Happy Halloween!
Aquariums – Then and Now
A few years back when Custom Home Builders and Architects in Naples were working at the height of the Real Estate Boom there were a ton of custom aquariums being built into kitchens, bars, fireplaces and room dividers.
It’s amazing how quickly these built-ins look dated. The second picture is more transitional than the first since its free of the carved moldings designer and architects were so especially fond of.
Care for these large aquariums can be quite costly which is probably one reason they fell out of favor during the recession. But if you have the space and the budget, a beautiful aquarium that is on trend is possible.
Photo Credit: Mike Butler Photography
I really like this tall family room aquarium. The built-in itself is quite clean and would easily tie into a future remodel if the homeowners decided to change the style of the room.
For the ultimate in luxurious interior design consider this kitchen island aquarium by Dutch designer Robert Koleik. The Ocean Kitchen (Ocean ‘Keuken’) was custom designed by Koleik’s firm Eco Chic Design and can be commissioned in limited quantities.
The aquarium island features a small sink, a linear cooktop, filter, automatic feeding system and a hydraulic lift that raises the countertop – plumbing and gas line intact – for access to the aquarium below.
I can’t believe the top doesn’t bow under its own weight as the single lift raises the top. I’ve read that the top is made of acrylic (Corian) but I’m not sure that’s correct since the gas hobs are installed directly in it. Regardless, it still has to be heavy.
I do like how the mirrored back makes this large aquarium look even bigger and makes you forget there is cabinetry on the back.
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.
Forget the Keys
Forget fumbling with keys. And, unlike locks with RF chips that make you swipe or tap for entry, this lock from August works with Bluetooth LE to detect your presence.
August, the brainchild of Yves Behar, whose work with famed partners Herman-Miller, Soda Stream and Jawbone to name a few; and Jason Johnson, a Silicon Valley technologist and entrepreneur; consists of an attractive smart lock device that installs on the interior side of existing deadbolts paired with a mobile app that allows authorized users to access the property.
If your phone is typically dead at the end of a day, you’ll be glad to know that the existing deadbolt can still be unlocked with a physical key, and the lock can still be opened and closed by hand from the inside.
The August runs of 4 AA batteries so it continues to work even when the power goes out.
The lock comes with both a mobile app and a web app, so it can be used with all Bluetooth-LE-enabled iOS and Android smartphones. You can grant keyless access to friends, family and visitors by inviting them through the app.
You can grant keyless access to friends, family and visitors by inviting them through the accompanying app. You can also customize which days a person has access to your home, even during which hours, and revoke access whenever needed.
You can further customize what days a person has access to your home, even during what hours, and revoke access whenever needed. The app also logs the time and date each user enters and exits through the door. This level of detail is handy especially when it comes to managing hired workers like dog-walkers, cleaning companies or service technicians. You are able to see whether they showed up on time, and how long they actually stayed in your house.
If you are worried about the security of the lock or if you lose your phone, the August team has set up a way to lock the app and wipe all virtual keys. The lock is also encrypted, making it more difficult to hack. According to Johnson, the locks do not associate with specific addresses, so it is nearly impossible to associate a digital key with a specific door, should somebody else gain access to your phone.
As for the social aspect, the August app also includes a Guestbook function, which lets people leave comments and photos for their guests or hosts. This could be especially useful if you’ve listed a room or apartment on Airbnb. As soon as somebody enters your home, the app can send them a welcome greeting with some tips on the house and neighborhood. Guests can also leave “Thank You” notes through the app.
Currently, the August is available for pre-order for $199. It was originally slated to ship in early 2014 but no updates have been given. It looks as though orders are strong as new orders today are scheduled for the second production run.