Space saving furniture Space is a constraint that is beginning to hit us these days. With an ever rising population, the demand for space is only bound to increase with time. In this post we feature some intelligent space saving furniture that would be ideal for small space living. What would you say if we told you all the furniture you see in the image below… came from this small box? You won’t believe it? What you were seeing is Casulo by Marcel Krings & Sebastian Mühlhäuser. Here is another similar concept by kenchikukagu but one that gives more emphasis to the kitchen. Termed as ‘Architectural Furniture’, this enables the kitchen to be folded away when not in use. Video here… We are pretty much sure that Bonbon Trading has been inspired by the Transformers movie in making this outstanding piece of furniture. Too lazy after that late night movie you watched on the TV? Via Apartment Therapy Via Flying Beds We love furniture that can just be folded up when not in use… Via Yanko Design by BHG
Next In Sustainable Living: Beer Bottle Houses As people move to more sustainable ways of living, some innovative architects have begun using recycled materials to create more environmentally-friendly habitats. Incredibly, beer bottles have become a primary means of this style of building, with far-ranging benefits including cheap construction, recycling and up-cycling, pollution reduction, natural solar power lighting, and natural insulation. The environment will definitely thank these clever builders for these eco-friendly beer bottle houses: Beer Bottle Houses: Buddhist Temple in Khun Han, Thailand Though drinking is considered a sin in Buddhism, 1.5 million green Heineken and brown Chang beer bottles went into the construction of the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple. Located in the city of Khun Han, in north-east Thailand, the complex has been decades in the making. The House Made Of 6 Million Beer Bottles
India’s Massive Blackout Calls for Smarter Grid, From the Bottom Up The only good thing about India’s daily blackouts is that when there’s a truly massive power outage, people are prepared for it. Thus, when the power went out across eight northern Indian states early Monday morning, leaving some 370 million people in the dark, most of the critical facilities -- Delhi’s international airport, hospitals and police stations, large-scale commercial and industrial power users and higher-end homes and apartments -- were ready to go with backup generators. But everyday people were stuck with no light, no heat, and no public transportation. Then, on Tuesday, things got worse, with a 20-state blackout that cut power for anywhere between 620 million and 680 million people -- about half of India’s population, or twice the number of people now living in the United States. India’s Grid in Dire Need of Repair Could smart grid technologies help solve the problems that caused these blackouts? Beyond that, however, there’s a world of work to do.
Combo Couch: All-in-One Lounger, Love Seat + Sofa Bed = « Dornob Sofa beds sneak two functions into one piece of furniture, but these designs go beyond the binary ‘convertible couch’ typology to be completely modular, comfortable for sitting up, laying back or lying down in any number of custom configurations. This seating set from Zuiver builds on the classic fold-out footrest and flip-up backrest concepts of an easy chair, but take such loungers to new levels by expanding the entire idea horizontally into a multi-person love seat, then stretch it further to a full-length sleep-friendly sofa. Each modular segment can be flipped in, out, up or down as desired by the people using each part of the seating space – a pair of chairs can be formed within the larger whole of the couch, or the entire system can open and accommodate a couple comfortably. Smaller versions are also interesting craft experiments, but the purpose seems less clear in a simple lounge chair variant.
Transparency - Walk This Way More Infographics on Good 25 Years After First Solar Restaurant, Germany Breaks 25% Renewable Energy Barrier Rappenecker Huette/Promo imageGuests enjoy a pause for beer or a meal at the Rappenecker Huette, Europe's first solar restaurant; Inset: Solar panels on restaurant roof (Fraunhofer Institute) 25 years to 25 percent. A good start towards Germany's aggressive renewable energy goals. According to German law (pdf), renewable energy shall account for: 35% of the electricity production by 2020,50% by 2030, 65% by 2040,80% by 2050. 25 Years of Solar Family Fun On the 27th of July, the Rappenecker Hütte celebrated its 350-year anniversary (how's that for sustainable?) Hiking in the countryside ranks among the top hobbies in Germany, so many small businesses offer refreshments in areas that are well away from the power infrastructure. A wind generator in 1990 and a hydrogen fuel cell in 2003 rounded out the stability of the power supply so that the diesel generator could be replaced entirely. Breaking the 25% Renewable Barrier One More 25... ...this could become an obsession.
Folding Bookshelves This is something really innovative in the bookshelves business, and I really like the idea. It’s very practical because you can arrange the books in an interesting way, as you can see from these pictures. The shelves are made of tough and steady cherry wood, but they possess the lightness of rice paper: they can be laid down, stood up, turned 90 degrees, used horizontally or vertically. Price : $439.00
Design Daily: How to Turn Empty Beer Cans into a Roof - Environment As emblems of cultural capital, neither aluminum siding nor Natural Light holds much of a premium. But when, in the hands of the biotech worker and chicken-keeper Bill Robb, a collection of empty Natty Lights transforms into a sheet of siding, well, that's a thing of beauty. Check out Robb's step-by-step tutorial on how to repurpose aluminum cans as a roof for a chicken coop. Image via Core77
Love is my Weapon…. Mus… « creativeresourcesbd Love is my Weapon…. Music is my Religion …Peace is in my Soul … Like this: Like Loading... Bookshelf Porn 7 Weird Endangered Species Only a Mother Could Love Photo via WebEcoist When we pointed out some endangered species that are just so gosh-darn cute they'd give Knut a run for his magazine covers, we just couldn't shake the feeling that we were doing a disservice to all the rest of the world's endangered species--you know, the ones that aren't so cute. Or, in these cases, the ones that are almost downright ugly. 1. Of the 70 species of these invertebrates--found in New Zealand--16 are considered threatened or endangered. 2. Photo via Impact Lab The purple frog is so rare that it wasn't even discovered until 2003, and is considered the last remaining member of a prehistoric amphibian family. 3. Photo via Earwigs Online If household earwigs give you the creeps then you may want to skip this entry: The St. 4. Photo via National Geographic Discover More Weird-Looking Endangered Creatures on Page 2
Using Social Media to Test Your Idea Before You Try to Sell It Offerings from Creme Delicious. When starting a business, new entrepreneurs often spend time naming the business and developing a logo and printing business cards and perfecting the look and feel of their packaging before they know whether they have a viable product or service. There’s now a better way — social media has become the ultimate tool for market research. Stephanie Clifford wrote an article for The Times this week about how big corporations are replacing focus groups with social media, but it works for small businesses, too. Thanks to social media — especially Twitter — small businesses now have the ability to determine what their customers want and what they are willing to pay. I put out a quick social media call for small businesses on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ who have used social media for market research and within minutes found companies willing to share their experiences. Sandy Patangay is founder of Creme Delicious, a dessert boutique in New York City.
The Great Geek Manual » The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries I make no secret of the fact that I’m a hardcore bibliophile, but we’re a common enough lot these day. And the one sight that always makes me linger over a webpage is rows and rows of neatly organized books. So, in an effort to draw more like-minded read here to my little blog, I decided to round-up a gallery of photos of some of the most beautiful libraries I’ve ever seen photos of. Enjoy. If you enjoy this gallery, make sure you check out our other list of The United States’ Most Beautiful Libraries! Abbey Library St. The Astronomy Library of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands Photo Credit: (Erik) Bristol Central Library Photo Credit: *Firefox The British Library reading room at the centre of the Great Court of the British Museum in London, England. Central Library of Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada Photo Credit: lightgazer Delft University Library in The Netherlands Photo Credit: rutger spoelstra José Vasconcelos Library in México City, Mexico Photo Credit: CliNKer