You say you live in an apartment complex where you pay for your rent + electricity, and that’s it? Check it out. You get yourself one of these bad boys, (or 2, or 3,) and hook them up to the water pipes, and bam! Your on the slick road to free electricity as well. It’s the “Mini Hydro Turbine” from Yanko frequent Jin Woo Han . Don’t mix up the cords! The Mini Hydro Turbine can be attached to the end of your faucet or between two pipes. It’s designed to attach to any pipe to make use of water pressure in basically any instance. The water runs through the device, activating the hydroelectronic turbine as it does so. Energy is stored up in the electricity generator, which is connected to the plug socket. The plug socket’s connected to any number of fun amazing Yanko gizmo (or any non-Yanko device, if you’re lame,) and the gizmo is powered up! Barring the inevitable need to replace the turbine on occasion, and of course, supposing this lovely device works like a charm: yes please! Designer: Jin Woo Han No Tags
Posted in Gadgets, green, product-design | Tagged architecture, exhibitions, fashion, games, green, product-design, shoes, technology, water |
By Joshua | Published:
March 31, 2009
The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry recently re-opened their green-home showcase, Smart Home: Green + Wired. The exhibit consists of a three-story modular home designed by Michelle Kaufmann Design, furnished by regional designers and full of eco-friendly technologies compliments of WIRED magazine.
Tel Aviv designers DEMO / design clinic have designed a series of lamps using plumbing parts.
Posted in Lamp, design | Tagged designer, Lamp |
By Harry | Published:
March 31, 2009
Winner of the 2009 World Kitchen Tea Off competition Vessel Ideation’s one teakettle is a single vessel “designed with both boiling and serving in mind”. Once filled with water and placed over the stove to heat, the graphics on the kettle’s side slowly appear (the graphics are applied with thermochromic inks). Once they fully appear the tea is ready. A magnetic trivet can then be attached to the bottom of the kettle so that it can be safely placed on a table. The magnetic trivet is heat activated, so it drops off once the kettle is cool.
Posted in design | Tagged kitchen |
Designer Ingibjörg Hanna of Stella Design exhibited a collection of products during Icelandic design festival DesignMarch in Reykjavik last week, including bird-shaped coat hangers (above).
Posted in design | Tagged design, designer |
Wallpaper magazine has just voted Office dA’s Banq as the best new restaurant design: “Designed by Office dA, in Boston’s former Penny Savings Bank, Banq sets the senses swirling with its banyan tree-inspired aesthetic. Curved layers of birch form an abstract wooden canopy above recycled bamboo tables” Banq restaurant was created within an early 20th century building in Boston that had been abandoned for years. There are two parts to the newly reconstructed restaurant. In front is the bar, and the larger hall in the back has been turned into an artificial birch forest of sorts with this strange and interesting swirling wood ceiling. Office dA managed to bypass any structural problems and create a very beautiful space out of an abandoned building. This is a great example of how inspired design can create a silk purse out of a sows ear. Adaptive reuse of infill projects is a very green way to build. Where better than an abandoned building in the heart of the old city of Boston. And this much wood will certainly form an insulating barrier to help keep an old building energy efficient. But – on the other hand – to use so much wood? Lovely as it is – a bit excessive! This is a post from Home Design Find Banq Wins Wallpaper’s Best New Restaurant Related posts: Tips on Hanging Wallpaper Net Zero Energy Cool Bird House Wins Award How To Customize Your Blanket Box
Posted in architecture, green | Tagged boston, design, design-find, friends, Furniture, green, kitchen, office-da, tips, wallpaper |
Make no mistake —we love IKEA. The Swedish home goods store has revolutionized furniture shopping. Now it’s possible to find good modern design for reasonable prices. Before the advent of Ikea, sleek kitchens , closet systems and modern lighting fixtures could only be found in upscale European specialty stores. And needless to say, what these stores offered cost a small fortune. Today, thanks in part to Ikea and its inventive store displays, the average American consumer has become much more sophisticated about design and has turned away from the clunky, generic low-end furniture of yesteryear. But here’s the problem: Everyone likes Ikea so much , that everyone now has an Ikea chair, an Ikea lamp, an Ikea desk, an Ikea kitchen island. Go visit a friend’s house, and you find your very own Kramfors sofa or Klippan couch in their living room. And there’s your Poang arm chair and Billy bookcase, too. So how can you indulge in IKEA but still give your home a feeling of distinction and personality all it’s own? 1.) Do IKEA but not ALL IKEA. Mix and match your Ikea favorites with both high and low-end furniture pieces from other sources. For example, Ikea dining room chairs don’t immediately scream Ikea when they’re paired with an old antique farmhouse table. 2.) Check out IKEAhacker and steal ideas. Ikea designs are great, but a lot of Ikea finds can be modified to a completely new use or look. For example, one inventive IKEAhacker used an Ikea bookshelf, Ikea laminate flooring and Ikea tablelegs to create a distinctive modern radiator cover. 