Around The Home

At last, those agonizing about what to do with all that spare seaweed they have lying around the place can take a leaf (or perhaps frond) out of Nir Meiri's book. The Tel Aviv-based designer's Marine Light amply demonstrates that dried seaweed can make rather a natty lampshade.  Read More

The nuplug surge protected extension cord offers two outlets and two USB ports, but what makes this device interesting is its ability to attach to beds, couches, workbenches and other convenient locations around the home.  Read More

The 01LAMP desk lamp is what you get when four young Italian designers get together and start folding old pizza boxes. Created by Federico Trucchia, Daniele Schinaia, Antonio Scribano and Matt Compagnucci, 01LAMP pays homage to the idea of creating simple, economic and sustainable DIY furniture.  Read More

Whatever your tipple of choice is, from water and pop to whiskey and rum, they all come in bottles, though the aesthetic appeal of these bottles differs greatly depending on the brand. The Satechi Touch USB LED Lamp gives new life to these empty bottles by turning them into a base for a table lamp.  Read More

There aren't enough stop motion animation films starring light fittings, in my opinion. Until today, I only knew of one: Luxo Jr, by Pixar. Hyperion is the second, and it stars the eponymous insectoid light fitting, designed by Paul Heijnen.  Read More

If you find the toast popping up in the morning too much to handle, then the Arzum Firrin toaster may be more your speed. Winner of the 2012 Design Turkey award, the Firrin forgoes alarming pop-out mechanisms for a more sedate sliding tray that is not only easier on the nerves, but also allows the toaster to handle a wide variety of rolls, bagels and other doughy products.  Read More

In the last week, over 3,000 people on Kickstarter ignored the fact it's next to impossible to keep a houseplant alive and backed the now fully-funded "Glowing Plants: Natural Lighting with no Electricity" campaign. The funds will be used to build upon existing technology and create a transgenic plant that has a soft blue-green glow to act as an electricity-free nightlight. Backer rewards, each glowing, include an arabidopsis plant, a rose plant, and arabidopsis seeds. We check in as the Glowing Plants team heads towards their first stretch goal and look at how this project is part of a bigger trend in DIY biology. But be warned: this is not your grandma's seed catalog.  Read More

The way many of us consume food has changed dramatically in recent years, with family meals around a table less common than they once were. The Ripple is a response to this evolution in eating trends, combining a bowl and a plate, and adding a handle for good measure.  Read More

In late March, all of the US Home Depot stores began carrying Cree’s new LED light bulbs. While they’re by no means the first such bulbs to offer the same form factor as standard incandescent bulbs, their combination of a relatively low price and visually-pleasing light quality have got some people – and not just publicists working for Cree – saying that they could be what finally brings LED light bulbs into the mainstream. I recently got a chance to try one out for myself, and I definitely liked what I saw.  Read More