Living

No, this isn't the beginning of a Jack Kerouac bio-pic—this is the dopeness our eyes feasted our eyes on this week. At first glance, the Klippen Klappen desk looks like a small box on a metal base that wouldn't serve much purpose as a desk. But as you unfold its layers, what was once a glorified side table becomes a fully functional workspace. Inspired by the design of old-school sewing boxes, Gregor... More » A spiral staircase is a gorgeous feature of this Beirut home. And .PSLAB has made the gem even better, by adding a modern circular chandelier above it. More » Typewriters are intricate machines-complex little boxes that require an abundance of ingenuity to produce. They are often beautiful, and they occasionally find wildly imaginative ways to conduct the delicate dance between the hammers and the keys. More » There are a lot of variables that go into brewing the perfect cup of coffee. And unless you fancy yourself an aficionado, you probably don't sweat the details....

Aug 8, 2012 12:00 PM   A spiral staircase is a gorgeous feature of this Beirut home. And .PSLAB has made the gem even better, by adding a modern circular chandelier above it. The curving white fixture seems to move in tandem with the steps, lighting your ascent like a lantern from the sky. Though it was added after the steps were built, it actually looks like it was originally intended to be there. [Contemporist] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Typewriters are intricate machines—complex little boxes that require an abundance of ingenuity to produce. They are often beautiful, and they occasionally find wildly imaginative ways to conduct the delicate dance between the hammers and the keys. So much of the way we interact with machines today—QWERTY keyboard, hello!—directly links to the innovations pushed forth by typewriters in the late 19th century. In fact, it's hard chart the progression of technology without considering the typewriter. So here's a look at 10 of our favorite typewriter designs of all time. Manufactured beginning in 1873, the Scholes and Glidden Typewriter was the first mass-produced typewriter to find commercial success. If you ever want to know the names of the men responsible for forcing you to learn the QWERTY Keyboard, look no further than Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos S. Glidden. [IMAGE] The Crandall New Model, which first appeared in 1885, is great because it's like a typewriter skel...

Aug 8, 2012 3:20 PM   If you hate the thought of having a set of speakers mucking up the minimal aesthetics of your home—but still love to entertain—this simple glass-topped wooden table doubles as an AirPlay compatible speaker. It's just too bad the cost of keeping your electronics out of sight is a whopping $5,800. You're probably wondering where the Kaikuuu01 actually hides the speaker and electronics given its thin wooden legs and frame. But the secret is that it's not actually hiding any speakers. Instead, it uses a resonating device to produce sound using the glass table top. Unfortunately that means that having anything on the table will muffle the sound, which is a bit of an inconvenience—not being able to always use the table you've spent almost six grand on. But as long as you don't have your heart set on dining with Dido, this is certainly a clever way to incorporate a stereo into your decor. [Kaikuuu via The Fancy] View the original article here This p...

Jul 30, 2012 11:00 PM   For the bike freak comes the Rem lamp, which takes its inspiration from the handlebar and brake mechanism found on a countless number of the timeless two-wheeled vehicle. Squeeze the brake, and the light turns off. But don't worry, it's not all stop stop stop; squeeze again and the light comes right back. I suppose those without bikes might like this too, but good luck explaining why you own one of these and no 'cycle. [Khool] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jul 30, 2012 12:40 PM   Border crossings are usually designed to suck your soul while you wait in endless lines for a customs agent to approve or cancel your travel plans. But if your journeys have you crossing between Georgia and Armenia in the near future, you'll be treated to this amazing architectural wonder at the border. Designed by Luka Machablishvili, the two-story structure looks like a rolling cascade of gigantic concrete blocks that divide the individual lanes of traffic. But the checkpoint—located in Ninotsminda, Georgia—is actually completely static. Adding to the ultra-modern beauty of the building will be a series of stained glass windows located between each of the concrete dividers, and the use of dramatic lighting in the evening which is far more appealing than just a chainlink fence. [Arch Daily via Dezeen] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made aft...

Jul 30, 2012 11:40 PM   Digital maps of the world have gotten so comprehensive, complex, and accessible that it's easy to take marvels like Google Street View for granted. Leave it to these gorgeous, real-time ASCII renderings of Street View to remind you that holy crap it's incredible. Coded by Peter Nitsch ASCII Street View plays on the ages old text art trope. Head over to the project's web interface, type in an address, and it'll render a zoomable Street View image in colored text. It's incredible on its own, but it gets better. Rather than remain frozen, the image wobbles and waves into a warped impressionistic version of itself. Nope, that swirling map is not going to help you get from place to place—a great reminder that Google did a great job assembling all that data into something that will. [ASCII Street View via Twitter] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear w...

