7 Island Wonders of the World: Most Amazing, Mysterious, Remote and More

Written by Urbanist

(Check out our complete collection of Underwater and Oceanic Oddities.)

Did you know that one in every ten people in the world lives on an island? There is even a word for a “craze or a strong attraction to islands” - islomania! From places of paradise to the last refuge of pirates each of these islands has set at least one world record and some have stories that are truly stranger than fiction. From the greatest and grandest to the most remote, mysterious, deadly and least populated, here are seven amazing islands from around the world.

The Pitcairn islands are best known for being the home of the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. Due to infighting, famine and disease, many of the initial compliment of the island perished. Today, Pitcairn boasts only 50 inhabitants (from nine families) and is also notable for being the least populated jurisdiction in the world. The wreck of the HMS Bounty is still visible underwater off the shores of the main inhabited island, and the Tahitian/European descendants speak a unique language: a mix of Tahitian and English known as Pitkern.

Palmyra is the quintessential combination of classic island stereotypes. It is simultaneously a kind of desert island paradise as well as a mysterious source of superstition. Its long strange history includes buried pirate treasure, tragic deaths, shipwrecks, military use and abandonment and a recent grizzly double-murder of a vacationing couple. Some believe the island to be cursed, but even rationalists are astonished at the number of bizarre happenings that have plagued the island since its discovery in the 1700s. It remains currently the only unorganized incorporated U.S. territory.

Bouvet is the remotest uninhabited island in the world. Is roughly 75 square miles of surface is mostly covered by glaciers and and very little survives on the island aside from moss, seals, seabirds and penguins. However, the island has been at the center of some peculiar mysteries. An early discoverer of the island documented second island nearby that was never seen again. In the 1960s an abandoned lifeboat was found on the island, though nothing was ever seen of its passenger. In the above satellite images, it can only be picked out by spotting disturbances in the weather patterns.

Tristan da Cunha is the remotest group of inhabited islands in the world, thouand of miles from South America and South Africa deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Among other strange native species, the Inaccessible Island is home to the smallest living flightless bird. Only 272 people live on the islands. The islands have seen there share of troubles, having been blamed for dozens of shipwrecks over the centuries. More recently, the populace had to be temporarily evacuated in the 1960s during a volcanic eruption that destroyed multiple buildings on the island.

Bishop Rock holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of smallest island in the world. An amazing lighthouse, built in 1858, is the only thing stands on this tiny island off the coast of Britain. The first lighthouse erected on the island was washed away before it could be completed. The current lighthouse has managed to survive currents and winds for well over a century. In historical times, convicted criminals were left with bread and water on the island to die.

Nauru is the smallest independent island country in the world. This Pacific island is only 8 square miles, and is the third smallest country in the world next to Monaco and Vatican City. Once its natural reserves of phosphate were depleted, this once-rich island nation first became a haven for money laundering and then had to seek aid from Australia. The island has since become a way station for asylum seekers looking to enter the land Down Under.

Dubai is home to an increasingly infamous set of awe-inspiring man-made islands, by far the largest in the world. One would almost have to be living on an island oneself to have not seen or heard of this project. These islands, in the shape of everything from a palm to the world itself, constitute the most massive land-moving operation of all time. Dubai has recognized that oil, its original source of wealth, will only last for so long. With islands like these and a thriving tourist industry around them there is no doubt that Dubai will outlast its oil supplies.

16 Mesmerizing Mirrors with Radical Reflections

Written by Mike

Whether polished obsidian, bronze or metal-backed-glass, we have been gazing at our reflection for thousands of years. Still, mirrors are somewhat behind the times when it comes to creative and off-the-wall modern furniture designs. But while mirror mirror on the wall still holds true in most cases (we have yet to think of a better place for it), designers have never been more playful at exploring new design concepts in mirror-making. Here are 16 unique examples of new mirror designs that one would expect to find lurking with Alice in Through the Looking Glass. Want more funky designs? Click here for 90 amazing houses to hang these in or here for more geeky art to gawk at.

