Sharp has been one of the biggest names in home appliances for decades now, especially when it comes to microwave ovens, but they’ve never offered a complete matching kitchen suite until now. The New Jersey-based brand has just announced a new range of smart built-in kitchen appliances that look sharper than ever (pun fully intended).

Designed as a seamless solution for consumers, the suite includes SuperSteam ovens, induction cooktops, wall ovens, a slide-in range, microwave drawers and over-the-range microwave ovens, dishwashers, and refrigerators. That means you can basically have an entire kitchen full of matching high-tech appliances at the click of a button.

Like most of Sharp’s contemporary pieces, these ones will have black edge-to-edge glass and the ability to hide their controls behind a panel for a minimalist look. The company’s goal appears to be to appeal directly to interior designers, architects, and discerning homeowners who want both top quality and sleek modern looks for new kitchens and renovations.

Unveiled at this year’s Nationwide Primetime Show in New Orleans, Louisiana, the line appears clean and simple on the surface, but includes new features like connection to the Internet of Things (IoT).

“This line of kitchen appliances is rooted in Sharp’s rich heritage in cooking,” says Jim Sanduski, President of the Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America. “We’ve taken our experience in the kitchen and created the recipe for a brand-new, end-to-end kitchen solution that is both technologically advanced and beautiful.”

“The entire team at Sharp Home is committed to delivering on our promise to service the dreams and desires of the home cook, and the introduction of our first-ever kitchen suite is another step in our commitment to Simply Better Living,” adds Peter Weedfald, the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“Our revolutionary new products, such as the IoT-enabled SuperSteam+ Built-In Oven and IoT Microwave Drawer, are simple to use and help create great-tasting meals for modern, fast-paced families pursuing a healthier lifestyle.”

You’re not alone if you’re wondering why in the world you’d want your microwave to be connected to the internet, and Sharp has yet to release all of the details behind these new appliances. But generally speaking, smart microwaves are supposed to give you a new level of control over the cooking and reheating process, helping you target exact temperatures and control everything from other rooms via your smartphone. Some smart cooking appliances can even identify exactly what you’re cooking and switch to the appropriate settings automatically.

Sharp says its 24-inch IoT SuperSteam+ Built-In Oven and 24” IoT Microwave Drawer Built-In Oven will allow easy integration into new or existing smart home systems, and other features include “easy wave open” for quick, touch-free opening.

Weedfald also notes that the smart appliances will go hand-in-hand with an app powered by SideChef that lets you browse for a recipe and send instructions directly to your oven, which is pretty cool, especially for people who aren’t the most experienced home cooks.

The new Sharp appliance series is set to launch in 2020, so be sure to stay tuned for more information.

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All About Sage Green

Image via Studio McGee

Muted colors are coming in like a warm blanket to give our interiors an ultra-calming vibe, and none are looking more popular for 2023 than sage green. This soothing, slightly dusty hue works for contemporary and antique design styles alike, pairing beautifully with just about everything — including black, white, and natural wood tones.

Finding Meaning

This past year was dominated by eclectic, maximalist interior design trends, with designers buying all kinds of attention-drawing objects to place on clients’ their tables and shelves. As we move into 2023, the process of choosing those objects is becoming more intentional. Instead of random trinkets, people are choosing items that resonate on a personal level for their homes. Perhaps that’s an antique passed down from a relative, a gift from a friend, or an object that reminds you of a favorite memory.

Arches and More Arches

Image via Vaunt Design

Hallways, doors, shower niches. Arches are coming back in a big way in 2023, building on the curved furniture trends we’ve seen in previous years. More recently, they’ve taken over luxury commercial spaces like hotels and designer retail stores. We’ll soon see homeowners renovating their interiors to achieve a similar effect.

Multi-Use Rooms

Modern life can change in the blink of an eye, so we could all use a little more flexibility. Perhaps one day you want to use that little corner of your living room as a music listening area, and the next day you want to use it as a home office. Perhaps your extra room needs to work for both yoga practice and a guest space. Adaptable furniture and multi-use setups are a top priority nowadays, so it’s time to get creative to make the most of our spaces.

Natural Stone

Image via Lynn Byrne

Bold, textural, and evocative of nature, natural stone is never really out of style, but be on the lookout for interiors using it in a whole new way next year. Designers are using stone slabs with interesting colors and patterns as backsplashes, countertops, bathroom floors, and even ceilings.