3) Use IKEA standards in a new way. Got a Billy bookcase or an Expedit bookcase? Why not use them as room dividers instead of just wall units? Or perhaps you can take old favorites like the Poang chair and recover the seat in a non-IKEA fabric of your choosing. Change legs, arms, surfaces and don’t be afraid to personalize, personalize, personalize. 4.) Know the look you’re going for. Sometimes, a home can look like an Ikea catalog because homeowners haven’t really stopped to consider the overall look they want. So put aside the catalog for a moment and consider your overall design goal. An old farmhouse look? A sleek Italian loft? A country cottage? Check out design magazines with examples of interiors that you like, and bring those pictures along when you shop. You’ll quickly learn to shop in a way that informs your vision without parroting an Ikea catalog. 5.) Feel free to use Ikea basics but choose more carefully when it comes to accessories. You’ll almost never go wrong by buying good-value basics like Ikea bookshelves, kitchens and closet systems. Where you need to choose more carefully is with accessories that lend your home personality. Be careful about choosing trendy lampshades, fabrics, rugs, pillows and textiles that can easily be pinpointed as Ikea. Avoid buying wall art at Ikea. 6.) Don’t apologize. Okay, so maybe your home has veered a little too much toward Ikea. Don’t feel bad about your indulgence. When you’re shopping on a budget there are few other places to go with as much style. Over time, you can bring more individuality into your home by adding original art, interesting textiles or ethnic pieces from other sources. So enjoy your Ikea home and know that one day, you’ll be able to mix it up a bit when you’ve got more bucks to spend. This is a post from Home Design Find Design Dilemma: How to Make IKEA Not Look Like IKEA Related posts: Ikea: Fusion Table Design Dilemma: How to Personalize the Mid-Century Modern Look Design Dilemma: Making Minimal Livable
Posted in How To, Tips, & Advice, How to, architecture | Tagged customizing-ikea, design, friends, Furniture, green, ikea hacker, ikea.com, Lighting, tips, tokyo-weekly |
By aion | Published:
March 31, 2009
Taking an inspirational cue from nature, the folks at Design-By-Us decided to design a comfortable and cool chair that will mimic the wings of a flying insect. The Insect Chair is a simple, elegant and charming creation in a world that is often over-indulgent with designs and patterns. Coming in upholstered black leather with a chrome or black frame, the lounge chair is perfect for offices, living spaces and even patios. Just like a gorgeous butterfly ready to take flight, its design is appealing and aesthetic. Also available in Scandinavian vintage fabric or others that you fancy, the Insect can be customized and brought home exactly the way you see it fit. This is a post from Home Design Find The Insect Chair: Opening up its leather wings Related posts: The Question Mark Chair T-Shirt Chair Elixir Chair by Elia Nedkov
Posted in Furniture, architecture | Tagged architecture, design, design-find, Furniture, insect, insect chair, Interiors, jonathan-adler, kitchen, leather-chair, recommended, tokyo-weekly |
I relate a lot of stuff to songs you know; like the time when I wrote the K-95 USB Flash Drive post, the song that popped into my mind was the Yellow Submarine by Beatles. When I look at this seat, which is clearly inspired by the Mexican toy El Trompo (top), it reminds me of the Dead or Alive song You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record) . Quite like the vinyl, the TOtoyO spins a complete 360º and best of all, if you remove the inner cushion, it doubles up as a stadium for your Trompo or Babelade. Wicked! Designer: Victor M. Aleman No Tags
Don’t trick yourself! There’s no cure for smelly food. This pail right here thinks it is hot stuff. It’s called the “Minus” and it’s basically cold hearted. Open the lid, place the banana peels inside, close, click shut, set temp, and press go. Coldness. Do not drop your pop cans in here unless they are all the way empty. Also probably not a good place for dead animals. Feel free to list other things that would be better off sitting in a receptacle separate from this frozen garbage container. This bin was conceptualized by the dude with the longest name I’ve ever seen on a garbage man: Cem TUTUNCUOGLU. Straight outta Turkey. Let me pull your chain for a minute : do you put this in the same category as the trash compactor, or the plastic reusable food container? And on the same note as the second paragraph: what’s to stop you from experimenting with this wonderful tool of potential destruction? Hooray for father freeze. Designer: Cem TUTUNCUOGLU No Tags
I don’t think I need to highlight the importance of clean drinking water to you elite crowd, but it is a major issue in many developing countries and war-torn zones. When designer Martin Bolton conducted a survey of the potable water that most rural houses in South Africa used, he was appalled at the quality and decided to do something about it. He devised an ingenious Potpaz Ceramic Filter system that is aimed at being a low cost water treatment device optimally suited to South African rural conditions. Trying to keep the authenticity of the explanation of its working, here is what Martin has to say about the filter’s working: Operation of the filter unit The ceramic filter element is filled with water to be filtered, the water then saturates the ceramic filter element and slowly filters through the pores at a rate of between 1.5 to 2.5 liters per