Gizmodo: home furnishings

Firewinder Wind Light, or Photon Tornado?

Mark Wilson — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:40:00 EDT

In practice, the Firewinder wind light won't look quite this extraordinary. But God bless slow shutter speed photography all the same. [via Inhabitat]

LiveSpark Is an Audio Visualizer Made of Fire

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:30:00 EDT

The LiveSpark Fireplace features music-reactive flames, meaning, like a real-life visualizer, that the fire will jump and shrink itself based on the thumping beats it detects.

LiveSpark has both indoor and outdoor versions, and seems pretty flexible: The site shows installations of all different sizes and of different materials. We're not sure if it's actually available, as there's no order link or pricing, but if you're crazy rich, an architect, a pyromaniac, or some combination of the three, it'd make a pretty sweet addition to your abode. [LiveSpark]

Resin-Encrusted Tablecloth is the Table Itself

John Herrman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:30:41 EST

This crocheted tablecloth two a notable quirks: it's board-stiff, and doesn't actually need a table.

Although it did begin its life as a regular tablecloth, after being soaked in some sort of resin dried over a template the cloth rigidified into a standalone table. The designers site doesn't have any info as to what kind of resin he used or for that matter how sturdy the table is, but something tells me you shouldn't serve a four course dinner on it.

There's no indication that this literal 'table cloth' will get produced any time soon, so it's a DIY project in the strictest sense—not only do you have to make it, you have to figure out how. [Pink Wolf via FreshHome via BBG]

Sanyo ALBO Digital Picture Frame is Handsome, Like George Jetson

John Herrman — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:23:44 EDT

Sanyo knows that some of us are still upset that the futuristic fictional universe of The Jetsons doesn't look like it'll come to pass, so they've thrown us a bone: a Wi-Fi digital picture frame that looks like it came straight out of Jane Jetson's foyer. The innards are pretty unexciting , with Windows CE and 256mb of onboard memory to complement a fairly standard set of picture frame capabilities, including a wide range of storage support, Picasa downloads and limited audio playback. The frame more than makes up for being a technological bore by looking completely amazing, in a retro-futurist kind of way.

It looks like it'll be Japan only for now, but expect about a $400 price tag if it ever makes its way over here. I'm not even sure Mr. Spacely could drop that much on a picture frame, though. [Sanyo via Akihabara]

A Lamp Named Moo, the Song Johnny Cash Should Have Sung

AddyDugdale — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:50:00 EDT

There are a few reasons why I find myself strangely attracted to Moo. It's made by a Norwegian company called Northern Exposure. You can mount on both inside and outside walls. It reminds me of my brother, whose nickname is Moose. Light-up antlers, baby (although the designers could have put a bit more light at the tips, really). It's just a lot less messy than going hunting in the snow. [Dezeen]

Blu-ray Coffee Table, Pac-Man Tabletop For Grown-ups

Mark Wilson — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:40:00 EDT

When tabletop arcade manufacturer Retro-Tech makes a coffee table, it's gotta do more than hold books on Famous Chateaus of the 18th Century and What Things Look Like From the Sky. It has to hold that stuff and piss off your home theater.

So they start with a 19" touchscreen, add a Blu-ray drive with video out and a Microsoft keyboard and mouse to control is all. (And we're pretty sure a PC is stuck in there too.) To round it out, 6mm of "toughened glass" protects the top, though we're a bit confused if the touchscreen still works when covered. You can definitely see the arcade influence in the design, but we wish they'd gone a step or two further in incorporating the glossier elements of tabletop games. And would a splash of color hurt anyone? Price TBA. [Retro-Tech via Ubergizmo]

Light-Up LED Furniture is Sticky, Disco, But You Can Call It Stardust

AddyDugdale — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:30:00 EDT

This lightweight furniture by Meritalia is so light you can pick it up with one hand, and so light that you can probably read by it. Designed by Mario Bellini, and made of plastic "ravioli," the stuff often found in packaging, LEDs and inox wire, Stardust furniture can be used by the pool, in the pool (well, it says that on the fact sheet) as well as in the house. And I love the name—Stardust makes me think of all sorts of lovely things, such as Bowie, as well as one of the best French house tunes ever, Music Sounds Better With You.

[Meritalia via DVICE]

El Luminoso Rug Uses Wool and LEDs to Bring the Galaxy to Your Floor

AddyDugdale — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:57:00 EDT

Designed by Esti Barnes, El Luminoso is a made-to-measure carpet that mixes LEDs into the pile. Given that the last rugs I ~~writhed upon with gay abandon~~ wrote about were the Wurst rugs, a selection of sausage-inspired floor coverings that looked like a pool of puke, Esti's design is bleedin' gawjus. No idea of the price, but expect it to be hefty, given that it's a commission-only piece. [Top Floor via MoCo Loco]

Brain Lamp is New Gizmodo Leader, Future Galactic Emperor

AddyDugdale — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:56:43 EDT

When I saw this come up in my RSS feeds, I thought it said Brian Lam, and so I got rather excited. I was, however, (as I so frequently am) wrong. This lamp is the brainchild of Alexander Lervik, who had an MR scan done in Stockholm of his own grey matter, before printing up the results on a 3-D printer. "Yes," he says about his creation. "It is bright." Oh, no one loves a smart arse, Lervik. [Lervik]

Intravenous Lamp Turns Your Home Into a Prescription Drug Den

AddyDugdale — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:20:49 EDT

The Lichtinfusion lamp from Christian Maas makes me think of the best insults you can lob at someone who spends too long in front of the mirror (it's too rude for the first para, I'm afraid). With the power cables disguised as the rubber tubes that would normally feed sick little puppies like me their daily dose of Pethidine, the lamp only lacks the wheels to enable your light to travel around the apartment with you. [Yanko]