Images: Daniel Rozin.

Whatever a mirror is made from, it has to be reflective, surely? Not if you think laterally. Daniel Rozin’s creations get around non-reflectivity by interpreting the image from an outward-facing camera and converting it into subtle changes in an array of small side-lit objects - in effect, pixels. The result is mirroring made from wooden blocks, wooden pegs, ball-bearings and even lumps of trash. See the wooden mirror at work here (Quicktime required).

Images: Will Gurley.

Converting the humble wall-mirror into something rarely seen outside a funfair, the Flect Magic Mirror warps and contorts when you run the magnetic “magic wand” over it. When you have finished twisting your reflection hither and thither, remove the wand and the mirror springs back into shape. All the fun of “breaking” a mirror without the seven years of bad luck.

Images: Philippe Starck and Juanco.

What else can a mirror be? Here are two designs that reflect on this problem. Philippe Starck evidently believes that it can be a set of shelving that subtly encourages you to tidy up after yourself. Juanco’s mirror has a built-in tape measure, neatly stepping around the need for another person in the room when you want to check exactly how tall you are in your new shoes.

Image: Get Organized!

Seeing yourself head-on is all very well, but hair-styles wrap around. A sensible alternative to awkwardly working a hand mirror behind your head is this 360 Degree Mirror - except it’s only 180 degrees, and surely they’ve got their reflections mixed up there? However, no denying it is a great concept.

Images: Claire Requa Design and Iggloo.

One theme, two perspectives. On the left we have the Chandelier Mirror, adding a touch of Phantom of the Opera to your decor. And on the right, its mirror-image, the Mirror Chandelier - a pendant lamp that wouldn’t fail to stun if it was surrounded by candles or positioned to catch firelight.

Images: Afroditi Krassa and Domestic.

Convention dictates that a mirror is a single unbroken surface. Evidently these designers don’t hold much truck with convention. Afroditi Krassa works with mirrored sculptures, working mirrors into images of her design to hold images of yours. Alternately, this mirror from Inside IDSland appears to be cascading gently off the wall like a giant, feather-like Slinky.

Images: Bytrico and Artecnica.

For traditional single-surface wall mirrors, there are two directions to go. The Wipe Mirror goes down the quirky route, simulating what you’re forced to do when the mirror’s too fogged up to be useful. The stunningly clean-lined Dog Head mirror from TranSglass® seeks otherworldly sophistication, looking less manufactured than CGI-rendered.

Images: Soner Ozenc and Oregon Scientific.

Mirrors for the geekily-minded. A tribute to the maddeningly addictive puzzle game by Alexey Pajitnov, the Tetris Mirror will have you whistling that theme tune as you brush your hair - and Oregon Scientific’s grandly-titled Mirror Weather Station will be able to tell you the likelihood of whether you will need a coat to two decimal places.

Images: Physorg and Lumisource.

So what is next for mirrors? Most likely, they turn into windows. Thanks to nifty technology developed in Japan, what appears to be simple plate glass can become a mirrored surface at the flick of a switch, via the introduction of either oxygen or hydrogen into a layer between glass sheets. As well as a breakthrough in the techniques of keeping sunlit buildings cool, it’s a whole new world of mirrors. Although we cannot be sure, we are presuming the Allure mirror is one such example - from a few feet away it appears to be an array of glowing lights, but get within sensor-range (around 18 inches) and suddenly there you are, staring right back…

18 Crazy Ways to Hang your Hat or Coat

Written by Mike on November 3rd, 2008 - Topics: Architecture,

Wherever you hang your hat (or coat), that’s your home. No modern dream home is complete without a dazzling, eye-catching coat rack - and there is plenty of options to choose from. Here are 18 coat racks that are unafraid to hang up traditional designs and do something a little more creative and unexpected.

