The post Luxury Beach Getaway Can Slide Away From Eroding Coast first appeared on Dornob.

Guy-Olivier Deveau, who lives in Quebec City, is a contestant on the second season of the Canadian reality show Race Against the Tide, where participants sprint to complete giant sand sculptures on the beach of the Bay of Fundy. The judges select the winner on each episode just moments before the tide washes all the art out to sea.

While some sculptors might be frustrated by the temporary nature of sand art, Deveau loves it.

“A lot of people wonder, ‘Oh, how does it feel knowing that your art will be destroyed soon?'” the artist said in an interview with Canada’s CBC network, adding: “…I really don’t mind it because when I’m starting it, I know what I’m in for.”

He finds sand art freeing for several reasons. “I like ephemeral art. One of the things is that they’re very quick mediums to work with,” he explains. “A two-meter sand sculpture will take me like, two or three days. If I were making the same thing out of wood or out of stone, it would take me weeks, if not months.”

Deveau also enjoys the ability to make and fix mistakes easily. With sand, he says “you can scratch it off and start again or try something new. The commitment is not so high. If you’re going to be working on a piece for four months, you know, if suddenly you don’t feel like doing it anymore or if you’re not into it, well, you’re stuck with it. But with sand, you just iterate a lot and then you’re always working on something new.”

His particular brand of sand art has a harder edge than most of the competition. Skulls, disintegrating heads, and skeletal creatures are prominent motifs in Deveau’s work.

“I like to jokingly say that my inspiration is philosophy, death metal, and video games,” Deveau says. His influences include H.R. Giger, the artist who created the creature from the Alien movies. Deveau also incorporates themes from Japanese fantasy role-playing games, adding: “Also, I like anything that has a death metal or black metal aesthetic — that is dark and sometimes a little bit disturbing.”

“I know there’s a lot of other artists that are doing that style in different mediums, but when it comes to sand, this has become my signature style, so maybe that’s what makes me unique,” he says. “Sand sculpture is often a bit more family-oriented, so my style may kind of clash with what’s expected.”

The artist’s horror-laced creations have at times been too much for the judges, but his vision eventually grew on them. “All the stumbling blocks that I came across just became fuel for the energy to do it better,” he confesses.

The second season of Race Against the Tide aired on July 10th, 2022. The winner will be named in the last episode, set to run on Sunday, September 11th.

Fans can check out Deveau’s amazing sand art, as well as his ice, snow, and wood sculptures on his Facebook and Instagram pages.

The post Guy-Olivier Deveau’s Sand Castle Art is a Temporary Terror first appeared on Dornob.

The problem? The property’s location, though lovely, was on a somewhat busy street that faced the late afternoon sun and fell victim to the punishing winds from the southwest.

Enter Heliotrope Architects: A Seattle-based firm that, according to co-founder and principal Joseph Herrin, is “[known for their] west-facing, Puget Sound and Olympic Mountain-view, house on a hill” aesthetics. One need only look at their portfolio rife with projects like the “Cascade Residence” to see that the group was up to the task.

The key was creating a home that was private enough to be secluded from street view, but open enough to enjoy the Pacific Northwest scenery. A house that blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor living without being too exposed, and a contemporary, stylish space that was still cozy enough to act as a family home.

Heliotrope met these challenges and then some. Through the use of more layered design, they managed to overcome the paradox of protecting the home from the elements while also welcoming them in with open arms. An open, water-facing dining and living area is tempered by deep overhangs, while “smaller, ‘punched’ windows provide more of a feeling of protection,” according to Herrin. As a result, the afternoon sun peeps in the windows just enough to reflect off the Sound for a “here comes the sun” feel that’s a welcome balm to those ever-cloudy Washington days.

The clients also wanted to enhance the “Fauntleroy” home’s sense of privacy without making it feel too sheltered. To address this, the firm built a sturdy cedar fence that’s virtually indistinguishable from its surroundings. The result is a quasi-courtyard formed from a clever combination of the fence, juxtaposed walls, hedges, and a water feature that not only creates a private space, but the perfect outdoor lounge.

Inside, the home’s theme of indoor/outdoor living is continued through ocean-facing rooms dominated by warm tones that make the perfect backdrop for the stunning views. White oak floors, floating wood benches, and a connecting garden/porch/side window further enhance the feeling of letting the outside in.

As for the outdoors, Heliotrope wanted to maximize the location’s beach proximity, so they created the perfect haven for going from porch to ocean and vice versa — an unfussy space exposed to the elements, yet elevated with creature comforts like an outdoor shower, fire pit, sauna, and wine bar. Best of all, the space sprouts organically from the main structure, a natural addition that also blends seamlessly with the scenery.

