Formerly known as Harman Hall, the Cherry Creek North gem was built at the turn of the 20th century and is an integral part of Denver history. Often referred to as the city’s most iconic residence, the building served as a town hall before being converted into a stylish residence. However, like many buildings of its age, this Colorado landmark also has its secrets, including a former speakeasy (a remnant of the days of Prohibition, when passwords and hidden rooms were the norm). Today, the expansive home is a renovated dream space on the market for approximately $15 million, making it by far the priciest listing in the area.

Purchased by Pat Hamill, CEO of Oakwood Homes, the historic residence certainly needed a little TLC. Hamill was just the man to return the home to its former glory. After an epic 2010 expansion and renovation, the former Harman Hall is now a contemporary residence that retains nods to its iconic past, complete with authentic turn-of-the-century touches like reclaimed wood and blast-from-the-past patterns.

For his part, Hamill felt that the “iconic home” was special, and certainly worth all the trouble. In addition to expanding the residence’s square footage by approximately 7,000 square feet and gutting the interior, he also paid homage to the house’s past by restoring its original red brick facade. In a nod to the former speakeasy, Hamill also transformed the lowest level into a private event space fit for Prohibition-era partying, though it now hosts charity events and gathering rather than secret social meetings.

The former speakeasy also has another more modern function. Connecting to an underground showroom with space for up to 10 cars, the space serves as a showcase for grandeur and luxury, complete with a hydraulic lift and connecting three-car garage.

Though replete with modern touches like heated wood floors, floor-to-ceiling doors, and elevators, the former Harman Hall remains an iconic cornerstone of Denver architecture. Now a sprawling luxury residence, the historic home retains much of its turn-of-the-century charm with nods to the past that can be seen everywhere from its restored brick facade to its speakeasy-turned-entertainment space. And while you may not need a secret handshake or code word to enter this majestic manor, you do need a cool $15 million to make it your own. But perhaps that’s price worth paying for this unique piece of Denver history.

The post This $15 Million Denver Home is Packed with Historic Secrets, Including an Underground Speakeasy first appeared on Dornob.

Researchers at Italy’s University of Naples Federico II developed a bartending robot called BRILLO that does more than just sling precisely measured drinks. Computer scientists at the university used machine-learning algorithms to teach the robot how to hold complex conversations. BRILLO, which stands for “Bartending Robot for Interactive Long-Lasting Operations,” can make small talk or respond to customers who just want to vent. It can even sense the tone of the conversation to gauge whether it’s appropriate to be cheerful, playful, or serious.

The team at the university’s Projects of Intelligent Robotics and Advanced Cognitive Systems (PRISCA) lab began working on the robot bartender back in 2020. They collaborated with Totaro Automazioni, an Italian manufacturer of food assembly line machines, to get the physical part down. After all, making good drinks is still a bartender’s primary job. For now, at least, performing as expected requires the robot to look less than convincing. It’s weirdly tall, with enormous, multi-jointed low-slung arms that rotate in various directions to grab ingredients from various locations behind the bar.

A brief video posted on Twitter shows how the BRILLO looks while moving these very robotic arms. A mannequin-like head with an immovable face glows faintly, and the body is dressed in a vest and bowtie. The effect is far from realistic, but for now, that’s not the point. Professor Silvia Rossi, one of the project’s lead researchers, told CNBC that her team just wanted to take the concept of a cocktail vending machine a step further and test whether a robot could mimic the social aspects of a bartender’s job.

Their goal is for BRILLO to be able to recognize customers, remember their favorite drinks, and ask them questions based on conversations they’ve had in the past. The researchers taught BRILLO to study customers’ faces and speech patterns to gauge what kind of mood they’re in. That will help it choose how to start the conversation.

For the foreseeable future, BRILLO is just a learning tool. Its creators don’t plan to market and sell it. Rossi notes there are a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out, not the least of which is protecting the privacy of human customers whose personal data is already being gathered from every conceivable source. Spilling your troubles to a robot bartender sounds like an action that could have consequences, even if you aren’t exactly confessing to murder.

