Hasta La Ideas

With increasing regularity, the journalist of today must check to see that it isn’t April 1st when reading through press releases. The latest I-bet-I’m-being-punked bit of news that needed a sniff test was: Atari, the video game giant of the ’70s and ’80s, is apparently opening a string of “video-game-themed hotels” in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose and Phoenix.

The once-relevant brand is promising “a unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination. Atari Hotels level up hotel entertainment with fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability, including the latest in VR and AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality). Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events.”

Here’s what I’d expect to see from such a hotel:

– Elevators that move from side-to-side while descending, shaped like Space Invaders

– Doorknobs are replaced with simple black joysticks, locked by pressing a single orange button

– Key cards are replaced with cartridges. (You must blow into the bottom of the cartridge before inserting it into your door)

– If you find centipedes in your room, it’s your job to kill them

– The breakfast special: Pongcakes

– The bellhops are dressed in enormous Pac-Man costumes and must “eat” your luggage to carry it away

Apparently the first hotel is going up in Phoenix, and the company says they’re breaking ground this year.

Dezeen promotion: UK manufacturer Forbo Flooring has created a range of textile entrance flooring from regenerated industrial and post-consumer waste, which can reduce cleaning time for businesses.

The Coral collection is made with Econyl, a high-quality yarn derived from carpet waste, fishing nets and other materials that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

This yarn is then tufted to create dense rolls, mats and tiles, which are capable of preventing pollutants as well as rain, snow, sand and soil from entering a building.

According to testing by Cleaning Research International, the flooring system is capable of removing up to 95 per cent of dirt and moisture, which in turn reduces the time spent cleaning floors by up to 65 per cent.

There are eight different Coral lines, which have been designed to suit any interior or environment. The double duty Coral Duo line features reinforced, alternating strips of strong thick yarns, which create a ribbed pattern and help to scrape dirt from passing shoes more effectively.

Recycled PET bottles are used to make the primary backing of the Coral Welcome pieces, which have a rich deep pile and vibrant colours.

The all-rounder Coral Brush range features Memphis speckled and linear designs, and incorporates two other yarns on top of the Econyl, with the space between them helping to hide dirt and grime.

Forbo’s Coral Logo service allows businesses to create a bespoke print for their flooring using logos or graphics, while the off-the-shelf Coral Click range is a modular matting system that can be assembled on site to fit any space.

Coral flooring is created with 100 per cent renewable electricity and all waste byproducts from the production process are either reused by yarn manufacturers or sent to third party recycling companies.

For more information on the Coral collection, visit the Forbo website.

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Since launching the Tanuki series of Japanese fly-fishing rods at the beginning of 2019, Designer and Engineer Luong Tam has spent the first half of his year delivering on the first edition of the Tanuki Ninja fly-fishing rod, and the second half of the year making the rod fundamentally better. Now even smaller than before, yet just as powerful, the Tanuki Pocket Ninja is a culmination of Tam’s life’s work. Designed to go even smaller when folded, the telescopic rod measures a mere 13 inches in its folded avatar, and expands to a whopping 11 feet when fully opened. In keeping with the art of fly-fishing, the rods are designed to be incredibly flexible and don’t come with a traditional reel. You rely purely on physics, mechanics, handwork, and an understanding of your fishing rod to catch fish.

Tam’s devoted a significant part of his life to developing some of the most sophisticated fly-fishing equipment to his patrons. Relying on tradition as well as advanced material sciences, the Tanuki Pocket Ninja pushes boundaries by being the most portable fly-fishing rod on the market. The Pocket Ninja is also incredibly resilient, bending as much as 180° effortlessly, with incredibly precise casting, high-tolerance parts that withstand tugging against water currents and the fly. The rod comes constructed out of a composite of fiberglass and Japanese Toray high-modulus carbon-fiber, giving it its flexibility and strength while keeping the entire rod weighing not more than 2.5 ounces. Engineered to perfection, the rod’s telescopic design allows it to collapse to a size that’s small enough to slip right into a backpack or the glove compartment of your car, giving you the freedom to fly-fish wherever and whenever. Each Pocket Ninja rod has an anti-slip paint coating around the grip, and comes with an 11ft. long custom-made floating line, a semi-conical line-spool (that prevents free-rolling), traditional Japanese fly-fishing fly, and a lifetime warranty! Now that should definitely get you ‘hooked’!

