of gun owners in their homes.
– Half chair, half harp – one awesome object.
– Fascinating and mind-blowing – inside Bank of England’s gold vault.
– This app sounds absolutely fantastic. Let’s hope it really is. Mailbox for iPhone is launching this year.
– And something any gadgeteer can use – a battery powered portable changing station.
Have a restful weekend, everyone!