Rossi and her team believe that robots like BRILLO will never fully replace human workers, no matter how advanced they get. Even if conversations with artificial intelligence eventually feel as natural as can be, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to fulfill all of our social needs. Robots like BRILLO could step in to alleviate labor shortages or take on the kind of grunt work most humans don’t want to do, but the extent to which that will affect our own livelihoods and quality of life remains to be seen.

The post BRILLO the Bartending Robot Can Fulfill Your Social Needs While Slinging Cocktails first appeared on Dornob.

The Arctic Bath is a holistic spa focused on healthy eating, exercise, relaxation, and time in nature. Every element of the spa and surrounding area is designed with these things in mind. Relying solely on products from the all-natural Kerstin Florian product line, treatments here range from facials and body scrubs to massages and pedicures. They even provide swimwear and robes to use during your stay.

Visitors wishing to stay the night (or several) at the Arctic Bath can choose from a variety of lodging options, each offering their own experience. The cabin, elevated above the forest floor, is an apartment that sleeps five in its main floor and loft areas. Even better, it boasts a spiral staircase and vegetation-lined walkways that maximize the guests’ connection to nature.

The suite is another land option that sleeps two, and it’s similarly perched on poles above the shoreline. For a water experience, the spa also offer more traditional hotel-style rooms that actually float on the water, connected to land by nothing but a floating walkway.

Of course, healthy, organic dining makes up a key part of the holistic health and wellness regimen. With that in mind, the chefs at the spa’s on-site restaurant serve locally-sourced Scandinavian food around the clock. You can meet up in the bar for a drink before dinner or imbibe during dinner with local beer and wine selections. If you’re not much of a drinker, don’t worry: they also offer a great selection of smoothies. And no one has to worry about what to order for dinner, since the chefs offer a pre-fixed menu based on the ingredients that are available during your stay.

When you’re not too busy getting pampered, you’ll find there are ample opportunities to experience the culture of the surrounding area, rich in history and home to the Sámi people for more than 10,000 years. And not only will you learn about the indigenous lifestyle, you’ll also help them herd reindeer, be serenaded by their songs, and share a three-course meal prepared over an open fire. To explore the depths of the area’s natural elements, you can sign up for an ice fishing excursion, or even cross dog sledding off your bucket list. You can also elect to take guided or unguided nature hikes, wildlife photography or viewing treks, or explore the nearby ecopark. If you’re a fitness buff, you can get your heart pumping with snow cycling or snowshoeing before heading back to the warmth of your room.

The Arctic Bath is more than a spa, it’s a travel experience that simultaneously facilitates health and wellness and a deeper appreciation for the planet. The grand opening is currently slated for January 2020.

All photos courtesy of Johann Kauppi

The post Eco-Friendly Arctic Spa All Set for 2020 Opening first appeared on Dornob.

Like many cities, Portland has suffered some growing pains over the last decade, falling prey to waves of homogenous new development that wipe out longstanding institutions and local favorites and replace them with cookie-cutter nonsense. If someone blindfolded you and dropped you into a series of the city’s newer bars and restaurants with all signage removed, you’d be pretty hard-pressed to identify your location.

For better or worse, depending on your perspective, stepping into wine bar Enoteca Nostrana in the Buckman neighborhood feels a bit like teleporting yourself into a whole different city. There’s no sign of the elements that make so many other spots blend together. The interiors take the bar in an entirely different direction, one that feels distinctly Modern European in flavor.

Opened by Cathy Whims in 2018 beside her existing Italian trattoria Nostrana, the bar is brighter and more contemporary than its sister, intending to offer a stylish and comfortable setting for discovering new wines with friends. Working with local architect Rick Potestio and Nostrana director of operations Nicholas Suhor, Whims envisioned a space that referenced Italy without the use of any cliches or Old World style.