Designer: Luong Tam

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $240 (37% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

Tanuki Pocket Ninja – Compact, Lightweight & Flexible Fly-Fishing Rod

The Tanuki Pocket Ninja is designed and built for fly fishers who love outdoor adventure and traveling. The Pocket Ninja is an 11’0″/335 cm long telescopic fly rod when it is fully extended from a 13″ / 33 cm collapsed length. It weighs 2.3 oz/ 65 grams. It is based on the Japanese ancient art of fly fishing, called tenkara (requires just a rod line and a fly).

Flexibility is the Name of the Game

Shorter the sections are, the stiffer the rod becomes. For decades, fishing rod makers have been struggling to make a flexible rod with decent rod actions/flex with shorter collapsed sections that are less than 17”. Designer Luong Tam, thought the solution is in the materials. The team used fiberglass and carbon fiber to solve the problem.

The Result: Easy to Cast

Easy to cast and fun to fish with.

The Pocket Ninja is a fantastic rod fishing with Japanese fly pattern Kebari and dry fly. It is also an excellent rod for Contact Nymphing, Euro-Nymphing or Highstick Nymphing, and here are the reasons:

– It is a very high SENSITIVITY rod which would help fisher to feel fly contact with objects in deep water.
– Designed to cast with a very fine line. The fine line would sink faster because it is less friction.
– It is better ergonomics than Nymphing fly rod because Pocket Ninja weight only 2.2 oz vs about 38 oz of nymphing fly rod.

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $240 (37% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

The Japanese style of design has taken over the world by storm, ever since it was discovered by the rest of us! There’s something surreal and relaxing about Japanese-inspired products and architecture, that just makes us want to introduce some minimalism into our lives. Whether it comes to the architecture of homes, furniture, kitchen appliances or even shoes we’ve got you covered with a collection of innovative Japanese designs!

Product designer Yoh Komiyama collaborated with Tokyo-based Rinn to create the NEKO Cat Tree.  Wood sourced from the forests in the Hida region of Japan was used to craft the series of dowels that make up the majority of the column. The ancient Japanese technique Dabo was used to create this piece!

Made from a single board of bamboo plywood, the OO stool is CNC machine-cut in a way that integrates every single aspect of the stool into its design. Everything you need to build the OO Stool sits within that flat-packed jigsaw-puzzle of bamboo pieces, minimizing waste by using as much negative space as possible.

Opening up like a Japanese fan, this chair by Raw-Edges uses angled “blades” to turn the fan into a chair. A zip on the back, and an elegant clasp on the front lock the chair in seating-mode. Once done, you can immediately collapse it back into a closed fan.

Teaming up with the renowned Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma, ASICS unveiled an edition of the Metaride, an all-white running shoe with a pattern inspired by Japanese Yatara bamboo-weaving, on the shoe’s body. Kuma relied on the age-old technique of Yatara to provide aesthetic dynamism as well as a comfortable fit.

The Magemono Tumbler comes made with a Hasamiyaki porcelain inner vessel, and a Magemono Japanese cedar wood sleeve around the outside, in signature fashion. The Magemono Bread Tray, a fir tree crafted thin tray (available in two sizes) is perfect for meals, especially for the breakfast sandwich, paired with a nicely brewed cup of coffee.

Japanese brand INAX created this collection of bathroom fixtures including sinks, showers, toilets, bath taps, and tiles as an ode to Japanese designs, culture, and traditions. This is as minimal and visually pleasing as it gets!

The Low Table IV by Kai Takeshima has a little secret! Once you lift the tabletop, you can easily access a compact storage space, add its wooden Japanese-inspired aesthetics to the mix, and it could be the perfect minimal addition to your living space.

These Japanese bed joiners by Todo Wood are the perfect combination of cool stone and warm wood and will add an ideal touch of minimalism to your bedroom. However, be careful not to stub your toe against them!

