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Movie Studio Tricks Visually Expand Tokyo’s Tiny 404 Apartment

Stephanie Rogers — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 16:31:32 +0000

If you’re trying to visually enlarge a small space, making the ceilings appear higher than they are is usually the way to go. Techniques that draw the eye up like uplighting and vertical lines trick us into believing a space is tall and airy. When a space is unusually narrow, the opposite technique works in a similar way. That was the case for this tunnel-like apartment in Tokyo, which Office Sugurufukuda was able to horizontally expand using an old movie trick.

The existing layout of “404 Apartment” stretches from the front to the back of the building, with windows and balconies on the north and south ends. The common spaces like the living room, dining area, and kitchen are arranged along one side, with the private bedrooms and bathrooms on the other side. There was no way to physically enlarge the apartment, so optical illusions had to suffice.

Color plays an important role in this kind of expansion. The architects painted both the floor and ceiling a medium shade of gray and used cherry blossom pink for the walls on either side. “By visually lowering the ceiling, the aspect ratio of the perceived space is crushed horizontally to 16:9, further emphasizing the lateral expansion of the space,” they explain. “The aspect ratio of 16:9 is used for movie screens and television monitors, and is a familiar frame image for most people.”

Since we don’t view the real world through angle-limiting frames, the architects applied the 16:9 ratio view of the space from just one end of the room. The placement of all elements, including furniture, counters, and doors, is optimized so there’s more to look at horizontally than vertically, with the gray ceiling “crushing” the interiors. Nearly every piece of furniture is built in, with just a narrow table and bench along the center.

The pink wall panels are another visual trick. Some of these panels are actual doors to the bedrooms, bathrooms, cabinets, or closets, while others are just in place to make it seem like there’s more to the space than there really is, kind of like a movie set. The pink shimmers and catches the light, further guiding the eye along that horizontal line.

The team adds that “each of the cherry-red walls lies about its own role. They are not only walls, but also fixtures, wall decorations, and furniture. In short, a single component has multiple roles, but since they are all composed of the same details, finishes, and modules, it is sometimes difficult to tell which is a wall and which is a fixture. If we recognize it as a piece of furniture, we feel that even a mere wall is somehow intimate.”

If the space feels a little bit futuristic or reminiscent of a sci-fi movie, that’s also intentional. “This room, with its slight eeriness and discomfort in the midst of everyday life, is perceived as more expansive than reality,” they say.

Sugurufukuda’s 16:9 aspect ratio follows common advice to use eye-catching, reflective materials in the center of the space and darker contrasting colors above and below to change how narrow or wide the space is perceived. If you have plenty of horizontal space but the ceiling is lower than you’d like, just flip those colors, with the lighter, more reflective shade on the ceiling. It’ll catch the light coming in through the windows and make the whole area brighter.

The post Movie Studio Tricks Visually Expand Tokyo’s Tiny 404 Apartment first appeared on Dornob.

Furnish Your Home on a Budget with Amazon’s New Space-Saving Furniture Store

Stephanie Rogers — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:48:21 +0000

When it comes to furnishing a micro-apartment, most of the solutions you’ll find online involve expensive custom solutions. No doubt, the size of the average urban apartment is driving innovation when it comes to space-saving furniture, and designers are coming up with incredible transforming setups – some of which are even robotically controlled. It would be nice to just press a button and watch your studio apartment rearrange itself so you could entertain guests or do yoga, but for most of us, it’s just not in the cards.

Thankfully, retailers are starting to offer more small space solutions at affordable prices. Amazon just launched a collection of space-saving furniture that’ll help you make the most of your square footage, even if your budget is as small as your space.The pieces in this collection start at just $19, and most are under $500.

Here are six of our favorites:

Sleekform Folding Desk

Let’s be real, most folding tables are just plain ugly – but here’s one you won’t have to cover up with a dated tablecloth. The Sleekform Folding Desk is just the right size for working or dining, and it’s made of 100-percent real fir wood with stylish black metal hairpin-style legs. Best of all, it costs just $199.

Zinus Suzanne Twin Daybed and Trundle Frame Set

So you’d like to invite guests over, but you have no place for them to sleep. Pull-out couches are rarely comfortable, and forcing people to cram in together can be awkward. This $225 daybed sleeps two on their own comfy mattresses, and all you have to do to set it up is pull out the trundle. Tuck a comforter around the top mattress, throw on some pillows, and it functions like a couch in between visits.

Tiptiper Folding Dining Table with Storage Racks

This versatile piece of space-saving furniture offers three functionalities in one: a slim console table when it’s all folded up, a desk when it’s partially opened, and a dining table for up to four people when fully expanded. Two drop leafs pop up in seconds to give you extra surface area, and there’s space underneath for dishes, office supplies, and whatever else you need to tuck away. It comes in three colors, starting at just $122.

Velvet Three-Seat Sofa with Folding Back

If you want to offer a place to crash but aren’t willing to sacrifice style, maybe this cute $395 velvet three-seat sofa will fit the bill. Available in fun shades like pink, peach, mango, light blue, and teal, it’s a far cry from the boring gray folding sofas you’ll find at most stores. The back folds down into a flat surface for sleeping.

