Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Heavy and Light: Minimal Concrete + Plywood Home Interior

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

[ Filed under Interiors & in the Apartments category ]

Textures and materials can make all of the difference in a home, as evidenced by this remodeled flat in Setagaya, Tokyo. Owners (and architects) Jun Inokuma and Hiroko Karibe kept the structural setup exactly as it was, but rethought both the layout and the cosmetic balance of the entire space.

The apartment started off with concrete walls covered in plaster and wallpaper. The owners stripped these layers down, exposing not only the industrial concrete but also concrete walls with the remnants of glue and plaster, creating a fascinating new aesthetic in some of the rooms.

To keep the rooms from being too cool and sterile, wood details such as pieces of larch plywood and rich wood floors accent the apartment.

Natural light sweeps in from the north wall, bathing the living areas in sunshine and natural warmth.

The minimalist interior is modern but welcoming, using elements like green house plants and luxurious textiles to offset the somewhat harsh simplicity of the concrete walls.

Keep Going - Check out this Great Related Dornob Article:

Wholly Concrete Home! Foundation, Floor & Much More

Cozy Mix: Heavy Concrete Home, Flowing Green Roof Forms

[ Filed under Interiors & in the Apartments category ]

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Office Chair Increases Health By Keeping You On Your Feet

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT

[ Filed under Furniture & in the Chairs category ]

The average American adult spends a third of every day sitting down. This sedentary way of life affects us in some startling ways – not only causing obesity, but putting us at risk of long-term serious disease as well. To combat this, the founder of shoe company Keen invented a chair that will shift the way we work.

Because the majority of our sedentary time is spent in offices and in front of computers, Keen founder Martin Keen believes that focusing on the office sitting situation could make a huge difference in the country’s overall health.

Standing workstations, treadmill workstations, and even stationary bike workstations have become very popular in recent years, but Keen’s invention is a little different. Dubbed Focal, it’s a chair that encourages constant movement and muscle engagement all day long.

The chair consists of a wooden footplate and a downward-slanting seat that is not quite a chair. The seat is for leaning, not for sitting, and its orientation encourages constant movement.

In the video, it is easy to see why the Focal is healthier for the body than a regular chair. The person using Focal is resting his weight on his legs as well as on his bottom, engaging those large muscles and keeping the blood flowing all day rather than signaling to the body that it is resting and encouraging the brain to become tired and sluggish.