Gizmodo: housewares

Class Up Your Toilet-Room With Some Pretty Flowers In Your Faucet

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:45:00 EDT

Note: This faucet-vase combination will not excuse the rest of your grungy tenement. [Craziest Gadgets]

See-Through Iron Concept is Beautiful, Might Burn Crop Circles in Your Clothes

Adrian Covert — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

The worst part about ironing is when you're trying to smooth out a particularly tough wrinkle, but you can't see that you're actually ironing a crease into your shirt. The B-Iron attempts to remedy that.

By using a tempered glass body and electro-thermal wires that conduct heat through the glass, the B-Iron 725 lets you see what you're actually ironing at that very moment—now you can know if you're making the wrinkle worse or scorching your clothes. Yanko seems to think that the lack of a stainless steel surface lessens the effectiveness of the iron, but lets be honest here—it's the alien-esque beauty of the thing that's really worth our time. Be sure to check out more photos on [Yanko Design].

The Regio Toilet is So Awesome, It Has Its Own Soundtrack

Sean Fallon — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Like most of the premium toilets made in Japan, the Regio has hidden cleaning sprays and a tankless design that utilizes a combination of water and air power for silent, earth-saving flushing. However, the aspects that make the Regio unique can be found in the luxurious extras. For example, it plays soft, relaxing jazz music when the lid is lifted. In fact, Jazz pianist Yoshiko Kishino contributed original pieces specifically for the Regio toilet soundtrack. Now that is a resume booster!

Other features on the Regio include a Sharp designed "mechanism that kills germ-emitting ions," an illuminated toilet bowl, and a seat that is extra wide for those with more ample buttocks. Naturally, all of this luxury will set you back a few—to the tune of 462,000 yen in white ($4500) or 556,500 yen in black ($5400) to be more specific. [Inax via Trends in Japan]

Foot Flush Allows Hands-Free Flushing, Caters to Your OCD Tendencies

Adrian Covert — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:30:05 EDT

The Foot Flush is a bathroom mechanism that hooks to your toilet flusher and pulls the handle down when you step on the foot pedal, creating a hands-free toilet experience. It might expose your lack of taste in interior decor and make you appear socially inept. But be damned if you let that germ incubator masquerading as your bathroom launch an all-out attack on your immune system. The Foot Flush is available now for $20. [Foot Flush via MSN via DVICE]

Tilting Vase Lets You Know When It Needs Water

Charlie White — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:45:00 EDT

If you have trouble remembering when to water your plants, you might be interested in this self-tilting vase design concept that gets horizontal when its plant gets thirsty. Once it's properly hydrated, this pewter container stands up—albeit at a somewhat tilted angle—held up by the weight of the water within. Simple, yet elegant. [Yanko Design]

Elica Space: Weird-Looking Range Hood That's Nearly Silent

Charlie White — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:30:00 EDT

Take a look at Space, a fancy-schmancy range hood by Elica, using Deep Silence 3 technology that keeps the air moving while staying as quiet as a church mouse. The company says Space is 35% quieter than conventional hoods, keeping the noise level down to 45db/a. It's said to be almost silent at low speeds.

It doesn't look half bad, either. It was released in the European market last month at an undisclosed price, and if you look hard enough you can probably find a retailer that will ship one stateside. Check out the gallery for cutaway internal illustrations and beauty shots. Weird? Yes, but a sexy kind of weird. – Charlie White

Product Page [Elica, via Moco Loco]

Front Door Storage, Convenience for the Forgetful

Charlie White — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:30:00 EDT

What's the key to never losing your keys? One way is to always keep them in the same place, preferably somewhere near your door. This polished aluminum storage design concept by Lee Stanlier makes that easy, and not only includes plastic hooks for keys but a ledge for your cellphone, parking spaces for coats and hats, and slots for letters, too.

Now if Stanlier would just incorporate that way-cool Wild Charge wireless cellphone-charging technology we saw at CES on this cellphone ledge, this would be the complete forgetful person's crutch, the perfect charging station and dropoff spot for things you use when you venture into the outside world.

