Folks! I would like to introduce an enhancement – the mobile version of Shoebox Dwelling got optimized today. This change came with a story. My reader, Kyle, emailed me recently and shared his thoughts about the user experience of the site. He pointed out that reading it on the go made him frustrated by its lack of mobile-friendliness. And, being a media developer, he wrote a code to fix the problem. As you can see from the before and after shots above, the new mobile version is much more streamlined, it zooms on the posts right away and eliminates side-scrolling. Also, if you wish to place a Shoebox Dwelling bookmark on the screen of your device, you will get a minimalist, easy on the eye icon (a small detail, but an aesthetically crucial one for some finicky people, author included). I hope you guys enjoy these improvements. Thank you for this beautiful gesture, Kyle!
Cleaning the floor is tedious enough, but what makes it worse is having to fiddle with chairs. Trying to find a temporary place for them is tricky in a small space and turning them upside down over the table is unhygienic. But what are other options?.. Malaysia-based designer Poh Liang Hock came up with an answer. His Hold Chair has a seat and back that slide up the backrest frame. This separates the seat from the frame below it. The chair can then be slid onto the table. Genius! I especially like the fact that at no point of this operation you have to handle the chair’s feet. This concept piece is a winner of the prestigious Red Dot Design Award. Can’t wait to see it produced.
I truly think that every shoebox dweller should know about this incredible project (and those who do might enjoy a revisit). Closet House by Marta Costa and Henrique Pinto, principal architects of Consexto, took blogosphere by storm two years ago after winning the prestigious ArchDaily “Building of the Year” award. This 44 square meter (~475 sqft) home was made not only livable, but luxuriously comfortable thanks to many technological advancements. Truly a home of the future, Closet House is marked by minimalist design, integrated features and sophisticated automation.
Here is how Marta Costa describes the role of the project in today’s changing housing market: “The Closet House mirrors the concept of the company in that this experimental project is intended to make people questions the models of standard housing. With the evolution of science, at various levels, and consequent social and technological changes occurring in the 1990s such as mobile phones and the internet, housing had to necessarily follow such growth and adapt to new demands of the everyday world.”
Enjoy the video tour of the Closet House above and check out the rest of the interview with Marta here.
Avid readers – rejoice. The Eli shelf by Tel Aviv based Studio Ve is designed specifically for your active piles. Instead of scattering the books you are currently reading around the apartment or leaving them in heaps near your sofas and chairs – you can neatly store them on this mobile shelf. This temporary housing for your active library can be easily moved, it will save your precious tomes from damage and free some valuable floor space.
Welcome to the Jungle is the name of the furniture collection, designed by Rui Alves, force behind My Own Superstudio. It is comprised of five pieces that can be stacked in many different ways, creating shelving, seating, multilevel console/occasional tables and even coat hangers. I love the colorful fun the line projects. Little columns on the side of each piece really do add animal resemblance, something kinds of all ages will appreciate.
(via swissmiss)
I cannot possibly pass by bike storage without noticing. Especially if it is as beautiful as this piece. A product by Long Beach based design studio Ballou Projects is quite literally called Very Nice Bike Rack. And I couldn’t help but agree with this self-congratulatory name. Minimal and sleek, the item blends with its surroundings, looking like a cool shelf. And although the idea is not particularly new, I do like the Ballou Projects’ variation. The rack is mounted on the wall, elevating your bike and freeing precious floor space. It is perfect for a horizontal top tube bike that weighs less than 25 pounds. The floor stand version is also available. It holds just about any type of bike and comes with felt spacer pads to accommodate various tire widths. These racks come in bent plywood, walnut veneer or white powder coasted steel.
(via Gessato)
Urban gardening is a romantic endeavor, it requires more faith than virtually any other aspect of city life. Some citi dwellers, author included, bravely line up their little plantations on fire escapes. But as charming as it is, the idea is exposed to two dangerous elements – squirrels and superintendents… Thankfully, Paris based company Barreau&Charbonnet had a better solution. Their innovative window planter, called Volet Végétal, uses the air space outside a window. This drawbridge-like construction is mounted against a windowsill and, with a pulley system, extends out about five feet. The planter easily moves back to a vertical position for watering, maintenance and, if you’re lucky, harvest. Integrated planter boxes fit into pivoting frames to prevent plants from falling out. The entire system is easily removed from the window and brought inside to become a free standing garden – perfect for winter. Volet Végétal is on view at the Paris urban garden show, Jardins Jardin, till June 3.
(via Urban Gardens)
As the name suggests, the Mastro table, created by Gum Design for De Castelli, has derived from an old worktable design. But unlike its predecessors this piece has some serious space-saving advantages. The metal tabletop is folded on the sides to serve as a holder for the legs. The same tabletop allows to store the legs and flatten the table when it is not in use. Beautiful dual function! I also love the visual contrast between the patinated top and light wooden legs.
(via designerblog)
The owner of this tiny 25 square meter (269 square feet) house Pascual Alberola and his partner started with a beautiful lot of land near Valencia, Spain. The couple was looking to build a weekend home not far from their city dwelling, and stumbled upon a sheltered valley just an hour and a half south of their city. The only pickle – according to Spanish laws, the agricultural zone (which is what it was) could only have a small toolshed built on it. But the guys were not discouraged and decided to built the most livable shed there can be. And with the help of architects Jorge Cortés, Sergio Gª-Gasco and Borja Garcia of Enproyecto Arquitectura this incredible home was born. Traditional on the outside and modern on the incide, the house includes all essentials. It has a kitchen, leaving area with the fireplace, floating bedroom and a small bathroom with the shower. All necessities and nothing excessive. I’ll say no more – enjoy the beautiful video tour, shot by Kirsten Dirksen of Fair Companies.
Philadelphia based industrial designer John Paulick had a great idea. He created a system of modular wine racks, inspired by beehives, capable to accomodate a wine collection of any size and fit in any space. The product, called WineHive, is lite, sturdy, fully collapsible and ships flat. You can start with the wine rack of any size. And when you are ready to add to your honeycomb-looking structure – you simply slide panels into each other and voilà. No tools, no sweat, no manuals to read. The WineHive rack system is currently displayed on Kickstarter, and for the next 13 days you can pledge to get your set.
