Now that 2012 has finally arrived, it’s time to start getting revved up for the Olympics (not so far away now), actually start visiting the gym and start tackling some of those resolutions on your list. One of them is bound to be ‘Have a lovely, stylish and geekified home’, so I’ve out together ten great gadget accessories to let you live a lovely geeky life at home.
1. Geek Wall Stickers from Bouf
I’m a big fan of wall decals (easy to apply and remove= no landlord surcharge) and Bouf has an amazing selection. My favourite would have to be the Super Mario wall stickers, which would be amazing for a games room- heck, any room, but they also have a more muted space invader version if you want to class it up.
2.The iPod Duvet set
Show your love for Apple (and your single status) with this super cute coverlet. I wish you could custom order it with your favourite Apps- mine would come complete with Dropbox, TripAdvisor and Byline. Read more…
London is home to many keen cyclists and the advent of Boris Bikes (nicknamed after the mayor of London for non UK readers) in the capital has seen more and more people take up this sport. It’s a cheap convenient way to traverse central London, but the enjoyment levels of this activity do suffer with the vagaries of the British weather. It’s lovely to take a sunlit cycle ride on a nice day, less so when it’s sleeting so hard you feel like your face is being violated by Edward Scissorhands. Could Uberhood be the answer?
Uberhood is an umbrella designed for the bicycle which easily clips onto the handlebar and is meant to give you cover whilst you cycle. It comes in a a variety of colours and they say it’s suitable for both ‘blazing sun and driving rain’. Sadly, we only get to see it pictured on someone trying it out in the blazing sun (see video and picture) so we have no way of knowing if this could withstand rain, as I feel the ‘first umbrella for the bike’ might have some serious flaws if anything stronger than a sprinkle were to fall on it.
Nice concept, just not sure they really deliver on the execution. When they get it right, I’d like to see it on every Boris Bike, till then it looks like we’ll stick to buses and the tube when it’s really wet. $79 from Uberhood
The idea of escaping urban life and going to live in the jungle is not an uncommon dream, but one that rarely gets taken up (think bugs, lack of water etc). Bubble Tree are offering the idea of uncluttered space for those of a more dreamy nature, and their vision of utopia comes with all modern conveniences.
There are two types of ‘bubbles’ you can choose from, the Bubble Room which has a few sheltered areas and the Cristal Bubble which Crystal Maze style allows passers by a 360 degree view of your activities. You get to enjoy an approximately 13 foot living area which encapsulates a sleeping and sitting area and looks something like a plastic igloo. Inflated by an electric turbine, you’ll be protected from the majority of the elements, though a tornado might shake up your home a little. The bubble is coated with a special UV filter that is designed to regulate the temperature and keep you free from bugs and y’know, actual nature. You do get to see what’s going on, but you’ll be protected from the harshness of everyday environment through the lovely bubble screen. Read more…
Woouf is a Barcelona based company that aims to reinterpret common objects by ‘inverting the dimensions in relation to spectators.’ They’ve successfully fulfilled their brief with their stunning line of Woouf beanbags. You can choose from a retro Camera option (my favourite) or a retro looking speaker and they also have cute keyboards and faux luggage beanbags to enjoy. Read more…
Concept Shed might sound like a brand that just creates cool looking prototypes and drawings and never delivers, but that’s not the case. The funky looking Audio Armchair you see above is a fully working model that you can purchase, albeit for an undisclosed price- probably custom made from their Cornwall headquarters ( a UK brand- w00t!).
I don’t have a huge a mount of info about the Audio Armchairs, but the picture really does speak for itself- an elegant looking chair in a deliciously bright colour. There are three shades (as far as I know), called lemon, aubergine and tangerine, and all are 100% leather. They look like they’d be amazingly comfy and squashy to sit in, and speakers are hidden in the wings of the chair. There’s also a seat sensor (perhaps so it turns on when you sit down?) a built in MP3 player and it’s completely button less, so I guess you alter the volume by leaning in the seat.
I like how they have reworked the classic Chesterfield armchair to make it highly modern and desirable, and if I had a spare windfall lying around I know I’d be calling up Concept Shed and ordering a pair (in aubergine, naturally).
Climbing is great physical exercise, but it’s not the prettiest of sports. Those ugly shoes, the crampons, the hi-vis jackets (if you’re outdoors).. it’d great for the heart but not so much for the mirror. Japanese design agency Nendo decided to reclaim this sport and has created a beautiful looking climbing wall, complete with rectangular mirrors and vintage looking photo frames. This is no ‘concept mock up’, this is their actual work for the ILLOIHA fitness club in Japan.
The theme used was the idea of ”becoming beautiful through movement“, and Nendo merged elements from Tokyo’s high fashion district (such as the picture frames, bird cages, mirrors and vases) to create a unusual looking wall that still gave a fulfilling fitness experience. Not only did they succeed in beautifying the traditional climbing wall, but Nendo also hoped to inspire newcomers to the gym to try something they might not otherwise have thought about. Read more…
Upcycling is a popular trend nowadays, but I think that Coffin Couches may be pushing the boundaries of taste. The couch you see above is created from a real life coffin- unused, thankfully. Los Angeles based company Autumn created the Heretic Coffin Couch using Italian black leather and there’s a limited run of three on sale (still available).
They’re not the only ones to have gone the coffin couch route (perhaps just for the pun element?) as the brand Coffin Couches also exists, upcycling flawed coffins bought from funeral directors. Health and safety laws prevent the resell of coffins to the public so the company was able to buy the coffins at a cheap rate, reupholster them and sell them on;- such is the apparent demand that they even have themed SPORTS coffin couches, for individuals who are Lakers fans till death do they part (sorry). Read more…