Small Luxuries

Maybe you can’t afford that one-of-a-kind sculptural sofa on 1stDibs, but it’s not as much of a stretch to save up for an amazing table lamp or an original work of art. These kinds of small-scale luxuries can make a big impact in a space, especially if you make them a focal point. When possible, it’s nice to invest in higher quality and handmade pieces instead of mass-produced “fast furniture” objects and decor, most of which fall apart after just a few years.

Restoring Thrift Store Finds

Image via A Ray of Sunlight

Thrift stores are full of items that have tons of potential, if only you can see past their current condition. Sometimes all it takes is a little elbow grease, polish, paint, or new hardware to give a junky-looking piece a whole new life. The process can be a lot less involved than you imagine, even if you don’t have a lot of experience. Pinterest is packed with DIY thrift store furniture projects you can browse for inspiration.

A Balance Between Minimalism and Maximalism

Minimalism was king for a long time before maximalism swung in like a wrecking ball to shake things up. But the reality is that most people’s preferences lie somewhere in the middle, and we’re starting to see that reflected in higher-end interior design, too. That means one thing you’re doing is on-trend without you even trying. Congrats! In the coming year, we’ll likely see a lot more professional examples of well-balanced spaces to give us inspiration for our own homes.

The post Top 8 Interior Design Trends to Refresh Your Home in 2023 first appeared on Dornob.

The coolest thing about the Living O’Pod is the fact that it rotates in a full circle, spinning on its base to change up the views whenever you feel like facing a different direction. Depending on where you put it, you could be gazing out at the forest by day and enjoying the moonlight glimmering on a body of water after dark. Though it looks like it a lack of insulation would make it hard to keep cool or heated in extreme weather, UN10 Design says the pod is equipped with a thermal insulating layer and heating system to ensure normal operation in winter.

The interiors are designed to be comfortable enough for two people, featuring a kitchen, bathroom, and living room on the lower level and a curving sculptural white staircase leading up to the mezzanine bedroom, which is itself large enough to include a desk and seating area. The entryway is a circular glass door that appears to be the only part of the pod’s shell that opens to the air. The interior elements are all made of plywood.

The Living O’Pod is hypothetically set within the Repovesi National Park in Finland, one of the country’s most popular parks featuring picturesque hilly landscapes and forests that are now recovering from heavy commercial timber production. It seems that the company hasn’t yet built an actual prototype, but they explain that all of the pod’s components, including the main steel frame, would be prefabricated in a factory and transported to be assembled onsite to ensure the precision of the spherical shape.

UN10 Design doesn’t get into the technical details, so it’s unclear whether this glass living pod is just a beautiful dream or a fully fleshed-out concept ready to hit the assembly line. In either case, it at least seems possible to achieve. Glass dome homes and houses that rotate on a spinning base both already exist, so why not put the two ideas together in a form as captivating as this one?

“Home should be a personal space where you feel secure, creative, and inspired,” says UN10 Design. “The next housing concept should nurture the habitant’s soul, mind, and also be resilient for upcoming social, environmental, and technological challenges. Minimal, decentralized but connected, smart, and functional spaces need to be considered instead of the conventional urban fabric. The Living O’Pod is a space where you can communicate with mountains, trees, the sky, and streams.”

The post Glass Living O’Pod Rotates 360 Degrees for Unmatched Views first appeared on Dornob.

Located inside LA’s Westfield Century City shopping mall, the SKKN pop-up displays small cylindrical and spherical products on huge slabs of cement and alcoves in the smooth, bare walls. Perron-Roettinger co-founder Willo Perron says he drew inspiration from rock quarries when designing the 1,330-square-foot space, bringing in large-scale shapes meant to evoke massive chunks of raw minerals. Instead of contrasting with the products, the setting amplifies their simple, elemental forms.

If the products are a little mysterious, that’s because they’re meant to be. Perron-Roettinger created opaque containers that obscure their contents, with labels like “face cream” and “exfoliator” printed in tiny, barely legible text. The refillable containers are also housed within secondary packaging that’s textured to resemble naturally occurring materials.

“We like how it feels to hold a ceramic mug, the natural color of a clay pot, what it feels like to run your hand through sand, and all the different shades and textures of limestone quarry,” Perron-Roettinger co-founder Brian Roettinger told It’s Nice That.

