We know that children grow up quickly, and this means that the products designed for babies are not the same as those designed for toddlers, or kindergarteners. But what if they were?
Design company Dot and Cross has created a line of products that change, to adapt to the different stages of growing up. From a crib that transforms into a bed, to an art easel that transforms into a desk, these products are designed to last.
The products are all built to work together, from the moment you are designing a baby’s room to the moment you are redesigning for those teenage years. The simple design and neutral, solid colors make it easy to work with this furniture for years.
If you’re working on decorating your child’s room, check out our personalized art!
Via Fast Company
This clock helps you to see the passage of time in a different way than most: it tracks the passing of a year, rather than hour by hour.
The usual numbers on the face of the clock are replaced by living vegetation — cedar leaves — that will die over time, and turn from green to brown to help you follow the changing seasons. The concept came from the Japanese art of sake making, in which the changing cedar leaves are used to track the year of the fermentation process.
Though the idea of watching the leaves turn brown doesn’t seem like a happy one, transitioning from watching the seconds count down to watching time gradually and naturally pass by would certainly lower your stress levels!
Check out the company behind the clock, Bril, and see more of their unique clock below:
Via FastCo Design
If you love unique design, check out our DNA Artwork!
On our theme of typography this week, we’ve found another unique place to incorporate words and letters.
Discovered on Benoit Challand‘s portfolio, Fold Yard desks would be the perfect addition to any company’s office. Even if you aren’t involved with design, you can appreciate these typographic desks as an alternative to the regular cubicle lifestyle!
Your desk could be its own unique shape, plus be part of a curated layout – for instance a letter of the company name, or each employee’s initial. The possibilities are endless!
If you like unique design, check out DNA 11!
Via Web Urbanist
Sleeping outside, under the starry skies, is something that many of us dream of doing. Although it is not always possible, for where can you lay peacefully and guarantee to see the beauty of the stars, let alone have appropriate temperatures to do so? Now there is a place to do so — in your bedroom!
The egg-shaped Cosmos Bed was designed by Natalia Rumyantseva and is still in prototype stage. Not only does it provide the illusion of sleeping beneath open skies, it is also equipped with a built-in audio system to play music, white-noise and your alarm in the morning. Plus, it has an aroma dispenser to provide you with therapeutic scents as you dream.
If you love unique products for your home, check out our wall art!
Via FastCo Design
We’re infatuated with everything about this concept, and especially the design! Pictured here is the Diane Middlebrook Memorial Complex, designed by CCS Architecture. The complex is located in a secluded area of the California hills, with nothing around but breathtaking views. It’s purpose? To provide a creative space for different artists from all over the world, to settle for as long as they need to complete their work.
There are four private art studios available. Each studio is complete with a bed, work table, outdoor living space, and best of all — beautifully chosen décor to get those creative juices flowing. Great lighting, atmosphere, lack of distractions, and views galore — we could definitely get inspired here! All that’s missing is some unique DNA art.
Photo credit: Art Cocktail
We were intrigued when we came across this video by PBS Offbook, about the future of 3D printing and the opportunities it could bring to the world. 3D printing is a revolutionary new technology that allows you to take a digital file, and turn it into a physical product — toys, shoes, iPhone cases, replicas. Based on this video, it seems like the possibilities are endless!
Who knows where the future will take us — perhaps one day 3D DNA Portraits will exist?
You know how we have a soft spot for innovative design? Well this week, we seem to have fallen for a new mash-up of botany and technology. Introducing the Click and Grow — the answer to the lazy gardener’s prayers! Via Mashable:
The Click and Grow flower pot and plant cartridge work like a printer and toner. The pot contains electronics, sensors, batteries, a pump and a water reservoir; the cartridge contains seeds, nutrients and software (in a microchip) for growing the plant. There are currently 13 varieties of flowers and plants, and the selection is continuously growing. Right now the available selection includes painted nettle, lamb’s ear, marigolds and more. You can also grow edible things such as basil, thyme, sage, tomatoes and chili peppers.
Founder Mattias Lepp tells Mashable all you have to do is add water and batteries (not in the same place) — everything else is done by the sensors and software. You’ll also have to find a sunny place for your plant to sit, or at least somewhere it can absorb the sun’s rays, sunshine or not.
The idea for Click and Grow began three years ago, Lepp says, while reading an article about a NASA mission in which plants were taken into space. He began fusing technology with gardening in his own backyard in Estonia to see if he could grow plants with little or no care in a harsh climate. He made several iterations of the planter and one very cold winter, he says, the device he created was able to grow tomatoes “very quickly.” The company grew from there and officially launched one year ago.
Lepp said Click and Grow should also cut down on the waste that comes from single plants being purchased in plastic containers that then get thrown away. The potting container is reusable; though the cartridges need to be replaced for each new plant.
The product retails for $59.99, with cartridges costing about $19.99 each. We’d love to get our hands on one of these for the DNA 11 offices!
Looking for a bit of craftsmanship in your electronics? Check out these amazing wooden keyboards created by French design group Orée, which allow users to go against the grain (literally!). Via Ultralinx:
If you like the feel of natural materials being part of your tech, you’ll love this wooden keyboard by Orée. The keyboard itself and the keys are all made from premium Maple wood. Each keyboard is made from a single piece of wood which means every keyboard will also have a different grain.
It’s got chiclet style keys which are now becoming very common in modern day keyboards – most notable in the Apple keyboards. You can clearly see that it was inspired by Apple’s own keyboard. Each keyboard is polished, oil rubbed and assembled by hand. It has Bluetooth 3.0 to connect to devices and only needs a pair of AAA batteries to run. They’re made to order so it’ll take a month or two to get to you.
Despite the popularity of touch screen devices, a physical keyboard is something that’s still sought after. Orée is targeting their new product at tablet users who have a knack for modern, minimalist design, as well as sustainable technology. Despite the fact that a single keyboard can take up to 5 weeks to make, they’re still only retailed for about €125. What do you think of Orée’s natural take on technology?
Go against the grain when it comes to art too! Check out our DNA art.
Header image via Ultralinx.
Text image via Designboom.
Ever wonder what poetry emulated in a lighting fixture could look like? We are always searching for new designs that inspire us, and designer Laurent Corio has done just that with the unveiling of his Fioriness Lamps. His designs manage to be both dreamy and modern at the same time, and are sure to create a romantic ambiance in any room they light up. Via laurent-corio.com:
In my imaginary world, Fioriness is the expression of a latin attitude where the word “flower” is the poetic link between french and italian: “fiori”, “fleurs”, “flirter” which means “to flirt”. The emotions and play of a candle light diner or august summer sunlight. These sparkles of light define the flower standing in its vase as the witness of a promising story.
Laurent Corio is a Paris-based designer who created this collection of hand blown glass lamps for design gallery Secondome. What do you think of Corio’s fuse of poetry and function?
It’s a design fact—light changes everything. So while it’s sophisticated enough for any modern space, I can’t help but think the child in all of us would appreciate the dreamy light and fun design of Almerich’s Yo-Yo lamp, designed in Spain. Via Design Milk:
Available as a floor or hanging lamp, the red fabric-covered cable is close to 33 feet and rolls up between the two diffusers just like the string of a yo-yo.
The true essence of a room lies in well-curated details, and this light is certainly a conversation piece. Afterall, the right accessories, unique furniture and personalized art can transform your space into something memorable and remarkable.
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