Hasta La Ideas

Originally a part of the score for the 1999 film Kikujiro, prolific composer Joe Hisaishi’s “Summer” (which reappears, now remastered for an upcoming “best of” compilation) delicately balances piano and orchestral instruments to form a soundscape of immense depth. With an accompanying black and white video of Hisaishi guiding the ups and downs of the track’s introduction and subsequently playing the piano, “Summer” reenters listeners’ lives just in time for the arrival of 21 of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki films—all but one are scored by Hisaishi—on Netflix next month.

ÉCAL graduate Byongseon Bae has given the drill a non-threatening makeover – replacing its complex exterior and characteristic gun shape with a sleek, monochrome design and simplified functionality.

The resulting product, called Home Tool, can be used as both a manual screwdriver and a cordless drill, simply by applying different bits.

Despite being a power tool, it maintains the straight handle of a regular screwdriver, with a built-in LED-light for use in dark spaces.

The device is not meant for bigger home-improvement projects, but for everyday tasks from furniture assembly all the way down to repairing electronics.

“For a lot of people in their 20s and 30s, being able to drill holes into the wall is almost an unnecessary function because people don’t want to damage the wall when it’s a rental house,” Bae told Dezeen.

“This creates demand for a simple home tool that carries only basic functions and eliminates intricate details – one that is understandable and straightforward so that anyone could use it.”

By reducing the amount of possible settings and simplifying the exterior, Bae hopes to make the device less intimidating for first-time users.

“For an amateur, a hand drill can be a scary thing,” said the designer.

“Even something as simple as using the sliding switch to change the rotation direction can be confusing, so I reduced it into an intuitive two-button system – pressing the forward button drives in a screw, and pushing the back button unscrews it.”

In a preliminary observation study Bae found that, for an average user, the clutch on a drill is completely obsolete. This adjustable dial allows professionals to adjust the amount of torque, or force, that is applied when drilling.

“The numbers on the clutch are meaningless to a novice because they have no clue which one should be chosen for which material,” the designer explained.

As a result, she removed the clutch from her design entirely.

Most participants also struggled with the chuck – a clamp designed to hold drill bits of different shapes in place.

Bae simplified the set-up for her Home Tool to work exclusively with hexagonal bits, which means they can be installed more easily and fixed more securely.

The design also forgoes the array of multicoloured buttons and sections that can be found on a classic drill in favour of uniform blocks of colour.

“By making it all one shade, I wanted to make it look like an easy-to-use tool that can blend in with its surroundings in a home,” she explained.

“Red as a colour is symbolic of traditional tools like the toolbox and manual screwdriver. I think evoking the memory of the tools they already know means people can utilise the Home Tool with a sense of familiarity.”

Beyond fire-engine red, the device also comes in neutral shades of cream and navy – with a container to match.

The briefcase-sized box needed to store a traditional drill is replaced by a compact, stackable case, only slightly larger than an A5 book.

It is designed to be stored on a desk rather than in the attic, and also doubles up as a charging station.

Once the device is charged via the USB port – which can be hooked up to a laptop, power bank or regular plug – the cable can be neatly wound up and stowed away in the designated slot on the bottom of the case.

In her survey, Bae also found that people were likely to misplace essential elements such as screws or dowels in the process of assembling products such as flat-packed furniture.

This lead her to incorporate a series of empty grooves and rivets into the interior of the case which can be used as an inventory tray, while the essential drill bits are safely fastened to the inside of the lid.

Elsewhere, designers have reinterpreted the screwdriver as a desktop ornament and integrated it into a pocket knife for skiers, so they can adjust their bindings on the go.

The post Minimalist electric screwdriver is designed to be “unintimidating” appeared first on Dezeen.

The brick piers of an old Victorian coach house are incorporated in the facade of this skinny house in New Cross, London, designed by architecture studio Selencky Parsons.

Nestled into a 3.5 metre gap in a Victorian terrace, the project is called The Coach House after the place for parking carriages that once sat on the site.

The Coach House is a slender three-storey building that steps down towards the rear, opening up into an L-shaped living area that overlooks a garden.

Three horizontal bands coated in micro-cement protrude out from the front facade.

These angled projections form a canopy over the entrance and mediate the step forward between the two buildings either side,

“We wanted to create an intriguing street facade, using architectural elements drawn from the wider rhythm of the street but reinterpreted and implemented in a playful way,” studio founder Sam Selencky told Dezeen.

Stone paving in this entry area references the former coach house’s brick floor, which allowed carts to be driven into the building.

An entrance lobby and long, brick-lined passage frame views towards the garden at the rear.

The passage passes a utility room and larder on either side of a central staircase situated in a lightwell to help illuminate the deep plan.

“The triple-height lightwell that pierces through the centre of the house, bringing light down and importantly breaking up what would otherwise be a tight circulation corridor, instead creating an unexpected moment of space,” said Selencky.

The Coach House has an open-plan kitchen and dining area in a wider area at the back.

A living space sits lower, slightly sunken to create a distinct area that surrounds a fireplace.

This step down also allowed for the creation of a slim window above that pulls in light between the living and dining areas.

“Creating distinct zones within a large open-plan space is a thread that is common to many of our projects,” said Selencky.

“For The Coach House we have played with materials and levels to distinguish the living areas from the kitchen and dining space.”

Full-height glazing with sliding doors opens the dining and living areas onto a paved external terrace.