Images: tc studio and elsewheres.

It is not hard to see how the designers came up with the idea for these metal wall-mounted coat rack hooks. If you want your hallway to look like the aftermath of a Godfather-style disagreement, these Knife Hooks (which are screwed into the wall rather than stuck in) will be ideal. And for a slightly less intimidating take on the same theme, you could try these wall-mounted Dart Hooks, held firmly in place by their screw-head tips.

Images: Die Electric and Bouf.

Here is a hook with a message - namely, “Turn The Lights Off When You’re Done”. Keen to wean the modern world off its electricity supply, designer Scott Amron has created a range of fun way to encourage people to reach for the Off switch, including this fully-working Light Switch Hook. Similarly multi-purpose, the Shed Hook is designed to hold your keys, bags, mail and gloves as well as your coat.

Image: Desu Design.

When not in use, the Symbol Coat Rack lines your wall like a colorful LED-dotted appliance, encouraging you to concoct some appalling fable about having computerised your whole house when visitors call by. If they want to hang their coat, your lie is found out: each of the colored strips cunningly slides out into a hook. Also available in monochrome aluminium, if metal is your thing.

Images: Cooper Hewitt Museum and Design3000.

Maybe you feel coat racks are too regimented and get in the way of your creative urges. In which case, why not try building one? The Ivy and Häkeln racks come in modular form, and it is up to you to decide how and where they spread out over your hallway. Wind them around your existing furniture, paint pictures, spell out rude words - it is completely up to you.

Image: Stolenwood.

Half Wild West and half Indian Rope Trick, the Catching The Wild coat rack is a startling sight. It’s constructed from steel and polyester rope formed into a remarkably convincing lasso. If you feel like all your coats are starting to get away from you, this is just the thing.

Image: Etsy.

But however startling a floating rope is, it is nothing compared to this. The gruesomely-named Dismembered Baby Doll Coat Rack doesn’t seem content to wait for your coat - it is reaching out to snatch it from your grasp. This is not a piece of furniture to accidentally put your hands on when the lights are off, unless you are of a highly serene disposition.

Images: Artful Home and BanalExtra and TFTS.

It seems there’s a coat rack for every profession. For the gardener, the Late Autumn rack provides a reassuringly familiar sight (with no danger of accidentally stepping on the wrong end). Writers are bound to take note of this Oversized Pencils rack. And for those with a penchent for driving cars or spreading their inner workings out over the garage floor, the Gear Stick Coat Rack should elicit a grin of approval.

Image: Vitamin D(esign).

At first glance, it looks like someone has taken an axe to this coat rack - but look closer. Beautifully carved from maple, the Coat Range is in fact a line of mountain peaks, the natural grain of the wood adding a subtle sense of perspective. Crafted from excess cut sheets of week, these Grand Teton inspired pieces of furniture provide a scenic view to hang your hat on.

Images: VivaTerra and Design Within Reach.

The best designers know the value of imitating nature. With the Entwined Root Coat Stand, the intention is not to stray too far from the original material, leaving it up to the coat-owner to work out where the hooks are. The Twist coatrack is a much more regular and predictable double-helix arrangement, yet still highly evocative of intertwined branches (the prongs themselves are of beech, while the binding is steel and plastic).

Image: Unless.

Yet half the fun is finding wholly new designs - and it’s unlikely Nature will be coming up with something like the HangUp rack anytime soon. Fashioned from sustainably grown hoop pine plywood, this rack comes complete with recesses for hats, gloves or shoes - and a hint of traditional Japanese architecture.

Images: Garsnas and Notch Design.

And finally, two racks that are unashamedly modern. Notch Design’s Toda has a series of sinuous fold-out pegs complete with a central hole to thread your scarf through. And the gloriously minimalist Buss 4562 is a tiny-footprint (or the wall equivalent) coat rack in stained or lacquered birch studded with stainless steel hooks and knobs. You may want to label it for the benefit of guests!