In place of those elsewhere-omnipresent old-fashioned bulbs are gooseneck lamps, which are actually far better for examining menus. Retro geometric graphics on the floors and behind the bar nod to the iconic 1980s postmodern Memphis Group design tradition, which originated not in Tennessee, as you might imagine, but Milan, Italy.

All of these elements come together into the city’s “most excitingly designed restaurant,” earning it the 2018 Design of the Year Award from Eater Portland.

The publication says of the wine bar: “Contemporary and funky, the bar sports massive Champagne-cage cork stools, which somehow mesh with rich design touches that would feel equally at home in a 19th-century Milanese hotel. The walls and floor boast bold patterns reminiscent of the Saved By the Bell intro. There is a gently 90s mix of colors, and unexpected textures pop beneath counters and above sumptuous leather booths.”

“Then, a few steps in, there’s the hidden heart of the bar: a glowing, two-story wine fridge, futuristic and formidable with its stacks of backlit acrylic fixtures and row after row of bottles. Between the booths and glowing cellar, the place feels like a pizzeria on a 1980s album cover. There’s not a white wall in sight; those looking for the customary devil’s ivy or succulent in a tucked-away corner will find nothing of the sort.”

None of this is to say that Portland as a whole should follow in Enoteca Nostrana’s footsteps and embrace postmodernism at the expense of its own identity. But it sure doesn’t hurt to be shoved out of your comfort zone every once in a while.

Photos courtesy of John Valls

The post In Portland, a Bold Graphic Wine Bar Breaks the Mold first appeared on Dornob.

The question is whether it’s a coffee table, refrigerator, smart home hub, or a charging station. The answer is yes. Coosno is an all-in-one piece of living room furniture that will entertain guests, provide refreshments, and listen when you talk.

Refrigerator

Sleek and modern by every definition, the Coosno hides a big surprise inside. With a simple voice command or the push of a button, the upper portion of the coffee table lifts to reveal a built-in refrigerator section, whose rounded interior can fit a wide assortment of beverages and snacks. Even better, the table’s Lazy Susan-style design allows you to rotate the selection within to deliver your drink to you without having to get up and walk around it.

As a matter of fact, a coffee table with a built-in fridge just might keep you from having to get up at all. Especially one that holds up to 68 cans of beer.

Stereo System

You can also connect your favorite Spotify playlist to Coosno via Bluetooth and hear your tunes through an impressive six-speaker system. Plus, the tempered-glass tabletop lights up to the beat for an eye-catching club-like vibe.

LED Tabletop

The Coosno app actually controls all types of lighting effects to create the ambiance of your choosing. Colored LED lights can be set to flash, ripple, or remain solid or slow moving. You decide. Just open the app and drag the settings to fit your mood. The app also controls the refrigerator, so you can turn the temperature up or down from anywhere in the house.

Charging Station

There’s no need to fuss with wall chargers and charging cords any longer. Coosno has a built-in charging chip that keeps your phone or computer at full power whenever its placed on one of the tabletop’s two charging stations. Of course, there are also outlets tucked inside the table for your additional electrical needs.

Voice Control

Coosno connects to Google Home so it’s always ready to recite a cocktail recipe, share the weather, or give you a sports update. It can even solve the debate you’re having with your friends by running a quick internet search for you.

Along with the Google Home features, Coosno is also ready to listen whenever you tell it to open or close the fridge or turn up the music.

Storage

Like any good piece of furniture, the Coosno also offers some storage in the form of a pull-out drawer located below the refrigerator section. The drawer is compartmentalized for easy organization, too, so you can decide whether it’s the best place for the remote, the dog treats, or your cocktail straws.

Coosno is currently trending on Indiegogo, with a campaign that’s open until the third week in August. It’s currently in the prototype phase, but the company hopes to move into production with the funds raised from the campaign. The final product is expected to be available in two sizes and two color options with a ship date of February 2020.

