google ad sense 728 x 90

Showing posts with label wood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wood. Show all posts

The Ufogel Is A Cool and Cozy Rentable Refuge in Austria.




Designed by architect Peter Jungmann, The Ufogel (a combination of the words 'UFO' and 'Vogel' which means bird in German), is an extraordinary and comfortably appointed house made almost entirely of larch wood available for rent all year round in the East Tyrolian village Nussdorf - the southwestern part of Austria known as Tyrol (or Tirol).

Elegant Animal Head Urns of Ceramic and Wood by Artist Lorien Stern




Lorien Stern comes from Ojai, a small town in Southern California. She recently received her BFA from California College of the Arts in Oakland, where she focused on ceramics, painting, claymation, screen printing, wood turning, piƱatas, and egg batiking. Experimenting in various mediums, her animal urns are what caught my eye. They combine white ceramic animal heads with turned wood and are simultaneously whimsical and sophisticated. Whether used as actual cremation urns or merely objets'd'art, they are definitely unique.

“Penguin Urn” (10” x 3.5” x 3.5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2013)


“Alligator Urn” (8” x 3.5” x 3.5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2013)




“Bear Urn” (10” x 3.5” x 3.5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2013)


“Horse Urn” (10” x 3.5” x 3.5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2013)



“St. Bernard Urn” (9” x 5” x 5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2013)


“Bull Urn” (12.25” x 6.5” Ceramic and American Poplar 2010)




Lorien Stern (above) now lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. (image courtesy of Facebook)

Lorien works in has a fun series of large and small "animal heads" that you should check out at her website.

Shop her etsy store here

Electrifying Design. Elegant Power Strips & Surge Protectors That Blend Right In With Hardwood Floors.



Invisiplug are a line of power strips and surge protectors designed to blend right in with hardware floors.


above: Standard (6 outlets, 450 Joules Surge Protection, 3 Foot Cord, 15 AMP/125 VOLTS) shown in light natural,, medium cherry and dark oak.

Created in three wood shades; light natural, medium cherry and dark oak they are available as basic 6-outlet power strips, as 6 Outlets with 450 Joules Surge Protection and as 6 Outlets with 2 USB (2.1) Surge Protected Ports and 900 Joules Surge Protection.

Basic (Master Reset Switch, 3 Foot Cord, 15 AMP/125 Volts):


Standard (6 outlets, 450 Joules Surge Protection, 3 Foot Cord, 15 AMP/125 VOLTS):


Deluxe (6 outlets, USB 2, 900 Joules Surge Protection, 3 Ft. Cord, 15 AMP/125 VOLTS:

UPDATE: After getting support from Shark Tank's Lori Grenier,  Invisiplug, sadly, is no longer in business. I wish I knew why, 

You can buy them online here.

Beautiful Handmade Slingshots From Split Fork Tree Branches by Adam Gray





Certain toys never go out of style, but instead simply get more stylish. This is what Adam Gray has done with the ol' classic slingshot. Adam, who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and presently works at Bicycle Bolts, has become a new millenial favorite with his Hella Slingshots.



Handcrafting different slingshots from forked tree branches in San Francisco and carefully airbrushing them with acrylic paint, he has raised the classic toy to a level of functional art.



From higher-end versions made from polished woods to sporty colorful versions and even adorable folk-art animal versions, each is outfitted with a leather appointed projectile using natural latex tubing.





Featured on Fab.com and with Wired magazine choosing them as one of the best 20 gifts under $50, they are becoming a hip gift for adults and kids alike.


above: Hella Slingshots featured in Wired magazine

While I'm not encouraging people to knock out squirrels or worse, an eye, these can serve as the ultimate CEO desk accoutrement as well as a great stocking stuffer for the child (or juvenile adult) who wants to aim at inanimate objects.

Ammo (shown below) is available in felt, wood, iron, or eco-friendly seedbombs.



The Slingshots vary in price from $15 to $41 on his site and here on Scout Mob.


individual images courtesy of Adam Gray and Hella Slingshots, composite images by If t's Hip, It's Here.



Bruno Walpoth Brings Wood To Life In His Contemporary Human Sculptures.



