Tuesday, April 21, 2009

twist & slide sink

Ever since I grew into an addiction of looking up interior design and home decoration, I've been wanting a bathroom that is waterproof, and the water would just flow into the floor. I like the idea of an open concept bathroom where you needn't shower walls, and the bottom of the shower is made of wooden planks. Little did I know, there are also designs coming out with sinks that also flow into the ground! I'm not sure how I like that idea, but I guess it's all one and the same. Check out this awesome twisted sink by Eumar called the Abisko Washbasin.


(Source)

Sunday, April 19, 2009

pyramid for a bookcase

After my previous post about the Thought Bubble bookshelf, (apparently a similar one can be found by Fusca Design,) my boyfriend sent me another bookshelf beauty and its pentagonal friend.

The Pyramid Modular Bookcase by Fitting is a work of art. Made in Italy and with aluminum, this would be quite the art piece in anyone's home. Not all have the coloured backing, but I think that nicely accentuates the shelves! (Source)


And here's another pyramid bookshelf made of wood, quite stunning as well!

The second item is the Pentagon Seating, designed by Thomas Tritsch and manufactured by Quinze & Milan. It looks fantastically futuristic. I am never too sure about these type of harsh seating. I would think that our behinds would be sore from sitting on such flat surfaces without cushioning or support. In any case, I think it would look great in any home that can afford so room contributed to seating. Go to their website, click or "Original" and discover other colourful, vibrant and unique pieces that would spice up any home or office! (Source)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

thought bubble bookshelf

Sometimes the simplest designs are the smartest. Kian Lau from China made a post about a bookshelf. It's not just any ordinary bookshelf. It's one in the shape of a thought bubble! Seems like a really simple idea, doesn't it? How come no one has thought of it yet? Maybe someone has but never implemented it? Anyhow, I cannot decipher simplified Chinese, only traditional Chinese, so I am not sure who designed it or where the image is from. I initially thought he had designed it and thought, "Oh cool, how brilliant! And designed by a fellow Chinese!" I'm quite sure, though, that his blog is just a design collective, just like mine. Okay, enough speech, onto the product!

Here are several other posts that I found really inspiring: coffin-shaped cigarette holder (how ironic!), a clock made of a dish, fork and spoon (I want one in my kitchen), a light bulb-shaped candle (talk about return to the old), a clothespin hanger, and so many more. I will end up linking over half of his blog, so why don't you check it out for yourself?

Edit: I translated the simplified Chinese to traditional Chinese. A source isn't provided. Oh well!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

ligne roset

Need some colourful modern furniture to spice up your living area? Want to invite friends over and have a heart-to-heart? Ligne Roset's designs are perfect for mending lost connections amongst friends and families. These sectional pieces fit perfectly as a puzzle would. Rearrange them however you want, and these pieces will still look magnificent and pop in any home. The citrus colour range is fab!

(Source)

Monday, April 6, 2009

£56 in exchange for pictures of space

If someone told you, while you were in college, that in exchange for a £56 camera, you can get pictures of space, would you believe them? Mind you, it's not easy what they did; the students spent endless extra-curricular hours on the project, even during their vacation in the summer. With the assistance of their teacher, four students in Spanish Catalonia were able to take magnificent photos 20 miles above Earth with a Nikon camera that cost £56. Strapped to a weather balloon, the camera was able photograph its journey while taking readings with its radio receiver of its progress into the stratosphere. Read the Daily Mail news article for more information and pictures of the students and their camera-operated weather balloon.
"Meteotek was our experiment to see if we could accurately measure the Earth's atmospheric conditions at 30,000 metres, take pictures to prove the experiment and then recover the instruments attached to the balloon after its deflation," said team leader Paretas, 18.

"We were overwhelmed at our results, especially the photographs. To send our handmade craft to the edge of space is incredible."


Here is another article with more photos: link
Visit the Meteotek website for more information.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

for your home

It's the last month of the school term. Everyone is swamped with assignments, labs, essays...I've got two essay deadlines and three exams coming up, so bookmarks have been collecting and I have too many things I want to blog about! Here are two fabulous items I'd love for my home:

1) A gorgeous modern shower by KOS
KOS is a company from Italy that specializes in bath tubs, shower cabins, and basins. Their modern designs must be rare; I can't really imagine seeing one of these in a typical house, especially in North America. One can dream! My favourite are the shower cabins. I absolutely kosmic z2 and floor. The tubs are quite magnificent as well, especially the grande quadra and grande angolo. They aren't kidding when they say grande; they are massive!

via Pure Contemporary

2) Want to wash your hands in a waterfall?
Designed by Octopus Design and Bruno Sacco of Hansa is this beautiful faucet, which Jenny Rector from 3rings has granted the title of a water sculpture. The elegant sculpture uses an on/off button and LED temperature meters, far off from the knobs and handles we are used to. Bathrooms and washrooms have far too many cool gadgets for those who can afford them...but let's be honest. How much time do you spend washing your hands?


via 3rings

And as a little extra, my boyfriend saw this Down Low seating by Upwell Design, based in San Francisco, and immediately said he's getting them. I am not sure I understand the appeal! The only thing I could think about when I saw this was: where would my legs go? The concept is great and I know our male gaming companions would love them, but they're just not for me.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

bruce branit's world builder

I posted this in my other blog, 4x6 & Words, and felt the need to re-post on this blog. It is not only inspirational in its visual effects production, but the story itself is quite touching. I would not be able to place myself in that position (or watch this film again) without tears building in my eyes!