Steps lead up to a garden, ending in an another seating area covered by a wooden trellis.

Bedrooms occupy the first and second floors of the thin volume.

They sit on either side of the staircase, taking advantage of views out to the street or the garden behind.

Selencky Parsons was founded by Sam Selencky and David Parsons. Previous projects include a cork-lined pod for the firm’s own studio in London and a stepped extension to a 1960s terraced house.

Photography is by Richard Chivers.

Project credits:

Architect: Selencky Parsons
Engineer: Constructure
Contractor: Cobalt PL
Garden designer: Antonia Schofield

The post Skinny house built in gap for Victorian coach house in London appeared first on Dezeen.

It’s strange that we haven’t had the audacity to reinvent basic home decor along with our tech products. Meet Cuppa, a completely cordless lamp and shade that travels with you, allowing you to place it practically anywhere without worrying about having it near a socket. What sets Cuppa apart from any battery-powered or USB-powered lamp (or even the portable oil-powered ones) is its ability to look contemporary while being sufficiently advanced. Designed as truly portable home decor, the Cuppa is a lamp and shade you can carry to different rooms, placing practically anywhere. It’s as chic as any lampshade you’d find in an IKEA catalog while being as portable as a candlestand… and hey, it has a touch-sensitive base that lets you tap anywhere to switch it on or off, so you’re never fumbling for the switch in the dark.

The reason I call the Cuppa a reinvention of basic home decor is because it categorically reinvents itself in every aspect of lamp design. For starters, it does away with switches by itself being a switch. Tap anywhere on the body and the Cuppa switches on or off. You can even tap and hold to get the light to dim to your desired intensity. The lamp, aside from being wireless and touch-activated, is also durable, waterproof and shockproof. It even features a flame-retardant lampshade, has an anti-slip base that keeps it stable on slanted surfaces, and comes with 12 hours of run time on a full battery.

The cordless, buttonless Cuppa weighs as much as a cup of coffee (hence the name). Fitted inside is an energy-saving dimmable LED bulb that you can choose the warmth of. You even get to choose between three Cuppa body colors and a variety of lampshades to suit your space. The Cuppa charges via Type-C and can provide over 2 hours of light on 10 minutes of charging. All in all, what the Cuppa does for lighting is comparable to what the smart-speaker does for the hi-fi home audio system. While we still live in homes with wired lamps that run on incandescent bulbs (that can’t be carried from room to room), Cuppa retains a contemporary Nordic-minimal style while giving the lamp a few subtle yet much-needed upgrades. At $99, it gives you a lamp that’s portable, touch-sensitive, waterproof, eco-friendly, flame-retardant, shock-proof, and still worthy of sitting beautifully amongst the rest of your home decor. Plus, pop a smart-bulb into it and you can even control your lamp remotely via your phone or voice-assistant.

Designers: Kevin Smith & Marco Wen

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $150 (34% off). Hurry, only 6/285 left!

Cuppa: A Cordless LED Touch Lamp with All the Features You Need

The Cuppa is a minimalist yet functional LED lamp that is portable, touch-sensitive, waterproof, eco-friendly, flame-retardant and shock-proof.

Cuppa comes in 3 colors and it perfectly blends in with all types of furniture & decorations.

Cordless Matters

Say goodbye to your messy desktop. Never trip over power cords again. Simply carry Cuppa around and place it anywhere, anytime! A reading lamp, a bedside lamp, an ambient lamp, a backup lamp during a blackout or even just a final touch to your furniture and décor.

The 360°Any Touch

The 360°Any Touch means Cuppa can be switched on/off from any position on the base, no more fumbling around for a tiny switch on the cord.

With its patent-pending 360°Any Touch Technology, Cuppa is the world’s first cordless lamp featuring full-body touch control.

Buttonless Design, Stepless Dimming & Memory Mode

The buttonless design doesn’t sacrifice any functions. With its 360°Any Touch Technology, Cuppa still features stepless dimming and memory mode.

Touch & hold to trigger the stepless dimming.

The memory mode allows you to turn Cuppa back on each time, at the previous brightness level.

TYPE C Fast Charging

Featuring TYPE C fast charging, Cuppa can last for 2 hours with only 10 mins charging. With a full charge (2.5 hours), it can stay on for as long as 12 hours.

You can even charge Cuppa with a power bank, meaning that you can use Cuppa as a perfect backup lamp, especially during a blackout.

Decent Weight

Lightweight means poor quality, plastic material and a tendency to fall over. Heavyweight lamps are fragile and not easy to move around. Cuppa weighs a decent 1.98lbs (about the same weight as a cup of coffee), which makes it feel as good as it looks.

Meanwhile, the sticky base pad makes Cuppa extremely steady, with zero chance of it falling off.

Waterproof Base & Flame Retardant Shade

Since Cuppa is designed to be frequently carried around, they built Cuppa to a very strict quality standard. Featuring an IP65 waterproof base, a flame-retardant, and water-resistant lampshade, Cuppa is technically the lamp version of “King Kong Barbie”.

They even made it 100% safe and kids friendly, there is absolutely no risk of an electrical shock.

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $150 (34% off). Hurry, only 6/285 left!

Fine art animal photographer Kristopher Rutherford has made six of his kangaroo portraits available for purchase—between $10 and $60—with all proceeds going to WIRES, the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service. Rutherford took the images at a Texas zoo one year ago. He captured their tender nature through incredible details.