Pinocchio would probably have gladly swapped his creator, Geppetto, for Italian sculptor Bruno Walpoth. Walpoth's ability to turn a hunk of wood into a lifelike looking figure is impressive, to say the least. His sculpted and painted busts and human forms are anything but "wooden." They seem to be imbued with emotion, capable of possessing a soul and striking the viewer as pensive, thoughtful - even melancholy.

Grain Audio. Solid Walnut Wood Meets Technology For Sound Design.




Two ex-Altec Lansing guys, an architect/furniture designer and a liquor industry operational expert combined their tastes and talents to launch Grain Audio. A company that creates beautifully executed audio products, each with has an integral wooden component to it. Solid, not veneered, the design has a positive impact on sound quality and unique grain structure, turning each piece of equipment into a one-of-a-kind design object.



With four different products in their collection thus far, they have successfully created substantial products that look as good as they sound.

The Packable Wireless System (PWS):


The Packable Wireless System from Grain Audio sets itself apart from the competition in both sound and design. The FSC certified walnut enclosure, combined with Waves MaxxAudio suite ensures studio quality sound out of a super portable speaker. Eight hours of battery life allows you to rock without having to worry about charging.



Technical Specs:
• WxDxH- 7" x 2 3/8" x 3 1/8" (180mm x 60mm x 80mm)
• AAC Support
• BT 3.0+A2DP with APT-X technology
• Grammy Award Winning MAXXAUDIO sound processing
• 2 x 2” proprietary loudspeakers
• Proprietary passive radiator
• Rechargeable LioN battery with 8 hours playtime
• Patent pending thru-bolted, braced panel construction
• 1 5V AC adapter (included)
• 1 36” USB cable (included)
• 1 60” 3.5MM cable (included)
• 1 carry pouch (included)

Price: $249 USD

The Over Ear Headphones:


Each pair of OEHP's feature grain matched, FSC certified solid walnut enclosures that is paired with their proprietary driver which features a Neodymium magnet and a CCAW voice coil. This means no fake bass boost, no weird mid-range, just pure, natural sound.

The OEHP was designed to highlight the natural beauty of its solid wood earcups. The inline mic is streamlined and intuitive to use. There are no unnecessary flourishes or extraneous details.



Technical features:
• Ear cups made of FSC Certified Walnut with hand-applied oil finish
• 2x40mm proprietary loudspeakers featuring Neodymium magnets and a CCAW voice coil
• Inline mic and remote
• TPE jacketed cable
• 3.5mm jack and ¼” adapter

Price: $199 USD

In Ear Headphones:


Each pair of IEHP's feature solid wood, grain matched enclosures that are fitted with their proprietary driver that features a Neodymium magnet and a CCAW voice coil. The silicone strain relief protects the wood housing and is comfortable on the ear and to the touch. The inline mic is simple and intuitive to use. There are no unnecessary flourishes or extraneous details.



Technical Features:
• Housings constructed of FSC Certified Walnut with hand-applied oil finish
• 2x8mm proprietary loudspeakers featuring Neodymium magnets and a CCAW voice coil
• Inline mic and remote
• TPE jacketed cable
• 3.5mm jack

Price: $99 USD

Passive Bookshelf System (PBS):


From the sound board to the speaker, this Bluetooth (TM) wireless speaker leverages the Grammy Winning Waves MaxxAudio® suite found in many famous mixing boards in the PWS to deliver the music as it was intended to sound. No games or artificial enhancements, just the sweet sounds as they were meant to be heard. We also include both Apt-X and AAC to ensure the highest quality audio standards.



Technical Features:
• Set of 2 Speakers included in package
• WxDxH - 12" x 8 1/8" x 7 1/2" (305mm x 205mm x 190 mm)
• 100watts RMS power handling
• 5.25” midbass woofer featuring Neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils
• Bass reflex enclosure
• Rubber feet for table top mounting
• Mounting holes for wall mount

Price: $649 USD

Video:


They strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible, using recycled and sustainable materials wherever they can while offsetting where they cannot. They will also contribute a percentage of each sale to music and community related charities to help ensure future generations carry on our passion for music.