Staying within the same limited gray and beige color palette, Kardashian’s SKKN Home Accessories Collection is also on display at the LA pop-up. The five-piece houseware collection aims to capture the “calming aesthetic and neutral color palette of Kardashian’s home.” All made of hand-poured concrete, the collection consists of a vanity tray, spherical storage container, waste basket, tissue box, and a canister with a lid.

“I knew I wanted to complement my skincare collection with home accessories, designed to display my products and elevate the home with modern, minimalistic elegance,” Kardashian says. “When designing this collection, I wanted to bring the monochromatic interior design elements from my home to others. I’m excited to be able to share this collection with everyone.”

The SKKN pop-up shop will remain in place until the end of the year. As stark as the interior design and products may be, there’s no confusing the store for that of any other brand. Two enormous digital displays splashed with Kim’s face bookend the space, reminding shoppers what they’re really there for: a little bit of bottled essence du nouveau riche.

Willo Perron previously designed a pop-up store for Kardashian’s brand of undergarments, SKIMS, in 2021. Located on the ground floor of the Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, the store was similarly smooth, beige, and low on embellishments, but drew inspiration from the hues and curves of human bodies instead of stone. The same design was repeated for a second pop-up store in Los Angeles later that year.

The post Kim Kardashian’s SKKN Pop-Up Store is Just as Greige as Her Minimalist Home first appeared on Dornob.

It’s immediately clear why such pieces would be displayed in a gallery: they are indisputable works of art. The sculptural “Khanda” table is a standout, consisting of three separate black wood pieces that can either be pushed together or separated for flexible usage. “Khanda is a playful yet grounded piece with a certain sense of timelessness in its solid mass,” explain the designers. “Its function varies from a low table, a pair of stools, a bench… it is a dynamic piece of furniture which evolves in a room by changing its function over time.”

A pair of stools called “Cuddle” function much the same way as the Khanda table, coming together like living creatures seeking comfort. The makers explain that the design was born “as a story between two beings,” bringing two seated users together in close proximity or separating them as more autonomous beings.

Likewise, the alluring “La Nuit Étoilée” armchair embraces the user with a mysterious shape and a color palette inspired by the midnight sky. “As we approach it from the back, it appears like a piece of the moon, levitating in space,” says Atelier Pendhapa. “ [The inside] reveals a radically contrasting interior in soft night blue. A swivel mechanism is concealed within its solid dark wooden structure.”

The “Mast” chair aims to bring balance to the body with its solidity, which “anchors the object in space.” Its curved design consists of just two elements, a base, and a circular back that folds around the body to provide a sense of intimacy. The “Anchor” chair achieves a similar effect in a slightly different shape, with a lower center of gravity and a soft blue velvet seat.

The “Sarani” trio of objects takes its name from the Sanskrit word for “an endless spiritual path,” and includes three pieces designed with this notion of infinity embodied in their curving shapes. Atelier Pendhapa collaborated with a local fine metal craftsman to bring the objects to life, pairing their signature black teak with Kuningan metal. The objects include a striking coffee table, a vase, and a bowl.

Other pieces by Atelier Pendhapa are just as captivating, like the “Naksathra” sofa with its skeletal black frame and structured white cushions, the graphic black and white “L’Écorce” bench with its built-in side table, and the invigorating “Admani” bench, a collaboration with artist Helena Bajaj Larsen.

Founded in 2019, Atelier Pendhapa consists of designer/architect duo Antonin Hautefort of France and Ignatio Tenggara of Indonesia. Hautefort and Tenggara bring together their diverse cultural backgrounds and a shared passion for local craftsmanship to design spaces and objects that evolve over time, yet feel timeless and always in dialogue with their context.

The post Atelier Pendhapa’s Dramatic Black Teak Furniture Collection Debuts at Paris Gallery first appeared on Dornob.

The idea for Muuw started during the pandemic when Tommy Truup, an expert in steel fabrication, decided he wanted to create work-from-home spaces that could also act as backyard retreats. Truup founded Muuwspace and designed his ideal one-room escape, with a shape inspired by beehives and the carbon structures in human cells.

Three of the pod’s six walls are floor-to-ceiling windows, so the 100-square-foot space feels much more expansive than it really is. Insulated glazing from Saint-Gobain features a metallic blue external reflection so you can maintain privacy and avoid getting overheated.

