Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

SlingsHOT: Ingenious Mug Gives Tea Bags an Easy Squeeze

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 04:00 PM PST

Just when you thought mugs were incapable of being further innovated, here comes a new and creative variant that simplifies that little act of squeezing that burst of flavor out of your teabag.

A play on slingshot, the SlingsHOT follows a similar pull-and-release motion as you draw the string up through a pre-cut slot in the side, which in turn puts pressure on your teabag while keeping it from popping entirely out.

Designed by Samir Sufi, this simple tweak means no more messing with fingers of spoons if you are the type (as this author is) who is inclined to get the most out of each and every teabag, but who never thought there could be a simpler way.

Sloped-Roof Micro-Apartment Makes the Most of Odd Angles

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST

30 square meters (320 square feet) is not much to work with in the first place, but with slopes on all sides it sounds nearly impossible.

The trick is to make the best possible use of even the low-ceiling areas, tucking in sinks, counters, seating and beds (all with views to draw the eye outside), while leaving open space for walking in the center.

Dutch architects Queeste Architecten (images by Teun van den Dries) created this third-story apartment to be an autonomous floor, sleeping two and seating more, with storage tucked into every possible nook and cranny.

A generous allocation to fenestration combined with bright white surfaces keep the space feeling light and open. “The strong identity of the plan was created using a very limited palette of forms and colours. Rounded corners were applied throughout to imbue the small space with a sense of softness.”

Light & Elegant: Minimalist Wall-Hanging Modular Furniture

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 04:00 PM PST

Elegant, minimalist and multi-functional, once you have the system supports in place, almost anything is possible, from entertainment systems to bedroom storage and office centers – all without touching the floor.

If modular brings to mind generic-looking mass-production, or flexible-but-heavy parts and pieces, the Carrapixxxo system  should dispel these stereotypes quite quickly.

After hanging the hemispherical aluminum nodes for suspension, basic modules can be added, moved or removed as needed, including: shelves, drawers, surfaces, cabinets and more, including fold-up pieces for various uses of a single space.

Wood-finished panels – light or dark -can provide a space-defining backdrop for a given configuration, while leaving the walls blank highlights the light and thin elements holding everything together.

Pop-Top Roof: See the Stars at the Simple Push of a Button

Posted: 18 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST

Olson Kundig Architects are renowned for subtle, landscape-suited works of regional architecture, but this one comes with a unique twist: an operable bathhouse roof that opens like a vertical garage (only far more elegant).

The Shadowboxx dwelling is largely compact, symmetrical and perhaps somewhat Prairie Style (and/or Japanese) in its focus on horizontals, windows and fit within its surroundings.

Situated next to the main structure is a smaller bathhouse, where an operable roof allows access to vertical views and the elements, turning it from an indoor to and outdoor space on demand.

The outdoor/indoor strategy reflects a larger concept about context, community and connection: ”The building purposely confuses the traditional boundaries between a built structure and its surroundings. Its masses are modeled by winds off the water, exterior cladding is allowed to weather and rust, and shifting doors, shutters, walls and roofs constantly modulate the threshold between inside and outside.”

Which is not to suggest the main volume is not modular in its own ways as well: “A glass-walled bunkroom, it contains six custom-designed rolling platforms that serve both as sofas and beds and enable the room to morph and accommodate different functions. Exterior awning shutters facing the water can be closed for protection from the elements or for security when the owner is away.”

Cantilevered Osaka House Hovers Over Driveway

Posted: 17 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST

This dramatically cantilevered home in Osaka seems to defy gravity while multiplying available space, providing another example of the clever tricks employed by Japanese architects to make the most of small lots. Though the home is actually three stories tall, Shogo Iwata designed House in Senri with eight tiered interior levels.

The house was stabilized with a strong visible steel frame, giving the architects the freedom to experiment with the sense of space. Like many Japanese homes, it was partially built into the ground for natural insulation, extra green space and reduced visibility of neighboring homes.

Continuing the floating effect from the outside in, the interior room platforms connected to each other with small sets of stairs create linked spaces that flow together, making the house feel much larger than it really is.

This arrangement also “makes the notion of floor ambiguous,” the architects explain, as you proceed from the entrance under the cantilevered canopy all the way to the sunny terrace on the roof.

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