Fit Choice 5-in-1 Kitchen Island

Who says you can’t have a kitchen island in a small space? The Fit Choice 5-in-1 kitchen island is just $119, measures 38 inches wide when unfolded, and slides around on casters. Two leaves expand it to its full size, but when it’s folded up, it barely takes up any space at all. It also integrates three baskets and a drawer for extra storage.

Zenithen Hexagon Folding Chair

Folding chairs aren’t exactly known for their comfort, but this hexagon-shaped offering changes all that. Outfitted with padded wide-wale corduroy upholstery and roomily sized, it costs just $87 and comes in four colors.

The post Furnish Your Home on a Budget with Amazon’s New Space-Saving Furniture Store first appeared on Dornob.

Resource Furniture’s Transforming Giralot Storage Tower Swivels on a Pole

Stephanie Rogers — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

In a small space, every square inch counts. But when you’re figuring out how to fit furniture into your tiny house or apartment, you don’t just have to think about where your possessions will go. The furniture itself also needs to be ultra-slim, transforming, or offer multiple functionalities in order to prove its worth. All kinds of factors come into play, including door clearance, so any old clunky bookcase, wardrobe, or cabinet won’t do. A company called Resource Furniture offers some interesting solutions to classic small-space problems, including this fun transforming storage unit.

On first glance, the Giralot looks like a colorful, modern version of a standard storage cabinet. The customizable storage compartments come in a rainbow of lacquer colors and three different stains of wood, and you can get them in different sizes, too. So far, so good right? But check out what happens when you open each module. Mounted to a column that’s anchored to the wall and rests on the floor, the compartments swing out as far as 180 degrees. You can choose whether they open left or right according to the shape of the area where it’s installed.

With about 30 different configurations of shapes and modules, the Giralot can be a handy place to store small objects in any room. Available accessories include clothing hooks, an umbrella stand, shoe holders, containers, bottle stands, extra shelves, and anti-rollover barriers for things you want to stay in place while a module swings open. There’s also a pull-out laptop shelf, if you want to use the Giralot as a mini workstation. Imagine it holding your toiletries in the bathroom, spices and oils in the kitchen, gloves and shoes in the entryway or scarves, hats, and ties in the bedroom.

You can also get the Giralot in mini size. While the original stands either 77 or 81 inches tall depending on which configuration you choose, the mini is 54 inches tall with either two or three modules. A fixed shelf at the very top stays put while the storage modules swing open. The clean, minimalist look of both Giralot units is a great fit with space-saving furniture from other manufacturers like IKEA, but Resource Furniture has a lot more smart solutions where this one came from.

Transforming tables include the Cristallo, a low-slung coffee table that pops up into a dining table or work surface; the Intra, a slim console with folding leaves that becomes a dining table for up to six people on demand; the Giro, which pops out 90 degrees from the wall to transform from a console into a dining table for four; and the Wally, a wall storage unit that lowers into a functional surface (among others).

Resource Furniture is perhaps best known for their wall beds and sofas, which can help even the tiniest of studio apartments feel a lot more spacious and livable. They include sectionals, bunk beds, twin XL Murphy beds, and a variety of seating styles that can be surrounded with shelves, cubbies, and other storage opportunities.

The post Resource Furniture’s Transforming Giralot Storage Tower Swivels on a Pole first appeared on Dornob.

Mirrors and Spatial Illusions Make a Historic Italian Apartment Look Bigger Than It Really Is

Stephanie Rogers — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 02:36:23 +0000

A good interior designer is almost like a wizard. They’re not just adding decorative elements as an afterthought to the architecture, like frosting a cake. They’re capable of utterly transforming the way a space feels: its mood, its light and shadows, the flow of movement within it, and even our perception of its size. The tricks that go into that last feat might start with paint colors and how elements like furniture and curtains are placed, but they can go a lot further than that, directing light through the space so that our eyes follow its journey.

That’s what Cavejastudio and Denara have pulled off with the restoration and renovation of a historic apartment in Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy. The home measures a modest 1400 square feet (about 130 square meters), but feels almost palatial in scale thanks to visual tricks cooked up by the designers. Take cues from what they’ve done here, and you might be able to do the same with a much tinier space.

The designers wanted to preserve the historical elements of the flat, which is named “Lelefante.” They maintained the original envelope with its cross-shaped wall system and 12-foot ceilings, but in addition to adding a loft (one of our favorite space-saving design tricks), they also brought in a plethora of mirrored surfaces that manipulate the viewer’s sense of where rooms start and end, “an attempt in the wake of the best Baroque tradition to capture the infinite,” as Cavejastudio explains.

The star of the show is a “technical piece of furniture,” a new built-in element that contains a walk-in closet and pantry and provides the basis for the loft. This element is “covered with mirrored panels interspersed with regular joints that dematerialize their presence, making it light and mysterious, but at the same time capable of reflecting light in the space less naturally illuminated by the sun throughout the floor.”

Even in photos, the effect is remarkable. Despite taking some of the living room area away to create the new closet and pantry, the space feels enormous, visually expanded by the mirrored panels. The room’s most beautiful elements like the gorgeous hand-painted doors are thus multiplied. You almost can’t tell which ones are the real doors and which ones are an illusion.

The black frames of the mirrors in the living room are visually repeated in the glass wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom. In the kitchen, frameless cabinetry painted a muted gold achieves a similar minimalist and graphic effect that contrasts beautifully with the soft ornamentation of the original tray ceilings.