As Herrin says, “While there is a natural desire to open up to [the weather from the southwest], there is also a need to protect oneself from it.” Thanks to the Fauntleroy home’s thoughtful design, the occupants will undoubtedly be able to weather any storm for years to come.

The post This Puget Sound Home by Heliotrope Architects Effortlessly Blends In and Outdoor Living first appeared on Dornob.

These designs are now almost as much of a tourist draw as Miami’s white sand beaches, and when photographer Tommy Kwak saw them in 2019, he decided they deserved to get even more attention. Preserving the towers forever in their prime, Kwak’s series “Lifeguard Towers: Miami” captures the unique personalities of each one. Kwak wanted to catalog the structures as a means of inviting viewers to appreciate and compare their similarities and differences.

The series has been exhibited at Clic Gallery locations across the United States, and collectors have sought out limited-edition prints. Now, Kwak is offering it in the form of a fun photo book of the same name, published by Brooklyn-based specialty publishing house Blurring Books. A June crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter made it possible for Kwak to bring the project to life, and pre-orders are now available at booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with a release date of November 1st, 2022.

If you’re interested in seeing Miami Beach’s lifeguard towers in person, you can expect to get a fair bit of exercise in the process. Kwak says the towers stretch across 8.5 miles of shoreline — and that he burned 13,000 calories in the process of trudging through all that sand. They begin with a striped red and white tower at South Pointe, the most southerly tip of Miami Beach. Along the way, you’ll see fun combos of green, pink, and orange; a funky lime green swirl; an orange one with spiky “hair” reminiscent of Lisa Simpson; a patriotic paint job of Stars and Stripes; and more.

Kwak himself was drawn to Miami Beach by his love of water, which led him to look for unique lifeguard towers first in Miami, then Southern California, and finally in Montauk, New York. Next, he plans to photograph unique lifeguard towers in New England, and says he’s even gotten tips on unusual towers of interest in South Korea and Argentina.

About Tommy Kwak

Kwak’s website explains that his “work explores the transience of landscapes and natural forms through ethereal large-format color photographs. His work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in commissions for Louis Vuitton at their locations in New York, Seattle, and Cologne, Germany. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts in 2002 and completed photography courses at International Center of Photography from 2006 to 2008.”

“In 2010 and 2016, Tommy participated in the SIM Residency program in Reykjavík, Iceland as well as the international arts festival, Villa Reykjavík. Tommy grew up outside of Chicago, lived and worked in Brooklyn, NY for 13 years, and now resides in Montclair, NJ. He has been a member of Fowler Arts Collective in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and SONYA (South of Navy Yard Artists).”

The post Tommy Kwak Captures the Candy-Colored Lifeguard Towers of Miami Beach in a New Photo Book first appeared on Dornob.

Whether it’s trash, treasure, or sunken historical cargo washing up on sandy shores around the world, there’s no doubt that what’s been washing up on the Texas Coastal Bend is undoubtedly the creepiest of them all: sand and debris-encrusted plastic dolls that would give even horror movie veteran Chucky a run for his money.

While the area, which is around 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, is no stranger to trash washing up onshore due to a “loop current” that pushes debris toward the area, these dolls are reoccurring visitors that are exceedingly unsettling. Often dismembered and deformed from their travels, some might even call them the stuff of nightmares.

Twice a week, researchers at the Mission-Arkansas Reserve at the University of Texas trawl the stretch of coast between Padre Island and Matagorda Island looking for wildlife like sea turtles, marine mammals, and even endangered bird species. What they often find instead is all the trash that washes ashore, including the uber-creepy dolls that have been showing their distorted and maniacal little faces for years now.

The dolls specifically seem to be drawn to the area. Haunted? Unlikely. A result of the area’s current washing up excess debris from Mexico? Probably. Jace Tunnell, the Director of the Mission-Arkansas Reserve, says: “Texas coastal bend beaches get ten times the amount of trash than any other beach in the Gulf of Mexico,” and this is perhaps why the dolls are so prevalent. However, this entirely scientific reasoning certainly does not detract from the eeriness of the dolls themselves — after all, the current explains the trash and debris, but what explains the dolls themselves?

While the researchers don’t have answers to this creepy conundrum, they do find it amusing, and even, as Tunnell has said, a “perk” of the job, posting images of the distorted dollies on a social media account that’s gone on to garner a cult following. “Everyday is something new,” he told McClatchy News. “Just when you think you’ve found everything that could possibly wash up on shore, something else comes up.”

If you find yourself on this lovely corner of Texas coast, don’t be surprised if you see the occasional deranged looking doll on the beach. They may not be haunted, but they’re certainly more evidence of the appallingly polluted state of our oceans.

