Legrabox by Blum

When it comes to drawer box choices for cabinets, generally there are four choices for consumers.

Blum MetaBox – a three-sided drawer with the metal sides functioning as the runners. This tired and true choice is the most economical.
Melamine Box – usually a white box doweled together with a choice of runners ranging from vinyl Tandem glides, full-extension side mount glides and concealed undermount glides. The action can be standard or soft-close. Another color choice is dark gray for a European or Contemporary aesthetic.
Blum TandemBox – an evolution of the MetaBox and the Tandem concealed drawer runners. This three-sided, double walled drawer offers full extension, soft-close action. The Intivo option can be personalized by using a design element with BoxCover or gallery rail. These drawers are offered in gray and stainless. The new stainless now doesn’t show fingerprints which was a big problem before.
Dovetailed Box – a solid maple or birch box dovetailed on all four corners. Considered an upgrade by most manufacturers, these drawers are usually offered with concealed undermount glides with soft-close action. Many companies now offer a walnut as a luxurious option.

A fifth drawer box option is now available. The LegraBox from Blum features a slim half-inch (12.8 mm) profile for maximum storage capacity.

LegraBox features a new innovative, runner system utilizing synchronized drawer profiles for greater running action and performance even under heavy loads.

The LegraBox program consists of three drawer side heights for standard drawers and two drawer side heights for interior roll-out drawers.

The sleek and noticeably straighter box is offered in two finishes – a brushed stainless steel or a gray matte finish. I am hopeful the black finish available in Europe will soon be offered here.

The LegraBox drawer has its own divider system called Ambia-Line. The drawer accessories include cutlery inserts with integrated containers with Softtouch coating and pull-out frames with magnets for connection to steel as well as wood frames for an elegant contrast. Ambia-Line Kitchen Accessories include a spice holder, foil dispenser, plastic dispense and plate holder.

I expect for most manufacturers the LegraBox will fall between the TandemBox and a Dovetail drawer. Adding accessories or glass inserts will obviously add expense.

October 8, 2014

Houzz Marketplace

Fueling the current trend of digitizing the home-remodeling experience, Houzz has raised an impressive $165 million in a fourth round of capital, led by Sequoia Capital, one of its early backers.

Houzz is using its pile of cash and its popularity with home remodelers to fuel a foray into e-commerce. In a new section of its site called Houzz Marketplace, the company will play host to a selection of bathtubs, vanities, backsplashes and other home décor items being sold by thousands of online retailers.

The transactions will all take place on the Houzz site, and the company will keep a 15% cut of each sale. The order fulfillment and customer service will be handled by the sellers.

E-commerce will become the third source of revenue for five-year-old Houzz, which also sells advertisements and charges architects, designers and other home contractors an annual subscription fee for tools to help them engage with potential customers on its site.

Selling actual products on its site is what Houzz says will make it stand apart from Pinterest, another popular destination for design enthusiasts. I tend to prefer Pinterest over Houzz for collecting pictures and taking a mental break. While I’m interested in seeing the new site design that Houzz has rolled out, I doubt that having products constantly pitched to me is going to be appealing.

I can see how his might appeal to the D-I-Yer more than the Design Professional – especially those who protect ability to source unique finds for their clients.

How do you like the new Marketplace?

October 5, 2014

What I'm Obsessing Over

I stumbled across a picture of this hanger and I thought it was a designer’s take on everyday objects modernized for hospitality use. Such as this hanger shown below from Doug Mockett that sells for $41.00. It looks cool, but it’s still just a hanger.

It turns out I was completely wrong. This hanger, designed for Biomega, by Paul Crofts Studio is a bicycle hanger for the fashion conscious.

“The products I have designed for Biomega are based on simple twists on everyday objects, from bike clips to a sponge to clean your bike. The design of the bike clip was to be produced from Laser cut sprung stainless steel. An accessory previously overlooked, my aim was to take the object from the mundane and purely functional to a level that was more in tune with jewelry and the quality of the Biomega bikes.”The Designers for Biomega focus on the product goal and general feel instead of the technologies involved. The result is that the Human-Machine interface seems simpler and is more in harmony with your feelings towards the product.

Biomega Bikes

Biomega is a Copenhagen-based, Danish brand of designer bicycles. launched in 1998 by Jens Martin Skibsted. It is known for engaging international designers from outside the bicycle industry—including Marc Newson, Ross Lovegrove, Beatrice Santiccioli and Karim Rashid— in designing its products.

Biomega Bikes are the perfect Commuter Bicycles. Featuring Chainless bikes with shaft and belt-drive systems, it is possible to make your commute in fashionable clothing without the need to worry about grease getting on your clothes. Biomega makes bicycles that are as much a work of art as they are extremely efficient modes of transportation.

Biomega started collaborating with Puma under Antonio Bertone’s creative supervision. Skibsted designed the initial Puma bike, known as BOS / Boston for the Biomega portfolio. A folding mechanism allows the bike to be reduced in size by fifty percent to fit in tight spaces. Its main feature is a lock that is integrated within the structural framework. If a would-be thief breaks the lock, the bicycle breaks as well.

Recently The NYC bike, designed by KiBiSi – a design firm co-founded by Biomega’s founder, Jens Martin Skibsted, the architect Bjarke Ingels, and industrial designer Lars Holme Larsen. was launched at Eurobike and Interbike 2014.

The NYC / New York city bike is based on Biomega’s innovative CPH / Copenhagen design, but reengineered it to include functions that make commuting safer and more comfortable. The NYC incorporates chainless cycling with its carbon fiber belt drive that transfers power to the rear wheel. While classic in silhouette, the NYC utilizes a integrated front mudguard within the aluminum down tube.

Both the New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMa) have Biomega bicycles in their collections.

October 1, 2014

Calacatta Nuvo

Caesarstone’s interpretation of natural Calacatta marble, Calacatta Nuvo brings you wide, elegant, cascading, grey veins on a white opaque base.

Calacatta Nuvo 5131, available nationwide this fall, comes in 20mm polished slabs 56.5″ x 120.”

Calacatta Nuvo makes an unforgettable impression and upgrades any interior design into a masterpiece. This latest design from Caesarstone offers the beauty of luxurious natural stone with the ease of Caesarstone care and maintenance.

Its hard, nonporous surface makes Caesarstone simple to clean. In most cases, soap and water or a mild detergent is all that is required to maintain its luster. If necessary, apply common, non-abrasive, household cleaners such as Soft Scrub Liquid Gel with Bleach or Comet Soft Cleanser Cream With Bleach directly on a damp cloth or sponge and wipe the surface, rinsing thoroughly after cleaning.

Caesarstone products come with Limited Lifetime Warranty as long as your material is permanently installed inside your primary residence and not used as flooring. If you prefer your local fabricator add a honed finish to your slab be aware that this could void your warranty.