Painting or Whitewashing Hardwood

If your hardwood floors are looking tired, you can get an entirely different aesthetic with a little paint or stain. Whitewashing can provide an airy, coastal effect that showcases the uniqueness of each plank. It involves bleaching your existing color out, sanding down the wood, and applying a mix of water and light paint over the top. Traditional painting is also a great option if you want a specific color. A black floor can bring in the moody vibe gaining popularity these days. You can even paint patterns over the top of the wood for more artsy or modern looks. Just be sure to seal your work at the end to keep it safe from foot traffic.

Covering Tile with Stencils or Stickers

Grouted tile floors cost a fortune to pull out, but they can easily be stenciled or covered with floor stickers for a similarly dramatic makeover. Your design is only limited by your imagination, after all, as motif and color choices are endless. These water-resistant tile stickers from Target are applied by peeling away the backing and placing them in the desired location. They instantly add glamor and contemporary flair. Plus, you can always switch them out for a new design down the road.

Stenciling is also a good DIY alternative. This large geometric stencil on Etsy boasts a small price tag and changes ordinary bath and kitchen tiles into something truly exciting.

Floor Art

You could also insert some artistic flair under your feet by creating your own personalized floor mat like this one from LetterFolk. The kit comes with a mat base and plenty of mini tiles to design your own mosaic of shapes or words

If you’re ready for more intense floor art, many companies are now producing ground wallpaper with mind-blowing graphics. You can choose from things like making your bathroom floor look like a solid slab of gorgeous marble to transforming your office into a forested paradise. The wallpaper is printed in large custom sheets that are then laid down to make amazing pictures and designs. For durability and shine, an epoxy goes over the top to lock it all in place.

Rugs

Yes, they may be the obvious way to decorate floors, but never underestimate the power of a good rug to give your room a full metamorphosis. Just look how this Turkish Kilim rug gives a shot of energy to this living space! And don’t be afraid to put rugs in unexpected places, either. Even the kitchen can benefit from some well-placed floor coverings for coziness and texture.

Nature

A glossy-leaf plant in an eye-catching pot can bring attention to your floor in all sorts of new ways. Look for easy-to-care-for greenery and pots that won’t leak.

Seating

Adding some low seating pieces also enhances the style of your floors. This blue leather pouf from Pottery Barn conveys a spirit of warmth and welcome in practically any room it’s in.

Lighting

A decorative lamp can highlight your flooring in just the perfect spot. This one from West Elm beautifully arcs up and over, directing your eyes back towards the ground.

So the next time you’re stuck staring at your floors, remember there are plenty of options for sprucing them up – all with minimal mess or wait.

The post Mastering the Art of Good Floor Decor first appeared on Dornob.

Design studio UMÉ took inspiration from this tradition for Zabuton, a new modular sofa system made primarily of wood. The base of the sofa is simply a wooden board and feet that elevate it a couple inches off the ground. A variety of modules can then be placed on top in all sorts of configurations to produce custom seating, beds, and tables.

“The result is an experience combining the very intimate, low, simple and un-ostentatious quality of the Japanese traditional items — and the very generous, comfortable, social aspect of modern couches,” say UMÉ designers Victor Lefebvre and Mei-Lan Tan.

Developed in collaboration with Takaokaya, a Kyoto-based futon maker, the Zabuton is named for the cushion traditionally used on tatami mats or floors. The sofa can also be fitted with soft cotton pads, bolster pillows, wooden partitions, and futon mattresses handmade by Takaokaya.

“Successive generations of Takaokaya have continued to nurture Kyoto craftsmanship for over 1,000 years, creating products with soul that are true to the times and yet draw on the traditions unique to the former capital,” say the designers. “Every step of their process is hands-on.”

Futon masters in Tokyo massage cotton filling to create an even layer before hand-inserting it into the Zabuton’s futon and bolster sleeves. Meanwhile, in Oakland, UMÉ handcrafts the wooden elements like the frame, plinth, and partitions of each sofa out of maple. The partitions are contoured so the textile elements can be draped over them comfortably, but they remain beautifully simple and minimalist in silhouette.