The post Why Do These Deformed Dolls Keep Washing Up on the Texas Coastline? first appeared on Dornob.

Built as a summer home in the Chilean coastal city of Puertecillo, the beach bungalow was organized to fit the spatial needs of the client’s five family members plus guests. A complementary design imperative was to create a place where the energizing sea air could flow freely on nice days.

Accordingly, Estudio Valdés used the bulk of the 1820-square-foot dwelling for living space, separating the house into “transparent” and “opaque” sections. The transparent common rooms include an enclosed kitchen and family room, a connected open air sitting room, and a dining area with a covered pavilion. Large wall-to-ceiling windows line most rooms, with wide sliding glass doors allowing them to become one with the outside when the weather allows. That same glass can protect against the elements when shut. An indoor fireplace and an outdoor firepit further accommodate inclement heating needs.

The opaque segment is visibly divided from the rest of the house by an entry courtyard and compact hallway. The three bedrooms are economical but comfortable, with the primary bedroom tucked at the very back for the greatest privacy and the two others fitted with built-in double and triple bunkbeds to accommodate various combinations of kids and friends. Bathrooms between the sleeping chambers add a layer of noise insulation between the spaces.

The firm says the shape of the house is that of “an elongated shed, which occupies its height according to its uses.” Skylights along the entire ridge of the A-frame roof harness the power of the abundant sunrays to provide daytime light for the occupants.

The architects focused on locally sourced resources for the interior, lining the walls with planks of lenga beech wood. The light color provides brightness while the natural grain continues the pattern of “blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.”

The exterior is covered in dark-stained pine boards, a tree also native to the region. The pine slates are interspersed with sections of more organically shaped eucalyptus branches, creating privacy screens around the bedrooms and exterior gathering areas. The combination of branches and planks helps the retreat blend effortlessly with the surrounding forest.

The entire house rests on stilts to achieve a “clear view of the sea above the treetops,” and every enclosure is directed toward vistas of the Pacific Ocean. A collection of loose native plant species makes up the perimeter garden that also acts to hide the home’s structural supports, further adding to the camouflage effect.

Estudio Valdés was founded in Chile in 2003 as a “modern response to the needs of the new times.” In addition to concentrating on a more efficient architectural process, the studio also pledges a “greater commitment to art and aesthetics.” Although they have a strong emphasis on urban design, the M House, completed in 2020, fits their M.O. of “passionate work in the search of different architectural expressions, with original and expressive materials.”

The post Chilean Summer House Seamlessly Blends into Its Coastal Surroundings first appeared on Dornob.

If that last sentence has you scratching your head, you’re not alone. Even the real estate agent who scored the listing was confused at first. “When it was explained that this house was bought by this German shepherd, I was like, ‘What are you talking about? I’m not following you’,” says Ruthie Assouline, who is facilitating the sale along with her husband Ethan.

When they had their first real estate “meeting,” the friendly pooch greeted his agent with a face-full of slobbery kisses.

Gunther VI is the fourth canine heir to a multimillion-dollar trust established by the late German countess Karlotta Liebenstein. When she passed in 1992, she left the enormous fortune to her dog at the time, Gunther III, the great-grandfather of the current dog inheritor.

His luxurious life is arranged and cared for by a group of handlers who make sure he sees the world, with trips to places like Milan and the Bahamas. At home in his 51,000-square-foot Florida palace, Gunther VI enjoys daily meals crafted by a permanent chef from premium meats, vegetables, and rice, as well as the occasional bowl of caviar. He trains in obedience skills each day with his personal trainer. The rest of Gunther’s day is spent lounging around the pool and napping on a red velvet divan in the “Material Girl”‘s former master bedroom over gorgeous views of the Biscayne Bay.

“He literally sleeps overlooking the most magnificent view in an Italian custom bed in the former bedroom of the greatest pop star in the world,” Assouline told reporters.

The pampered pooch’s $500 million worth of finances are managed by a board of trustees, who make the decisions about when to buy and sell Gunther’s real estate. With housing inventory so tight and prices skyrocketing, the board felt now was a good time to offload the Miami Beach property. They’ve also purchased a men’s soccer team and a women’s swimming team in his name, and he attends their competitions as often as possible.

Board member Carla Riccitelli has taken care of the last three doggie heirs and has high praise for the current Gunther.

“He’s not aggressive at all,” she told the Associated Press. “He’s very good with other animals. They’re very protective with their owner, with their people. They like to have the family around so I usually invite friends with other dogs over.”

Riccitelli brings him to her Tuscan home for part of the year, where he shares the abode with her own two dogs, six cats, and handful of chickens.