On a personal note, here's how we solved the forgetfulness problem (updated, with a picture!):

We mounted an electrical outlet for cellphone charging and installed a 4-inch deep/2-foot wide ledge (pictured above) at eye level right next to our portal to the outside. It's a perfect place to park cellphones and MP3 players, and no one in the household has lost or forgotten wallets or keys since. A system like Lee Stanlier's design concept would be even more versatile. – Charlie White

Front Door Storage [Yanko Design]

Endo Magnet Clips Clamp Down with Neodymium Strength

Charlie White — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:09:32 EDT

These aren't just any magnet clips to fasten your kids' artwork to the refrigerator: these Endo Magnet Clips are "a solid mass of neodymium, silicone and steel" that can hold up 16 ounces of whatever. You push the circular area and the clip opens up, and then you can securely attach anything that weighs less than a pound.

Those must be some strong magnets, taking considerable strength to remove them from that metal surface. We've heard that word neodymium before—it's used in speaker systems and earphones. The Endo Magnet Clips are available in lots of purdy colors, and they're just 10 bucks for three. – Charlie White

Product Page [The Endo, LLC]

Doormat Says Go Away. No, Come In. No....

Charlie White — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Here's the classic Go Away doormat with a twist: turn it upside down and it greets your guests with a cheery "Come In." It's not available yet, but will be soon. – Charlie White

Product Page [Suck UK, via Uncrate]

TurboChef Speedcook Oven Ruins Dinner 15 Times Faster

Charlie White — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:29:37 EDT

Besides looking rather bad-ass, this TurboChef Speedcook oven can allegedly cook your culinary masterpieces 15 times faster than an ordinary oven. It works with similar principles to convection ovens, except instead of simply moving air around the inside, the Airspeed Technology apparently blasts your roast from the top and the bottom. It's also aided by a special stirring mechanism that make sure that blast of hot air is evenly distributed.

At the same time, there's what the company calls "precision microwaves" that add their own special brand of agitation to the festivities, stirring up those atoms while keeping the moisture and flavor inside the food. There's a lot of hot air moving around here, and we're not sure all of it is inside that oven, either. If you buy into all this, get out your $7,900. – Charlie White

Product Page TurboChef, via Born Rich]

Low Tech but Highly Delicious: Gummy Bear Chandelier

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:30:07 EST

Part of an entire series of gummy bear sculptures by YaYa Chou, this chandelier looks both tasty and retro-chic. But we can't help but wonder how long it will hold up. It seems like only a matter of time before it's either devoured in a nostalgic munchie fit or melted by the light bulbs into a swirling, sticky rainbow of goop. Here's the real question, though: "Is she using Haribo, the one and only true brand of gummy bears?" Scope the close-up after the jump to check.

– Matt Buchanan

YaYa Chou Sculpture [YaYa Chou via Boing Boing]

Simplehuman Trash Can Opens Automagically

Charlie White — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:30:00 EST

This Simplehuman stainless steel trash can is perfect for the modern luxo-kitchen, and improves on the old foot-operated can by putting techno-sensors where that foot pedal used to be.

Just get your foot near it, and the thing comes popping open, ready to accept whatever refuse you deem expendable. Powered by either six D batteries or an AC outlet, it's an overpriced $200. – Charlie White

Product Page [simplehuman, via ubergizmo]

SkyCeiling Brings The Outside In

Charlie White — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:19:20 EDT

Install a SkyCeiling from The Sky Factory and it'll feel like you've blown the roof off your house. You can choose from a Luminous SkyCeiling with its own backlighting system, or an Ambient SkyCeiling that uses existing light in the room. The company offers a tremendous variety of images for wall or ceiling applications, or you can design your own in almost any shape or size.

These are still graphics in these ceiling tiles, but as soon as flat-panel displays get cheap enough, we're going to make ceiling tiles out of LCD displays, and then feed live video into them using an HD camera pointed at the sky. Sheesh, our idea probably won't be that much more expensive than a SkyCeiling. – Charlie White

Product Page [The Sky Factory] (Thanks, Stephen!)

Toto Deodorization Fan Makes That Bathroom Habitable Again

Charlie White — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:27:14 EDT

We know it's not you, dear GizReader, but that roommate of yours is stinking up the bathroom so badly we can smell it all the way over here. Get him this Toto Deodorization Fan which uses the miracle of activated carbon filtering to keep that toxic waste out of your nose. Plug the fan into an electrical outlet, and it stands sentry, protecting your household from malodorous invaders. It's $15, and carbon cartridge refills are $5.