“Both in the living room and in the respective bedrooms, it is the furniture itself that becomes the spatial regulating devices; in particular, the position of the kitchen block on the platform emphasizes the entrance-living room axis typical of the noble floors, while the wardrobe for the daughters’ bedroom is modeled on the ceiling beams, becoming a divider of the intimate space,” the designers say.

“The chrome plating of the furnishings follows a palette derived from the colors of the existing frescoes, in order to establish a dialogue with them; [this] relationship is taken from the spotlight lighting system which, by illuminating from the bottom upwards, emphasizes and enhances its presence.”

The post Mirrors and Spatial Illusions Make a Historic Italian Apartment Look Bigger Than It Really Is first appeared on Dornob.

3 Tips From Celebrity Interior Designers That are Both Timeless and Trendy

Lisa Wright — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Looking to freshen up your space but don’t know where to start? Redecorating can be an intimidating task, to say the least. Ideally, you want your space to feel stylish and sophisticated without sacrificing functionality or everyday livability.

And let’s face it: keeping up with all of the latest home trends can be a task unto itself, as styles are constantly changing and updating. That’s why it’s always best to let to turn to the pros for help, whether you’re just looking to change up a single room or start from scratch with something entirely different.

Follow these tips from celebrity interior designers to keep your home looking timeless and trendy all summer long:

Force of Nature

Who doesn’t find nature inspiring? The colors, the shapes, the relaxing vibe — all of these and more can be found just by integrating a bit of nature into your space. Kari Whitman, celebrity interior designer to the likes of Jessica Alba and Antonio Banderas, uses nature as inspiration for her dazzling designs. More specifically, she creates beautiful pieces that blend nature’s simplicity and complexity into stylish, eye-popping design elements.

If you’re looking to add a bit of natural flair to your space but are a bit more on the traditional side, try bringing in some plants to liven up your rooms. Indoor plants come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so depending on your space, you can add whatever types suit your aesthetic and accentuate your interiors. You can also update your plant vibe with a twist on the traditional. These indoor plant walls from Etsy and Wayfair are a new take on the usual humdrum house plant.

Function and Flair

Short on space but still want to make a statement? Have no fear! With a bit of creativity, you can easily create a space that’s both attractive and functional. Adam Rolston and Drew Stuart, design partners for Incorporated Architecture & Design, recognize the challenges of decorating smaller spaces. Their recommendation? Choose pieces that not only look great but can transform to suit your needs, such as a round dining room table that can be expanded with fold-out leaves for your next dinner party. Another fun way save space is to invest in multifunctional items. While we can’t all have this coffee table by Daniel Pearlman that houses both an armchair and a side table, we can still add creative, fun pieces to our homes without breaking the bank, like this B FSOBEIIALEO Storage Ottoman and these nesting tables from Wayfair.

Tricks of the Trade

Everyone wants to make their space look bigger, as even the illusion of more space can make a room seem more open and inviting. Lucky for us, celebrity interior designers have all the best tips for tricking the eye by adding depth and making any room feel more comfortable. Jeff Andrews, who’s previously worked with stars like Kendall Jenner and Khloe Kardashian, recommends “editing” your space to make it look larger. This could mean focusing on larger pieces of furniture or even mixing up textures. Making a statement with large, eye-catching pieces like this Wood Texture Wall Decor helps to add dimension and the illusion of space.

According to Andrews, another great way to add depth is by creatively using black to add contrast to a room. These “little touches of black” can help to create an almost layered effect that works well when contrasted with other more colorful or warm pieces. This tubetop table lamp from Pablo Designs is a great example of how a simple, sleek design in black can make a statement in any room.

Another trick of the trade to make a room appear more spacious is to add mirrors. Channel your inner magician to amp up the brightness of a room while also adding extra dimension. Andrews added angled mirrors to this Tahoe project for both a touch of modernity and some fresh new perspectives. Start small with a statement mirror like this one from West Elm, and see where you go from there!

You don’t have to be a celebrity to have a room that looks like a million bucks. The key is to focus on creating a design plan that pairs well with your space, focuses on comfort, and is both trendy and affordable. Using these tips and tricks from top celebrity interior designers will help you create a home atmosphere that matches your style and aesthetic by blending function and fabulousness.

The post 3 Tips From Celebrity Interior Designers That are Both Timeless and Trendy first appeared on Dornob.

7 Inventive Ways to Carve Out a Space-Saving Home Office

Amber Nelson — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 22:25:11 +0000

Even though the pandemic is fading in many parts of the U.S., the 2020 stay-at-home experiment has forever changed the way many businesses operate. As of the first quarter of 2021, 57 percent of employees across the country were still working from home, according to a recent report by consulting firm Willis Towers Watson, whereas only 7 percent had such job arrangements before COVID-19 struck. Companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter have even modified their policies to allow some of their staff to permanently work remotely.

What all this means is that the home office is quickly becoming a necessary and lasting feature in many households. But since not all dwellings come with built-in workspaces, remote employees are often looking for ways to create small offices within their existing square footage. Here are seven handy space-saving tips for making the most of your cubicle away from the office:

Build Under the Stairs

Many homes have an empty stairwell. Depending on the positioning of yours, this might be the perfect cozy nook to insert a desk and some shelving. Just be sure to choose a chair with a minimal profile so it can be pushed in when not in use, leaving the walkways free of obstacles.