The partitions come in two sizes: a full-height backrest and a low table. They bolt onto the frame in various directions and can be easily rearranged whenever you feel like it. You can use them as double or single backrests, seat dividers, armrests, or surfaces for your mugs and phones. The base of the Zabuton is also long enough for an adult to lay down on, so it can function as a bed, a full-sized couch, a back-to-back lounger for two, or anything else you can come up with.

The sofa’s fabric elements consist of cotton and linen and can be customized for several different colors, patterns, and textures. The result may be far from a Westerner’s idea of a couch, but it’s also a great way to shake things up in your living space, and an interesting addition to floor-based “furniture free” philosophies of living.

A statement on UMÉ’s official website explains that “UMÉ Studio is a design practice where traditional craft meets contemporary tastes in delicate yet purposeful objects tailored for everyday living. Founded by Victor Lefebvre and Mei-Lan Tan, their studio is the final stop in their design process journey. They begin with months-long travels to artisan workshops in many corners of the globe to render century-old skills and techniques, collaborating with a network of artisans and designers dedicated to their craft.”

“Keeping these traditions alive is essential to the studio — so is updating their forms and bringing these timeless techniques into the now to achieve authentic, distinctive designs.”

The post Zabuton: Wooden Sofa Inspired by Japanese Floor Mats first appeared on Dornob.

Countless possibilities to build nearly every situation of sitting or laying down comfortably are the result. Armchairs, couches, a carpet or a bed…there’s even one pillow shown with a square cutout for storage or to hold a planter. Price available upon request…which is often a polite way of saying, ‘This ain’t gonna come cheap, friend.'”

The post Modular Floor Pillows Zip Together to Create Whatever You Want first appeared on Dornob.

Of course, it’s all subjective. One person’s nightmare of a pastel pink 1950s bathroom is another’s sweetest dream. Even conversation pits, formerly regarded as faux pas reflecting a dire need for an immediate renovation, are regaining a little bit of popularity among bold homeowners who like their common areas to promote face-to-face interaction above all else. But once the hype has passed on the latest look, virtually every hyper-trendy interior design element goes through a period in which it’s just plain tired. The question is, are you willing to replace elements that are going to look passé in a matter of months, or hang onto them through a sort of stylistic hangover that could potentially last for decades?

In 2018, some of the biggest interior design trends included marble everything, rose gold accents, terrazzo tile, ikat patterns, brass, jewel-toned upholstery, and minimalist art. Now, according to tastemakers like Elle Decor, all of these things are out in favor of maximalist art, bold and colorful Memphis-style graphics, acrylic furniture, and all-black bathrooms. But how soon do you think it will be before these trends are cast aside for the next shiny thing?

It’s fun to dabble in whatever the cool kids are doing, but if you really want to keep up with the times without creating all the waste that comes with redecorating, consider using trends as accessories against a backdrop of more classic elements that fit your personal style. Not all of us are designers, so it’s okay if you need some guidance to feel confident in your choices, but there’s a lot to say for a more intuitive approach that allows you to trust your own instincts about what truly makes you feel happy within your own home. That way, you end up with something that really says “you” to anyone who enters, rather than the simple amalgamation of a thousand different Pinterest images.

Another way to avoid becoming the interior design version of a fashion victim is to go the Coco Chanel route and carefully curate the things your rooms are “wearing.” Overdone motifs can easily overwhelm a room, especially if you’re going with a niche theme like “nautical,” “shabby chic,” “hunting lodge,” or “Parisian café.” Of course, the same can happen with popular styles like industrial, Scandinavian, and midcentury modern. For that reason, you’ll find that a little subtlety goes a long way towards achieving an overall effect that feels much more timeless and resistant to the whims of outside influences. But if kitsch is your intention, go for it.

Quality and sustainability will always be in fashion. If you can find trendy pieces that can be repurposed or recycled when they’re no longer cool, it’ll be all the better for both your ever-evolving style and the planet. But focus on avoiding the waste associated with frequent replacement and items with short life spans, and you’ll avoid a lot of the pitfalls of following trends, as well.

Ultimately, every rule is made to be broken, and if the outdated Tuscan kitchens of the mid 2000s, chevron print, or faux shiplap are exactly what warms the cockles of your heart — well, just have fun with it. And who knows? As the wheel of trends keeps turning, you might find that it’s not long at all before you’re accidentally hip again.

