Tuesday 26 November 2013

Fabulous Tree House




tree house
In childhood almost each of us was dreaming to built a house on a tree where you could spend time with your friends. Nine years ago, residents of Dallas Steve and Jeri Wakefield decided to build such a house on a tree for their grandchildren. But not a small house – a whole cottage. They invited a family friend, a professional architect James Curvan. As a result, a fabulous tree house was built around the tree. It was equipped with air conditioning, ventilation and electricity. In fact it’s not just a house but entertainment center for children of all ages. The grandchildren have grown up, and the house on the tree became uninteresting. Steve and Jeri invite children from all neighborhoods for entertainment and leisure. Kids are happy to come to visit them and play at home on a tree.

 
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http://www.beautifullife.info/urban-design/fabulous-tree-house/

Sunday 24 November 2013

the built-ins {part one}

When designing the family room section of the basement I knew I wanted a wall of bookcases, storage and media storage. We decided that at some point we were going to bite the bullet and purchase a wall mounted television so I made space for that as well. I wanted built-ins, I just didn't want the built in price. I went to the IKEA site to see what I could find. I knew I wanted wood pieces that could be customized. The Hemnes line at IKEA is just that. This series is made of pine and painted either white, black or a lovely shade of greige (yes, that is a word).

I knew that I was going to have about 17 feet of wall space to work with so I picked the pieces I wanted and added up the dimensions. This took a little bit of figuring out. I went under 17 feet and decided that I would just add wall on either end. I chose a total of five pieces, a tv unit, two glass door cabinets with drawers and two bookcases. They totaled about 14 feet in width. 
Once the pieces came in and were put together we decided to space them out instead of building walls on either side. We were putting wood to cover the joints between each unit so those pieces of wood just became a little wider. 
The tv unit was also deeper in depth so the 4 units on the sides were bumped out a bit so they all sit flush in the front. Some pieces were added behind each of those pieces and then the sides were covered with more wood. The top of the tv unit was removed since the original width did not cover the strips of wood added in between each unit.  


Above the tv unit section are pieces to match the board and batten in the rest of the room. The tv will be mounted in the center of all that. The wires necessary for the television, cable, and whatever other things we will have like Wii, etc, will all run within the wall and come out from behind the tv unit. I didn't want all that woodwork to be ruined by wires hanging down!



A soffit was built across the top, completing the built-in look. This is hiding all those wires and pipes. One long piece of wood was also added along the entire bottom, hiding the legs and cleaning up the entire look.

Everything will be painted with a coat of white semi gloss paint. That should be happening soon. After that it is just flooring and some finishing touches. I'm drooling just looking at this next picture. The entire built-in unit will hold books, board games, some decorative touches, dvd's, and so much more! If I had actually had someone create a built-in I would have paid about 3 to 4 times what it cost for some well constructed IKEA pieces and wood strips! 
http://www.no29design.com/2012/04/built-ins-part-one.html

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Summerhouse by Architect Irene Sævik

Secluded yet open. Just a stone’s throw away from the ocean and situated amidst a plethora of summer houses and cottages, Irene Sævik’s zen-like summer house manages the impossible: a private and peaceful ambience only forty minutes outside of the busy capitol of Oslo and a mere three minute walk from the shores of the Oslo fjord. The house is a renovation and expansion of a smaller-scale cabin built by seminal modernist painter Irma Sahlo Jæger in 1963.
Architect Irene Sævik picked up on the original building’s asceticism and upgraded it to a contemporary contemplative hideout. Drawing from Japanese architecture, the yard is surrounded by a slender gallery enabling one to freely circulate—and enter—between the adjacent rooms. The living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, sauna, restroom, study and two bedrooms all follow one another. Due to the rooms being separate the retreat can harbor a larger number of people and yet allow for quiet activities such as writing, reading, painting, as well as listening to music, preparing foods in the spacious kitchen, and conversing. A large terrace is ideal for soaking in the sun and the view encompassing both treetops and the fjord arms surrounding the narrow peninsula. The Architect metamorphosed a traditional Norwegian summer retreat into a vivid, comfortable and yet contemplative, in which we sure would like to spend our holidays, too.
All images © Ivan Brodey | Via: archdaily

Friday 8 November 2013

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500

7daystheory:

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500
Read the Full Story Via: homes.yahoo
Watch their inspiring video here
7daystheory:

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500
Read the Full Story Via: homes.yahoo
Watch their inspiring video here
7daystheory:

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500
Read the Full Story Via: homes.yahoo
Watch their inspiring video here
7daystheory:

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500
Read the Full Story Via: homes.yahoo
Watch their inspiring video here
7daystheory:

These two young artists quit their jobs to build this glass house for $500
Read the Full Story Via: homes.yahoo
Watch their inspiring video here

Saturday 2 November 2013

Ikea Creates Platform for Customers to Sell Their Second-Hand Furniture

Norwegian Campaign via SMFB, Oslo, Promotes Brand's Sustainability Efforts

Ikea goods aren't exactly the sturdiest known to man, but the retailer recently set up a platform through which its customers could find a new home for the Besta, Hemnes, Malm or other pieces they're ready to part ways with. Working with SMFB, Oslo -- known for its unusual campaigns for the client (like one that engaged customers to help the brand when it was moving a store and another that let shoppers choose the type of ad they wanted to see via a web banner) -- the retailer launched "The Second Hand Campaign," an integrated effort that advertised customers' used Ikea products through outdoor, print, broadcast and web banners.
The agency and Ikea put a call out to its patrons, asking if they needed help selling their used goods. Many people responded and 50 were chosen for the campaign. Ikea gathered their used pieces and produced real ads using those goods. Alongside pictures of the second-hand items were printed the owners' actual phone numbers for potential buyers to call. Outside of the ads, Ikea's Facebook page became a digital flea market where sellers and buyers could do business every Sunday.
The effort ran for eight weeks, resulting in the sale of every used product.