А Room in a Box

From: http://uberhumor.com/

The Touchscape Multi-Touch Coffee Table Makes Coffee Fun

By Nayla Khan

Advertisement

We all know that a lot can happen over coffee. But now it is time to change the phrase a little. A lot can now happen over the coffee table. In fact the table can give discussions a guide and get actively involved in conversations. No, the table is not going to do the talking but it can help you in a number of ways. Thanks to the brand new concept of the Multi-Touch Coffee Table from Touchscape.

The concept of the touch screen is pretty well-known now. This very technology has been incorporated into the coffee table. The Multi-Touch Coffee Table has a 47 inch high definition LCD screen incorporated onto its surface. You might have seen something like these being used in movies but it won’t be long before you could run your fingers on one such screen in your very own living room.



This patented MT technology bearing coffee table screen boasts of having an HD 1920 X 1080p resolution. It is capable of tracking as many touches as can be fit on the screen. It has been powered by a Quad Core Processor and the surface configuration can be a Windows 7 touch input device similar to the Microsoft Surface. It can also serve TUIO touch events to be used with SUSHI or multitouch SDK. The unique experience of this table enables you to enjoy applications with your fingertips. Moving around on screen or browsing through photographs was never so easy before.

The processor is ably supported by a 4 GB memory while there is scope for storing a whopping 180 GB. That would take many coffee mugs to discuss all that data. It efficiently supports Bluetooth, Wi Fi, USB and Ethernet. Keeping with the times it is well ready to take on the 3G era in communication.

The ambient light sensor is able to adjust display based on the background lighting conditions. The self monitoring system keeps a watch on the performance by regularly checking for updates which keeps the system moving.



Since it is a coffee table it should be capable enough to support coffee mugs and this it can do with all expertise. The LCD display has features like being scratch resistant, wipe-clean top, and in the worst case replaceable.

Once you have invited guests over for coffee on the Multi-Touch table you are sure to have them visiting again. And you are going to be a beaming host to all.

If you think this is great, you are yet to go through articles on iPhone 4 Table Design and Dining Pool Table.
Via: Born Rich

Why shoppers find it so hard to escape from Ikea: Flatpack furniture stores are 'designed just like a maze'

By James Tozer
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

If you've ever found yourself hopelessly lost in an Ikea store, you were probably not alone.

The home furnishing chain’s mazy layouts are a psychological weapon to part shoppers from their cash, an expert in store design claims.


The theory is that while following a zig-zag trail between displays of minimalist Swedish furniture, a disorientated Ikea customer feels ­compelled to pick up a few extra impulse purchases.

A-mazing: A route a customer took through a store. Professor Alan Penn said they are designed to stop customers leaving

According to Alan Penn, director of the Virtual Reality Centre for the Built Environment at University College London, Ikea's strategy is similar to that of out-of-town retail parks - keep customers inside for as long as they can.

'In Ikea's case, you have to follow a set path past what is effectively their catalogue in physical form, with furniture placed in different settings which is meant to show you how adaptable it is,' he said.

'By the time you get to the warehouse where you can actually buy the stool or whatever's caught your eye, you're so impressed by how cheap it is that you end up getting it.'

While its stores have short-cuts to meet fire regulations, shoppers find the exits hard to spot as they are navigating their way through displays of flat-pack furniture, he added.
'Also you're directed through their marketplace area where a staggering amount of purchases are impulse buys, things like lightbulbs or a cheap casserole that you weren't planning on getting.

'Here the trick is that because the lay-out is so confusing you know you won't be able to go back and get it later, so you pop it in your trolley as you go past.

Mesmerising: Ikea's store in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.The flatpack store is designed to make it difficult for us to escape

'It's not like somewhere like John Lewis where everything has a logical lay-out and you know you'll probably be able to navigate your way back to the same spot again.'

Alongside its reputation for good, cheap design, Ikea's distinctive labyrinth has been phenomenally successful with 283 stores in 26 countries and profits of £2.3 billion last year.

The sometimes gruelling strategy - dubbed 'more like S&M than M&S' by Prof Penn - is similar to that employed by out-of-town shopping centres to attract customers then keep them in side for hours on end, he added.

Studies at the Bluewater centre in Kent found that shoppers spent an average of just over three hours inside, with a significant number spending eight hours at a time there.
Malls are subtly designed to keep shoppers moving around the retail floor, rather than towards the exit, while the frequent need to drive to the middle of nowhere means visitors are encouraged to make a day of it.

Along with familiar cafes and play areas, a common design is the 'dog bone' mall, where a large store at either end - such as Marks & Spencer or Debenhams - is attracted at knock-down rent, while smaller stores like Next or Mothercare cluster in-between to take advantage of the custom they generate.