The folks behind Grain Audio:

Mitch Wenger, Marketing
Mitch has worked for a number of years in the audio industry as well as high-level engagements with major global brands for both digital marketing and ecommerce. More importantly, he spent most of his youth in concert halls and at music festivals around the country and now dances with his wife and kids whenever he can.

David Burke, Acoustics
An Audio Engineer with over 10 years of experience and ears of gold. When not tuning systems and creating audio nirvana, he's brewing something in the shop to keep us on our toes.

Chris Weir, Design
You name it, Chris has designed it. Trained in architecture and furniture design Chris brings a unique eye to the speaker world and enables us to do something unlike that which has ever been seen. Plus, he loves Iron Maiden, so there's that.

Kevin, Operations
Secret weapon. Kevin worked for several wine, beer and spirits companies in a major operational capacity. So if you're wondering why he's the secret weapon, you should come visit our offices, happy hour starts early.

Eric Wenger, Business Operations and IT
EWang as he's affectionately known is the glue that keeps it all together here at Grain. In addition to handling our business operations, he's also a top-notch web and IT guy. Plus, if you need a recommendation on a Widespread Panic show to listen to, or bar to go to in New Orleans, he's your man.



grainaudio.com

Le bureau de Paolo by Sam Baron




This unusual and beautiful desk is made in a limited edition of 8 pieces. Crafted of Teak wood by Sam Baron for the Secondome Gallery, it measures 120cm X 75cm X 150cm and has lots of storage in its wonderfully modern design.





Inquire about the price and availability at the Secondome Gallery





It Would Take A Lot Of Lincoln Logs To Recreate This $44 Million Cabin. The Huntsman Estate in Park City Is For Sale.



I was recently reading about Jeffrey Katzenberg's Park City Estate for sale in The Hollywood Reporter and went to get a closer look at it when I stumbled upon the Huntsman Estate in Park City, which dwarfed the Katzenberg Kozy Kabin Komplex. This 22,000 square foot estate which sleeps over 20 and has a car collector's dream garage is on the market for $44 million.

HUS-1, A Biodegradable and Sustainable Home by Torsten Ottesjƶ.



Hus-1 is a small house designed and built by Torsten Ottesjƶ. The building was constructed on site. The idea is a dwelling as personification. The dwelling features convex walls which seam together with the floor creating both a sense of airiness and a naturally curved seating space along the sides of the interior. The structure is free-standing, so it can be moved anywhere; though the feeling is that it has actually sprouted out of the ground it rests on.






The 25 sqm (269 square feet) house aims to provide a living space beyond understanding. It is supposed to fit, to enable - not to distract or cause attention. Hus 1 regularly houses two people all year round but visiting friends always have room. Kitchen, sleeping quarters, dinner table, hallway and other functions are well integrated on just 25 square metres (269 sq ft) of living space.




The following text is reprinted from the designer's site and is written in the first person:

Nature
Buildings are often seen as rigid and ugly, while untouched Nature is considered as being undoubtedly beautiful. Trying to reproduce Nature may be seen as ugly, but never the original in itself. The untamed Nature is a source of incessant beauty. Why is this? Is it because the beauty of Nature lies in its complexities and its eternal variety? Our mind is simply stimulated by our insufficiency in facing its details. We are intrigued and inspired by that which we cannot understand or even grasp.



Just like the numerous forms of the branches of a tree, humans love Nature in a variety of ways. Is it possible to build a house which can be loved by so many in countless different ways? I wanted to try to build a house which was seen as beautiful in the same complex way as Nature. Angles and flat levels are at odds with the creation of Nature, but what are the alternatives? How do you build something that feels unconstructed? How can you imitate Nature in the form of a house?

By using doubled-curved surfaces and complex forms, I wanted to adapt the house to Nature’s infinite variety of form.



I wanted the house to be difficult to overlook, no matter what the angle or the shape. Whether we look at it from either the outside or the inside, a lot is still left open. I believe we grow wiser if we are not given all the answers directly. Instead we get used to the fact that we cannot know everything. We learn to make decisions in relation to our surroundings and the square block-shaped architecture that surrounds us encourages a simplistic logic. It is not a suitable environment for humans.