The Coosno Home is 19.7 inches and can be used as a coffee table or small office assistant and snack bar. The Coosno Bar measures 27.6 inches. Both models come complete with no assembly required. Simply plug them in and set up the app to get the party started.

The post Coosno: The Smart Coffee Table That Does It All first appeared on Dornob.

You don’t have to be on a shopping mission to enjoy Jules Design Bar, a hot new destination in Bee Cave, Texas. Its craft cocktails and carefully curated selections of wine and whiskey make Jules well worth a stop for an after-work drink, especially if you enjoy being surrounded by beautiful objects. But anyone who’s ever spotted a particularly covetable piece at an ordinary bar and bemoaned the fact that it wasn’t for sale will appreciate this unusual bar and design shop hybrid.

Founded by interior designer Julie Smith, who also owns nine other stores focused on home design, Jules Design Bar was initially envisioned as an amenity to Smith’s clientele. But the proprietor notes that the bar and its associated events have taken on a life of their own, drawing in customers entirely outside the design community. Smith has set up her office on site to make herself available for design consultations, but the popularity of the concept might just necessitate her moving that workspace elsewhere to make way for more products.

In addition to its tipples and wares, Jules Design Bar offers classes and creative workshops on topics like home renovation and redecorating, as well as wine tastings, trivia nights, and live music on the weekends. The bar’s menu will be finalized in March 2019, but it already includes such creations as the Waterloo Old Fashioned (Waterloo gin, St. Germain, Richard’s Sparkling Rainwater, and orange bitters) and a small “sticks and picks” food menu of items like Rumchata cheesecake bites.

The beauty of the barware is another selling point here, and maybe it should be more often. Just be careful not to drink too much and come home with far more purchases than you intended!

“Retail home furnishings, lighting, gifts, residential and commercial design — and yes…. a full bar and event space. Stop in and meet Jules and the team! Watch us blow the lid off the traditional furniture and design store footprint in our speakeasy lounge.”

“From a design point, I specialize in the modern and chic renovation and revitalization of commercial and residential buildings, as well as retail design,” says Smith. “Digging in deep, problem solving, looking for the good bones — then creating a functional updated amazing space gives me great pleasure. The generous use of nature, texture, pops of color, and lighting inspire me from beginning to end. I love cherry picking the old and antiquated, marrying that with the new and trend-setting pieces to organically combine and reflect a space that feels like it was always there.”

Even if Jules’ offerings aren’t quite your style, it’s easy to see the appeal of a combination bar and design shop. Wouldn’t it be cool if the idea caught on?

The post Redecorating is A Lot More Fun at this Combination Speakeasy and Design Shop first appeared on Dornob.

That’s why we think Pharrell Williams’ first foray into the world of drinks and dining is sure to make waves, especially considering the fact that San Francisco trendsetter Ken Fulk, French celebrity chef Jean Imbert, and hospitality wunderkind David Grutman are all involved. Welcome to Swan and Bar Bevy: the newest hip offering to grace Miami’s Design District.

The project is mainly the brainchild of Fulk, who’s done a great job of channeling old-school Miami into both the overall concept and the subtle intricacies of this 250-seater restaurant and tropically-themed bar. The result is a blend of classic Floridian design and contemporary sophistication. Yes, this restaurant and bar could not exist anywhere else but Miami — despite the fact that there are hints of inspiration from lots of other places worked into it, making for a truly unique offering.

The restaurant’s circular bar is most definitely a highlight here, painted a pastel shade of pink and adorned with diamond shaped mirrors along the rim of its dropped ceiling. This pattern is repeated in both the carpet and the detailing in the bar panels. The materials are at once sumptuous and familiar, with floral throw cushions and wicker-backed chairs reminiscent of your grandmother’s veranda paired with House of Hackney wallpaper to bring it into the modern era. An eclectic collection of artwork permeates the space and seamlessly compliments all the rosy hues within. The effect is one of exaggeration and excess, but it’s so carefully pulled together that it also feels timeless and comfortable.