The cabin is constructed from durable galvanized steel, insulated fully for all climates, and capable of withstanding a heavy snow load on its roof. It also boasts luxurious floor heating, a quiet speed-controllable ventilation system, dimmable LED lights inside and out, a triple-glazed aluminum entry door, wall-integrated speakers, five electrical sockets, and two separate USB charging sockets. It even comes with an attached terrace with a frame made of hot dip galvanized steel.

A variety of interior finishes are available for the Muuw backyard work pod, including oak laminate on the ceiling and walls. The outdoor deck and screen at the entrance of the pod can be made of ash or pine wood. Buyers customize the Muuw to their liking and send the order to Muuwspace’s factory, where it’s built and delivered to the installation site in separate pieces. Assembly takes just one or two days depending on access to the installation site, which could be a backyard, garden, terrace, or even remote land. The whole thing is delivered on the back of a truck.

“Muuw can be used as an add-on to your main home or placed in a completely separate area of your choice – depending on whether you’d use it for focused work, productivity, reading, self-development, hobbies, or full relaxation,” the company says. “The interior is a calming, personal space – fitting snugly inside the building’s hexagonal structure. Each Muuw space boasts modern interiors and vast, panoramic views.”

“The unique exterior design also feels incredibly contemporary, using minimalistic materials combined with warm, traditional wood that’s sure to attract everyone’s attention. Just picture yourself stood in the Muuw, looking out over the horizon – we guarantee it will provide you with the feeling that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, with relaxation being the key to productivity and accomplishment.”

Pricing for each Muuw pod starts at $32,000, depending on the options you choose. Muuwspace is currently able to deliver and assemble the pods throughout Europe and the United States, including the UK, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland. It takes 8 to 16 weeks to receive your Muuw after ordering.

The post Upgrade Your Home Office with the Muuw Backyard Work Pod first appeared on Dornob.

Responding to the threat of rising sea levels and other hazards of climate change, Land on Water envisions a flexible, sustainable solution that totally eliminates the need for environmentally harmful materials like styrofoam. Floating homes, campsites, community centers, small parks, and structures supporting all kinds of other functions rest on flat-pack mesh cages made of reinforced recycled plastic and filled with upcycled flotation materials.

If the needs of the occupants change and they want to expand or increase the weight of whatever the foundations are supporting, they can simply add more flotation materials to the foundations. MAST imagines that such a system could help avoid the waste that plagued the architecture of the 20th century, which was too rigid to support changing needs and lifestyles.

“The system was inspired by gabion construction, an ancient technology which utilizes mesh cages filled with rubble to create extremely sturdy, low cost foundations,” says MAST. “In this case the concept is inverted; and the modular ‘cages’ are filled with locally sourced, upcycled flotation supporting the weight of any structure built on top. They are also much more adaptable than existing solutions since flotation can be added or adjusted at any time if weight is added or shifted around above.”

“‘Land on Water promises a far better underwater environment than existing solutions. While steel and concrete foundations are commonly treated with toxic anti-fouling paints, Land on Water provides an ideal habitat for fish and crustaceans and an anchor point for mollusks and seaweeds.”

MAST says a floating community could be as small as several homes belonging to members of a single family or as large as an entire city. The architects imagine its use everywhere from houses in Seattle to campsites on an Oslo fjord and saunas on the riverfront of Hobart in Australia.

The modules can be assembled into all kinds of configurations, incorporating areas of open water connected by walkways as sheltered places to fish and swim. Large terraced decks can double as outdoor auditoriums and dance floors. The bases are also strong enough to support the growth of mature trees, potentially allowing for the creation of small floating forests.

If any of that sounds unrealistic to you, here’s a great example where a similar floating neighborhood system worked in the real world. Designed by Dutch firm Rohmer, these 75 mixed-income units on Steigereiland on the Netherlands’ IJ Lake are also designed to grow and change. However, this community is made of more conventional materials like steel and concrete. While both concepts have the potential to help us envision a new way of living, MAST’s design improves upon the idea with its focus on sustainability.

The post Land on Water: A Modular Floating Building System by MAST first appeared on Dornob.

Expandable and customizable, The Dresser starts with a single base for all sizes. You simply select the drawer units that fit your needs now, with the ability to swap them out in the future if your needs change. Start with either the Two Unit Dresser, which is 47 inches wide, or the Three Unit Dresser, which is 71 inches wide. Then choose your drawer configuration from eight available combinations. You could have a smaller number of larger drawers, a larger number of smaller drawers, shelves with cabinet-style doors, or a combination of any of the three.