The post Can Interior Design Be Too Trendy? first appeared on Dornob.

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Elevating the Concept

Raised floors are nothing new. Countless office buildings around the world have installed them on top of solid substrates (usually concrete slabs) to house everything from electrical and mechanical systems to computer rooms, IT data storage centers, and technological command hubs. These hidden spaces typically range from two inches to four feet in height.

Banchini collaborated with French designer Laure Jaffuel to take the raised floor model one step further, ultimately naming their creation “3-8.” Instead of using hidden spaces to mask unsightly wires and IT stations, the pair created spaces large enough to accommodate entire meeting rooms and conventional workstations — not to mention a kitchen and garden.

The Amenities of 3-8

Permanently installed on the fourth floor of the Centre Pompidou, 3-8’s primary function will be to host educational lectures and workshops put on by the museum. Hinged floor panels open to reveal the rooms underneath, to which a set of easily navigable stairs provides quick access. Although each new space was assigned a specific use, all of these underground floors can be easily modified as their occupants’ needs change.

A large section of seven hinged floor panels exposes a working kitchen, complete with a storage area, sink, and a rack rail to hold cups, cooking utensils, pots, and pans. A similarly-sized floor section conceals a seating area illuminated by an undulating neon red light.

Beneath these submerged levels is a compact garden, with small plants thriving in rich soil all throughout. Adjacent to this area, two more panels cover up an advanced speaker system. Open other subtly installed panels to find an assortment of desks for visitors alongside a big flat-screen TV.

Banchini’s Vision

Banchini was always impressed with the vision of Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the men who designed the original Centre Pompidou. He believes that the innovative upgrade reflects the progressive architectural concepts that inspired the original building and helps the world of office design move forward.

He explains: “raised floors are a common element of office architecture. However, they seem to be disregarded by architects and are rarely used outside of their primary function. Hiding all the functional elements under the surface allowed us to completely free the space, but it is also a reference to utopian architectures developed at the same time as the beautiful architecture of the Centre Pompidou.”

Banchini hopes his creative use of larger submerged spaces will motivate other designers and architects to develop unique ways to utilize underused office space. He adds: “The installation is not trying to provide a new model for offices, it is merely meant to question the alienating office culture that we take for granted. The misappropriation of the office space should encourage us to high-jack daily life objects and emancipate design from preconceived usages.”

An Encore Extra

In 2016, Banchini created an inflatable PVC nightclub in his studio Bureau A, when he hosted the yearly party of the Federation of Swiss Architects. He incorporated this whimsical addition into the Centre Pompidou project. The inflatable structure extends out from under a raised tile of office flooring.

The post Hide and Sink: Leopold Banchini Design Conceals Rooms and Objects Under Office Floors first appeared on Dornob.

Sometimes, this means inserting small modern features into the courtyards themselves. These additions simply “plug in” to the homes and don’t require any extensive renovations to be made to the structures around them. For example, People’s Architecture Office (also known as PAO) created a small pop-up home that could be built in a day using nothing but a hex key, and B.L.U.E. conceived of a tiny transforming house that fits perfectly into a hutong’s narrow alleyways. Now, a gorgeous new project by Arch Studio is showing everyone just how much can be done when these historic structures are given the love and attention they deserve. Their “Twisting Courtyard” blends the home’s traditional features with modern elements and makes it look like a brand new development.

Twisting Courtyard is a traditional “Siheyuan” residence located in the city’s Dashilan district, just south of Tiananmen Square. Before being renovated, the home only had one entryway and was in desperate need of running water and a proper sewage system. Arch Studio gave the structure a much-needed update, inserting some beautiful features into its interiors like floor-to-ceiling glass walls and contemporary versions of traditional Chinese screens. Nonetheless, the house’s defining feature is undoubtedly its curving outer pathway, which flows through the center of the courtyard and rises to become a tall arch at one end. Part of the walkway even passes through the home’s glass walls, allowing it interact with the inside areas almost as much as it does with the outside ones.