Bar Bevy is a decidedly more sultry offering, consisting of a single darkened room that’s dripping with luxuriously patterned wallpaper, statement oriental rugs, dark wood on the floor and ceilings, and the occasional lantern to illuminate the corners and seating areas. The Art Deco theme still pervades this exotic space, though it very much feels like it’s also tinged with Eastern influences. The bar’s corridors and restroom areas provide some light relief in the form of bright white wooden paneling inset with green leafy patterns.

Of course, the biggest draw to Swan and Bar Bevy is Jean Imbert: the French chef who dazzled Pharrell Williams with a private dinner inside a New York apartment some years ago and who is now Williams’ partner in this venture. The menu will feature a list of American-French cuisine thought up by this auteur, of which collaborator David Grutman says: “We’re trying to go simple. We don’t want to overdo it with a million sauces. You’ll notice a little French influence, but it’s not going to be traditional. And you definitely won’t see the same old tuna tataki that’s basically on every menu right now.”

The post Ken Fulk Designs Pharrell Williams’ New Miami Restaurant and Bar first appeared on Dornob.

Readymade space-saving designs are almost always created with the modern urbanite in mind, but not everyone wants their home to look like they just looted their local IKEA. When your style isn’t quite minimalist enough to coexist with those kinds of streamlined transforming pull-down elements, you have to get a little more creative about hiding your clutter.

Architecture firm Pursley Dixon pulled off a laudable feat with this small Southern home. The space may be smaller than average, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. They’ve sacrificed virtually none of the elements you’d expect to find in a larger unit while somehow finding a home for everything. The design is cohesive, and the rooms avoid reading as visually busy. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the firm is well known for designing elegant traditional-style homes that are rooted in history but present a fresh perspective. Check out some of the tricks they utilized to make this small living space feel surprisingly grand.

Camouflaged TV

Televisions, whether we like it or not, have become the center of virtually every living room. Some people may tout their authentically TV-free lifestyles by showing off living spaces with sitting areas that feel more conversational, but those of us who actually like streaming Netflix and watching sports can simply fake it with little bit of clever camouflage. Pursley Dixon’s solution was to employ two bifold doors that fold flat against the wall on demand, resembling nothing more than a pleasant landscape painting (complete with gallery-style lighting) when closed up.

Tiny Kitchen Misdirection

The kitchen of this townhouse is so small — and so seamlessly blended into the rest of the room — that it barely registers as a kitchen at all, at least from the dining area. But walk around the other side of that dove gray panel, and you’ll find all the usual necessities: sink, appliances, and dishes, to name a few. Acting as both a room divider and a backsplash, this panel rises higher than the countertop, effectively concealing everything behind it.

Hidden Spice Cabinet

Speaking of seamlessness, did you look at the kitchen and wonder where the heck they put all their small stuff, like the many tiny bottles and jars any cook worth their salt always needs on-hand to make a meal? Surprise — those are also hidden behind a painting. This spice cabinet is set into the wall, which means there’s virtually no trace of it when the door is closed. Guests must be impressed when they see it in action.

Plastic-Free Pet-Proofing

Many of the removable gates designed to keep dogs (or babies, for that matter) out of certain rooms are frustrating to use and all too easy to break — not to mention ugly. Even the least offensive designs usually have to fold against the wall, taking up valuable walking space. In this case, the architects have built a dog gate right into the home, and it retracts into the wall when not in use.

Home Bar On Demand

When square footage is limited, how do you fit in a “luxury” like a bar? Easy. You hinge the door of a cabinet so it pulls down and transforms into a usable surface. Then, when the party’s over, poof — it’s gone.

All photos by Annie Schlechter via House Beautiful

The post No Storage Space? Get Inspired by This Home’s 5 Hidden Solutions first appeared on Dornob.