Then, you get to choose your frame and top color in walnut, maple, or beige, and your drawer/door covers, available in the same options plus jasper green and canary yellow. You can always change your mind later and purchase new drawer units in different configurations or colors. If you want to go from a double unit to a triple unit, just add an extra base surface.

The idea behind Floyd’s modular system is that your furniture can easily move and grow with you. The modularity makes it easy to transport — a key reason why many people buy from IKEA in the first place — and easy to shift into new shapes and sizes as needed. Say you move into a studio apartment, and suddenly that huge bookcase you bought no longer fits your space. If you had Floyd’s shelving system, instead of getting rid of it, you could just assemble it into a different shape, or break it into multiple units.

The heavy duty base materials, including 11-gauge steel and FSC-certified walnut, mean that unlike most modular minimalist furniture you’ll find on the market, these pieces could be a new version of the old family heirloom, adapted to the more nomadic modern lifestyle. Founders Kyle Hoff and Alex O’Dell launched Floyd in an effort to reduce our reliance on disposable furniture, designing the pieces to be as inclusive as possible.

In addition to the new Dresser, favorites from Floyd include the aforementioned Bed Frame, which boasts a simple, low-slung design with available add-ons like underbed storage, a headboard, and a size expansion kit; The Sofa, a minimalist frame covered in cozy cushions that can be expanded with a chaise; The Sectional, which is just as modular as you’d imagine; and The Table, which draws inspiration from Floyd’s original Leg.

The Dresser is available now, starting at $3,000 for the Two Unit version, $4,500 for the Three Unit version, and $1,200 for the expansion units.

The post The Dresser by Floyd Furniture is Modular, Minimalist, and Expandable to Grow With You first appeared on Dornob.

Seeking a home for their young family and their retired parents, one Belgian couple purchased such a property and contemplated their options. Ultimately, they decided they wanted to preserve the history and character of the existing buildings, hiring Aalst-based firm Objekt Architecten to bring their vision to life.

The design brief was relatively unusual. The clients wanted one home for themselves and their children, and a separate but connected “care home” for their elderly parents. This aging-friendly home would need to be set up so that the parents could live there for the rest of their lives, even as their abilities changed. Both homes would require privacy and nice views of the surrounding farmlands while maintaining easy access to each other in case of emergencies.

Objekt Architecten started by preserving as many of the exterior walls of the crumbling buildings as they could. They chose concrete as a primary material to complement the neutral tones and textures of the existing brick, plaster, and mortar. Red terracotta floor tiles and traditional red clay roofing tiles were also brought in to mimic the look and feel of the original elements.

The architects left the appearance of the existing house and barn unchanged, turning the old farmhouse into the care home portion of the estate. Designed with accessibility in mind, the single-level structure contains sleeping quarters, a bathroom, and several spacious storage rooms, as well as covered outdoor areas. This home connects directly to the young family’s new house, which was built within the shell of the adjacent barn.

Clad in a striking bronze-colored aluminum finish, the new volume is set back from the original walls under the same new roof to create covered outdoor walkways. The roof of the care home was extended to stand perpendicular to the new volume. On the other side, the roof rests on the original exterior wall. One long hall links all the bedrooms, and skylights let in an abundance of natural light.

The architects call this project “Old & New,” reflecting both the contrast in historic and modern architectural styles and the contrasting but complementary needs of various generations of the family.

The team explains that “in the new house, the choice fell on a low-maintenance, polished concrete floor. In the sitting area — which houses the lounge and the play area — a contrasting sandblasted oak herringbone parquet was chosen. In the center of the house, we find a royal blue core, which on one side houses a toilet, a cloakroom, and a staircase, and on the other side is part of the kitchen and storage room. The rounded kitchen island, finished in a natural wood tone, has a peach-colored countertop.”

“Together with the brass accents, these give the whole a contemporary, luxurious look. With this renovation, we tried to transform an existing house into a care home where the original residents feel at home and can live a lifetime, while the clients do not have to sacrifice modern comfort and privacy.”

The post Old & New: Belgian Farmhouse Converted into a Contemporary Care Home first appeared on Dornob.

The Orphosis’ ergonomic shape is created by strong folds and an angled bottom that balances the distribution of weight. The folds remain in place while you walk, hike, bend over, or toss the bag into the backseat of your car. The double-layer fabric is durable and water resistant, and the backpack features both padded shoulder and chest straps for the most comfortable carrying experience possible, even when you’re packing it to its maximum capacity.

