Design Archives - Page 13 of 17

Sun Table Solar Generator

December 19, 2007 RH 1 Comment

Straight outta Brooklyn. Designers Devang A. Shah and Michael Low created The Sun Table, an outdoor table that stores solar energy and powers electrical devices.

The product “that pushes people to spend more time outdoors will be beneficial for humanity.”

The table stores enough energy to run a laptop for over 3 hours or a TV for 3 to 4 hours. For $3600, I think I’ll stick to running my extension cord outside when I want to work on my computer. As far as watching tv outdoors, what the F* are people doing watching TV outside anyway?

Cool idea or useless gimmick? I bet there are some savvy folks out there who can make their own.

DIY: Dishwasher Panel

December 19, 2007 RH

Photo is Miele panel, not DIY

I recently purchased a dishwasher that wasn’t exactly my taste. I couldn’t afford the one that was. In researching this, I learned that panel kits cost about $400. But that’s not all. They will only work with high end models. So you can’t buy an inexpensive dishwasher and expect to change the look.

Or can you?

I found this DIY tip in “HGTV’s Before and After Decorating” book but could not find an online link to the article. I hope I won’t get sued for copyright for posting it here. I made a few changes.

Here’s the HGTV’s how-to:Continue reading DIY: Dishwasher Panel

Historic Bricks

December 18, 2007 RH 2 Comments

I’ve seen brick floor tiles at Lowes and thought I liked them. My husband hated them. He thought they were “fake” looking. Now I’m not sure how I feel about them. They would be cool for a laundry room, mud room or patio, no?

The Lowes tiles were probably mass produced stuff. Brick Floor Tile Inc offers salvaged brick that has been sliced thin. Unless you have verrrry high ceilings, you wouldn’t want to use a full brick on an interior floor. I would also guess that it would be too difficult to level.

For other brick projects, two companies that sell antique bricks are Historical Brick and Old World Bricks. However, I’m not suggesting you purchase historic bricks. Look around for empty lots, dumpsters and tear downs for free ones. Also check Craigs and used building stores on a regular basis. I just did a search and did not come up with any, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be there tomorrow. Or the next day.

Brownstoner forum

Frankenstein Chairs

December 14, 2007 RH

Via Ready Made

Italian designer Gamper Martino says “There is no perfect chair.” So he set out to design a fusion chair. In fact, 100 of them. In 100 days. The results were on display this October at the Design Museum in London. 100 Chairs in 100 Days, the book, is now available for purchase.

All chairs were salvaged from friends or the streets of London. See all the fun things you can create from salvage, kids?

Kate Pierson’s Inn: Rocket Through the Wilderness

December 13, 2007 RH 6 Comments

First of all, who doesn’t love The B-52’s and their sense of style? Kate Pierson (the redhead) is the proprietor of the Lazy Meadow Motel located in Mt Tremper, NY. Let’s just say if a motel could be a rock star, Lazy Meadow would be Kate Pierson.

The 1950’s cabins are situated on 9 acres fronted by the Esopus Creek. Decor is mid century modern/retro/50’s kitsch. Each suite has a different theme. There are two vintage airstream trailers which look even cooler than the cabins. Kate had design help from her friends William Stewart Design and tile artists Phillip Maberry and Scott Walker, original owners of, yes, The Love Shack.

Here’s my “pet” peeve: An animal rights activist, Kate has set aside (only) one room that is pet friendly. For an additional $25 per night, you can bring little Stinky, who must be under 25 pounds. As the mommy of 2 large dogs, I call that sizest!

You’re what? Tin roof….rust!

Dream Home: Recycled 747 Wing House

December 12, 2007 RH

I set out to write a post on Syndesis design firm and their eco friendly Syndecrete concrete material. But I got sidetracked.

Architect David Hertz, of Syndesis is working on a house made from airplane parts. His client requested feminine shapes for the home situated on a 55 acre property in Malibu. The used aircraft was purchased for about $40k. The wing of the 747 will act as a self supporting roof. Walls will be made from rammed earth.

David is attempting to use as many components as possible, much like Native Americans use every part of the animals they take. This means that material left over from the main residence will be incorporated into the guest house, art studio and meditation pavilion. Oh that I had a guest house, art studio and meditation pavilion! Oh yeah, and they’re contemplating an animal barn and sauna structure.

747 Wing House on Facebook

Raised Panel Wainscoting

December 12, 2007 RH 1 Comment

I’ve always preferred raised panel wainscoting to bead board. It’s not as readily available and I haven’t been able to locate FSC certified, but still…I like the look.

At one time, you would have to be a skilled carpenter to install this stuff. Now several companies offer kits for the do it yourselfer. They range in quality. Some are veneer. Some aren’t even wood. The better quality ones come in a variety of wood species that are stainable or paintable.

Have a look:

New England Panel
RJ Millworks
Deco Moldings
Architectural Depot

Related “This Old House” article

Eco X: Recycled Concrete

December 12, 2007 RH 2 Comments

Via Get With The Green

Meld USA, a concrete manufacturer out of North Carolina launched a line of recycled concrete countertops a few month ago.

Eco X is comprised of 76% recycled content from post-consumer bottle glass and post-industrial fiberglass in a cement base. The raw material used in the process comes from suppliers located within 500 miles of their manufacturing facility. The products are sealed with low VOC sealer. Countertops are stain resistant but not stain proof.