Add a Fold-Up Desk

When you truly have no extra room to spare, build up! Fold-up desks can easily be installed on walls, leaving room above for shelves to hold folders, pencils, or whatever else your daily work needs require. When it’s time to clock out, the desk can be hidden away with no trace in sight.

Turn an Ottoman Into a Hidden Office

This resourceful idea allows you to pop open your office and put it completely out of sight (and hopefully out of mind) when you’re through making a living for the day. With a simple table or nightstand nearby for laptop use, the storage ottoman-turned-office cuts the clutter while saving plenty of space.

Use Pegboard for Infinite Storage Combinations

A simple wooden pegboard with some hooks, shelves, and baskets is all you need to form a functional wall of storage. And since the hooks are removable, your storage options can be endlessly reconfigured to fit your changing business needs.

Convert an Old Hutch Into a Desk

Got an old hutch or china cabinet that’s not being put to good use? It could make for excellent and tidy work spot, with its included room for paper, binders, and miscellaneous office supplies. You can even add a little color or pattern like this one to make it an especially sunny work environment.

Embrace the “Cloffice”

What do you get when you stick your computer in your closet? The “cloffice.” Sometimes these designated storage areas are the best place to add a few permanent shelves and drawers to create a practical workspace. And while built-ins are nice, if you’re going for easy, most closets already have at least one existing shelf for stowing things. All you have to do is add a stand-alone desk below.

Create a Mobile Office Trolley

If you don’t want to commit to any one area for a home office, you could store all your essentials on a transportable trolley. You could check morning emails in the kitchen, log on to a meeting in the living room, and even get some overtime done from the comfort of your bed.

As we do our best to navigate the work-life balance of remote employment, it’s important to remember that creativity is key to finding storage solutions and optimal home office positioning.

The post 7 Inventive Ways to Carve Out a Space-Saving Home Office first appeared on Dornob.

3 Ways to Extend Effortlessly Chic French Girl Style into Your Kitchen

Stephanie Rogers — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:44:31 +0000

There’s a lot to love about quintessential “French Girl” style. As demonstrated by stylish models and influencers like Jeanne Damas (pictured here in her kitchen), Louise Follain, Eleonore Toulin, and Aude-Julie, this laid-back approach to fashion, beauty, and interior design is confidently casual, perfectly imperfect, and effortlessly chic. It’s all about embracing the small joys of everyday life without trying too hard. It’s also clearly distinguished from the kind of traditional mass market “French Country” decor style that’s popular with many Americans, which can oftentimes come off as just a little too fussy.

Freshness First

Extending the French Girl philosophy into the kitchen means being smart with storage in a small space and centering absolutely everything upon fresh-from-the-market food and drinks. If you live like a fashionable Parisian, you’re walking to the boulangerie every day for bread and keeping plenty of fresh produce, cheese, and wine on hand for last-minute entertaining.

That means you’re going to want some bowls and baskets for your fruit, vegetables, and baguettes to place on your kitchen table, counters, shelves, or even hang from the walls, as seen here in an image by Heather Bullard. An iconic woven straw market tote like Milk Street’s Casablanca does triple duty as storage, grocery transport, and even an everyday handbag (á la the original Birkin bag).

Fresh flowers, herbs, and plants are just as important as edibles. Toss together a carefree bouquet with a little bit of lavender and wild greenery and stick it in a vase, changing it out every few days. Let your plants grow long and trailing, tucking the vines around your eclectic wall decor. And speaking of walls, you’ll want to take advantage of your wall and ceiling space as much as possible with pot racks, hanging baskets, peg boards, and open shelving.

Vintage Finds

Who needs matching sets of dishes, kitchen towels, or anything at all, really? It’s way more fun to purchase unique objects as you find them, whether handmade by artisans at local craft stalls or at the thrift store. Mix-and-match style captures that French Girl sense of rock and roll recklessness, like serving your crudités on fine china and flea market saucers at the same time.

When shopping for just the right objects to incorporate into your decor, look for items that stand the test of time. Quality is definitely more important than quantity, and you want objects that are just as functional as they are stylish. Some things to look out for include linens in crisp white or fun prints, handmade ceramics, candlesticks, rustic wood with lots of character, copper pots and pans, and whatever else will look good on all that open shelving. Check out Lou Doillon’s kitchen in this image, captured by Garance Doré, for inspiration.

Classic French Favorites

Just like the Breton striped shirt and beret, some French items might seem stereotypical, but they’re iconic for a reason. That includes Le Creuset cookware, which will last at least a lifetime and is made to be seen, as well as the classic bistro chair and tulip table, which are perfect for slotting into tight spaces. Rejuvenation’s Grove Marble table is a great example, but you can find these all over the place at lower prices, too.

The post 3 Ways to Extend Effortlessly Chic French Girl Style into Your Kitchen first appeared on Dornob.