After buying his 1.2-acre Florida property from Madonna two decades ago for $7.5 million, Gunther stands to make a tidy profit with this sale. The pop star recently took to Instagram to share her feelings on it, posting “When you find out a dog is selling your old house for 3 times the amount you sold it for!” with house and crying emojis.

The new owner will acquire an eight-bedroom Mediterranean style manor complete with an outdoor pool with stone fountains. The gilded portrait of Gunther IV over the living room fireplace is not included in the sale, however.

The post A Filthy Rich Dog is Selling Madonna’s Former Home for $32 Million first appeared on Dornob.

As Buckminster Fuller himself explained, the tetrahedron represents “the minimum system of the Universe, and it turned out to be, then, omni-triangulated and we found that structures are always triangulated. Structure meant triangle and triangle meant structure, there were no other stable polygons. Therefore, the tetrahedron turned out to be the minimum structural system of the Universe.”

The tetrahedron is Fuller’s model of the simplest three-dimensional geometric system that can be used as the basis for other shapes, like his famous geodesic domes. He called this “cosmic logic of the structural mathematics strategies of nature,” which he spent much of his life studying and defining under the name “Synergetics.” In the case of Bow House, the tetrahedron helps to create a stable base for the cabin, takes full advantage of the small plot of land, and gives it an interesting silhouette.

“Casa Proa (Bow House in portugues) was designed by Atelier Marko Brajovic by a creative process inspired in triangular modulations on different scales and a tree house typology,” the architects say. “The 6x6x6 meters of equilateral triangular volume was installed at Praia do Rosa beach in Paraty (Brazil), located between a Mango tree, the traditional colonial house, and a major rock on steep waterfront terrain. The triangular geometry redundancy on the floor plan and section, as well on the tetrahedron roof system, promotes both structural and perceptive strategy. The architecture organizes a compact living space modulated in further sub-triangles and creates a visual pattern as much in the space and finishings.”

The architects also drew inspiration from traditional South American treehouses in designing this dreamy beach retreat. Though the cabin is on stilts rather than getting its load-bearing support from the surrounding trees, its perch on the slope just above vegetation like tropical flowers and palm trees creates a similar effect.

The main sleeping room is in the center of the cabin, looking straight out from the “prow” toward the ocean. The kitchen is tucked behind it, and in the two triangle points on either side are an entrance and a bathroom. The edge of the wraparound terrace serves as one big bench, so you can sit anywhere you like and look out at the forest, the water, or the hills on the other side.

Furniture custom-designed specifically for Bow House fills the interiors, including curtains made out of local shrimp fishing nets and wall lamps made of traditional bronze boat drains. It’s details like these that make it feel like a one of a kind getaway infused with the flavor of its unique Costa Verde location.

The post Tetrahedron Treehouse Peeks Out of the Trees Like the Prow of a Ship first appeared on Dornob.

Edwin Bos got the idea for BeachBot (“BB” for short) after his four-year-old son dug into the sand at their favorite beach and produced a cigarette butt. Bos raked his hand through the sand and found more. “It’s such a beautiful place,” he says of Scheveningen Beach, located just outside The Hague in The Netherlands. “It really amazes me that all these things are just lying around. The filters of the cigarettes are full of micro-plastics. It’s bad that these end up in nature.”

Bos teamed up with fellow entrepreneur Martijn Lukaart to start TechTics, a company that combines artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and robotics technologies to create sustainable innovations. They produced the first AI-based detection algorithm that specifically spots cigarette butts in the sand and worked with students from Delft University of Technology to develop the BeachBot, which today uses a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) – a self-learning algorithm – to help it see litter of all shapes and sizes in all kinds of lighting conditions.

That learning process relies on input from the public. The company solicits photos of cigarette butt litter through Microsoft Trove, an app that connects AI developers with photo-takers and grants them modest compensation for each image (about 25 cents). The app also lets participants see exactly how their images are used. TechTics is hoping to get thousands of photos to help BeachBot’s AI system recognize and remember exactly what cigarette butts look like. Eventually, the team also plans to add new types of litter to the mix.

“The system learns how to see pictures like a child recognizing an object for the first time,” says Christian Liensberger, lead principal program manager of Trove. “The bot does all the legwork. It goes to the beach, and it is the hero of cleaning,” he adds. “But to clean, it needs all these people to give it consistent data input. Without that, the bot will run into new situations it doesn’t understand. Machines like this only work because of people.”

A prototype BeachBot machine demonstrated its abilities in September 2020 for World Cleanup Day, scooping 10 cigarette butts with its gripper arms into an internal bin within 30 minutes. It uses one onboard camera to watch for people and obstacles, and another to look down at the sand. It’s battery powered and can currently run for about an hour before it needs a recharge. To make it more efficient, TechTips is developing two smaller “helper” robots that will cruise the beach looking for cigarette butts, then send BeachBot a map to their locations. A second demonstration is set for later this summer.