Maybe it's far too late at night—or early in the morning—or maybe I just can't bear the thought of losing a loved one. Whatever the reason may be, the 9 minutes and 15 seconds World Builder brought tears to my eyes. This brilliant work of art was created by filmmaker Bruce Branit. Does his name ring a bell? It might, because you've probably seen his work before on your television set or the big screen. The visual effects section of his resume includes hit television shows Pushing Daisies and Lost, the 21st century King Kong film (2005), the film rendition of Sin City (2005), and so many more. In Branit's words, the touching short film is a story where "a strange man uses holographic tools to build a world for the woman he loves." The video is also available in high quality.



Additional link: World Builder on Facebook

Monday, March 9, 2009

pretzel ring with salt diamonds

There are a lot of things I love. Jewelry is one of them. I adore necklaces, rings, bracelets, anklets, headbands; the list goes on. Another thing I love? Food. To combine the two, Roni Baram has designed and put together a Pretzel Ring. It's not just any ring; it's a ring embedded with salt diamonds. How quaint! What's there not to love about edible jewelry? This is one handy snack! (Source)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

escalator marketing

There is an unbelievable number of escalator marketing out there and I'm only finding out about this now. Why is that? Like I said in my last post, making use of public, everyday objects to advertise your product is probably the cleverest thing to do. What better way to brand yourself than a method that jumps out at consumers and have them really think, "Wow"? Surround them in their everyday elements! I chose two of my favourite ones to show you; there are so many more that can be found here!


(Source)

scotch brite's "sponge"

I absolutely love outdoor, public advertisements. The ability to make use of public space and incorporate and transform commercialism into public use should be praised. I love guerrilla advertisements! And with that, I believe Scotch Brite should win a prize of some sort for this brilliant "Sponge" drinking fountain. What better way to demonstrate the absorbency of their sponges? More pictures can be found in the source link below.


(Source)

slide + stairs

Leesha is nicknamed xsparkage on the World Wide Web. She is best known for her YouTube videos that act as makeup tutorials for cosmetic lovers worldwide. The girl has beautiful skin, great judgment for ravishing looks and fantastic hair! Anyway, the other day on her Twitter, she tweeted with a link and said she really wanted the item in the link. What was in that link? This stunning staircase is both a slide and stairs! How cool would that be to have in your house? I'd walk up those stairs just to slide down again and again!

Does anyone know where this is from? Seriously, I need to know!

camera lens calender

For all you camera lovers out there who needs a way to keep track of dates, like me, you're in luck. Photographer Sharad Haksar has created something that's going to blow your mind. This isn't a regular camera lens but a Camera Lens Calendar! Each ring represents an aspect of the calendar—the year, month, day, and date! This little baby will last you from last year (2008) to 2032. I want myself one of these! (Source)


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

eyeclock

Mike Mak Design created a brilliant clock that really makes you think at first glance. Can you guess how it's read?

His design has the "eyes" acting as the hands of the clock. The position of the eyes replace the position of the hands on a clock. The left tells the hour and the right, the minute. Isn't it cool?

(Source)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

dutch tulip field

There is a wonderful blog called Abbey Does Design Scouting in which she has a little feature called Daily Dose of Green. In it are some brilliant gardens and absolutely beautiful parks and lands! One of my favourite is this colourful Dutch tulip field.


Stunning, isn't this?

More can be found here!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

love is most inspiring

A few stories that are utterly intriguing and unbelievably whimsical...

ONE. A story about an elaborate and fantastically romantic proposal on the Brooklyn Bridge. Guys, take note!



TWO. How did you meet your significant other? I met mine through his best friend. This couple met on the set of Sopranos as extras!



THREE. The perfect Valentine's Day presents for children are no longer store-bought cards with cartoon characters on them with speech bubbles. Try emptied matchboxes stuffed with m&m candies or candy corns. Wrap the boxes with construction paper, tags, etc, and tah dah!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

After Two Months of Sitting as a Draft...

I originally made this post on December 19th, 2008. I never got a chance to add everything I wanted to add and thought I'd have a chance during my Christmas break to revise the post. Little did I know, I'd be one busy, popular bee scheduled to the max with dates and gatherings! Here this post is, finally. Some of my favourite finds are in here, especially the little French girl's videos! Enjoy!

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I think I found the cutest little girl in France who should become the next J.K. Rowling. Or, she could be an actress and win an Oscar. Too cute!

The light-hearted pastel colours in Shimoda Hikari's illustrations are actually disguises for her underlying dark themes.

MTV in Canada is nowhere as creative as MTV Europe, which commissioned a short with the song "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited.

Learn the brief history of communication in one minute with a brilliant stop-motion film.

Some hilarious drawings by Wilhelm Staehle for Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre—clever, witty and somewhat cynical. More here.

Ever heard of a Singing Highway? There's one in Lancaster, CA created for a Honda commercial.

Another highway, this time in South Korea, can sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb"! (Also check out the behind the scene footages starting here.)