“The design aims at getting rid of the solemn and stereotyped impression given by Siheyuan, and creating an open and active living atmosphere,” explain the architects. “Based on the existing layout of the courtyard, the undulated floor is used to connect indoor and outdoor spaces of different heights. And it is extended to the inside of the house, twisting into walls and roof, thus creating a dynamic connection between inside and outside space.”

This wavy ribbon of brick gives the entire hutong a sense of motion, resembling a frozen waterfall flowing into a river. Its curvaceousness contrasts with the rigid lines that have come to define Siheyuan houses, and where it rises to meet the ceiling, it disguises some of Arch Studio’s modern additions to preserve the courtyard’s classic feel.

The firm notes, “What’s hidden within the curved wall is necessary auxiliary spaces such as kitchen, toilet and warehouse; while reception and dining spaces are shown outside the curved wall and connect to the courtyard as a whole. Both indoor and outdoor floors are paved with gray brick. A hawthorn tree in the courtyard is kept and being part of the twisting landscape.”

Each of the facades facing the courtyard contains an isolated living area, all of which can be rented out for events like meetings, family gatherings, and parties. The courtyard itself is open to the general public.

The post Curving Courtyard Floor “Makes Waves” in This Traditional Beijing Home first appeared on Dornob.

Most of us, when we want to change up the look of our flooring, get a new rug, install carpet, or lay some new tiles. For Dubai company Imperial Interiors and their clients, the answer is a lot more impressive – and a lot more extreme.

The totally impressive 3D floors are created using a specialized photo printer and then covered with epoxy and lacquer. They call it “3D Liquid Flooring,” a name that seems especially appropriate given that some of the most impressive designs are those featuring underwater scenes.

The company can create whatever design you desire. Some of their projects have included an endless field of roses, a dolphin jumping out of the floor, tons of scenes that make you think you’re walking on water, and a floor covered in various coins.

Imperial Interiors says that their high-quality epoxy floors are easy to care for and sturdy enough to be used in public buildings.

The awesome technique can turn a floor into a huge work of art – art that you can live with and be surrounded by every day. Plus, it just looks really fun to walk around on a school of colorful fish.

“IMPERIAL INTERIORS has been offering a complete portfolio of best interior and contractor services and have successfully completed some of the most demanding and challenging projects for companies in the UAE, Ukraine and Russia. Our services cover the entire spectrum needed for a smart interior, right from design conceptualization to total Fit-out & Turnkey projects.”

“Imperial Interiors is a reliable design company, that offers its services in Dubai and UAE. We are a team of professionals, offering high quality solutions for your premises. Amongst our services you can find: Interior Design, Fit Out, Luxury Decorations, Joinery, Upholstery, 3D Floors, 3D Walls, 3D Tiles, Stretch Ceilings  etc.”

The post Shaaaark! 3D Photorealistic Floor Decals first appeared on Dornob.

The evidence of another person passing through a room, clumsily upturning the corner of a rug, shifts from a temporary annoyance into a permanent feature with this clever piece of furniture. Stumble Upon by Alessandro Isola is a rug with a built-in coffee table consisting of its own curving edge, hardened to provide a stable surface.

A reflective underside makes the corner stand out, providing a sharp contrast between the rug and its own underlay, one side richly textural and the other perfectly smooth.

This part of the rug, usually not meant to be seen, becomes even more of a visual highlight than its soft surface, adding a functional place to set books or drinks while seated on the floor.

Says the designer, “If you look down you may see a crease, a fold or a wrinkle in the carpet for instance. Signifying a movement or activity that happened on the surface of that very floor space.”

“Taking inspiration from the creases and folds of carpets that one can stumble upon, usually causing slight annoyance, this coffee table enhances those folds and curves creating an aesthetic and functional effect. The project captures an ephemeral, accidental and everyday movement and freezes it in time, giving to it a new, extra dimension – that of a coffee table. The fold of the corner edge is exaggerated to produce a dual surface; a handmade rug on the top, and an underlying perfectly smooth, flat surface. Usually the back of a rug is not as attractive and the project here provides for an alternative twist.”

“From a stumble on a rug, an annoying accident, becomes the inspiration for an everyday object: the Stumble Upon Coffee Table.”