Budget Direct Turns 1 Living Room into 7 Unique Home Office Spaces

Dawn Hammon — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 23:46:14 +0000

Like millions of employees around the globe, the pandemic has likely driven you straight to your living room to start your work day. And with an increasing number of businesses deciding to make the work-from-home lifestyle a more permanent arrangement, you might as well nestle into the idea and ditch the “temporary workstation” you’ve been perched at for the past year. To provide inspiration, Budget Direct Home Insurance teamed up with an interior designer to provide seven living room office setup options, all “working” with the same office and home furniture in the same sample room.

These working solutions address desk location, space options, storage solutions, and the need for adequate lighting and privacy while you work.

The Work-Free Zone

As far as sample living rooms go, this one is pretty ideal, free of the copious toys, pet beds, and almost-there design elements we’re all so familiar with, but I think we can still envision ourselves working here. Is that an adjacent sunroom? And the architecture. Wowza. Okay, down to business:

Configuration 1: Use Existing Display and Storage

Get in the zone, work and otherwise, by sectioning off a portion of the living space to designate a work area. You don’t need to haul in the room dividers, either. Simply arrange freestanding shelving or bookcases to frame in your space. This creates a separation from the lounging, eating, and recreational areas of the room to help keep you on task. Plus, placing your desk in the center of the room allows you to benefit from flowing light since the divider doesn’t block it out.

Configuration 2: Use Existing Display and Storage

Instead of struggling to find room for the desk and nearby organization, just move in front of an existing bookcase for instant storage. With your desk pressed up towards a wall bookcase, you’ll have room to keep supplies nearby without taking up coveted work space. Not only does this option dial up the supply management, but it also moves you away from any central activity in the room.

Configuration 3: A Low-Cost Divider

When looking at your living room, there’s typically a rather large obstacle that dominates the center: the sofa. If your couch is currently pressed against the wall, pull it into the room and use the back of it to designate a dividing line between the workspace and the after-work space.

Configuration 4: Got a Sunroom?

We can all only hope to have a “conservatory” attached to our living room. If you do, you’ve likely already considered the space as a climate-controlled and nature abundant place to type up reports. In case you haven’t, though, image being immersed in plants while enjoying the sun-capturing benefits of the space. You may even decide to extend your work hours.

Configuration 5: Take the Opening

Depending on the type of opening to your living room, you may find a previously overlooked option that you walk past several times a day. Try squeezing in a desk and needed supplies directly to the right or left of the doorway if you can – even if that means popping off the door to take advantage of the space behind it.

Configuration 6: Window Seat

When calculating the most pleasant location for a desk, the corner office is typically associated with the best views. Your own living room window may also offer a few good views, though, so don’t be afraid to scoot that desk right up to it. From a window-side perch you can take in natural sunlight and find inspiration, entertainment, or distraction from the activity outside. It also turns your back to the activity in the space. Add some noise-canceling headphones, and you might even forget you’re in the center of your house.

Configuration 7: The Naughty Corner

It doesn’t have to feel like you’re in trouble if you decide to clear out a corner for your desk. It’s popular real estate in the living room, of course, so you might have to pull furniture and bookcases down the wall a bit to make space. If your couch is using up the square footage, use the idea from configuration number three. Pull the couch out just far enough that you have room for your desk, and enjoy the buffer from the rest of the room.

The post Budget Direct Turns 1 Living Room into 7 Unique Home Office Spaces first appeared on Dornob.

Japanese Home Renovation Features Elliptical Cutout Mezzanine

Stephanie Rogers — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 18:49:23 +0000

Need to add more functionality to a small space? Just look up. Vertical space is one of the most overlooked opportunities for adding more storage to a home. If your ceilings are really high, you can even multiply your available floor space with a loft. But what if you’re also concerned about keeping the space feeling airy and uncluttered?

Japanese architects mtka found a creative compromise while renovating a 20-year-old single family home in the Kodaira neighborhood of Tokyo. The ground floor contains the bedrooms and bathroom, while the upper floor is a completely open-plan living space. The new owners, a couple with two children, felt like they could use a little more room for the kids to play.

With its sloping roof, the home didn’t have enough ceiling height for a full third floor, and adding a conventional loft on the higher side would have cut off natural light to the rest of the space. The design team’s workaround is pretty brilliant. As they put it, they changed the flow of the house with a “maximal ellipse,” a mezzanine level with a giant oval cutout that maintains the spacious feel of the high ceilings while creating a new inhabitable surface.

This new level is almost flush with the lower side of the ceiling, but provides 5.9 feet (1.8 meters) of head space on the higher side, just enough for the inhabitants to stand up. Not only does its unusual shape help keep the south wall of windows open to the rest of the living area, but it also provides structural support. On the higher side of the home, it’s a loft; on the lower side, it’s a shelf.

“By putting a single maximal object in this large studio, I thought of updating the flow of people, the flow of power, the flow of wind, and the flow of lights and creating an architecture suitable for a new family,” says mtka co-founder Murayama Toru. “Therefore, a super-elliptical perforated ceiling was inserted at a level of 1.8 meters in the horizontal material of the south window. Since the center of gravity of the space is based on the south side, the center of gravity of the living room, which had no base, was pulled to the center, creating various places around the ellipse.”

“The ceiling is neither as thick as a wooden floor, nor as thin as a suspended ceiling. [Built] from an existing wooden construction, it is an autonomous and substantial object. And the oval stairwell is empty without any substance. Standing on the floor of the living room on the second floor, the edge of the ceiling, with a thickness of 101 millimeters and a height of 1.8 meters, is recognized as a single endless line, which makes it look like a large horizon.”

