Dornob | Design Ideas Daily |
- Tiny Pod House Packs Big Personality Into 125 Square Feet
- Young Inventor Creates Spill-Proof, Unbreakable Drinking Cup
- Re-Use Plastic Bottles as Mini Indoor Hydroponic Gardens
| Tiny Pod House Packs Big Personality Into 125 Square Feet Posted: 10 Jun 2014 08:00 AM PDT This tiny 125-square-foot garden retreat provides a serene escape from the outside world, surrounded by beautiful natural greenery. Dubbed the Metapod, the diminutive dwelling was designed and built by Jerome Levin as a model of affordable, sustainable living. The environmentally-friendly building has a concrete foundation and traditional frame construction, with sheetrock walls on the inside and LP SmartSide siding panels on the outside. Inside, the Metapod contains a fold-up oak loft bed, study area, and entertainment area. In-wall wiring provides the infrastructure for A/V materials and internet connectivity. Rather than the traditional swinging door or even a sliding door, a custom pocket door was designed for the Metapod to increase the interior space. The Metapod can be adapted to act as an off-the-grid, affordable housing or vacation home. It would also make the perfect backyard office or study space. According to Levin, the tiny house is mean to help people learn to live beyond material gains and attachments. The very small area and lack of room for excessive belongings encourages a rather spartan lifestyle. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
| Young Inventor Creates Spill-Proof, Unbreakable Drinking Cup Posted: 09 Jun 2014 06:00 PM PDT When 11-year-old Chicago girl Lily Born noticed that her elderly grandfather often spilled his drinks, her creative mind immediately kicked into overdrive. Her grandfather has Parkinson’s, and like others who suffer from this or other tremor-inducing conditions, he has trouble keeping a cup steady when picking it up and setting it down. Lily’s idea was the Kangaroo Cup, an unbreakable, spill-proof cup that is easy to hold, drink from, and set down. Its three legs suspend the cup itself a bit off of the surface, which makes coasters unnecessary. The legs also provide stability on uneven terrain. The Kangaroo cup makes a perfect picnic companion because it can sit right on the grass without tipping over. The cup’s invention and refinement have gone through many stages that are familiar to any other inventor. Lily and her inventor father first made the cups from hand-molded plastic, then from clay at a ceramic studio. The ceramic versions couldn’t stack in the cabinet and were prone to breakage, so Lily turned to a team of designers and manufacturers to help the Kangaroo Cup really reach its potential. It has become a stackable, BPA-free cup that is unbreakable and comes in a variety of colors. The Kangaroo Cup’s first Kickstarter project was successful and allowed the team to produce the ceramic cups, but they went back to Kickstarter to fund the new, improved cups – and quickly surpassed their fundraising goal. The plastic cup is dishwasher and microwave proof and suitable for people of every age. Even if you don’t suffer from tremors, the cup is also great for kids who are too old for sippy cups but not quite old enough to drink from regular cups without tipping them over. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
| Re-Use Plastic Bottles as Mini Indoor Hydroponic Gardens Posted: 09 Jun 2014 02:00 PM PDT Although we all know by now how bad plastic bottles are for the planet, plenty of us still find ourselves buying them when we’re away from home and thirsty. Next time you find yourself with an empty one, consider washing it out and using it to create your very own in-home hydroponic veggie garden.
Petomato is a $15 product that its creators liken to the Chia Pet or Pet Rock. It’s a brilliantly simple concept: you remove the original twist-off cap, fill the bottle with water, then twist on the Petomato top. A small cavity in the lid has a place for a few seeds. You plant the seeds, cover them in sand, moisten, and wait a few days until your seeds sprout. Because the plants are meant to be grown indoors, you have to pollinate them yourself, which is as easy as using a finger or paintbrush to swirl around the pollen in the flowers. As the plant grows, its roots extend down into the water. Currently, the Petomato is available in cherry tomato, wild strawberry, mint, Italian parsley, sweet basil, and habañero pepper varieties. The weird but adorable website gives plenty of advice on raising and maintaining your “pet” plants. The product seems like a total win on all fronts: it keeps plastic bottles out of landfills, lets you grow fresh food at home, and can teach kids (and adults) about the fascinating world of hydroponic gardening. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
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