The post BeachBot Rover Uses Artificial Intelligence to Clean Up Cigarette Butts first appeared on Dornob.

Italian gelato and frozen dessert brand Sammontana commissioned international design firm Carlo Ratti Associati and architect Italo Rota to create an artistic beach umbrella that does a lot more than just provide a bit of shade. Taking inspiration from aerospace technologies and the ancient art of origami, the Sammontana Beach Umbrella dramatically unfurls its “petals” to reveal solar arrays used to power small refrigerators and air conditioners.

The designers worked with Chuck Hoberman, a professor at Harvard University who specializes in transformable structures, to create the foldable photovoltaic array. They work similarly to the solar panel systems on NASA’s spacecrafts. Each umbrella stands 8.2 feet high with a diameter of 10.5 feet. When closed up, its “petals” stand upright in a column, taking up very little space. When you want to use it, all you have to do is pull on a rope and the petals will glide upward to offer shelter.

The photovoltaic arrays power individual mini refrigerators so users can keep their drinks cool even on the hottest days, as well as small cold water misters for relief from the heat. You can even plug in your phone to top off your battery. When grouped together, the Sammontana beach umbrellas produce enough electricity to power larger, power-hungry items like commercial refrigerators at beach resorts. Sammontana is making these beach umbrellas available to the public for free at BAM-Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano Park this summer, and if the trials go well, they hope to bring them to many of Italy’s beaches in the future.

“Can we use the power of the abundant summer sunshine to make our holiday experience more sustainable?” says Carlo Ratti, founder of CRA and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The design concept of this project starts from using the sun to produce electricity to cool the space under the umbrella – and then scale it up to provide power to any beach resort. We are delighted that Sammontana invited us to develop this project, as both our organizations share a strong commitment to environmental values and human well-being.”

“The project builds on Sammontana’s objective to lower the environmental impact potentially applicable to Italian beaches – which are the iconic backdrops where Sammontana is served, marking the most pleasant and joyful moments of summer,” says Sibilla Bagnoli, Head of Communication and Image at Sammontana Italia. “For many years, our company has been focusing on such special environments, experimenting with new ways to welcome the public, manage services, and innovate while protecting the environment.”

The design of the umbrella is cool enough in its own right, especially since it’s basically a kinetic sculpture with a practical purpose. But the fact that these sun shelters are offered up to he public for free is what makes them such a noteworthy design. Imagine what it would be like if we had these all over public spaces around the world, from beaches to inner city parks. Free solar energy for everyone!

The post Sammontana’s Sustainable Solar Beach Umbrellas Unfurl Like Giant Origami Flowers first appeared on Dornob.

From there, the home’s identity gets less literal, but no less gorgeous. “Dunk House” is really a love letter to LA, defined first and foremost by its color. Malka created a special shade of “Los Angeles Blue” just for this application, explaining that the polarized paint interacts “with the various solar luminosities, and automatically adjusts its color to match the Californian sky’s tones, merging the house with its surrounding.” This gives the home a “contemporary stealth camouflage” that makes it less obtrusive in the landscape, merging almost seamlessly into its surroundings.

That camouflage continues from the main house to the mirrored guest home in the backyard, which reflects all the lovely sky blue as well as the adjacent palm trees and the swimming pool that stretches between the two buildings. Facing each other with oversized windows, the volumes feel like extensions of each other, and as the “Los Angeles Blue” paint penetrates the interiors, it helps to blur the lines between indoors and out.

“The result is a contextual alliance between the very materiality of the villa its surrounding, proactively interacting towards the streets of LA, the beach community, the sun’s latitude, and the sky intensity,” Malka says.

The blue is just as refreshing inside as it is on the exterior walls. Used to define a double-height lounge area, it’s painted on the walls and floors and continues with a gradient effect onto the glossy built-in cabinetry. Skylights let the sun play the same visual tricks here as it does outside, amplified by the reflections off the water. The home’s all-white furniture mimics the lounge chairs by the pool in a nod to LA’s perpetually temperate weather.

Though we only glimpse the common areas of the home in Malka’s photos, we still get a sense of the mood that likely continues into more private spaces. The bright cheerful blue shifts into textural sand-colored floors, while white walls deeper inside the home aid in reflecting the plentiful sunlight.

“Dunk House” is one of Studio Malka Architecture’s more laid-back and minimalist works. The firm has gained a reputation for pushing both boundaries and buttons, never afraid to offer surprising and unconventional solutions, experiment with new materials, or make a political statement. They often play with modularity and exploded geometric forms, recently deconstructing a brick wall at the Paname Comedy Club and stacking golden volumes of student housing, both in Paris. Earlier works include a 2014 proposal to co-opt a bridge for modular affordable housing, and “Plug-In City 75,” a sustainable development packed with balconies and hanging gardens.

