Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Light + Airy Modern Houseboat is Spacious Indoors and Out

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:00 AM PST

So many of us dream of packing up and moving all of our things into a houseboat, but those dreams often dissolve when we see just how tiny and dark most houseboats are. This one is different, however. It’s called Thesayboat, and it may just change the way we daydream about houseboats.

Thesayboat was designed by Marek Ridky, who says the houseboat’s overall composition was inspired by a quote from Le Corbusier: “Human habitation should be a cell with a view of the stars.”

This boat most certainly fulfills that ambition. With ample space for two people, the “cell” embraces views of the outdoors from every direction. Half of the top floor consists of a huge bedroom which is entirely surrounded in windows. Gorgeous wooden shutters block out the sun or protect the inhabitants’ privacy.

The other half of the top floor is an enormous rooftop deck with a hot tub. A transparent safety enclosure enhances a feeling of openness on the deck.

This openness is repeated inside, where the staircase leading from the lower floor to the bedroom is also enclosed in a see-through safety barrier. The feeling of airiness is important in such a physically confining space as a houseboat, and the designer captured this feeling perfectly.

Other comforts of home include a surprisingly large bathroom and a small but functional kitchen. We could certainly see spending a few lazy weekends floating on the water and just taking in the sights from this decidedly stylish pontoon-based home.

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Food for Thought: Dining Room Table + Built-In Fireplace

Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:00 PM PST

If design is a narrative, then Michael Harboun is most certainly a storyteller: “Warmpath tells the story of two familiar objects, a table and a stove, meeting on a cold winter day. Their dialogue gives shape to an unexpected object.”

Unlike some of his other more experimental futuristic projects, this is a sort of when-Harry-met-Sally piece, expressive like his inked figure drawings rather than being a suggestion about the way things should be.

“The conducts of the stove run through the surface of the table. The Corian material is able to resist to high temperatures and cools down the heat to a comfortable and warm feeling.”

Of himself, Harbourn writes: “While design is commonly described as the union of emotional and rational processes by bringing the aesthetic and the functional together, I believe it has evolved into something much deeper today. Now have to be considered new values inside the design process, which are the psychological and the philosophical. In my projects, I tend to question these new values. By sketching a hypothetical vision of tomorrow's products & interactions, I aim to make people react and debate about the fascinating evolution of our daily objects.”