Building codes in many countries would at least require a safety railing around the opening, eliminating the ability to sit at the edge, but it’s still doable. The elliptical opening gives the home some visual interest by incorporating a rounded shape within an otherwise rectilinear box, but it always avoids overpowering the rest of the space.

The post Japanese Home Renovation Features Elliptical Cutout Mezzanine first appeared on Dornob.

Look Inside Bachelorette Star JoJo Fletcher’s Shipping Container Airbnb

Dawn Hammon — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 21:00:27 +0000

Widely beloved after finding romantic love on season 14 of The Bachelorette, reality stars JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers now seek a different kind of love — one found through the design and renovation of tiny rental spaces.

Since Rodgers won JoJo’s heart over the course of eight crazy weeks in a competition with around 30 other bachelors, the couple remains happily committed to both each other and a new venture as the hosts of a property flipping show called Cash Pad on CNBC. But unlike typical home flips, Rodgers and Fletcher focus on small and unusual spaces like trailers and warehouses in an effort to help their owners prepare them for use as AirBnb rentals.

“Over the past year, we really started to think about this new trend of Airbnbs and short-term rentals,” Rodgers explains. “Every time we traveled, we enjoyed staying in them, and we saw a niche market we wanted to capture.”

One of the pair’s most recent projects was a rusty cargo trailer in an Austin, Texas backyard. Setting out with nothing but a plan and a TV crew, the couple quickly took the shipping container from trashy to treasure. And since there are already so many shipping container options on AirBnb, they knew they had to to find ways for their project to stand out against the competition.

For starters, they managed to figure out how to comfortably sleep four people inside it, with the bedroom offering a queen bed and a pull-out sofa sleeping two additional guests. To further combat the confining feeling, JoJo and Jordan also ensured that every window in the shipping container could act like a door and open completely, peeling away the side of the rental for easy access to the outdoors. Once outside, a wooden deck provides room for additional seating, an outdoor dining or grilling space, and a relaxing pad for stargazing. As with most tiny home experiences, the outdoor space is almost as important as the lodging itself here, so the pair took it upon themselves to throw in a second entertaining space complete with a fire pit and life-sized versions of games like Jenga and Connect Four.

The AirBnb was recently listed as a rental option after its corresponding episode aired on Cash Pad. Anyone interested in more information about how the space was converted from cold to cozy should definitely tune in and follow the drama as it unfolds.

Fletcher and Rodgers are assuming all the risk (i.e. paying for the renovations and providing the owners a standard monthly rate) of several AirBnb conversions for the sake of the show, with the belief that it’s a profitable endeavor and a good way to help homeowners complete their passion projects and fulfill their dreams of hosting a proper rental space. In exchange, the couple receives any additional rental income over the first four years the AirBnb is up and running.

Now that filming is wrapped up, Fletcher and Rodgers will be spending their time on their own housing and wedding dreams. The couple recently announced on Instagram that they bought their first non-flip house together, and that a wedding date isn’t set yet, but will likely be next spring or summer.

Bachelorette fans can continue to see what their favorite duo is up to every Tuesday on CNBC, with a total of eight one-hour episodes already out.

The post Look Inside Bachelorette Star JoJo Fletcher’s Shipping Container Airbnb first appeared on Dornob.

Atelier Pierre Louis Gerlier Cuts Fun Niches Into French Flats

Stephanie Rogers — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 22:00:34 +0000

There’s one very effective hack that makes a small apartment feel a whole lot bigger, but it only works if you have the permission and budget to do some renovations. Build floor-to-ceiling storage into an entire wall and cut out a few niches for display, lounging, or even sleeping, and suddenly it seems like your available space has dramatically expanded.

It’s one of the most impressive tricks up the sleeve of Atelier Pierre Louis Gerlier, the eponymous firm of a French architect who’s rapidly gaining attention for interior designs that are as bold and interesting as they are practical. One of Gerlier’s specialties is the “complete transformation” of a classic Parisian apartment, which he’s pulled off more than once. Each time, the flat’s most iconic details (herringbone or parquet flooring, balconies with swirling railings, embellished ceiling moulding) are preserved, with new, graphic modern elements introduced to freshen up the space.

These new elements might include a whole lot of room-brightening white paint, a vividly tiled kitchen floor, windows between interior spaces slashed by diagonal lines, fun patterned radiator screens, or even an exciting color palette.

Of one pied-a-terre competed in 2017, Gerlier writes: “Having lived in this apartment for several years, the owners wanted a total reorganization with the objective of correcting two major defects: too much wasted space in the hallway and lack of light in some of the rooms. The reorganization of the core of the apartment allowed the entry of light via the three facades.”

Clearly, the architect is an expert at reimagining floor plans within small urban apartments. He manages to reorganize one-bedroom units to accommodate two or more bedrooms, and he expands the living room space without making them feel cramped. But it’s the custom carpentry and millwork that really makes these interiors work (not to mention shine).

A Paris renovation completed in 2017 reorganized an apartment “to create an additional bedroom, and to reduce the area of circulation. Particular attention was paid to the choice of furniture, which echoes the customized carpentry work specific to each room.” A pale blue wall in one bedroom contains all necessary functions, including two twin-sized beds, leaving the rest of the room free for movement. You can see how stacking these elements vertically completely changes the feel of the space compared to a more conventional layout with all the furniture on the floor.