The post Dunk House: A Sky-Blue Home for a Basketball Player by Studio Malka Architecture first appeared on Dornob.

Jewelry with a Purpose

While jewelry is a perennial go-to for Mother’s Day gifting, this year give mom the gift of style and wellness, all in one package. These Philip Stein bracelets tune into your body’s natural frequency to help lower stress, improve sleep, and increase energy. Plus, they’re super stylish and functional. Win-win!

$195.00 – $290.00

30 percent off with promo code MOM30

Breath of Fresh Air

What better way to show mom you care than by giving her the ability to breathe pollutant and allergen-free air? (Dig that poetry). This Molekule Mini air purifier has patented PECO tech to help anyone breathe easier during allergy season — and all year long. Bonus for its super cute look and sleek design.

$399.00

Beauty and the Beach

After being stuck inside for so long, your mom will definitely want to catch some rays and ocean views this summer (safely, of course!).This Sunflow Beach Bundle has everything she needs to hit the beach. With an easy-to-carry chair that doubles as a carrier for all the bare necessities, this set is bound to make her smile.

$296.00

Picture Perfect

It’s been a long year, but we can preserve the moments that matter with the magic of digital picture frames. Curate a slideshow yourself, or simply give mom a blank canvas for uploading her most treasured photos. With models like Nixplay’s best-selling Smart Photo Frames, the possibilities are endless! The 10.1 inch wood-effect frame is our absolute fave.

$154.99 and up

Fashion Forward

Sure, Mom is caring, loving, sweet…but she’s also trendy, fun, and chic! Here are some great ideas to keep your favorite lady looking her best.

Madewell always keeps it fresh, stylish, and affordable. And these Belgrave sunglasses are no exception. Perfect for those sunny, lazy days of summer.

$65.00

Nap dresses are easy, breezy, and super comfy! Show Mom you care with a sweet, flowy Ellie nap dress from Hill House.

$125.00

In Vino Veritas

Does your mom like wine? Of course she does! Give her the gift that keeps on giving with a hip wine subscription from Eater Wine Club. With fun, unique choices curated by Eater’s editors and wine pros, she’ll be able to kick back with a quality glass anytime.

$70.00 and up

Tea, Anyone?

Is your mom less into wine and more into a soothing cup of tea? This pour-over electric tea kettle from Fellow Stagg marries form and function to make the perfect cup with ease. Best of all, it comes in a variety of colors (including warm pink) to match her kitchen aesthetic perfectly.

$149.00 and up

Mother’s Day is almost upon us — and after a grueling year, all moms deserve a treat. Show yours you care by going off-script with any of these amazing gifts that will warm her heart and appeal to her unique sense of style.

The post 8 Stylish Mother’s Day Gift Ideas We Love first appeared on Dornob.

Offering a mix of historic charm, beautiful sights, and a slow-paced way of life, The Hamptons boasts its own particular flavor of beach house style that’s growing more popular around the world. Yes, this group of hamlets and villages on the East End of Long Island is associated with a laid-back yet elegant seaside vibe beloved by full-time residents and celebrity visitors alike.

To capture that distinct Hamptons feeling, interior designers focus on a light, airy look with nautical-inspired accents, breezy color schemes, and the easygoing nature of a vacation home. Here’s a brief beginner’s guide to bringing this classic style to your own home.

Let in the Light

Image via House Beautiful

Large picture windows framing perfect ocean views are a major component of Hamptons living, but even if you’re lacking the picturesque locale, you can still make do. Highlight your windows using either floor-to-ceiling curtains in lightweight natural fabrics or roman blinds, thereby maximizing the amount of daylight that can come through. Avoid window treatments that feel dark and heavy. If you can, arrange your furniture around the biggest windows with the best views, even if you’re just focusing on a patch of sky or the branches of a tree in your yard.

Introduce Color and Texture

Image via Chango & Co

Classic Hamptons style starts with a palette consisting primarily of white or off-white along with black, metallic accents, neutrals, and toned down sea-inspired shades. Layer a variety of different blue hues with sandy beige, soft dove gray, and muted mint green. When it comes to pattern, stripes are king, but don’t forget the subtle patterns woven textiles and natural materials can introduce, like seagrass rugs, herringbone accent pillows, and cozy knitted throws.

Maximize Relaxation

Image via Lily Pad Cottage

Mix classic New England furniture styles like Shaker chairs and benches with cane or wicker and soft, welcoming oversized linen or twill sofas draped with blankets in complementary colors. You want the space to feel like it could comfortably host a group of chatting, wine-drinking guests next to a fire after a long day lounging on the beach, sandy feet and all.

