How your Backsplash can Change your Space

Backsplashes have come a long way from their usual simple tile, or turn up return piece from the countertop. Today backsplashes command attention in the kitchen or bathroom, and are becoming more of a feature than a subtle backdrop. Depending on your décor style you can use a variety of materials, finishes and colors for your backsplash to coordinate with your space. Here are suggestions on how to choose a backsplash that will change your space before your eyes.

Don’t just go for the usual: While ceramic or porcelain tile still remain the most common materials chosen for backsplashes there are several other options to choose from.  Mosaic tiles that incorporate glass, ceramic and stones give an artisan feel, and custom mosaics are one of a kind. Glass tile is a beautiful addition to dark kitchens. The reflections of light off of backsplashes keep your kitchen bright and fun to be in.


Go bold: Ever wondered how bathrooms and kitchens can be transformed with a simple addition of a great backsplash? Metal backsplashes that use tin or metal ‘looking’ mosaics can add sparkle and a modern appeal. If you enjoy bold colors, opt for sharp contrasting color to the cabinetry or to the countertops. For added drama, use darker grout with metal backsplashes. For a more subtle look, use lighter grout to blend aesthetically.

Choose a backsplash that uses a flat surface: In many kitchens, granite slabs, concrete and glass backsplashes are a common substitute to segmented tiles. Flat backsplashes give your eye an uninterrupted view and work well for high ceiling kitchens that have expansive space. When using stone on vertical surfaces, ensure they are installed correctly by a general contractor or stone contractor.

• Natural stone: For a more rustic look, natural stone can have a more chiseled and uneven feel. This is perfect for bathrooms and kitchens that want an organic and natural aesthetic. Corbelled tile looks more like stone or rock, and doesn’t have any specific pattern. Pair natural stone with travertine, concrete, or slate countertops for a gorgeous and rustic space.
• Opt for new shapes: A great way your backsplash can change a space is by choosing backsplash patterns that aren’t just rectilinear.  Ceramic and glass tile come in random, polygonal, and shapes that have curves instead of 90 degree angles. Consider using these types of backsplashes where you want to add creative energy and conversation in the room. Kitchens usually gather people in conversation naturally and powder room bathrooms are a place to add dazzle in your home. These spaces are ideal for adding backsplashes that will be unforgettable and talked about long after your guests leave your home!

Backsplashes are a nice way to make a space come alive with color, or get subdued with soft tones. Choose your style and be creative. For under cabinet counters, use lighting to brighten the work surface as well as bring your backsplash alive. The most common mistake in putting up a show stopper backsplash is not providing ample light to showcase it!


VIA: FRESHOME

Furniture Made from Shopping Carts

This project calls "Mercado Negro", by Los Angeles-based artist Ramon Coronado."I took it upon myself to take a shopping cart and make a statement with it. I reclaimed LA's iconic shopping cart and created furniture for kids to enjoy in these urban Los Angeles areas. The project is a criticism of the scarcity of recreational functions for kids growing up in a dense city like Los Angeles."

VIA: NEATORAMA

Aluminium Cottage

This two story Aluminium Cottage located at Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi in Japan.

VIA http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2009/11/aluminium-cottage.html

SKULL CHAIR PROTOTYPE

By pierre bergé & associés.
Via: superfuture

brussels: wishlist li edelkoort auction
li edelkoort is one of the planet’s leading trend analysts and founder of the authoritative trend union agency in paris. for pierre bergé & associés she has selected stunning design pieces, such as a series of prototypes of vladi rapaport’s skull chair as shown below, for the wishlist li edelkoort auction on sun - sep 13 [2pm]. location: salle des beaux arts, grote zavelplein 40 [downtown].

Link:

http://www.superfuture.com/supernews/?p=20694

iBum Chair Photocopies Your Ass

Tomomi Sayuda��s iBum chair will antomatically photocopy your ass, when you sit this chair. When audience sit down on the chair, a scanner on the top of chair to scan people's buttocks antomatically. Then the scanned image is printed out from the right hand side of the chair. A sensor is detecting people's existence all the time. So people will not realize the existence of the scanner. Without notice, the photocopy of the bum will arrive next to the chair.

Via gearfuse, ohgizmo

Fisticup

FISTICUP designed by Jean Cristophe Karich.This man-size coffee mug packs a serious punch. Sleek ivory high-fire ceramic contrasts dramatically with the steely metallic handle.

THE WAVY BOOKCASE

Italian designer Giuseppe Bavuso has created the Wavy bookcase for Alivar.

Via: contemporist

WAVY is a bookshelf system that rigorously combines design and function. It is a minimalistic product in which the thin structure and the wavy design, both vertical and horizontal, gives the ensemble an image of great solidity and lightness. With its extremely characteristic accuracy of detail and use of materials, Wavy is made entirely of “HI – MACS Natural Acrylic Stone” by LG in S28 Alpine White color.

