Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Sleek Remodel Takes Swiss Home From Ancient to Modern

Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:00 AM PDT

[ Filed under Various Rooms & in the Interiors category ]

The idyllic mountain village of Soglio, Switzerland has experienced plenty of ups and down in population levels over the past century. As such, some homes and buildings have sat vacant for long periods of time. One such home was spectacularly rehabbed by Christian Speck of Form Zone.

The site of the 15th century stone house used to hold two homes and as such boasts two entrances and dual staircases. On the exterior of the home, nearly everything has remained the same. On the inside, however, the home has undergone an almost-unbelievable transformation.

Keeping the rough-hewn stone, exposed brick and gorgeous timbers intact, Form Zone managed to make this 600 year old dwelling look beautifully modern.

Some walls were clad in natural wood while others were covered in slick white lacquered surfaces. Rather than making the space look vulgar and giving it a forced-modern look (as one might expect), the changes seamlessly transition the home into a stylish modern look.

One of the best parts of the home is the rooftop, where residents can enjoy two separate rooftop sitting spaces. Views of the other stone rooftops in the village and the majestic surrounding mountains are enough to make you almost reluctant to go back inside.

It takes an expert hand to transition a home from ancient to modern. It takes an equally skilled person to make a modern home seem cozy and livable. Christian Speck did both in incredibly elegant style within the ancient walls of this breathtaking home.

Keep Going - Check out this Great Related Dornob Article:

Serene Stone Home Rises Up from a Rocky Swiss Hillside

Built Despite Tiny Site: Small Stone Hillside Home Design

[ Filed under Various Rooms & in the Interiors category ]

[ Dornob | Archives | Categories | Privacy | TOS ]

Coffee Faucet Brews the Perfect Ultra-Automatic Cup of Joe

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT

[ Filed under More & in the Gadgets & Tech category ]

In pursuit of gourmet coffee, millions of us are willing to pay big money at Starbucks or other coffee joints every day. The TopBrewer built-in coffee faucet would make it so simple to prepare the perfect cup of coffee that it would be almost like pouring a glass of water.

Looking nearly identical to a regular kitchen faucet, the TopBrewer is actually a high-tech coffee brewer that contains the world’s smallest milk frother.

The components of the TopBrewer are all built into a counter or tabletop. An accompanying touch screen – also built into the tabletop – lets you choose exactly the type and size of drink you want with just a few taps of the finger.

For baristas who would rather do it the high-tech way, an iPhone or iPad app can alternatively be used to select the desired drinks. The tap self-cleans after every drink so you never get unpleasant flavor blends.

In a few seconds, the machine brews the perfect espresso, cappuccino, latte, macchiato or whatever else you can dream up. The tap also provides cold milk or water, hot water for tea, or steam for blanching vegetables – all from the utterly stylish stainless steel faucet.