Even though this is a cheap and goofy-looking bear-eared device, it comes from a company that's established quite a bit of credibility in the shitcan and stench-killing business. Heck, Toto makes the $5700 Neorest 600 toilet using similar deodorizing tech. Considering the blessed relief it offers, this little fan sounds like a bargain. – Charlie White

Deodorization fan ENK700 from Toto [Gizmodiva]

Zephyr Elica OM Glass Range Hood Has a Way-Cool Remote Control

Charlie White — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:55:56 EDT

If you're looking for the fanciest range hood of all time, the Zephyr Elica OM Glass Hood might fit the bill. The 31.5-inch vent hood is available in black, red or white and has electronic touchscreen controls right on the glass. Its remote control sits on any flat surface, and rotating it controls the fan speed. Tap down on its top and you can control the lighting in the vent hood.

We're liking the colorful and space-saving near-vertical on-the-wall style of these range hoods. Our favorite feature is the innovative RF remote with its gestural controls. That's an idea that might be used elsewhere. But if you want this range hood, it's not going to be cheap. Brace yourself, it's $3990. – Charlie White

Vent hoods by Zephyr - Elica OM glass hood - a remote controlled hood! [Appliancist]

Pebbles That Glow in the Dark: Radioactive?

Charlie White — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:02:18 EDT

Freak out your friends and avoid lawsuits with these glow-in-the-dark pebbles, appearing to be mild-mannered gray rocks by day but glowing with an eerie green radioactive aura for about six hours each night. Get a bag of 350 for $10. – Charlie White

Product Page [Collections, Etc., via OhGizmo]

Bistro Table Patio Heater Keeps You Warm Even in a Blizzard

Charlie White — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:56:11 EDT

There's less than a week until Autumn arrives, and we're already starting to feel a chill in the air. That's why you'll need to start thinking about warming up that chic sidewalk bistro where you hang out. The Bistro Table Patio Heater can help, keeping its heat down low where you need it rather than blowing almost of its heat up into space like those tall heaters do.

Fueled by propane, this swank-looking table has a hammered bronze powder coat finish, and can run for 26 hours per tank at its High setting, and 45 hours on Low. Now you can party all winter long out on that patio—just fire up the patio heater and you're good to go. Available now, it's $359. – Charlie White

Product Page [Outdoor Leisure]

'Berlin': Rotating Fireplace of Glass and Steel

Charlie White — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:57:08 EDT

Imagine this rotating fireplace sitting between your living room and kitchen, where you can just spin it around as you move from room to room, taking its heat and warm glow with you. The fireplace, dubbed "Berlin," revolves 360 degrees with the flick of a wrist.

It has polished glass shelves up top next to its chimney and a glass base to keep those sparks from burning down the house. Nice way to keep warm on those upcoming cold winter nights, but it must be a bitch to install. – Charlie White

Berlin (translated from German) [Max Blank, via BornRich]

Thermador Liberty Shelf: Motorized Refrigerator Shelves Are Way Cool

Charlie White — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:09:35 EDT

As appliance manufacturers grope for techno-ideas with little success, Thermador creates an innovative design that could actually be useful: the Liberty Shelf, motorized refrigerator shelves that move up and down to accommodate items of various heights. Sure, you can do this manually, but have you tried it when the shelf is full of 40-ounce Colt 45s? It's damn near impossible, especially when half of those bottles have been emptied already.

The Liberty Shelf is part of Thermador's Freedom Collection of flush-mounted built-in-style refrigerators, and there are a lot more innovative features inside these fridges, too, such as halogen light towers, an electronic control panel similar to those in $5500 Sub-Zero refrigerators, and the Freedom Hinge that opens up to 115 degrees. All this coolness will cost you, though, between $3500 and $4300 depending on size and options. – Charlie White

Product Page [Thermador, via OhGizmo]

Motorcycle Chair: Head Out Off the Highway

Charlie White — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:12:38 EDT

If you're done looking for adventure after riding that Harley all day, come home to your crash pad and flop down on this motorcycle chair. With its leather-ish seat padded deep to quiet down that hyper-vibrated ass, the leather-tasseled biker bags hanging on armrest/wheels will make you feel right at home.

That eagle on the seatback is vaguely reminiscent of Harley-Davidson, but not quite the same thing. Even so, it's a great piece of furniture for bikers who have motorcycles on the brain even when they're asleep. Potato-potato-potato sound effects not included. It's 2000, or about $3789. – Charlie White

Product Page [drinkstuff, via BornRich]