Everything And Nothing

Prefab Pad

When architectural designer Rocio Romero was asked to design and build a low-cost beach house for her parent in Laguna Verde, Chile, she delivered a light-filled box for about $35,000. When she realized she could have saved even more by building it as prefab, she decided to found a company and sell her own prefab homes.

Last  year, she and her husband moved into her first prefab creation, a 1,150-square-foot two-bedroom two-bath cottage. Her company makes kits starting at about $33,000 which covers all of the structural elements of the floorplan. Customers hire a contractor to assemble the home and add the rest.

If you would like a larger home, you can combine two or more LV Home Kits and/or the LVL Home kit may be your solution.

Let There Be Light

When the Washington branch of 132-year-old law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius moved into its new Pennsylvania Avenue building, partner Steve Mahinka found an enlightened way to brighten up dozens of interior offices. At the suggestion of design firm Studios Architecture, a 12-story, 5-ton solar tube was installed to carry natural illumination deep into the building.

The ancient Egyptians used similar structures to channel light into massive pyramids, but at Morgan the tube is outfitted with a high-tech mirror that follows the movement of the sun. The rays are then directed toward 236 smaller refractors that bounce light down the length of the atrium.

Morgan's is the largest solar tube in the world - a glowing column of glass that bathes more than 500 employees in brilliant daylight. It's also strategically positioned so that guests have to walk underneath it. Mahinka says the novelty and sophistication of the space inspires employees to show it off to friends and clients. "There's pride here," he says. "It really makes a difference." (And no wonder - every desk near the light tube enjoys a view that's way more unique than that of a typical corner office. )

[ via Elizabeth Esfahani, Business 2.0 magazine, Jan/Feb 2006 ]

When Objects Work

Belgian architect Vincent van Dusyen applies his conceptual design skills to kitchen storage as part of this When Objects Work series.

"Pottery" earthenware vessels with wooden tops, $135 to $250, matin-gallery.com

Frank Gehry takes on interiors

Renowned architect Frank Gehry has added something different to his repertoire: jewelry and tabletop designs. Gehry has six collections for Tiffany & Co. about to debut in the U.S. and Japan in April 2006 and in Asia and Europe in the fall.

The pieces are the result of a two-year exchange with Tiffany's artisans. He is the first new designer Tiffany has hired in many years - the last was Picasso (Paloma, that is).

Lie Back in Style

Rosewood is back. Initially released in 1956, the Eames chair and ottoman are being reproduced by Herman Miller and sold through the Eames Foundation. In addition to the chair, you get a one-year membership to the foundation - and 50% of the cost is tax-deductible.

$6,500, eamesfoundation.org

Michigan Boy Wins Twinkies Design Contest

To celebrate "75 Years of Fun," Interstate Bakeries Corporation, the maker of Twinkies, held a contest to design a special anniversary box. Web surfers voted on 10 finalists, and the winner was Donovin Cox of Tecumseh, Michigan. Earlier this year, Interstate Bakeries produced the Limited Edition 75th anniversary boxes in wide release.

Kids ages 6-11 were eligible to enter the contest. Entries were judged based on the appropriateness of the drawing to the theme; originality and creativity; and fun and appeal. Design submissions were required to be hand-made, using colored pencils, crayons, markers or paints.

Donovin Cox was awarded a $40,000 college scholarship, and the 10 finalists each received scholarships of a lesser value. More than 1,300 youngsters from around the country put their artistic talents to work to create a special, limited-edition box for the iconic snack cake.

Cox is now a 6th grade student at Tecumseh Elementary School, and he has been a Twinkie fan most of his life. Cox said his final design resulted from "drawing several pictures and then taking little bits out of every one and putting them into the final drawing." As a bonus, Cox got a special invitation to Interstate Bakeries' Chicago bakery to see firsthand how Twinkies are made. Originally sold two-for-a-nickel in the 1930s, Twinkies got its name from a St. Louis billboard advertising "Twinkle Toe" shoes.

[ via Package Design magazine ]

Liberace Meets Bladerunner

Photo via TrenDir

Schimmel hired designer Luigi Colani to redesign the traditional piano. Colani went with a modern, organic shape, dubbed the Pegasus Grand cc 208 p Piano after the mythological high-flyer, with a few upgrades, including an electrically operated top lid, an ergonomic keyboard and an adjustable height stool. It is finished with car-grade lacquer and is available in any color in that range.

$200,000, www.schimmel-piano.de

Salomon Board Design Contest

For the third year in a row, Salomon Snowboards is running a board design contest. This is a great chance to flex some design muscle in a new medium. Three first prize winners will be chosen and will be awarded 1000 Euros and a Salomon snowboard, plus the possibility of their design going in to commercial production.

The entry deadline is Nov. 28. All the information you need to enter is on their funky little site, artworkcontest.com. The photo above is one of last year's winners.

[ via coolhunting ]

Design-A-Dress Contest for Girls

Bonnie Jean, maker of children's dresses for 70 years, and the creators of Ellie, The Perfect Dress for Me, are inviting children ages 8 and younger to submit an original sketch of their prefect dress. Three winners will have their original designs made by the design staff at Bonnie Jean. To learn more, click here. The contest form is here (Acrobat document).

Design Your Own Belt

Don't worry. I'm not going to start designing belts. Yet. Mainly because I don't have much of a waistline and it's not really an area I want to draw attention to. But maybe you do have a cute waistline and would love to design your own belt.

Well, here you go. Go for it.

For $95, you can create a custom-designed buckle with your choice of Italian leather. Provide Nic Norman with the artwork - a photo, a drawing, any image - they will do the rest. Or if you prefer to be more hands-on, you can visit their design gallery add all kinds of effects.

But if I created one for myself, it would probably have to say "If I only had a waist..." ;)