12 colors are available as is custom matching. The company can also customize texture and design. The product will eventually take on a patina, much like concrete counters.

No dealers as of yet in the New York area. Price range: $87-120 per sq ft.

Meld

Attack of the Dome Homes

December 11, 2007 RH 2 Comments

An old article on Hudson Valley Magazine lead me to singer Peggy Atwood’s site about her monolithic dome in the Catskills. She decided to have it built after nearly losing a house to a tornado in Tennessee and another near miss Upstate due to a forest fire.

Granted, all dome homes are awesome, but when I came across the Solaleya website, I knew I had discovered my latest obsession. These homes, which have the added plus of totally looking like a spaceship, actually rotate with the sun. Need I say more? THE HOUSE ROTATES WITH THE SUN!

Solaleya homes are made with FSC wood and are insulated with cork. They are earthquake and hurricane resistant and can be equipped with solar panels. Unless I’m reading the brochure wrong, prices don’t seem to be insane. For $64k, you can get a 420 square foot “guest room”. $ 834k will buy you a 6307 square foot home with 25 foot ceilings. Of course, options and land not included.

Although I’d love to see one of these under my Hannukah menorah this season, I still can’t overlook the fact that, as green as this is, it is still new construction.

Monolithic
Earth Shelter
Dome Home

I’m Starting to Groove to Cork

December 11, 2007 RH 1 Comment

Back in November I did an article on cork flooring. I listed the pros and cons, but my own hesitation with cork is that it reminds me too much of the 70’s. I don’t know why I can’t get passed this since my sense of style terminated in the 80’s. But I’m trying.

I just came across cork mosaics at Habitus NYC. They look great, they are waterproof and best of all, you can stain them some funky ass colors! Since they’re waterproof, they can work perfectly in a bathroom or kitchen. I was also informed that they have antibacterial qualities.

The cork mosaics look like penny ceramics and need to be grouted same as any other tile. They’re made from recycled wine stoppers. Since they start at $12 per square foot, I’m thinking of drinking more wine (lots) so I can make my own mosaics.

Taxidermy Peta Would Approve Of

December 11, 2007 RH

Via CribCandy

Pig, Animalhead.com

Noble Stag, Viva Terra Continue reading Taxidermy Peta Would Approve Of

3 Form Eco Friendly Material Solutions

December 10, 2007 RH

Via Moco Loco

3 Form is the manufacturer of many products: beautiful countertops, backsplashes, room dividers, furniture, hardware and even jewelry. Furthermore, they use a variety of materials, such as resin, glass and gypsum, which makes it difficult to roll into one tidy blog post.

So let’s just focus on the company. 3 Form is on a path to achieve zero waste and low emissions. They’ve recently eliminated the use of all PVCs and their ecoresin products are Greenguard certified. Panels can be returned to the company at the end of their life cycle for recycling.

Design is decidedly modern. Collections include “Storm” (complex and moody hues), “Fresh” (refreshing and calm aquatic tones) and “Flirt” (optimistic and extroverted) to name a few. There’s even “Custom Imagery” or “You Create”

Samples can be ordered directly from the company.

Anatomy of a Brownstone:A&K Tile

December 5, 2007 RH

A&K Tile Studio in Park Slope has allocated 20% of their showroom to recycled tiles. Before sitting down in the lecture hall, I had a chance to speak with Gerrard Owens, the managing partner. He later presented with Jennifer Napoli.

I also saw some of the samples they had on hand. We’ve covered some of the recycled products here in the past, such as Brooklyn manufactured Ice Stone and Teragren Bamboo, but it was nice to see some other items in person that were new to us.

A&K carries lines from the following companies:

Sandhill Industries, 100% recycled glass tiles
Ekobe Coconut Tiles
Wicanders Cork Flooring

Eco Bath

November 30, 2007 RH 3 Comments

Upstate House has an article from designer Kaja Gam on a green bathroom renovation. The materials used, such as bamboo flooring, bamboo plywood trim, Kirei board paneling (made with sorghum), and “burl wood” panels made from wheat chaff were all sustainable. It looks great and the fixtures are more water efficient than the ones that were discarded.

But Kaja brings up a good point… something I was thinking about as I read the article. It’s a shame the old fixtures had to end up in the landfill. It’s always best to reuse anything you can, but what if you have an faux marble sink and an olive green toilet? Sure, you can donate them, but whom do you think is going to want them?

Enviromode recycles old porcelain fixtures, but they’re in Texas. I couldn’t find anywhere local that recycles toilets. Anyone have ideas? I kind of like this one.

Sculptured Steel Trees

November 30, 2007 RH 1 Comment

Via CribCandy

If any of my readers can afford this for their residence then we need to talk about you supporting me. Prices start at $25k and continue on past $1mil.

Very cool idea, though….no? Nature Maker’s life size Steel Art Trees are replicated right down to the smallest detail. They are not only beautiful, they serve a purpose as well. The trees can be designed to hide structural columns and other unsightly objects.

The company was founded in 1983 by the late Bennett Abrams, an ecological artist and sculptor, and visionary Gary Hanick. As you may have guessed, the residential market for these isn’t quite that strong, although it does exist. These art trees can be seen in casinos, museums and libraries as well as other commercial venues.

reclaimedhome.com

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