When folded, the Orphosis origami backpack measures 19.3 inches tall, 12.2 inches wide, and 4.7 inches deep. When expanded, the depth increases to 9.4 inches. Changing the capacity is as simple as folding in the sides and snapping them together.

The Orphosis doesn’t sacrifice functionality for its minimalist looks. You can’t tell from the outside, but it actually has all the special pockets you could ask for in a backpack. The security pocket on the side is the perfect place to tuck your wallet and phone, since you can reach in without taking the backpack off. The chest strap also tucks into its own pocket in one of the main backpack straps when you don’t need it.

A deep side pocket with magnetic closure is capable of holding various water bottle sizes up to 32 ounces, or an umbrella. Inside, you’ll find a pocket that fits laptops up to 16 inches long, a tablet pocket, pockets for other tech like charging cables and ear buds, and even an anti-RFID pocket for the security of your personal data. The whole backpack unzips like a clam shell for easy access to everything you carry.

The backpack’s Kickstarter page explains that the design is “based on research and good understanding of the way people use backpacks. Orphosis was designed and prototyped in California by James Piatt, a well-rounded industrial designer in innovative product design solutions, materials, product engineering, and architecture. ‘We like to think of Orphosis Backpack a piece of functional art, and we hope our designs inspire our users to also think creatively,’ says Piatt.”

The design team adds that the backpack is “socially responsible…and sustainable by design. Longer product lifetime is better for the environment. We have a top-notch and responsible supplier who has supported some successful global brands and well-known crowdfunding brands. Their high-quality testing and quality control system can meet our high function and quality requirements.”

Want to snatch up an Orphosis minimalist backpack of your own? Check out the Kickstarter campaign to back the project. A pledge of $79 or more will get you a backpack at 40 percent off the expected retail price of $129.99.

The post Orphosis: Origami-Like Backpack Expands and Contracts on Demand first appeared on Dornob.

Beginning with the 2024 Alpha5 Plasmatail, a DeLorean DMC 12 that takes the company’s Back to the Future star to the next level, the company’s newest electric model is even more impressive, with a purposefully over-the-top Robocop allure. Dubbed the Omega 2040, the concept envisions an uncertain future not only dominated by electric cars, but one where an increasingly harsh and rugged landscape necessitates a pivot from purely style to form and (more importantly) function.

Described by DeLorean as taking its inspiration from “Baja-themed off-road racing,” the Omega 2040 looks more like an all-terrain vehicle at first glance than it does the DeLorean you know and love. With its high, lifted body and jumbo wheels, the EV looks ready to jump into a Mad Max-level wasteland fully charged and ready to rumble.

Known for delivering forward-thinking car concepts for over 40 years, the DeLorean Company certainly knows how to deliver when it comes to creating vehicles that even now look futuristic. A somewhat iconoclastic model that toes the line between sleek, polished virtuosity and rugged off-road appeal, the Omega 2040 is an aesthetic hybrid of sorts. Smooth, aerodynamic lines suggest an EV built for stylish speed and quasi-coupe design, while the highly-stacked body and monster truck wheels show that the car is a lot more than just good looks. Add in DeLorean’s distinctive gull-wing doors that so impressed Marty McFly, and the vision is complete: an impressive minimalist construction built for both speed and style, destined to navigate a post-apocalyptic world with aplomb.

According to DeLorean, the Omega represents a “complete departure from traditional automotive design,” and just one look is enough for any aspiring auto aficionado to see that this dynamic EV is not cut from the same cloth as its contemporaries. Ready to ride into the uncertain future ahead, the all-electric DeLorean Omega 2040 will undoubtedly navigate the roadways of the future with both LED-lit style and all-terrain, off-road ruggedness.

The post Delorean’s Omega 2040 Concept is Built to Endure a “Rugged” Future first appeared on Dornob.

Located on the fourth floor of a First Republic building on Narodni Street in Prague, the Poetizer offices are minimalist yet romantic, much like the company itself. Poetizer is the world’s largest social network for poets and poetry lovers, providing a simple platform where millions of users from 120 countries can publish their creations in plain black text against a crisp white background. The designers wanted to capture the essence of the company and its focus on environmental protection, creating spaces where employees can feel relaxed and included.