Size
Few people have a larger volume than 0.1 m3 but many live in a home larger than 100 m3. This depends on our need for space in order to move around freely. We need to focus our eyes on different distances. We enjoy space. However, don’t we often have too much? What is it that makes a room spacious? Is it necessarily its size in cubic metres?




It is more common to hear a person express love for a car than for a house. I believe it has to do with scale. It is easier to feel the connection with a car since its volume resembles our own. On that basis I think it should be possible to build a house that is actually quite small but which feels large and spacious. I wanted to adapt the size of the house to suit the movements of the body and to make it completely comfortable to be in. Wherever a person comes in contact with the building it should be tailored for the form and the mechanics of the human body.

Except for our own volume, we surround ourselves with furniture. Why all these objects? In practical terms, we need extremely few things to survive, but we may feel happier surrounded by beautiful things. Apart from the vital things we need, we want beauty, stimulus and comfort in order to function and enjoy ourselves.

The Body
Furniture and other box-shaped objects are often ponderous and suited for simplistic volumes such as cubic rooms and not necessarily for the human body. The body is complex in the same way as Nature and therefore needs a complex environment. A room is meant for human bodies and not for boxes.




I wanted to work with all surfaces of the room and create a room which in itself was comfortable. I wanted to create surfaces where you can sit and stand, lean against and lay on, giving you the ability to lean comfortably against the walls as if they were the back of an armchair. By optimizing the whole room, you liberate a lot of volume which in its turn makes a small room spacious. In my mind, a well-designed room does not need to be big or filled with furniture.

Footprint
Apart from appealing to human scale, what other advantages are there in building a small house?




Small houses are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. They demand less building material and are therefore cheaper. They are more easily heated and cleaned. The impact of a small house is limited, both when it comes to resources as well as the land where it is placed. Small houses are also more easily handled and transported. I wanted to have the opportunity to build the whole house in a hallway in order to lift it easily and transport it, by road, in one piece.

I have been inspired by the various forms of Nature but also by airplanes, cars, boats and bridges. They all have a very specific function and aesthetic and are freer in their forms than houses. These constructions require a lot; the construction needs to be both light and strong, adapted to weather, to be both resistent to air and water, to be safe, comfortable and to have an appealing outside as well as inside. These constructions more often have a more optimized thought behind it than found in conventional architecture.

Material


Wood was chosen for a number of reasons, I needed to work with doubled-curved surfaces, it was necessary that the material was easily shaped. The building also needed to be economically justifiable and the material easily manufactured, processed and handled. Therefore, wood plays a prominent role in the framework, insulation, surface layer and fittings consist of wood or wood-based products.




Wood was also chosen out of consideration for biodegradation and sustainability as well as for the way the material ages. Wood is beautiful in that is has a memory. Changes in the environment are illustrated by the life and ageing of the wood. You can see the users historic impact on the material as it slowly wears away. I wanted this life to be seen. Surface treatments have been chosen with care, without taking out the rubbed, sometimes planed patina of the ash, the spruce and the aspen. On the whole, surface layers have been kept untreated and have been whitepigmented with linseed oil or heat treated and oiled.



Challenges
Hus 1 represents an experiment in architecture and is a prototype, and it's construction reflected this. Torsten's working methods were therefore filled with analysis, studies and tests in order to find the right product and approach. Knowledge of the wood’s qualities, searching for the right method and discussions with special advisors have all helped to complete the project.

The building is very stable despite the lightweight construction of bended and glued dry wood. The glulam construction was set up in situ. It was covered with reinforced board which turns the construction into a framework with a surrounding body. The load is distributed across larger areas which leads to increased durability.

Thanks to the building construction, moisture is evenly absorbed and distributed. All walls and roofs have a surface layer of biodegradable, cellulose-based, reinforced board which is resistent to water and wind, but open for moisture. This two-way directed moisture transfer is beneficial in times when the building is out of use or not heated. The spruce roof shingle is a porous layer which allows moisture to diffuse through the roof underlay.

all images and information courtesy of Tosten Ottesjƶ 

Please donate

C'mon people, it's only a dollar.