Supermarkets use similar tactics, according to Prof Penn.

'They couldn't get away with having shoppers going in one single route like Ikea, so what they do is put popular purchases like milk and bread at the far end of the store so you have to walk past shelves of other products on the way.'

Big success: The Ikea store in Wembley, north London. Last year the Swedish giants made a profit of £2.3bn

He has a 'nightmarish' vision of a clothing store like Primark directing shoppers on a single route through the store, passing displays of different styles of outfits en route, but questions whether the Ikea template would work on the high street.

'It would be interesting to have customers go past lots of mannequins showing different lifestyles the clothes were meant to inspire before they actually got to try them on, but so far no-one's tried it.'

However Prof Penn said the trend was towards more subtle techniques, with new city centre malls having better links to surrounding shops while supermarkets devised more sophisticated tactics for targeting their preferred customers.

Ikea denied that its store layouts were designed intentionally to bewilder customers.
'Our furniture showrooms are designed to give our customers lots of ideas for every area of the home including your kitchen, bedroom and living room,' said Carole Reddish, Ikea's deputy managing director for the UK and Ireland. 

'While some of our customers come to us for a day out to get inspiration for every room, we appreciate that others may have looked at the Ikea catalogue or online offer, have a specific shopping list in mind and would like to get in and out quickly.
'So to make it easier for those customers, we have created shortcuts.'

Magic Chair

Seven Pieces of Furniture Made of Old Bicycles

By Simone Preuss

From http://1800recycling.com/

Bicycle recycling doesn’t mean greasy work in your garage. Custom-made creations that’ll brighten up any home, bar, school or office are available.

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

Recycling old bicycles usually means fixing together old parts to form “new” bicycles that look even older than the originals. However, a few creative bicycle artists prove that the bicycle lends itself to being repurposed into sleek and stylish furniture that can or can’t be in your face about its humble beginnings. In either case, bicycle parts have never been so in vogue!
7) Book shelves

Image: System Design Studio, used with permission

This wall-mounted shelf is ideal for people who want their furniture to grow with their needs. Just have one book in your shelf? Then it will be slim, looking like a line on the wall. Got some more books, CDs or more bulky items? No problem; your shelf will be able to accommodate those, too, and start looking like a more traditional shelf.

Image: System Design Studio, used with permission

We’re talking about ElasticShelf, made by System Design Studio in Barcelona, Spain. This shelf unit can be used in the home or the office and is made out of recycled bicycle tires that are suspended between two used furniture legs — a simple idea that’ll keep you pumped for some time.

Image: System Design Studio, used with permission

6) Tables

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

This side table, called “Vector,” lets you forget that you’re looking at old bicycle parts, so sleek is its design. It was created by bike furniture designer Andy Gregg, who is currently the only designer in the world to work exclusively in recycled bicycle parts, and is made from professional-level bicycle rim sections. It comes with either a clear or smoked glass top, but we’d go clear so that visitors can admire the construction from all angles!

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

The “Modulus” side table, above, does not hide its origins, instead cleverly integrating bicycle spokes into its design. It is made from bent and welded chrome-plated bicycle rims, and the top comes in either glass or acrylic.
5) Coat racks

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

A coat rack is not what comes to mind when thinking about recycling old bicycle parts for furniture. Luckily, Gregg thinks outside the box. His coat rack uses bicycle frame tubes and wheel rim sections. It certainly looks sturdier than many coat hangers we have seen!
4) Barstools

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

It is as barstools that the shiny, metallic spokes of bicycles seem to be utilized best. They’ll lend a cool yet nostalgic feel to even the most sterile of bars. The two S-2 swivel barstools, above, come with pro pads and have a 13″ top and tire trim — perfect with the S-2 bar table! Here’s the S-6 barstool model with a back rest by the beach. Lovely!

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

3) Loveseats

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

Speaking of love: what couple could say no to this cozy loveseat, perfect for romantic evenings, maybe reminiscing about bicycle tours once taken together? Oh, and the Modulus Loveseat is also available with custom-made cushions in a variety of fabrics and materials.
2) Benches

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

From loveseat to bench is just a small step and a few necessary modifications. We just love the model in blue, above! Or how about the custom-made one below? It was commissioned by the North Star Academy High School in Marquette, MI, where it has invited students to rest since 2005.

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

Below is another bench, on location in a shop. It was originally designed to be just the right height for putting your shoes on and taking them off after a ride.

