Vision Sink

If you walked by this sink in someone’s guest bath would you make an excuse to use the bathroom. I sure would.

This incredible free-standing illuminated sink from Rapsel is named “Vision” and is constructed of Alicrite. I really didn’t know what Alicrite was so I looked it up. It is eventually acrylic that has been brought to different temperatures to obtain prepolimerization. The heated mixture is then colored and poured in a special way that makes a pattern and it is cured into panels.

I think the following description I found says it best:

Surfaces from Alicrite are modern or retro: from the decorative motifs of the twenties, via the fine expression of the sixties towards the psychedelic look of the seventies, achieved by the possibility of retro illumination.

The internal light of the Vision wash basin really catches the eye in a seductive way that is hard to resist.

July 24, 2012

Upcycled Lamps

recycled motorcycle lamp | Kitchann Style

These recycled lamps are a tad bit different from the recycled lamps I usually write about. No recycled plastic bottles or coffee stirrers to be found from in the lighting from Classified Moto.

They use various parts like brake rotors, shocks and transmission gears from 70’s and 80’s era Japanese motor bikes in each hand-crafted lamp.

The lamp you buy may look different since Classified Moto says they make the upcycled lamps from parts on hand (but they try to consider special requests).

(Love this)

Check out the Classified Moto gallery and blog – they like to take pictures!

July 16, 2012

Best Use of Paperstone

I haven’t been the biggest fan of Paperstone, the sustainable solid surface material made from recycled paper, because it shows water spots. However, I recently stumbled across these images of a kitchen and an island countertop made with various shades of the eco-friendly material.

Designer Alessio Bassan gets all the credit but I’d like to give a nod to the fabrication team for the Key Kitchen Project.

July 6, 2012May 1, 2025

How to Shop for a 60 Watt Bulb

Do you remember the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007? Provisions began taking effect the first part of this year, with many popular incandescent reflector lamps being outlawed.

If you used to buy 100 watt bulbs, look for a bulb with 1600 lumens
If you used to buy 75 watt bulbs, look for a bulb with 1100 lumens
If you used to buy 60 watt bulbs, look for a bulb with 800 lumens
If you used to buy 40 watt bulbs, look for a bulb with 450 lumens

Watts are a better predictor of how hot a light bulb will be than how bright it is. Lumens tell you how much light a bulb will provide.

To make it easier to compare light bulbs, the Federal Trade Commission has designed a new label which you have probably already seen. It was required to be on all packages starting this year.

It is important to look for the ENERGY STAR on light bulb packaging, which means that they meet strict criteria set by EPA for both energy efficiency and quality. Other bulbs may be cheaper, but the tests that ENERGY STAR requires are important, and necessary for consumers to get the performance they expect.

Update: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ended the ENERGY STAR specifications for lamps and luminaires December 31, 2024.

In absence of the ENERGY STAR mark, the Federal Trade Commission’s Lighting Facts labels will continue to communicate lamp performance to consumers, including brightness, estimated yearly energy cost, life, light appearance as the expression of the correlated color temperature,
and energy used.