This private residence by architecture firm 07BEACH incorporates a double-height living room with an indoor tree growing at its center. Built for a family of five, the house is designed as one big space so that the parents can keep an eye on their three little children as they constantly move around. It’s the perfect integration of the outdoors with the indoors!

The Foldable Gas Stove Cover Tower by Yamazaki Home converts your stove into a storage or work space! You can simply fit it on top of your stove, and carry on with your cooking prep while creating extra kitchen space!

Mitsubishi’s Bread Oven is in a league of its own with a promise to serve you ‘the perfect toast’ in true Japanese style! Mimicking a waffle maker, the toaster looks like it’s come straight out of the ’80s with its retro-esque veneer brown look. Built with a sealed thermal-insulated structure, it can toast your bread without releasing any moisture, ensuring the bread is soft, fluffy and far from being dry.

Check out more such satisfying and minimal Japanese Designs here!

A Dutch hospital that dates back to 1845 is the unconventional setting for co-working company Fosbury & Sons’ first international branch, which features interiors by Going East.

Spanning 6,000 square-metres, Fosbury & Sons’ Amsterdam space borders the waters of the city’s Prinsengracht canal. Until now the co-working company had exclusively operated out of Belgium, with existing branches in Antwerp and Brussels.

The latest location takes over a 19th-century hospital called Prinsengrachtziekenhuis that only closed its doors to patients in 2014.

Local practice MVSA Architects has been renovating the building over the past five years, but Belgian studio Going East were bought on board to make its interiors co-working ready.

Claiming that it was “too easy” to go with the classic office aesthetic, the studio set out to create a more upscale ambience for the companies and young professionals using the space.

“It was one of our first feelings when we entered the building – to break the connection with the hospital and to bring a new, grandeur luxury to it,” the Going East founders, Anais Torfs and Michiel Mertens, told Dezeen.

The ground floor now accommodates an expansive lobby where members can lounge and mingle throughout the day.

Plush sectional sofas upholstered in thick boucle fabric have been used to dress the space, as well as a selection of contemporary artworks that were specially curated by local galleries.

Stairways topped by the hospital’s original stained-glass skylights lead to the upper floors, which offer an assortment of workspaces.

As well as a number of communal areas where guests can sit and work amongst the general hubbub, there are also several meeting rooms that can be closed off by floor-to-ceiling linen curtains and more intimate high-backed booths.

Leather chairs and wooden desks with flecked-stone bases appear throughout, a tactile contrast to the steel-framed doors and sleek metal cabinetry which feature in the kitchens.

“It’s an important mix for us as a design studio: custom, hand-made versus classics and unknown designers,” explained the studio, “the most important thing was contrast.”

“I love it when I find the most beautiful piece with a little mark on the back. It fills me with great joy to give them a centrepiece role,” continued Torfs.

One of the building’s former operating theatres has been transformed into a dramatic boardroom, at the centre of which is a marble-topped table surrounded by puffy, tan-coloured chairs.

The room’s window has also been expanded to offer sweeping views across the rooftops of Amsterdam’s townhouses.

A quiet corridor that once contained the nurses’ sleeping quarters now plays host to a sequence of private offices. Each one boasts new herringbone parquet floors, a decor detail the studio reinstated after seeing the same style of flooring feature in vintage photographs of the hospital.

There is also a healthy cafe, drinks bar and a library-style space that overlooks the building’s central garden.

Fosbury & Son’s Amsterdam space is meant to slightly differ in style from the company’s Belgium branches, which were also designed by Going East.

The Antwerp location has a relaxed layout inspired by The High Line in New York, where guests are encouraged to amble through workrooms and “discover something new each time”.

Meanwhile, the Brussels office contains a series of homely work areas that juxtapose its host building’s concrete shell.

“The great thing about working more than once with a client is that they start to trust you more and more,” Torfs and Mertens explained.

“The fun is in the difference and trying to develop new things of course – otherwise there would be no adventure anymore for us as designers.”

Photography is by Francisco Noguiera.

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