For this apartment in Clichy, completed in 2018, Gerlier optimized each and every square inch using a combination of ready-made storage boxes, built-in shelves, nooks, and translucent panels. Many of the clients’ belongings are tucked behind cabinet doors, and the kitchen can be closed off without eliminating sight lines within the apartment, making it feel a lot bigger.

A renovation in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 2019 transforms a former garage of a house into a comfortable apartment with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. Three major strategies are at work here. The first is the creation of circular nooks cut into a wall of storage in the living room, which house a television, two speakers, and a mattress for lounging, echoing other rounded shapes found within the space.

The second is a mirrored wall that visually multiplies the space, and the third is a tightly controlled color palette that extends into the kitchen. The white walls and ceiling help carry limited daylight deep into the apartment, while varied tones of soft salmon pink, mint, and mustard yellow define the mood.

The post Atelier Pierre Louis Gerlier Cuts Fun Niches Into French Flats first appeared on Dornob.

Modern Castle Designed for a Narrow London Lot

Stephanie Rogers — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:00:21 +0000

It’s not exactly polite to buy a plot of land in a historic neighborhood and build something that sticks out like a sore thumb, having almost nothing in common with the houses around it. But that doesn’t mean you have to conform to the existing architecture, either. London architect Alex Michaelis of the firm Michaelis Boyd found a happy medium by incorporating common materials and shapes of the area into his playful, creative dream home.

Michaelis was initially approached by a developer to help design something to take up a challenging long and narrow site on Blythe Road in West London’s Hammersmith area. Back then, the only thing on site was a dilapidated garage the would need to be demolished. Though he had already designed his own home in Oxford Gardens, something about the plot spoke to him, leading him to eventually purchase it from the developer himself.

Because it’s so narrow, and the neighboring houses rise so high on either side, Michaelis knew that getting enough daylight and outdoor space would be challenging with a conventional layout. On top of that, the planning permissions called for a conventional infill house, but the architect saw potential for something a lot more fun. He imagined what it might look like if he played with unexpected shapes, drawing the boundaries of the house away from the neighbors slightly without compromising square footage.

The result almost looks like a modern castle on an urban scale, with turret-like rounded forms visible from the street. He chose to stick with brick to complement the architectural vernacular of the area, but in a lighter, softer tone, and mimicked the variety of window shapes seen on the houses of his neighbors. The home’s rounded walls also allow sunlight to come in from multiple angles all day long, on all four sides of the property.

Just past the wooden entrance gate, the front volume contains the home’s common areas, with sliding glass doors opening out onto the deck and swimming pool. A connecting bridge leads to the second volume containing bedrooms. Both structures have their own rooftop gardens overlooking the city.

It’s common for residents of packed urban neighborhoods to worry about what will happen if an empty or non-residential lot next door is sold. After all, you never know what’s going to go up. It could easily be a monstrosity of a bland condominium tower that suddenly crowds your own home, blocks your access to daylight, and dominates the entire block. Michaelis’ design not only satisfies his own desires, it also avoids casting shadows on those of others.

“The Round House is a new build eight-bedroom, four-bathroom residential project on the site of a former MOT [vehicle safety test] center,” explains the firm. “The house uses traditional building materials whilst showcasing modern design, demonstrating that new builds can be imaginative and family homes need not sacrifice style. Maximizing light was key to the design, so the building was pulled back from the neighboring walls to allow light to seep in to all four sides.”

“From slides and a pool to hidden areas and a fireman’s pole which mischievously connects the ground and first floor, there are plenty of playful details that elevate the project to a truly bespoke piece of residential architecture.”

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10 Ways to Make a Small Space Feel Much Bigger

Stephanie Rogers — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:00:36 +0000

Is your house feeling painfully small? Don’t start packing up just yet. With just a few simple changes (don’t worry, no renovations necessary), you can visually expand each room and find space you didn’t even know you had in the first place.

Reach Higher

When square footage is limited, emphasizing vertical lines can make your home feel much bigger. That means taking advantage of the oft-disused space between your head and the ceiling. Hang full length floor-skimming curtains just under ceiling height, preferably in a color that’s close to that of your walls for the illusion of a larger, more open space. Build in full-height bookshelves to make your ceilings seem higher and multiply your storage space. Just remember to stick to books, decorative storage boxes, and a few carefully chosen display objects to keep things from feeling cluttered.

Sit Lower

By the same logic, choosing furniture with a relatively low profile will help stretch your rooms vertically. Midcentury modern pieces are often just the right size for this purpose.

Get Leggy

While platform beds and low-lying furniture create the illusion of more space, the opposite effect can occur if you use too many heavy, bulky items that take up all your available floor space. At least half of the furniture in your space should have legs to create a sense of airiness.

Go Bigger

It may seem counterintuitive, but fewer, larger objects in a room make a stronger visual impact and make the space feel more open than a whole lot of small items. A sofa is often a better choice than a grouping of individual chairs, for instance. By the same token, hanging a single piece of oversized art creates the perception that there’s room to spare. Plus, since you’re buying less, it allows you to focus on higher impact, higher quality pieces. Just make sure the scale doesn’t go so far in the wrong direction that the furniture feels crammed into the room.