Jul 29, 2012 9:00 PM   Craftsmanship. Beauty. Customization. Brooklyn. DL Skateboards, purveyors of skate decks and owners of impressive arm tattoos, specializes in all four. And they do it all from the back of a box truck that they picked up in New Hampshire. Cool Hunting takes an extended look at Lauren Andino and Derek Mabra, the duo that make up DL, and their unconventional work space. It's a tribute to their craft, sure, but also to the ability—and willingness—to create anything, anywhere, any time. Something we could all use a little more of in our lives. [Cool Hunting] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jul 27, 2012 12:20 PM   If you walk into any thrift store from coast-to-coast and wander over to the electronics section, you're likely to find an old bedside radio castaway amongst the discarded tube televisions, and 100-disc CD changers. This German company's taking those vintage audio electronics and turning them into gorgeous speakers for your smartphone. These individually hacked-together speakers from Tombox are all about aesthetics. The company takes old speaker boxes and guts, and adds a simple volume dial to the side as well as a 1/8th-inch cable that plugs right into the headphone jack of your favorite gadget. Each unit is individually numbered and carries its own unique specs depending on features of the original enclosure. Do you want a wood, metal, or plastic? One speaker or two? The Tomboxes cost $250-$300 plus $20 shipping in Europe. You can expect to pay a little more if you want one sent to the United States. [Diefabrik via TechCrunch] View the original artic...

Jul 27, 2012 12:20 PM   If you walk into any thrift store from coast-to-coast and wander over to the electronics section, you're likely to find an old bedside radio castaway amongst the discarded tube televisions, and 100-disc CD changers. This German company's taking those vintage audio electronics and turning them into gorgeous speakers for your smartphone. These individually hacked-together speakers from Tombox are all about aesthetics. The company takes old speaker boxes and guts, and adds a simple volume dial to the side as well as a 1/8th-inch cable that plugs right into the headphone jack of your favorite gadget. Each unit is individually numbered and carries its own unique specs depending on features of the original enclosure. Do you want a wood, metal, or plastic? One speaker or two? The Tomboxes cost $250-$300 plus $20 shipping in Europe. You can expect to pay a little more if you want one sent to the United States. [Diefabrik via TechCrunch] View the original artic...

Relax at the end of your long work week and take a moment to check out these lovely things. From a versatile fan-like wall shelf, to a yacht meant for a super villain, these are the most beautiful items of the week. If you walk into any thrift store from coast-to-coast and wander over to the electronics section, you're likely to find an old bedside radio castaway amongst the discarded tube televisions, and 100-disc CD changers. This German company's taking those vintage audio electronics and turning them into gorgeous speakers for your smartphone. More Those who study sleep believe that our encounters with light affect the way our body works. For example, too much exposure to artificial light can affect the release of melatonin, which helps us through our nightly sleep cycles. More The amount of readily available information on Architect/Designer/Artist Robert Whitton's chair design is sparse. But that's fine because the one thing we do know about the 1989 design also...

Jul 24, 2012 6:40 PM   In terms of novel features or overall concept, there's nothing out of the norm about Art of Kintetik's 37-foot-long Antagonist boat. But the dark-hued woods and intimidating lines carry an aura of evil that makes you want to go out and do wrong after looking at the thing. [Art of Kinetik via Fubiz] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jul 23, 2012 6:00 PM   The iPhone's native weather app does its job well enough. But why use that to see the forecast when something so beautiful as Solar exists? Just released today, Solar gives you the weather in a wonderfully designed, intuitive app. It's gorgeous, with background color schemes that were designed to resemble a Rothko as well as reflecting the current state of weather in the city you're checking on. But it also just makes sense. Launching the app brings up weather for the city you're currently located in. Drag your finger up the screen and it cycles through the conditions for the next 24 hours. Swipe downward and it shows the three-day forecast. Then pinch to zoom out and see the other cities you've added to your list, represented by colorful, Windows Phone-esque tiles. Lacking ads and overly-technical data, Solar is radiant, chromatic, and delightfully stripped down to give you those vital details before you step outside. The Best: Gorgeous int...