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

1) Chairs

Image: Christmas w/a K

Given the size of bicycles, and their tires especially, they really lend themselves to being converted into chairs. We were able to find not just one but three talented designers making bicycle tire chairs.
Lawn chairs

The amazing lawn chairs, above, are made entirely out of old bicycle tires. Notice how the pattern of the tires seems to imitate that of wicker furniture. Very cool!
These particular chairs can be found at the gardens of Sampson & Beasley in Portland, OR. But there’s a story behind them that will take us to Indonesia — Bali, to be precise. There, local groups have taken up the issue of the millions of discarded tires that are often simply left lying around (or worse, are burned) because of a lack of infrastructure to get them to landfills — or better, to be recycled. You can imagine what kind of acrid, black smoke tires produce when burned…
Luckily, those initiatives employ locals and train them in making chairs out of recycled moped and bicycle tires. The finished chairs are then shipped all over the world, but with every purchase, money goes back to the families and thus the communities of those who made them.

Needless to say, the chairs are great for the outdoors — in the garden, on the deck or patio or next to the pool — because they are sturdy, long-lasting and heavier than plastic, which will come in handy when the next storm rolls around. If you are interested, you can order them here.

Lounge chairs

Image: Leo Kempf, used with permission

Being off your rocker — in this chair — might not be so bad. Though made out of recycled car tires and thus not really fitting on our list strictly speaking, it should theoretically be possible to create it out of old bicycle tires as well, given that the car tires are cut into smaller strips in any case.

Image: Leo Kempf, used with permission

“Tired Lounge” is the brainchild of designer Leo Kempf and originates from his experiment with rubber as a material for furniture. The result? A comfortable lounge chair that sits anyone from a baby to a tall adult; the designer is 6’2″ and sits in the chair comfortably. According to a description on his website, the “soft rubber was cleaned, coated, cut into strips, stretched and woven.” The simple curve shape is intended to give the chair an appearance of floating. Says Mr. Kempf: “The chair was a fun, experimental project that turned out quite nicely. Its bold shape with the tire texture make the chair really stand out.”
Bike rack chair

Image: Payton Chung

If you’re thinking, “Hey, where’s the bike?” in this photo, you have to think just a bit beyond the bicycle. The chair is made of old Chicago bike racks and is another ingenious creation by Gregg. There are many other great bicycle chair models in Gregg’s shop. We especially like “Milano,” shown top, because of its funky colors and the fact that it comes with a horn. You never know when that may come in handy… Meanwhile below is the “Vector” lounge chair.

Image: Andy Gregg, used with permission

If you’re working in a bicycle shop or have had enough of simply repairing old bikes, it’s time to either get creative or donate some raw materials. There will surely be bike lovers who don’t want to only sit on their bikes but also decorate their houses with them, especially after going through our list. There’s more out there, and we’re sure, more creative bike furniture and accessories to come in the future.
Special thanks to Andy Gregg of Bike Furniture Design, Remi Melander and Helbert S. Ferreira of System Design Studio and Leo Kempf of Leo Kempf Design for kindly granting photo permissions.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Behold! The Nintendo Entertainment System Coffee Table

From: http://kotaku.com/

A man named Matt has built a coffee table. It is designed to look like the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is awesome.

Here is how it compares size-wise to an actual NES. The coffee table is bigger!

This is more than an enormous Nintendo Entertainment System. It is an enormous NES with a fully functionally, jumbo NES controller.

"Opening the lid reveals the storage for the controller, or even can store remote controls and game controllers in there for easy access/storage," Matt tells Kotaku. "The controller ports are actually two power outlets so I can plug in my laptop to charge."

It is also possible to open up the back of the NES coffee table for more available storage space. Check out a video of the coffee table in action here.

Flickr: mattcyborgelt's Photostream [Flickr Thanks, Matt!]

Red Nest By Paul Coudamay Hides The Bed With A Sliding Bookcase

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

from: http://www.treehugger.com/

Photos by Benjamin Boccas via Paul Coudamay

TreeHugger has shown many ways to hide the bed; most are designed to gain more space. But the Red Nest by Paul Coudamay doesn't; the bed is still there taking up space, but is hidden by the sliding bookcase. Why do it?

The designer is quoted in Mocoloco:

"The bookshelf is a mobile block that controls the opening of the bed. Its U-shape covers the bed and shapes the room by closing the dressing area, the bed or the working space. The mobile system provides a closed sheltered bed as required by the client without completely shutting the space."

Sliding the bookshelf to enclose the bed on three sides will add to acoustic and visual privacy, almost acting like a canopy bed. Opening it up will facilitate making the bed. In noisy urban cores of cities, it is an interesting solution to a big problem; Books are a great sound absorber.