This updated version of a crowdsourced favorite lets you make solid balls or cubes of ice that are clear, have no odor to affect your drinks, and can even hold a flower or a piece of fruit for that extra “wow!” factor. You can also use it to make ice animals and other fun frozen creations.
The silicon molds turn out four 4.5-centimeter ice balls at a time (or one six-centimeter one), all bubble-free. How does it work? Well, the included Polar Ice Tray’s insulation makes the water freeze from the surface down. “By allowing the water to freeze gradually from top to bottom, layer by layer, air and impurities are compressed to the bottom,” the inventors explain. The “white ice” with all the impurities ends up in a special tray for discarding.

Icebreaker

Easy-peasy ice. Just fill the container, freeze it, and surprise your guests by twisting the lid and producing perfect ice cubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzfEX-LOCM0
The Icebreaker is especially handy if your freezer space is tight, and it’ll never leak if you place it on its side or at an angle to fit. Since it’s airtight, you can also stop worrying about it absorbing food smells from the freezer.
You get a dozen cubes from each freezing, and the cool container can sit on the table while you’re eating so you can keep topping up the ice in drinks.

Ice Genie

The flexible Ice Genie has been cleverly designed to squish into your packed freezer. The water freezes in the outside section, and the ice cubes themselves are stored in the central canister. The gizmo holds up to 120 ice cubes at a time, too. Have a bottle of wine or beer you need to chill? Simply stick it in the Ice Genie to cool it quickly. The BPA-free Genie has an airtight lid to keep ice fresh, and you can just put it in the dishwasher when you’re done.

The Perfect Ice Cube

Next time you have $760 burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to check out Hammacher Schlemmer’s high-line ice cube maker. The mold is divided into two solid-aluminum sections and has an anodized copper finish. Use one of the six silicon preforms that come with it to freeze the water. Then slide the top piece over the bottom one to compress the ice into a perfect two-and-a-half-inch sphere in just seconds.
Why is it useful? “With less surface area and a slower melting time than conventional ice cubes, the sphere chills a preferred drink faster while ensuring minimal dilution,” explains the company, “enabling the connoisseur to fully enjoy a spirit’s subtleties and nuances.”

Phantom

The Phantom ice maker lets you create ice in seven cool shapes, each of which melts slowly and fits a variety of glasses. Each tray makes seven clear ice spheres, six clear ice cubes, eight clear Collins spears, and 16 clear standard cubes. Nice. Now you can keep all your guests happy and refreshed. The unit also has vacuum insulated stainless-steel double walls for added efficiency and durability, and it’s currently available for preorder with a slated delivery date of September 2018.

The post 5 Cool Ways to Make Ice for Summer Chillin’ first appeared on Dornob.

A private client with a love of hotel-like luxury and, apparently, a very large interior design budget tasked interior architecture studio Lawson Robb with creating this glamorous underground spa. The spa occupies a subterranean location beneath a listed building in Mayfair, London.

The basement level of the 15,000 square foot residential development began as a maze of rooms. The architects segmented the rooms into distinct zones. A pool, a sauna, massage rooms, a steam room, and a walk-in jet shower all provide for a feeling of extreme luxury.

Creative lighting, vaulted ceilings, and use of mirrors make the underground space seem like a quiet, reverent space perfect for reflection. A glass bridge spans a central light well to bring natural light down into the space.

At one end of the spa, a backlit slab of onyx conceals the remote control pop-up bar. A secret stone stairway takes visitors through the wine cellar and up to the library above.

The classic stonework and rich teak strips are just a part of the overall stunning appearance of this unexpected oasis. The water itself lends an ethereal air to the space. Taken as a whole, it would be difficult to guess that this space is actually beneath ground in an historically significant building. It is hidden luxury at its finest.

“Hotel design has for a long time informed the interior design of homes. as more people travel the world, so they bring home global styles,” says Lawson Robb. “They also want to translate that hotel service into their own environments; if they can pay for comfort while on holiday, why not have the same at home?”