Electroscape LED Fireplace Brings the Aurora Borealis to Your Crib

Kit Eaton — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:08:08 EST

The Electroscape fireplace from Platonics has a remote-controlled LED lighting system built in. Ahh—nothing warms you up on a frosty 21st Century morn better than some funky LED lights that you can mix, from single color to multicolored, from the cozy comfort of your armchair. You can even specify what arty "fire" objects are displayed inside: driftwood, pebbles or gravel. The fireplace pumps out 2kW of heat from its element, though, rather strangely, Platonics says this is an optional add-on. Maybe those LEDs get really hot. Available now for around $3100 in the UK. [Platonic fireplaces and Ubergizmo]

Vile Mortadella Rug Gives Excuse to Say 'Hide the Sausage' in a Headline

AddyDugdale — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:45:46 EST

Number two in an occasional series of crazy things to do with meat, this is Mortadella, one of four sausage-inspired rugs. The others in the series are (below, from left) Blood Sausage, Bierschinken and Salami. Made in Germany and available online, I think I can safely say that it's one of the Wurst rugs I've ever seen. *Sound of single gunshot followed by large thud* [Wurstteppich]

Expected Curtain Gives the Lonely Friends to Come Home to

AddyDugdale — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:13:36 EST

Designed by Mino Kodama, the Expected Curtain is a sort of instant virtual posse, aimed individuals who either have no friends, or who are plagued by stalkers*. Hang the curtain in your window and, while the three shadowy "friends" won't show up during the day (thus making your neighbors fear you are a work-shy fop and endeavor to have you thrown out of your co-op) but appear once the lights go on and making you look like a truly popular person. The creator has a website, but it's still under construction. [Designspotter via MAKE]
*I suppose that if you are the sort of person who has no chums, then a stalker could well become a "friend," could they not?

Glowing ETree Lamp Can Be Bent Into Any Shape

Adam Frucci — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:45:14 EST

This ETree floor lamp is certainly distinctive looking. Built out of multiple strands of electroluminescent tubes that you can manipulate into pretty much any shape, it's like a glowing, malleable sculpture for your living room. It looks really cool, but I have trouble picturing it fitting in with the décor with many living rooms. Maybe if you lived in a submarine from the future it would fit well. Yeah, that would be awesome. If you own one of those, you can probably afford $2,068 for a lamp. [Product Page via Technabob]

World's Most Expensive Chair Looks Like an Uncomfortable Metal Jelly Bean

Matt Buchanan — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 11:30:52 EDT

This "lounger" composed of aluminum and fiberglass is to set go for between $1.6 million and $2.4 million at auction next month at Christie's in London. While The Sun's headline proclaims the chair to be a "million pounds of comfort," the key word in the "fluid aluminum form" envisioned by its designer, Marc Newson, is "aluminum." It might be shiny, but it sure as hell isn't how I want to be cradled when I kick back to play Bioshock. [The Sun via Spluch]

Pac Man Rug Would Suit Wealthy, Old-Skool Gamer

AddyDugdale — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:53:11 EDT

This Pac Man rug is on sale via a kids' website, but with a very adult price tag of $2,186. Made in Portugal and 100 per cent wool, there are only two of these 6'9" x 10' rugs in existence. So, rich kidults with a games room that needs carpeting, apply here. [Children's Gorilla via OhGizmo!]

Bubble Wrap Curtains (Verdict: Ghetto Classy)

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:33:11 EDT

If you're looking for a cheap but aesthetically pleasing and environmentally conscious way to both tantalize your neighbors and keep them from peeping all the goods, we can't think of a better way than bubble wrap curtains. Hell, we even have real curtains and we might put some of these up instead. If we can resist the temptation to pop it all. [Street Use via MAKE]

Chic Trash Bags: Because Your Garbage Is Better Than Everyone Else's

Matt Buchanan — Sun, 27 May 2007 10:45:39 EDT

You don't have to look like Joe Dirt when you haul your Memorial Day barbecue detritus to the curb tomorrow if you chunk it in these snootier-than-thou fashionable trash bags.

Covered in a damask pattern with a baby blue drawstring, they make standard black or white garbage bags look plain uncivilized. Or they just make you look like a dick, especially since they run $10 for 20 bags. – Matt Buchanan

Product Page [via Slashgear]

Every Pig's Worst Nightmare: A Barbecue Shaped Like a Pig

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:40:15 EDT

Pork is essentially synonymous with barbecue in my area of the South, so the Lil' Pig barbecue from Traeger makes sense in a creepy meta-way if you can get past the doe-eyed cuteness. The grill boasts 418 sq. inches of cooking surface, an internal hopper, a stainless steel door handle and a multi-position digital thermostat control.

So while it's "some pig," (Giz reads!) the $1599 price tag might swing you toward some grilling gear a little less porky pricewise. There's also a Longhorn grill for you Texans. – Matt Buchanan

Product Page [Traeger via shiny shiny]

Multicolored LED Lamp with Ethernet Interface

Charlie White — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:00:40 EDT

Some might think this LED lamp is scary-looking, but we think it might go well in our mad scientist-themed living room. It was designed a few years ago, and its bill of materials ran upwards of $3700 (which would probably cost much less today), but still. Look at it. It has 504 LEDs, it weighs about 120 pounds, it has two light heads that can be individually controlled, and best of all, it has an Ethernet interface.

This is indeed a design concept, but imagine what you could do with it. It could be controlled via the Internet, showing you red for heavy weather, blue for blue skies ... the possibilities are endless. C'mon, somebody, build this thing, commercialize it, and sell it.

Aqua Phoenix [via digg]