Create Well-Edited Vignettes

Image via Architectural Digest

Install plenty of dimmable ambient lighting and accessorize with items you’d naturally find in a Hamptons beach house, including wooden oars, straw hats, blue and white china, lots of living greenery, and little nautical treasures like starfish, sea glass, and framed watercolor ocean scenes. Just be sure not to go overboard with the themed items, which can feel kitschy, and remember that what you exclude is just as important as what you include. Think “vacation house,” reducing visual clutter and finding a tucked-away home for all items that don’t contribute to the vibe.

Focus on Weathered Wood

Image via Chango & Co

Wood is a major element of upscale Hamptons houses, from the character of well-loved floorboards to the crisp detail of whitewashed wainscoting. Shiplap ceilings painted white can transform the feel of a room, too. If you already have wood floors, you might consider staining them dark and softening them up with light-colored rugs for a traditional coastal cottage look.

Bring the Vibe Outside

Image via House Beautiful

If the style of your house isn’t too jarring of a contrast, think about continuing the theme outdoors. White wicker furniture, striped blue-and-white cushions, oversized glass lanterns, white plantation shutters, and cedar shakes all make a big impact, with a distinctly Hamptons feel.

Top image via David Scott

The post Simplify and Elevate Your Space With Hampton Style Decor first appeared on Dornob.

“Zicatela House” is proof that appearances can be deceiving. Designed by Mexico City-based architect Ludwig Godefroy and named for a nearby beach in the town of Puerto Escondido, it’s meant to look like a bunker to outsiders. Inside, it’s an entirely different story, with every one of its rooms and spaces designed around access to sunlight, fresh air, and views of the sky.

“The house was designed with one main purpose: to give the owner the opportunity to leave Mexico City to make a break with the megalopolis and urban habits by coming to get some rest and relax[ation] while enjoying the heat of the Mexican coast and the peaceful light of Oaxaca,” Godefroy says. “This house responds to a double landscape, on one side in the background the beach and the sea, on the other side the mountains and agave fields, the plant from which is made mezcal and tequila.”

Godefroy began working on Zicatela House in 2014 alongside his design partner Emmanuel Picault. The duo is best known for their nightclubs and bars, with their work often representing an alluring combination of modernist and pre-Hispanic influences. They based the design for this house on a Mesoamerican ball court surrounded by large symmetrical stepped walls.

The concrete and simple rectilinear shapes bring in the brutalist element Godefroy and Picault are known for, while the home’s tropical feel comes courtesy of elements like wood, greenery, and a tranquil swimming pool. What’s even more surprising, given the house’s outside appearance, is the fact that there’s no glass to be found anywhere inside. Those large shutters you see all throughout the courtyard can be closed for privacy, but otherwise, the residence is remarkably open to the world at large.

Godefroy adds that “this project has a very interesting personality of being a countryside house next to the sea, instead of a beach house. The house is based on this duality, the duality of its surroundings and its [ability] to respond to the mountains and be protective as a fortress as well as a wide-open space; giving you the feeling [of living] outside in a garden, making the border between in and out disappear.”

“Zicatela House is built on a small 300-square-meter plot, using a typology of defensive architecture, where a wall surrounds the terrain completely, helping create a 100-percent controlled area on the inside, turning it into an open-sky fortress, with only one main view towards the sky, the only permanent element in time. The house is a bunker on the outside, one of those massive concrete structures I used to see in Normandy — where I was born — protecting a Mexican pyramid on the inside, one of those I see when I travel around Mexico, the country where I’ve been living and working for 10 years now.”

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Airbnb is a great place to find unique houses to rent for short and long stays. Some have lakes and pools onsite, others boast breathtaking vistas from every window, and others still are rustic cabins in the heart of serene forests. For a very limited time, the site will even let you rent out Lucy the Elephant, a 65-foot-tall wood and metal pachyderm who’s been a star attraction of the Jersey Shore since 1881.

Lucy’s Colorful Past

Lucy has been a permanent symbol of Margate (formerly South Atlantic City) since she was conceived and built by James V. Lafferty, an engineer, real estate entrepreneur, and pioneering animal-shaped building constructor. His initial goal with the project was to lure land developers into buying Jersey shore property. Sure enough, Victorian-era tourists were mesmerized by the giant 90-ton elephant. To seal the deal even more, Lafferty ushered prospective clients six stories up the interior staircase into Lucy’s observation deck so they could get a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

In 1887, Lucy got her name from the Gertzen family, who didn’t care for her original moniker of “Elephant Bazaar.” She was quickly transformed into a tavern, and, after that, a summer home for a British doctor and his family. The Gertzens retained ownership of Lucy until 1970, when they kindly bestowed her to the Save Lucy Committee.

