Tiny Houses Meet Modern Needs

At only about 75 square feet the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company's XS House makes other minimalist statements appear gargantuan and overdone.

Small living fights urban overpopulation and the taxed environment with convenience and simplicity.
So next time you want to complain about how small your place is, think about living in a 7' x 11' palace. This Tumbleweed House could be all yours for about $32,000, a small investment for a home that maximizes space, energy and efficiency in every possible way.

This place is tiny, but that means it's constructed for optimum function. It's outfitted with all the basics: kitchen, full bath, living area, even a cathedral ceiling, desk and two closets fit in the little oasis. The XS House is one of several options from TTH, and many of them are road ready.

Cold Glass, Hot Lamp

Nina by Italy's Penta is now available in North America. Designed by Barbara Sordina, partner at Marianelli Design, who makes this familiar-shaped lamp in "cold glass" -- which is characteristic of its thick edge and stronger colors.

Cold glass refers to a new material obtained by the mix of resins and glass powders.
This mixture is melted at a temperature of 150° and cast into the moulds. While 150° may not seem cold, it's not hot (1200°) nor warm 600°).

Technorati Tags: Penta, Modern Lighting, Marianelli Design

Bar Stools for Hockey Players

Had just watched my Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 last night and tuned in the post game show.

Poor James Patrick and Rob Ray, retired defenseman for the winning team, were announcing while teetering atop some nasty wooden stools. They could not look more uncomfortable. So I started thinking about a stool a man could sit on, and Plank's Miura Stool  came to mind.

Designed by Konstantin Grcic, it has gathered awards from all over including the top innovation honors at imm Cologne 2006. Stackable, made of polypropylene, good for outdoors -- but can it hold up to a hockey player?

Technorati Tags: Modern Bar Stools, Konstantin Grcic, Plank Furniture, imm Cologne Awards

Price of Oil & Seat Cellulite

The hike in oil prices isn't just causing a dent in leisure driving -- it might be causing dimples in your sofa too. It turns out that in the seat cushion world, there is a direct correlation between durability and amount of petroleum-based fill. The higher the amount of petroleum, the less likely your seat cushion will crush or dimple. Nothing is worse on a modern, sleek-lined sofa than seat cellulite. The cost for seat cellulite prevention? Figure an increase of $100 (retail) a cushion.

Technorati Tags: Impact of Rising Oil, Modern Sofas

Glass Counter Slides into Sink

Glass vessel sinks will always have their place, but if you prefer sleekly modern over ornamented, how about a glass integral sink? This seamless structure features a smooth countertop that contours. For best price, go with the round integral. As integrals go the rounds are fairly easy to make -- so will be more competitively priced. But for drama and sophistication -- look for oblong, rectangular and square contours.

According to Scott Dow, Director of Marketing & Development, Curvet USA, a division of Italy's Curvet Holding Group, the secret to achieving these flawless geometric shapes is in the annealing process -- which takes know-how and patience. An entire sheet of glass is heated, softened and cooled very slowly over a mold. Once complete, coloring is hand-applied.

Marina, with its deep oval bowl features a red opaque finish. Ingrid, with the more difficult rectangular sink, is in a semi-translucent blue.

Technorati Tags: Curvet USA , Integral Sinks, Modern Bathrooms, Annealed Glass

Triptek: Karim Rashid Lamp

Rashid does the three pronged Triptek in three heights, bringing modern style and technology together in chrome and plastic. Touch the base on the large and small table versions to shed light on your good taste. The floor model is not so well equipped, a new take on retro modern.

Splat!

This is the sound of modern lighting. The Leucos Glo joins several other designs from Leucos USA in a collection that comprises some of the most interesting and avant garde lighting available. But before you think it's all fun and games, check out their serious sophistication in The Mist, from the Andromeda collection.

Crystal Clear

Featured at KBIS, the glass countertops for kitchen, bath and bar made quite a splash.

The 1.5" thick, pure glass countertops from ThinkGlass are the least porous, therefore most hygienic, countertops on the market. And although the glass can become scratched, the texture underneath masks common wear and tear. The texture - which can be customized, along with color - also hides most dust and fingerprints.

For a high-styled effect, the glass can placed over stainless countertops.

As for cost... prices begin at $110 - $175 per square foot.

Technorati Tags: Kitchen Countertops, Modern Kitchen, Modern Bath, European Kitchen

Nicolas Denhez Makes Food Fun

Spear snacks and hang them on the Cactus Tapas for guests to enjoy. Food free toothpicks are deposited in the Cactus top-- a neat, tidy and polite way to tell the host it's time to refill.

Miam.Miam loves what it calls "Collective Dining." It's free-form, free-mind, multi-cultural dining that involves a lot of coming together. The one of a kind concept takes center stage for modern product designer and free thinker Nicolas Denhez, who Caroline Barry interviewed this month in Pure Contemporary.

New Spring Colors

Modern kitchens done in cobalt blue or bright red lacquer are being updated with fresh, spring like colors from Scavolini. The Italian kitchen manufacturer adds intrigue with the subtle tones of periwinkle or lavender. A nice and welcome change.