About Lawson Robb: “Design means extracting the DNA of an idea and seeing what can be developed from it. Each project has its own story to tell. It is a project’s identity that sets it apart, and our design schemes are not merged into the uniformity and trends of today. The success of the studio is attributed to the uniqueness of each design and bespoke approach to each project. Good interiors design is more than the way things look, it is about how the space is used, the person who inhabits it and enhancing the environment.”

The post Magical Subterranean Spa Beneath London first appeared on Dornob.

Flexibility is always a key point when you’re furnishing your workspace or entertaining at home. The Quad Mini Bar, or QMB, from designer Joe Warren is the perfect solution for small spaces that occasionally need to be just a little bigger.

The QMB is a smallish piece of furniture that can be used in a surprising number of ways. First, it can be used as a standing workstation – which we all know by now is better for us than sitting all day. But if you get tired of standing and need to sit for a while, you can pull out one of the four attached seats.

When your friends or coworkers decide to come over and join you, three additional chairs pull out from the central base. They lock into place securely and are just the right height for either working or socializing.

An internal shelf also lets you store work equipment, bar supplies, or whatever else you need to get off of the tabletop. The QMB is an ingenious alternative to a conventional desk in the office or a traditional dining room set in the home. You only use up as much space as you need at that moment, and when not in use the QMB’s footprint is small enough for just about any space.

“QMB, closed with 30″ D. table top. What better place to make eye contact, face to face while sharing food, drink or ideas then while sitting or standing around a table? Providing a meeting space that can grow and adapt as needed. QMB combines a round bar height table with four fold-out stools to create a new type of seating experience. The fold out stools give the user the option to open up only the seats that are needed, then easily fold away the stools when finished. Social Seating on demand, face to face with friends sharing drinks, ideas and good times.”

The post Tiny Bar Table for One Expands for Four first appeared on Dornob.

Designer furniture group Duffy London has released a unique bar with seating for 24. Rather than the typical stationary stools, the Swing Bar features suspended stools hanging from thin wires from the bar’s frame. But here’s a twist – what looks like a bar is actually meant to be a library! Just add wine, and you’ve got a darn good time.

The lack of legs on the chairs contribute to a clean, uncluttered look around the bar. The powder-coated steel frame provides a stable and strong tether for the swinging chairs.

“With its 20 swinging seats, The Swing Library is the perfect furniture piece to create a very relaxed and enjoyable environment for those hours spent diving into books. Reading has never been this fun! This playful design will delight and make your venue an unforgettable experience, not to mention that you will never again have to lift chairs to clean the floor.”

Duffy London also designed an actual swing bar, it just accommodates fewer people. It’s still incredibly impressive, though. We wonder just how wise it is to put moving chairs around a structure at which the primary activity is consuming alcohol. Barring any unexpected motion sickness, however, these swinging chairs might add a whimsical element to an evening out. How long until someone swings a little too hard and slams their knees against the table?

“The Swing Bar brings the childhood playground to the adult playground of bars and restaurants. Snap your clients and guests out of the doldrums, and make sitting at the bar a fun and exciting experience. A playful design to delight guests and transform any venue into an unforgettable experience…and you will never again have to lift bar stools to clean the floor. The Swing Bar is customizable with the option to change the frame and seat colors to colors of your choice – contact us to find out more.”

The post Swinging, Suspended Stools Make a Fun Addition to a Bar first appeared on Dornob.

A swingin’ bar is usually one that features loud music, strong drinks and plenty of attractive people. Duffy London puts an entirely new meaning behind that phrase with their quite unusual Swing Bar.

Rather than the stationary bar stools typically found in a restaurant or bar setting, the Swing Bar introduces a rather more dizzying type of seating. A powder-coated steel frame surrounds a rectangular bar around which 24 odd chairs are arranged.

The chairs gathered around the bar are suspended from a freestanding frame, held in place by cables rather than legs. The effect is dramatic as the chairs appear to hover in mid-air around the bar.