hour, provided the filter is kept full (as stated on the leaflet received from the existing filter element manufacturers). The filter needs the weight of the unfiltered water in the element to create sufficient pressure to push the water through the pores. The water filtering through the filter element drips into the receptacle where it is stored, ready for consumption. Users’ tap water from the plastic spigot attached through the receptacle wall. The covering lid prevents insects and dust from getting into contact with the filter element. It has been shown that the filter element is able to improve the health related microbial quality of the water by means of the action of filtration. Effectiveness of the filter element, with regards to disinfection, can be increased with the application of colloidal silver to the filter element. Colloidal silver is an effective antibacterial water treating agent in the form of tiny silver particles suspended in liquid. It is a disinfectant that prevents bacterial growth in the ceramic filter and assists in inactivating the bacteria in the filter. It is applied to the Potpaz filter in the form of a painted-on solution, or by dipping (after the firing process) thereby allowing the solution to soak into the porous ceramic filter where it remains. A study indicates that after 15 years in operation, the colloidal silver is still effective in the ceramic filter. The only routine maintenance of the filter components is as follows: The filter element needs to be scrubbed and rinsed once the flow-rate decreases considerably (possible once a month), and the inside of the receptacle needs to be cleaned with soap and water once a month. Designer: Martin Bolton No Tags
Posted in Gadgets, Living, green, product-design | Tagged accessories, advertising, exhibitions, fashion, games, green, lifestyle, Living, luxury, office, product-design, technology, water |
The future of technology simply overwhelms me at times. For instance this Nokia Nia project that designer Sebastian Müller undertook along with the Nokia Research Center in Helsinki. Nia is a robotic communication device that strives to make everyday communication more intuitive. It’s that kinda device that takes care of your e-mails, messages, calls or news instantaneously. It adapts to your needs and executes operations as per your requirements. It features face recognition thereby providing individualistic services and the visual tags on the display further help in customizing the unit. The interdependent streak of the unit is evident as it is able to charge itself in a “charging shelter” autonomously. The biggest innovation of this concept is the intuitive way of controlling it. Depending upon how far away you are from it, Nia is able to switch between gesture, voice and touchscreen mode in a jiffy. In the touchscreen mode, the robot can be used like a tablet PC for more complex tasks. Did I mention that the future of technology simply overwhelms me at times! Designer: Sebastian Müller No Tags
Posted in Gadgets, product-design, technology | Tagged accessories, advertising, automotive, exhibitions, fashion, games, kitchen, lifestyle, Lighting, nokia, product-design, robotics, travel |
This new modern contemporary kitchen Ulivo from Aster Cucine doesn’t need to show-off to make a statement. A subtle and refined visual language unites each piece of furniture, speaking volumes about contemporary style. A range of exciting elements: texture, color, material and light all work together to create the out-of-the-ordinary Ulivo kitchen. For example, the stainless steel backdrop to the cooking area is no ordinary stainless steel finish. Instead, it is rippled to contrast with the high-gloss finish of the kitchen storage units. An accent here and there of natural, beautifully grained wood also adds to the vibrancy of the modern kitchen. Cool, calm green is sets the tone for the kitchen. The furniture is this color, and so is the light radiating from the hood above the stove, as well under all of the cupboard units. The light even shines out from within the cupboards – a futuristic touch that unites the whole area. Taking you to a new place of refinement and relaxation: this is the new Ulivo from Aster Cucine . View more great Aster Cucine contemporary kitchens here… Also check the latest on the kitchen islands …
Posted in architecture | Tagged aster-cucine, compar-european, cooking, green, house-designs, kitchen-islands, light, pictures, sponsored-links, stainless-steel, ulivo |
Graphic designers Multistorey have designed the interior, exterior and branding for a homeware shop on Portobello road in London.
Posted in design | Tagged designer |
The new Mimo are modern bathroom collections from Laufen with an enticing roundness. Mimo expresses intelligent, contemporary style – made approachable! The cute, curvy washbasin has a hidden overflow and lots of shelves for storage underneath – hidden away behind stylish cabinet doors. A touch of extra playfulness is added with the smart joystick levered faucet. Mimo washbasin and vanity are smartly wall-mounted, as is the toilet. This is a practical touch (easy to clean) that chimes with current trends. The bathroom isn’t just about practicality, though, as the flamboyant modern print suggests! Wake up everyday to a perfectly coordinated , witty bathroom in white, pink or black ceramic. Talk to Laufen about these new collections.
Posted in architecture, global | Tagged bathroom, coffee, compar-european, green, house-designs, ideas, kitchen, luxury-bathroom, meeus-rotating, modern, modern-outdoors, pictures |