DUNK MUG

The Dunk Mug is made by Moca.
Via: dwell

HOUSE POZUELO MADRID

Designed by Spain practice architect A-cero.
Via: +mood
The house is located in a 1-hectare site of fairly rectangular shape. Developed along the Eastern margin of the site, which runs adjacent to the road, it is structured around two axes cutting in an oblique angle.The first axis, following the North-South direction, organizes the rooms in the house around a series of intersecting volumes that give rise to the different inside and outside spaces.The second axis, materialized in a pergola or beam running in East-West direction, determines the relation between the building and the spaces surrounding the house.The neatness of the design is enhanced with the clean choice of finishes.

Shoe Bathtub

If you are women and love shoes, you would love these shoes bathtub. These Shoe Bathtubs by Italian SICIS, the bathtub is entirely covered in an artistic way with glass mosaic, looks like a luxurious shoe, beautiful.

Dynamic Lamp - Hand-Powered Lamp

Karin Johansson's lamp looks like a a globe of the Earth, powered by your hands. It transforms kinetic energy to light, through a dynamo placed inside the globe. As you spin it, it glows. Johansson explains: "The dynamo has fascinated me since before I knew what it was. I fell asleep to the sound of it when I was two years old sitting on the back of my mother's bike. My Dynamic Lamp is a part of the wireless society. It doesn't need any power supply or batteries, it just works with your own energy. It is based on the idea of producing your energy where you are, instead of transporting it in all directions across the earth. The sole by-product is exercise." Jump more watch a video of the lamp in action.

this product is a "fake" product. it's taken from www.konstfack.info witch is a degree project in it self.

BBQ Branding Iron.... HAHA

If your meats always stole by your friends, you will love this tool - BBQ Branding Iron. The BBQ Branding Iron(GBP 15; June 2009) allows you to brand your message(or your name) on your meat. You can customize two lines of letters, lock them and shove the iron in the barbie. Then hot brand your meat�C phsstt! Use it on steaks, chops, chicken, burgers or even (gasp!) tofu. A good idea, I love it!

Fluid Faucet

The Fluid Faucet by Köhler Design, doubles as a drinking fountain, let you drink water more easily."Push the nose of FLUID down to wash your hands. Push it up to rinse your mouth or simply to drink some fresh water. The more you push up or down, the more water will flow out. In the level position the water will stop. With the turning knob at the side, the temperature can be adjusted to ones preference. "

The mypressi TWIST - the World's First Portable Espresso Machine

The mypressi, they claim "the Mypressi Twist is the world's first truly portable espresso machine". The mypressi TWIST($129)'s unique pneumatic engine that works with CO2 cartridge offering a 9-bar pressure across the entire shot. Each cartridge lasts for about 8 shots of espresso. It is meaning that you only need hot water and coffee to get a fresh espresso. The mypressi TWIST will be available in this fall for $129.

Gloomy Bear "Arm Pillows"

The funny Gloomy Bear "arm pillows" from Korea, cute and fun!

Brain Hanging Decoration

An awesome hanging needlefelted brain. Etsy wrote,"Reserved for SardineandAnchovy (Sarah)...do not purchase unless you are SardineandAnchovy This brain has a loop of fishing line so it can hang as a decoration somewhere in your house. Brain is made using wool fleece and is approx 5cms long by 4cms high by 4cms deep."

Cushion / Trunk Lounger by Royal Botania

The Cushion / Trunk Lounger(Sunday Lounger) by Royal Botania. Cool design, your kid and you will love it! It is a trunk Lounger which has a lid that you can adjust to different angles to protect yourself from the sun's rays. The bo-like lounger comes with luxurious pillows and is completely waterproof. Designed by Kris Van Puyvelde and Frank Boschman, with a hard-wearing synthetic fiber black COAXXS make.

MARCELLO ZUFFO'S MOVEABLE KITCHEN DESIGN

Via: freshome
Marcello Zuffo, a senior designer with Motorola’s Consumer Experience Design Group, entered the 2008 Electrolux/Interior Design Magazine competition for innovative kitchen design and took the Grand Prize with this design: an ultramodern kitchen with multiple movable components.

Old Soap, New Bottles

New Bottles, Old Soap, a good and green idea! A New Soap company sells the new liquid soap which packaged in old plastic and glass bottles. They take old plastic and glass bottles, cleans and sanitizes them and loads them up with soap. You can order anything from Windex to 409 to Palmolive Ultra, or opt for no-name products instead. You��ll find the liquids in old Heineken beer bottles, 2-liter soda bottles and Sprite bottles with spray-gun caps, and prices run from just over $2 and up.

OfficePOD

The OfficePOD is 2.1m x 2.1m space to create a self contained office that exceeds all standard office accommodation regulations & requirements. Its modular design enables speedy construction, even in gardens with the most difficult access. The POD has been designed to provide appropriate security when empty or occupied. Power is provided via a discrete and protected connection to the house or garage; IT and phone connectivity is generally wireless but can be similarly cabled. The POD is provided with a secure locking system of the highest quality."The OfficePOD cares for the environment also, thanks to its low energy consumption level, high levels of insulation and innovative cooling system. Recycled and recyclable products have been used wherever possible. The OfficePOD is being claimed to deliver savings of at least £9,000 per employee per year and reduce CO2 emissions per employee by between 46 percent and 67 percent.In nutshell, the OfficePOD is an office away from office designed to change the way people work. "