One might wonder about the wisdom of adding movement to bar stools on which people will be consuming alcohol. It certainly seems like a recipe for disaster, but it’s possible that the threat of a drunken tumble might keep people from overindulging.

The post A Swinging Bar: Suspended Chairs Redefine Watering Hole first appeared on Dornob.

This design really gets back to the roots of structural engineering, taking its cues from the natural environment – specifically, a many-branched tree.

From JBomers Design, the concept is clearly seen in the finished product, but subtly functions like a real branch system, too, tapering toward the center to provide space at ‘ground level’ then branching back out into a top canopy.

The details and materials work as well – the top itself comes from a 200-year-old oak, and the branches below make an appearance as they come up through it before being cut off, flush with the surface.

“The Bomers’ nr.1 is the first in a new series of furniture inspired by trees. This dining table is resembling an old big tree carrying his roof of leaves. The table top is made out of second hand, 200-year-old oak wood. The branches below make an appearance as they come up through it before being cut off, flush with the surface representing the leaves. The branches are made out of hand curved steel bars spread over a large area at the base, tapering towards the middle, and then branching out to a wide palette above at the top, the stand of this table resembles a tree in every respect.”

Bomers’ gorgeous nr.2 is worth a look, too, with its beautiful sculptural design.

“Second in the Bomers’ tree inspired furniture series,  the Bomers’ Nr. 2 is a sofa resembling a leaf just fallen from its tree.  The hand curved steel frame of the sofa follows the same pattern as the veins of a leaf adapting its natural structure and strength. The spaces in between are filled with cushions covered in leather but  leaving the ‘veins’ visible.  All pieces in the Bomers’  furniture series are handcrafted which makes each piece unique.”

About the designer:

“Jeroen Bomers is  a broadly orientated and interdisciplinary working designer. His work and interest go from furniture to  automotive design and from community art projects  to architecture, from conceptual design to development aid projects and green energy.”

The post Tree-Inspired Table with Steel Branches first appeared on Dornob.

The post Cantilevered Master Bedroom Loft Classes Up Refab Condo first appeared on Dornob.

Purses lack security and are hard to move with in dark and crowded spaces, fanny packs are tricky to pull off and backpacks have no place on the dance floor  —so what is a club-going, mobility-seeking urbanite to do? Find something chic that won’t fall off your arm or whack your dancing partner in the face when you spin. These designs by Amalia Mattaor are aesthetically a bit over the top, perhaps, but the idea is ingenious – storage that conforms to your body, wrapping around your arm rather than dangling loosely from it.

These dancing purse designs can be worn on the hip as belt purses or snugly on the shoulder. Soft leathers make them comfortable to wear right on one’s skin, while flaps with fasteners mix accessibility with personal-item safety (and inward-oriented mini-pockets add further protection for small valuables). They’re a high fashion fanny pack option for people who’d rather die than wear a dorky ’80s version with their designer outfits.

While the designers describes these ‘Dancing Bags’ as a collection of ergonomic and practical accessories, they may be a bit too contemporary and glamorous for some tastes – it would be nice to see some toned-down versions (sans jewelry, studs or extraneous chains, for example) with a greater focus on functionality … and less emphasis on appealing to the fashion world.

“Amalia Mattaör has created a collection of evening bags, which artistically combine leather products and jewellery. These evening bags named “The Dancing Bags” are extremely aesthetic and precious all at the same time. Materials are noble and refined, design is practical and ergonomic. These luxurious accessories fuse with the woman body as an extension of oneself. Evening bags become fiercely contemporary and fatally glamorous.”

“The Dancing Bags’ ergonomy allows them to be worn directly on the skin like real jewels. These rare, elegant, sophisticated accessories are meticulously fashioned to be different. The Italian fabrication was elaborated to guarantee eco-friendly luxury. Most of the skins and leathers used in this collection come from edible fishes, such as salmon or eel, and are also extremely soft and comfortable when they are worn directly on the skin.”

The post Fanny Pack Alternatives for Dancing first appeared on Dornob.