At the center of the design is a beautiful indoor greenhouse space, “a wild jungle, a mythical Eden, an area that expresses the concept of wild thinking,” as Císar explains. “Thinking that, according to Claude Lévi-Strauss, is close to our ancient ancestors and contemporary poets. He contrasted this initially intuitive and associative thinking, which he likened to a rich rainforest ecosystem, with an already domesticated, strictly rational thinking.”

Set within a larger room, the greenhouse offers space for streaming poetry readings, lounging, and brainstorming. The gabled open metal frame hosts 171 living plants with over 100 species represented, and sofas and chairs facing each other for small meetings and conversations. Between the plants, the daylight streaming in from the adjacent windows, and the deck-like flooring, six or more occupants can get a little taste of the outdoors without leaving the office.

Just outside the greenhouse is the Poetizer HQ’s main room, containing two islands of individual workstations. The desks are on wheels so users can choose to either keep them grouped together or move them away for privacy and concentration.

If employees want to get even more introspective, they can choose to enter a series of smaller study rooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms in various sizes, all painted dramatic dark hues of green and blue. Feeling almost womb-like in contrast to the bright and open main room, these spaces get extra warmth from lots of wood, pops of red furniture, lush velvet textiles, moody lighting, and additional plants.

“Proud to design for Poetizer, the world’s biggest social network for poetry lovers and a digital publishing house,” says Císar. “The concept builds upon the focus and the minimalist identity of Poetizer. The center stage of the office is occupied by a greenhouse — the wild jungle, the mythical Eden. This boldly placed object creates a space to meet informally, to stream poetry readings, or just simply to relax. Thank you very much Lukáš Sedláček, CEO of Poetizer, for the opportunity and patience.”

The post Beautiful Indoor Greenhouse Takes Poetizer’s Prague Offices to the Next Level first appeared on Dornob.

Designed by Dutch architect Koen Olthuis, the SeaPod is supposed to represent a new way of living in harmony with coastal ecosystems. Ultra-minimalist and nearly all-white, the unusual home features 830 square feet of living space spread across three levels, including a bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and storage areas. It’s perched on a 7.5-foot-high pillar connected to a floating base hidden beneath the surface of the water. This stabilizing base uses more than 1,688 cubic feet of air-filled tubes to stay afloat. To get to and from the home or order supplies, occupants wear a smart ring that summons a vehicle or a food delivery drone. Prices range from $295,000 for the smallest and most basic pods up to $1.5 million.

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The idea behind the SeaPod is to unlock the ocean as a new frontier offering a high quality of life. In contrast with “green technology,” which usually refers to sustainability, Ocean Builders calls its philosophy “blue technology,” turning rising sea levels into a positive by working with the oceans instead of against them. The design of the SeaPod is based on the forms and materials of sea shells, which the company cites as beautiful, organically shaped, and naturally strong.

Ocean Builders CEO Grant Romundt says: “Every day, thousands of people all over the world move closer to the top 15 major metropolitan cities which are within 50 miles of a coastline—a trend that will continue to grow… We’ve been motivated by the opportunity to change and challenge the traditional real estate and tourism models and create first-in-class living experiences that can give back to our ocean environment.”

If all of that sounds a little too futuristic to work, the failure of the launch event might seem like a sign that this technology isn’t quite ready for prime time. Ocean Builders says the embarrassing incident was caused by a bilge pump malfunction that affected the balance of a steel spar in the prototype and caused it to flood. They insist that there was no damage, and in a statement to Autoevolution, a spokesperson for the company says “Like all innovation and new technology, there is a likelihood of trial and error, and that provides an opportunity to learn, improve, and continue to innovate on ocean technology.”

Every innovation has its stops and starts along the way, and an incident like this isn’t necessarily indicative of failure. But one interesting thing to note is that the prototype is so visually different from the company’s renderings. What was revealed in Panama last month looks more like a standard marine lookout tower than a sexy futuristic floating home, raising the question, once again, of whether this launch was just a tad rushed.

The post Eco-Friendly SeaPod Prototype Home Collapses on the Day of its Launch first appeared on Dornob.

Dubbed the “world’s first eco-restorative homes,” SeaPods are the brainchild of the company’s Head of Engineering Rüdiger Koch and Chief Executive Officer Grant Romund. The two partnered with Dutch architect Koen Olthuis and his firm Waterstudio to design a home suited for an aquatic lifestyle.

The pods’ floating capabilities were inspired by the physical properties of an iceberg. Just like most of the mass of an iceberg is underwater, the SeaPods have over 1,688 cubic feet of buoyant, air-filled steel tubes that rest below the surface, pushing the spherical living spaces almost 10 feet above the water.

