321, GO!!! Slide 3 Stories Down 2 Sides of a 1-Family Home While it is far for the first time a family has indulged its children with such a whimsical addition, this may be one of the most well-integrated (and longest) at-home slides yet created. The long slide down (designed, ironically, by Level Architects)?completes a circuit that starts with a staircase running along two walls of the home – one could endlessly move in a circle, effectively, running up and sliding down (definitely a good way to tire the kids out before bedtime!). While this core circulation wrapping the edges of the interior is certainly a great first step, there are many other child-oriented design strategies to be found throughout the house. Other kid-friendly spaces include include ball-fillable playrooms, art spaces and copious shelves for kids books and coloring supplies.
mental_floss Blog » Gifts for the Geek Home A home should be an expression of who you are. Sure, when you're young and broke, your room or apartment might be an expression of who your parents or the people who donate to Goodwill are, but gradually you collect items that express your personality, whether you receive them as gifts or purchase them yourself. If you are a technologically oriented geek, there are plenty of manufacturers and vendors catering to your tastes in home decor. Interactive LED Dining Table Windell Oksay of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories built a dining room table with 448 LEDs inside. Motherboard Picture Frame Recycling is not only environmentally-friendly, it can make a statement. Geek Clock This geeky clock was posted all over as "the clock only geeks can read." A Clock that Spells Here's a clock that is easy for anyone to read, but the mechanism that displays it is something else. Watch how the clock face changes here. Galactic Hitchhiker's Towel Never be caught without your towel! CRT Light Fixture Icon Pillows
Amazing Album Covers Mix and Match Another clever art form is coming, that is album cover art. The visual pioneer is Christian Marclay. As for Marclay, I think most of us know him because of his music. Right, he is a famous DJ and composer who firstly uses gramaphone records and turntables as musical instruments to create sound collage. After Marclay, the art becomes popular and is even adopted by advertiser to make their ads more creative. TetraBox Light by Ed Chew Liquid to Light Designer Ed Chew takes a green step in the right direction with the TetraBox lamp, a light object made from discarded drink packets that would have otherwise ended up in landfills already packed to the brim. The design is achieved by unfolding the packets and refolding them into hexagonal and pentagonal sections that are then pieced together to form a geodesic sphere or any other desired shape. Here, the Epcot-like ball makes an attractive overhead light and casts an impressive web of shadows and shapes on the surrounding space. Designer: Ed Chew
Kitchens And Appliances Of The Future - Announcing The Top 25 Entries of Electrolux Design Lab 2010 The Top 25 Entries of Electrolux Design Lab 2010 It’s not always easy to predict the future. For its 2010 competition, Electrolux Design Lab went with the theme: The 2nd Space Age; this essentially translating to designing a home environment for the year 2050, when 74% of the global population are predicted to live in urban areas. Student designers had to predict how people will prepare and store food, wash clothes, and do dishes. 25) A- Laundry: Community Laundry Concept by Kai Wai Lee A communal laundry for the entire apartment block! 24) Bio Robot Refrigerator by Yuriy Dmitriev The Bio Robot fridge cools biopolymer gel through luminescence and uses non sticky, odorless gel to envelope stored food as individual pods. 23) Bio Tank, Robotic ‘FishWasher’ by Akifusa Nakazawa The Bio Tank does the dishes, is a pet and a composter…all-in-one! 22) Bx7 Preparation Unit by Losif Mihailo 21) Clean Closet – All in One Laundry Concept by Michael Edenius 20) In-home Clothing Printer by Joshua Harris
A former Cement Factory is now the workspace and residence of Ricardo Bofill | Yatzer™ Image Courtesy of Ricardo Bofill Architect: Ricardo BofillProgram: Architectural offices /archives /model laboratory /exhibition space /Bofill's-apartment /guest rooms /gardensLocation: Barcelona, SpainTotal floor area: 3,100 square meters and gardensHouse area: 500 square metersDate Completed: 1975 There is nothing as good as an aged bottle of wine; and in this case the aged bottle of wine is a project which was completed in 1975, but is still worth mentioning! The Cement Factory was discovered in 1973, it was an abandoned cement factory and partially in ruins, comprised of over 30 silos, underground galleries and huge engine rooms; Ricardo Bofill bought it and began renovation works. Bofill imagined the future spaces and created a layout according to the different aesthetic and plastic predispositions that had developed since WWI and were present within the factory. sources: Room Service , Ricardo Bofill
