Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Building Set Takes Indoor Fort Construction to a New Level

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

squishy forts castle

Gathering up all of the pillows, blankets and couch cushions in the house to build little forts or clubhouses is one of our fondest childhood memories. Designer Ross Currie makes it even easier for kids (or adults – we won’t judge) to build those magical living room forts with his invention: Squishy Forts.

squishy forts play set

Currie was initially trying to develop an iPad app for kids that would keep them occupied. He realized, however, that kids need the tactile, creative experiences that electronic amusements just can’t provide. Building things in real life can help to develop a child’s creativity and spatial reasoning far better than any app or digital game.

creative squishy forts structure

Squishy Forts is a set of foam pieces of different sizes and shapes, reminiscent of the different kinds of pillows used in a traditional pillow fort. Unlike the forts we built as children, though, these pieces have strong magnets embedded in them to help hold the imaginative structures together. When not in use, the blocks fit together neatly into an ottoman or a sofa, letting the toys stay close at hand but out of the way.


    

Graceful Redesigned Hanger Stores Without the Stretching

Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:00 PM PST

gazel hanger

Hanging clothes is a rather benign activity, but when you’re trying to shove a too-big hanger through the small neck of a shirt it can get pretty frustrating. The Gazelle Hanger was designed by Irish design studio Gazel; initially its purpose was to make laundry easier for people with arthritis.

redesigned clothes hanger gazel

The hanger’s handle is easy to grip from a number of angles, even with arthritic hands. When it isn’t in use, it tilts slightly to the side in the closet. This can be a huge benefit when you’re searching through a full closet to find an empty hanger.

gazel non-stretching hanger

But the real beauty of the Gazelle hanger is that it can be inserted into the narrowest of shirt necks without stretching the garments. Slide the shirt up the long curved part of the hanger until the other side simply slides in. No stretching, no pulling. Even fully-buttoned shirts can be hung on the Gazelle without first unbuttoning them.

The brilliant design is a candidate for the James Dyson Award. Besides being exceptionally functional, its form is as graceful as the animal it was named after. The plastic is strong enough to hold multiple garments and can be made from recycled materials. The Gazelle might be the product that turns the clothes hanger from a disposable item into a home object that you hold onto for as long as you might hold onto a lovely lamp or any other beautifully-designed item.


    

Round + Round Bench is a Recycled Seat With a Secret

Posted: 14 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

salvaged wood circular storage bench

This gorgeous circular wooden bench from design student Louis Lim is made entirely from wood salvaged from NYC locations. The Round&Round is not only sophisticated in its form and materials; it also hides a little secret.

circular wooden bench

louis lim round and round bench

Rather than being a solid wooden seat, the inside of the bench hides a sliding storage compartment. When open, the storage compartment closes the gap between the ends of the semi-circular bench, making it into a complete circle.

round and round circular storage bench

circular bench with hidden storage

Even more interesting than the bench’s shape and storage compartment is the fact that it is a flat-pack product. The main part of the bench disassembles into six pieces for easier moving.


    

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