I’m all for flat things, they are cool and sensible in tiny spaces. Add to that a bit of designy humor – and you get ColoredShape, a lamp from Florence based designer Sabrina Fossi. The piece, made from plastic, echoes the shape of a classic abat-jour. The center and a focal point of the lamp is the source of light itself – the bulb. Everything else is built around it. “The shape of this table lamp is born from the idea to reduce the space occupied by the object.” – says the designer. Amen to that! The ColoredShape lamp is compatible with most standard light bulbs and comes in a variety of colors.
This house in Bruxelles, Belgium, did not boast a generous square footage. Which is why the team at Vanden Eeckhoudt-Creyf Architectes decided to expand the place vertically. This contemporary loft was created for a couple with no kids, so the design could get away some adventurous elements. Namely, several sets of minimal floating staircases were used to access each level, and a classic fireman’s pole to easily get down to the bottom floor from any of the upper three floors. How cool is that! The house incorporates a kitchen/dining area, a small living room, a dressing room co-joined with the powder room. A beautiful sleeping loft (my favorite detail) is finishing this dwelling.
(via inthralld)
Here is a great gardening idea from designer Joey Roth – a self-watering planter. Made from naturally porous unglazed earthenware, the piece retains water in its clever central chamber. This water then seeps into the surrounding soil and hidrates the plant. The designer claims that the concept has been inspired by the Olla, an ancient irrigation tool that farmers still use to conserve water in arid climates. Although the item is not particularly compact, it is capacious and can fit up to three herbs or six succulents. An excellent contender for an indoor/outdoor garden in a pot.
As If From Nowhere is the name of this innovative collection by Orla Reynolds. She offered her witty answer to a design problem of having a set of dining furniture in a small space. Her solution is to incorporate the pieces into a bookcase. The item houses four chairs and two tables that when placed together become a dining table. “It is intended for small living spaces or for those who wish to cater to the unexpected guest,” – says the designer. The bookcase is modular and can be assembled into various configurations. Watch the video below to see the collection unfold.
– 32 innovations that will change life as we know it.
– A magic wand remote – I know just how silly it is, but I want it anyway.
– If you are nostalgic about old technology, you’ll love this – Museum of Endangered Sounds.
– Probably the coolest installation I’ve seen in a while – Tube, a giant tunnel of magnetic tape from VHS Cassettes.
– Welcome to Life – probably a realistic prediction of a digital afterlife story.
– Analog ice-cream making – minimalist and stunning.
– Gorgeous film about the high-speed camera technology – the beauty of the unseen.
– iPhone case made out of recycled skateboards? Yes, please!
– FlatPackables came up with a new item – PITA, a clever slide-in frame.
– And finally, an astounding video that puts all things in perspective – The Known Universe.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
This clothes rack from Danish designer Jakob Jørgensen made me gasp. That’s how clever, simple, elegant and useful it is… The piece is based on a straightforward principle of wedge assembly, that can attach a horizontal element to a vertical load-bearing element. In its collapsed state, the piece is reduced to a number of wooden sticks that can be stored with ease. In seconds these sticks can be put together and form various configurations (depending on your clothe-hanging needs and space requirements). Perfect for small apartments, dinner parties or temporary clothes storage.
The Transformer Table by Quentin Kelley is an ultimate small space hit. In its folded state the piece is only 12″ wide and can be used as a console or sofa table. But when the dinner party is in formation, it unravels into a 36″ wide, spacious dining table. The piece is quite a looker too – made from solid wood and elegantly shaped, it requires no compromises between beauty and function. It quite simply offers both. Wishlisted for a future dream shoebox…
This small (approximately 409 square feet) apartment in Sidney, Australia, initially had an open loft-like floor plan. Which posed an obvious problem for the owners, a family of three, – privacy was desperately needed. The solution, suggested by Anthony Gill Architects, was ingenius. They’ve built a partition from book shelves and closed storage, and divided the place in four sections – living room, child’s bedroom, dining room and kitchen. To accomodate parents’ bed, the clever sliding compartment was invented. Thus the bed is hiding underneath the child’s room when not in use and rolled out when needed. Designers elaborate: “The aim was to create a space that would suit a couple with a young child. The existing joinery (not original) was demolished leaving only the masonry walls to the bathroom which remains untouched. A new joinery element was inserted to re-configure the space, addressing the issues of privacy, storage and a lack of living space inherent in an apartment of this size.”
Photography by Peter Bennetts
(via design-milk)
Paris based designer Patrick Nadeau created this hip and flexible planter for the German brand Authentics. Aptly called Urban Garden Bag, the piece offers a modern way to create an indoor garden when space is tight. Made of black coated polyester fabric, the Urban Garden Bag is lined with an inner sack of watertight PVC geomembrane. Each bag has a water retaining clay granulate drainage system in the bottom along with three water-level gauges. The bags are available in three sizes: small (1 liter), medium (2,5 liters) and large (9 liters). Available for purchase here.
(via gardenista)
Looking for my own kitchen inspiration, I’ve stumped upon this beautiful DIY remodel. The author of the projet, Linn, states in her blog that the whole ordeal took one month and $6,230. She shares the details of the project, including marble and granite floor work and stainless steal couter installation. I’m especially loving the subway tile, the cabinet hardware, and the overall lightness of the room, which visually opens up this 90 square feet space. A clever, simple and tasteful makeover.