The iQ Alarm Clock by Oliver Sha Morning Brain Teasers Dare to get the iQ Alarm clock only if you’re smarter than a fifth grader. The clock has no snooze button so instead, challenges you with brain teasers to shut the damn thing off! Expect to wake up to questions like “What’s your favorite Design Blog?” Why of course, Yanko Design! Designer: Oliver Sha 14 Cool And Unusual Aquariums EmailEmail Do you live a stressful life, have high blood pressure and insomnia? Keeping an aquarium may be a good therapy for you! Studies going back as far as the late 80’s have shown that watching those beautiful fish going about their daily business can make you feel calm, reducing stress levels and your blood pressure. Although researchers have shown that the greater reduction in blood pressure occurred when there were fish in the tank, vs pleasingly decorated, but fishless, tanks – having a cool aquarium can at least make your friends jealous! 1. Duplex is an acquarium/cage favouring an improbable encounter between a bird and a fish. 2. (Link) 3. (Link) 4. Ever wondered what to do with that ancient 26″ wooden TV set laying around in yours or your grandparent’s garage? 5. iPond The iPond is an iPod accessory the combines a speaker with a tiny aquarium. 6. If you do not have enough room in your new office to put an aquarium, just integrate an Aquarium in the table. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Old Garage turned Mini Dream Home! | Hello there! It’s been a busy week with a trip to Seattle for the Picasso exhibition and a drive out to the coast but I knew I had to share this amazing remodel with you before the week came to a close. Everyone loves good makeovers and the ones involving tiny spaces, creative design and ingenious solutions are my all time favorites! Check out how Seattle artist, designer and welder, Michelle de la Vega, created this beautiful little 250 sq. ft. haven… The before… This lonely little detached garage is just begging for some love. The after! A cozy, light filled sleeping loft is so perfect for the space. The kitchen is well organized and accessible with open storage solutions. The rustic wood burning stove becomes sculptural in this room along with Michelle’s own art installations. The glass boxes housing pillow forms are actually a tribute to Michelle’s father. You know I am a big fan of great bathroom design and this one delivers. How many of us have garages that only house our junk!?
Tea-time – Tea Steeper Design by Pengtao Yu Timely Steeping I am in love with the Tea-time tea steeper for its intuitive design and simplistic interaction between tea leaves, water and steeping time! A flipping action, akin to starting the timer, sets the tea making process into action. Loose tealeaves and hot water do their steeping business and the ready tea slowly trickles down to the bottom beaker. The timer/filter hold back the leaves and your cuppa is ready to sip! A point to note is that designer Pengtao Yu has used a spring loaded timer to keep the product low-tech and traditional. Designer: Pengtao Yu Tea-time is a 2011 Spark Awards entry. 30 Incredible Infinity Pools Incredible Infinity Pool in Bali. Photo credit: Sean McGrath It’s the middle of a blistering hot summer in the United States, so taking a dip in the cool water of an infinity pool sounds heavenly. The design of infinity edge pools are visually stunning, as the swimming pool appears like the edge vanished and the pool stretches into the horizon or to infinity. [30 Pictures] Hint: Use “J” and “K” keys (after the page finish loading) to navigate from picture to picture. Shangri-la in Mactan Cebu, Philippines Photo credit: bingbing Alila Pool (HDR) Taken at the Alila Ubud in Bali. Bali, Munduk Moding Plantation Photo credit: Shura Bali, the good life. Tahiti disappearing edge infinity pool at sunset with pool bar Photo credit: Duncan Rawlinson Infinity pool with a flower and the sea in the “horizon,” beyond the vanishing edge. Bali Infinity Pool swimming to the edge of eternity. Sunset in Saint Martin. Acapulco infinity pool on a steep hillside in the midst of a jungle. St.