About the designer:

“Alessandro Isola studio is a multidisciplinary design practice based in London that specialises in architecture, interiors, and product design. The studio was founded in 2014 by Alessandro Isola. Alessandro’s formal training began at home in Italy, where he studied Art and Interior Architecture in Milan. He then headed to England and graduated in Architecture at the Oxford Brookes University School of Architecture, where he was granted a distinction and awarded the coveted Michael King memorial prize.”

“He then concluded his studies at the prestigious Architectural Association in London and worked for Foster + Partners where he also gained his RIBA/ARB professional chartered qualification. He then co-founded IM Lab and subsequently started his practice in 2014.”

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Aligned alongside floating steps that bring you right up next to your favorite volumes whenever you walk up or down, this lovely storage system organizes space as well as books.

This Rotterdam townhouse is tall and narrow, but by pushing storage to the side, Shift enabled it to feel bright and open with continuously-flowing, open-riser stairs.

By pulling the steps back from the bookcases, each shelving box is allowed to float free and feel more like the first priority in the design from which everything else follows.

And it is more than just a visual effect: these cases are in fact part of the structural system of the overall house, replacing a load-bearing central wall down its middle.

From the architects:

“This so called do-it-yourself dwelling in the centre of Rotterdam is part of a bold experiment initiated by the municipality to revitalize dilapidated urban areas. Run-down pre-war dwellings are renovated on the outside and brought back to their monumental appearance, while the interiors are stripped bare.”

“The empty shell dwellings are primarily bought by enthusiastic young people who transform them according to their specific needs, desires and budgets. Real estate developers have picked up the initiative and a new demand driven market of urban housing has been generated in recent years. The result is a growing number of contemporary custom-made dream houses within the uniform old fabric of the traditional nineteenth and early twentieth century city.”

“Vertical loft is a house without walls, where the three floors are stitched together into one continuous space. One oversized closet connects all the floors and functions as a storage device for the whole house. This piece of XXL-furniture, measuring 10 meters in length and 9 meters in height, replaces the load bearing middle wall of the original house. Its modular system integrates kitchen appliances, bookshelves, wardrobe, and a walk in closet.”

The post Bookcase Spans 3 Levels of Renovated Loft first appeared on Dornob.

Greenery outside of planters always sounds great in theory, but what happens when it gets overgrown, requires extra care or just generally starts to make a mess? Those are the questions that this organic carpet design by plant artist Makoto Azuma attempts to address, in cooperation with Unitika, displayed at the Milan Furniture Fair (with photos from Inhabitat.)

The magic is what happens underneath the rug: a plant-based fiber supporting roots and storing seeds that is “decomposed (biodegraded) by microorganisms in compost or in soil after 10 years. Eventually only carbon dioxide and water remain.”

“TERRAMAC is named by combining ‘TERRA’ meaning ‘earth’ or ‘mother earth’ and ‘MAC’ meaning ‘Son’ in Latin. The name, TERRAMAC, expresses ‘children (sons) of the mother earth’ and carries an image of the ‘products friendly to the earth and loved by all animate being.'”

“My work for this exhibition shows the encounter and coexistence of two lifeforms with different origins. living things connect strongly and straightforwardly, and conceal unlimited possibilities,” says the artist of his moss carpets.

The exhibit built upon “Time for Moss,” another installation by Makoto Azuma, which debuted at Tokyo Fiber ’09.  Get a good look at the details – which sometimes include carnivorous plants like the Venus fly trap – and you’ll realize that perhaps the moss isn’t great to walk on, after all. But there seems to be some potential in the concept, and maybe having a living carpet in your home is preferable to a bunch of plastic anyway.

Makoto Azuma is known for spectacular plant-based sculptural works, many testifying to the resiliency of nature in even the harshest of environments. He has photographed bonsai in abandoned places, created many sculptural installations using living flowers and has even sent bouquets into space, photographing them against the cloudy blue atmosphere of Earth. His nature art is no less than stunning, and there’s always more to it than appears at first glance.

The post Grow a Living Moss Carpet In Your Home first appeared on Dornob.