Lucy has likely served more purposes over the last 138 years than any other offering on Airbnb. In addition to being used as a tavern and private beach bungalow, Lucy has also been a real estate office, and of course, a popular tourist attraction. The inimitable elephant is also tough and resilient, enduring two relocations, a fire, lightning strikes, hurricanes, floods, break-ins, and lots of general neglect.

In 1969, Lucy faced the worst fate of her life. Her exterior was devastated by years of ruthless marine weather, which made tourists flock to relatively newer attractions. The owners decided to sell the landmark, but the buyers only wanted the land she was on. Subsequently, she was condemned by authorities, and her demolition seemed imminent.

Saving Lucy

Word quickly spread of the plans to destroy Lucy, and the Save Lucy Committee was promptly formed. Together, its members raised enough money to move Lucy to a site owned by the city, soon to become a park. The funds raised by the Save Lucy Committee also paid for Lucy’s huge renovation.

In 1974, Lucy the Elephant was again ready to be a paid tourist attraction after undergoing four long years of restoration. The Save Lucy Committee oversaw both the building and tours, which reportedly brought in around 132,000 visitors every year. $8.50 bought adults for a 30-minute excursion inside the elephant, complete with highlights from her personal history.

The Airbnb Deal

On March 5th, 2020, Lucy the Elephant was made available for booking on Airbnb. It’s a very limited opportunity, with reservations available for the nights of March 17th, 18th, and 19th and just a two-person maximum occupancy. Prospective guests should be aware that there’s no bathroom inside the elephant, but there is one in a trailer conveniently parked at Lucy’s lovely painted feet. For added safety, a staff member and security guard will occupy an adjoining gift shop during the stay. Guests will also be served breakfast inside Lucy come morning. And for just $138 a night, all that sounds like a pretty good deal. Even better, all of the the humble proceeds from the three overnight stays will be used for future repairs and maintenance.

The post Iconic Lucy the Elephant Landmark Now Takes Airbnb Bookings first appeared on Dornob.

The California-based Rareform is the result of two brothers with a passion for the environment. When one of them, Alec Avedissian, was living in El Salvador, he observed the locals using old billboard advertising materials as roofing tarps, and the signs couldn’t have been more clear: billboards made for a terrific durable and waterproof material.

With product ideas churning in his head, Alec headed home to secure his brother’s help in creating a surfboard carrying sleeve. The two then began calling billboard companies who were more than eager to ship truckloads of used billboards to their home.

Knowing that the typical billboard only remains roadside for an average of a month or two, Rareform can count on a consistent material supply. Plus, turning a usable material into something useful is a business model that gives the vinyl billboards new life instead of just sending them out with the trash.

Six years after the brothers set off on their venture, manufacturing has moved out of their parents’ house and the product line continues to grow. Production in their plant is almost completely streamlined, beginning with the sorting and washing of hundreds of billboards daily. The materials are sorted by thickness and color in order to match the a wide array of preferences for different products. Pieces are then hand cut and inspected before being sent out for final stitching. Even the smallest scraps are incorporated into manufacturing, resulting in minimal waste. Once stitched, each bag is individually photographed for an accurate representation of how the pattern lays out in the final product.

To date, the brothers and their team have converted 2,710,252 pounds of billboard material into one-of-a-kind backpacks, duffle bags, crossbody bags, messenger bags, and briefcases. Unique totes and purses come in a variety of options, with a new lunch tote being the most recent addition to the lineup. The good news is that when it comes to using up all those scraps we mentioned earlier, a ton of products fit the bill. Choose from wallets, toiletry bags, wristlets, pouches, and even fanny packs. Planning on traveling sometime soon? Pick up a passport holder, luggage tag, or key chain. If you’re looking for something more casual, just grab a fun tee or hat.

Rareform may be all about sustainability, but they still realize we live in a modern world, accordingly churning out heaps of laptop sleeves and iPhone cases. Don’t worry though, Alec’s passion for surfing hasn’t waned one bit, and his initial long and short board surf bags are still considered staple products six years later. They also produce change pads, which are perfect for handling the wet and sandy conditions the beach provides.

While Rareform continues to pick up vinyl billboard waste (and we salute them for it!), the newfound spotlight on the ad industry’s bad habits is causing some changes around them. More specifically, new technology in printed billboards allows makers to reduce their carbon footprint with the use of water-based adhesive vinyls and 100-percent recyclable paper. On top of that, many billboards are now digital, taking away the waste but not the resource consumption. Digital billboard signs do create a host of other environmental problems though, including energy consumption, light pollution, and disposal at the end of usable life.

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