More in Mocoloco and at Paul Coudamy

More on Hiding the Bed:
Hey, You've Got to Hide Your Bed Away
10 More Ways To Get Rid Of The Bed (Slideshow)
7 Ways To Get Rid Of The Bed

IKEA Subway Display in Paris : An Insane Idea or A Genius Promotion Campaign?

From: http://freshome.com/

From 10 to 24 March 2010, IKEA develops an interesting event in four important metro stations in Paris. Furniture collections are currently displayed in high-traffic spots, giving the potential customers a chance to interact with the brand by checking out the products. The subway walls are also filled with prints that showcase IKEA interiors. What a creative way to do advertising! Moreover, this action completely changes the way the Paris subway station look and creates a cool atmosphere. Imagine waiting for the train n a comfortable sofa! We are certain this is the sort of event that French people will talk of for years to come. What do you think of this idea?

Author: Lavinia

10 Amazing Chairs on the Cutting Edge of Seating Design

By Jared Newman

Most of us look for the the basics in a chair, things like ergonomic design, cushy padding and durable arm rests. But some intrepid designers look beyond to more eccentric ideas. Sure, not every designer chair makes for the most comfortable seating, but they’re all a bit more interesting than the average L-shape on legs. Here are 10 of our favorites:

The C.H.A.I.R. Concept, Eric Ku

More than an exercise in spelling, the C.H.A.I.R. assembles into a simple seat with backing. When it’s not in use, the pieces could either stack up for stowing or form an art piece on man’s desire for rest.

Firewood Holders, Ak47 Design

Wood-burning fireplaces, however cozy, don’t lend themselves to the trappings of modern design. There’s simply no place to stash all that firewood, unless it’s integrated into the furniture. Ak47’s Firewood Holders use strips of hardened steel to form a contoured seat and ottoman. They are, of course, perfect for lounging by the fire.

BADA Table, EcoSystems

The BADA table is sort of like those drop-leaf tables that expand for more eating room, but instead of swinging out, a piece of the table flips and lowers to reveal a bench. There’s no fumbling with locks either, because this table uses a credit card to engage and disengage the locking mechanism. All restaurants should have this, so you can lay down after signing the bill on a big meal.

The Cabbage Chair, Nendo

The bean bag chair has nothing on this creation by Japanese designer Nendo. Assembled as part of an art showing called “Ghost Stories,” the Cabbage Chair is at once inviting with its layered layers of pleated waste paper and threatening with a seating depression that appears to sink into the netherworld. We’d take our chances and give it a shot.

The SKiN Seating Collection, Jean Nouvel

The award-winning SKiN, despite its uncomplimentary name, looks like it’d be comfortable, as if the airy chairbacks would flex to the body’s contours. Framed by tubular pre-tensioned aluminum, the chairs are stuffed with foam rubber and covered with hide leather and felt finishings. Perhaps the slotted seats are the answer to sticky leather sofas.

The Rehhab Fully Loaded Chair, Alexander Reh

Shotgun shells don’t often lend themselves to comfort, but Alexander Reh has found a way with the Fully Loaded Chair. With the exception of the frame, the chair is filled in entirely with spent and perforated 12-gauge shotgun shells. It’s probably great to sit in, but we imagine that getting the materials together to build each chair is a blast.

The Shadow Chair, Chris Duffy

Skillfully filling the optical illusion seating niche, Chris Duffy has created the Shadow Chair. If you haven’t figured it out without reading the description (it’s okay, we didn’t), the shadow is simply part of the chair’s metal frame, painted black to fool the eyes. Still, it’s probably not a good idea to sit on this chair too heartily, or the whole illusion will come crashing down.

Via Lattea Glowing Chair, Mario Bellini

An inflatable, glow-in-the-dark couch seems perfect for outdoor parties, but Mario Bellini’s Via Lattea looks stylish enough for any occasion where more seating is needed. Best of all, it’s made entirely of recycled materials, as if visitors weren’t already impressed.

Loopita, Victor Aleman

Picture a relaxing day at home, reading alongside your spouse or significant other. A couch won’t do for the occasional break for conversation, but Victor Aleman’s Loopita floor level chaise fills that role just fine. It’s constructed of a single piece of red oak, covered in comforting high-density foam. It even looks a bit like a ring, she’ll hint. Be prepared.

Flat Chair, Sara Paculdo

The trick to this chair is that it ships flat, as one solid piece. But Ikea this is not; it’s up to the end user to bend the plastic material into shape and bolt it together with included screws. That’s easy for Paculdo, who has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in industrial design, but the rest of us will struggle, making the eventual sitting part all the more rewarding.

Thanks for reading DesignCravers, Diggers, Stumblers and more. What is your favorite chair from the list above? Is there a chair you’ve seen recently that you would have added to this list? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to read your opinion!