Stuck in a small lot with nosy neighbors? No worries: just built up instead of out, like the architects of this home on the remote island Sentosa (near Singapore).

Guz Architects‘ plan was, in part, to create something that felt like a one-story dwelling but sat up above the neighbors, treating the first floor like a basement (conceptually) and the second story with its green deck like a main-floor house and garden, with yet a third story and green roof on that.

A central stair and airy atrium channel light, breezes and occupants up and down through the core, connecting a sublime terrace above with the more secluded living spaces below.

None of this focus on the upper levels is meant to suggest the actual entry floor was not well-designed, with its own secluded outdoor space as well as relatively-small exterior deck leading out to the water’s edge.

The swimming pool with its glass walls is a pretty incredible experience, as well.

“This house is located on a new housing estate on the island of Sentosa adjacent to Singapore. The plots are not large and neighbouring buildings are built close to the sides of each house. Thus our strategy was to build a solid wall to each side neighbor to provide privacy where possible, while creating a central light and stair well which would funnel the sea breeze through the centre of the building. The front and rear of the building meanwhile, terrace back allowing each story to have visual or actual access to greenery.”

“The intention was to try to allow each roof garden provided a base for the story above allowing the layered effect to make each story feel like it was a single storey dwelling sitting in a garden.as much as we could do in the close confines of Sentosa island and with such a large building!”

The post Sky Garden House Takes Green to New Levels first appeared on Dornob.

If you have not done it, you have at least seen it: the lazy approach to kitchen cleanup where someone drops a towel on the ground then sweeps it around with their foot.

This (still-conceptual) device takes things a step further, so to speak, using sole-mounted rotary cleaners to catch dust and dirt as you walk around your home.

The pair is designed to be battery-operated so you can close them up and charge them when not in use, with an LED display to monitor their status from above at a glance.

Conceived of by Adika Titut Triyugo it is hard to imagine these are going to hit the shelves of your local shoe store anytime soon, but one could imagine a technological leap making something like this into a simple attachment to an existing pair of boots or sneakers.

The post Shoe Sweeps: Floor-Cleaning Footwear Dusts & Disinfects first appeared on Dornob.

Too lazy to wipe off your boots when coming inside? There’s a gadget for that. To be fair, most of us are fine with a few extra steps – at least when the alternative costs over five thousand dollars – but for those who just have to have it all, this may be the mat for you.

Most of the time, when it comes to shopping for rugs, mats and other floor coverings, we think in terms of  whether we can vacuum them clean or not. In this case, you don’t vacuum the rug. The rug vacuums you. Hey, it makes sense, right? You’re the one tracking all that dirt inside, not the other way around.

“The mat was developed by Paionia Furyokuki and its surface is perforated with valves that are only opened as they’re stepped on,” explains Gizmodo. “So as someone walks across the mat, it activates what are essentially a series of little vacuums that suck the dirt and debris off the sole of the shoe, and then into an external unit where it can be later disposed of.”

Creator Furyokuki has this to say about his creative entry mat solution:

“So far, mats have often been rented to users, and if they get dirty, the user replaces or cleans them. But with our product, the mat itself suctions dirt, so the mat is always clean. This mat has an unusual concept, as the mat itself stops dirt from being carried into a building, by cleaning people’s shoes.”

Now, to be fair, these vacuum floor mats are probably a great idea for high-traffic industrial spaces that are hard to keep clean, or for someone with a passion, say, for fixing and cleaning cars in their garage. And who knows: maybe with time the technology will become cheaper, and these will replace everyday mud mats in the modern home.

The post This Entry Rug Sucks, Literally first appeared on Dornob.

There is certainly a joke in here somewhere about being scared into going to the bathroom, but you can certainly sort that out for yourself having seen this death-defying floor.

Hernandez Silva Arquitecto saw an opportunity in a strangely-unused secondary elevator shaft when updating this top-floor residence, illuminating the void below and situating it (oddly) square with the bathroom above.

Nearly as remarkable as the downward view is the lack of pizzazz in the space itself – a simple red-and-white color scheme is almost comically ordinary when compared to the jaw-dropping glass floor.

The post Scary Penthouse Bathroom Sits on 15-Floor Elevator Shaft first appeared on Dornob.