Find Your Light

Arranging furniture around windows can make a room feel less claustrophobic, even if the view isn’t great. Hang sheer, breezy, light-colored curtains to allow maximum transmission of daylight without sacrificing privacy or accidentally gazing into your neighbor’s house. You should also avoid placing heavy objects right in front of the windows.

Clear Things Up

Materials like glass, acrylic, crystal, and lucite, like the base of this bed, allow the eye to travel through the room without interruption, which plays a major role in how we perceive the size of a space.

Check Your Reflection

Sure, we know logically that we can’t step through a mirror, but our brains don’t always register reflective surfaces that way, especially in passing. It’s an old trick, but using mirrors to visually expand a room really does work.

Do Double-Duty

Multifunctional furniture is a no-brainer when you’re trying to make the most of a small space. An ottoman that doubles as a coffee table, a coffee table that can be used as a bench for company, a bed with storage hidden underneath, a desk that pulls out into a dining table, and other convertible furniture designs can free up a lot of crucial floor space.

Control Your Colors

Just like too much clutter, an unrestrained color scheme feels chaotic in a small space. That doesn’t mean your home has to feel sterile or be devoid of color (not everyone wants a home that feels like a “minimalist monastery” a la Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, after all). Select a palette of complementary colors that includes a couple light hues for an airy feel, along with a couple accent ones, and mix up the textures and materials to optimize visual interest.

Keep It Simple

Use closed storage whenever possible to keep unnecessary distractions out of sight, avoid unnecessary ornamentation, and make sure there’s a clear path through each and every room. Simplicity doesn’t have to equate to minimalism or a lack of personality. The ultimate trick is learning how to tweak your own space so your uniqueness and character shine through.

The post 10 Ways to Make a Small Space Feel Much Bigger first appeared on Dornob.

Micro-Home Measures 3x3x3 Meters

dornob dornob — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 18:04:29 +0000

One big key to small-spacing living is vertical space – with nine feet in each horizontal direction, the only way to go is up. At the same time, this particular design manages to look like it evolved somehow organically, with elements not simply occupying every spare spot.

Everything manages to coexist and flow within the limited area provided, including custom chairs, tables, kitchen zone (with microwave and refrigerator), full-sized shower, composting toilet, washing machine and double bed.

LED lights and recovered heat help keep fixture needs to a bare minimum, while a timber frame with red and plywood surfaces add texture and color to keep the interior interesting and engaging.

The project was “conceived, designed and managed by Dr Mike Page, engineer and Reader in Cognitive Psychology at the University’s School of Psychology” and featured at the Edinburgh Science Festival.

From Designcurial:

“The Cube includes a lounge with a table and two custom-made chairs; a small 120cm wide double bed; a full-size shower; a kitchen with energy-efficient fridge, induction hob, re-circulating cooker hood, sink/drainer, combination microwave oven and storage cupboards; a washing machine; and a composting toilet. “

“The Cube is illuminated with ultra-efficient LED lights and heated using an Ecodan air-source heat pump with heat recovered from extracted air. It features cork flooring with two-metre head height throughout.”

“The Cube is insulated with a timber-frame shell, interior surfaces of birch plywood, and sweet-chestnut cladding on the exterior. It features a south-facing monopitch roof covered with solar panels. The south wall is also covered with solar panels. This generating capacity is expected to make the Cube carbon-neutral over the year.”

The post Micro-Home Measures 3x3x3 Meters first appeared on Dornob.

Narrow 4-Level Paris Apartment

sdeProfile29685 — Wed, 29 May 2019 17:40:05 +0000

An oddly-shaped Paris apartment was seemingly a lost cause. It was very tall, impossibly narrow and had no natural light other than some skylights in the ceiling. Clemence Eliard and Marc Sirvin, architects at Agence SML, tackled the challenge and created a cozy four-level home.

According to the architects, the owner of the property acquired different parts of the residence over a number of years, which accounts for the unusual shape of the apartment.

The plan for the apartment centered around turning it into a tower. Each level has its own specific function. The basement holds the bathroom, the second/main level houses the kitchen and living area, the third floor is home to a home office, and the bedroom is in a cozy little loft on the fourth level.

To keep the tower apartment from feeling dark and cramped, the materials are light and airy. The office floor is made of a metal grid to allow light from the skylights to flow throughout the space.

Alternating stairs keep the staircase footprint small, leaving more room for the home’s essential functions on each level. With only 269 square feet (25 square meters) with which to work, creative solutions like this one were important for maintaining the home’s functionality.

The bedroom at the very top of the apartment is a comfortable nest that takes up nearly the entire loft space. A skylight is situated directly over the bed, providing a gentle natural alarm clock and a comfortable hideaway to unwind after a long day.

From Archdaily:

“The architects envisioned the space as a tower in which each level would have its proper function: the bathroom in the basement, the kitchen-living-room at ground level, the home-office and dressing-room on the 1^st floor and the bedroom higher up on the 2^nd floor. These functions being all linked together by alternating tread stairs, daylight coming through a full height void. The ground floor, located in the back of a courtyard and previously lit in second day, would thus become an illuminated space thanks to the skylights.”

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