Each Pod offers 833 square feet of living space within its three-and-a-half floors, including a master bedroom with stunning panoramic views, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The entire space is futuristically simple with hidden light switches, power outlets, and lightbulbs. LED light strips that can provide either blue-toned daytime or yellow-toned nighttime lighting are tucked within floor and ceiling grooves for a true minimalist look. Even cooler, all functions are controlled by “smart rings” worn by the residents, allowing them to turn on their music or unlock a door with just a wave of their hand.

“If Apple had built a home, I think you would end up with the SeaPod,” said Romundt in an interview with CNN. “…There’s a lot of technology built into the homes. I like to think of it as, instead of having a phone as a digital assistant, your home actually becomes your assistant, and you can use it to optimize your life.”

The pod structure is crafted to grow with changing technology. “We have designed Pods to be easily upgradable,” the company writes on their website. “There are set locations behind walls where new devices and components can be plugged in like LEGO pieces for upgraded functionality as technology improves.”

The software controlling the Pods can also be updated remotely. It will be like “a mobile phone where you can install new ‘home apps’ that are constantly being developed.” New automations and sensors can be hot swapped as needed.

Perhaps the best part of the SeaPod lifestyle is the symbiotic existence with the natural world. Instead of destroying natural habitats when a traditional house is built, “when you build a home on the water you actually create a habit for ocean life to thrive,” Ocean Builders said. “…Anytime you put something in the water that makes shade it attracts sea life. It often starts with barnacles and other life starts to grow on the underwater surface of your Pods. This can lead to coral growth and eventually homes for fish.”

The first set of pods are already under construction in Panama’s Linton Bay Marina and are scheduled to be completed and revealed online in late September. They’re expected to sell for between $295,000 to $1.5 million each, with potential buyers being able to move in at the end of 2023. An additional 1,000 pods will go into production by 2024.

Also in the works from Ocean Builders are two other pod models: the land-based GreenPod, and the eco and budget-friendly EcoPod.

The post SeaPods Provide Oceanfront Living While Restoring Life Below the Surface first appeared on Dornob.

Painted black on the outside, the shipping container pool is level with an elevated wooden deck that offers just enough room for a pair of lounge chairs. Measuring the standard 8 feet wide, 8.5 feet high, and 20 feet long, the pool has been fitted with a waterproof liner, built-in bench seating, and underwater lighting. It was professionally made by Modpools, a company that sells shipping container pools all over the United States and Canada, and features an automation system by Pentair that lets you control the lights, pH, and sanitizer performance via smartphone.

Modpools are self-contained portable units, so once you have one, you can take it with you when you move, if you want. All you need is a crane and a flat deck truck. They can be installed above ground, in-ground, or somewhere in between, and they come with an optional lightweight divider wall that turns half of the pool into a hot tub on demand. If you want to try one in person, check out the Casa Cosmos Airbnb in Desert Hot Springs, California, which has a nearly-identical pool to the one at this Joshua Tree residence.

The rest of the home is nothing to sneeze at, either. The renovation was spearheaded by Karen McAloon, former host of the television shows Find Your Style and Design Remix on HGTV and co-founder of design firm X8 Property & Design. McAlool has turned a number of Joshua Tree homes from drab and dated to vacation rental-worthy, and her work on 636 Valencia Drive will have you dreaming of warm arid nights with sage and pinyon pine in the air. The home boasts a Morso fireplace, 26-foot hand-plastered bench, handmade white oak cabinets in the kitchen, and a 45-square-foot white quartz island.

The primary bedroom, which opens onto a private Saltillo tiled patio, features a generously sized en-suite bathroom with a dual walk-in shower. Two guest rooms open to the front patio and share a bathroom with a Roman clay wall treatment. An adjacent garage has been converted to a one bedroom, one bathroom guest casita for even more hosting capabilities.

If you love the idea of a shipping container pool but want to save some cash, it is possible to DIY this project. It can be as cheap and simple as adding a pond liner to a clean, watertight container or more high-end and durable with a fiberglass liner insert. Check out our guide to shipping container pools for more details. For even more of a fun DIY spirit, you can even transform an old dumpster into a swimming pool.

The post You’re Going to Want to Copy This Modern Shipping Container Pool in Joshua Tree first appeared on Dornob.