Inside Carl Maston’s Ventura Beach House, Built Around a Brick Chimney

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A substantial brick chimney rises through the center of Carl Maston’s Ventura beach house, giving the oceanfront home a surprisingly grounded heart. Completed in 1984, the Susman House sits above a sandy cove at Faria Beach, with views toward the Channel Islands. Its original brief was appealingly specific: preserve the spirit of a traditional California cabin within a contemporary home.

That request came from Tracy “Babs” Susman, who commissioned the house with her partner on land previously owned by her sister and brother-in-law. Maston answered with cedar siding, brick floors, generous glazing, and a roofline that creates a distinctive silhouette. The materials carry the cabin connection without making the house feel like an exercise in rustic nostalgia.

Design: Carl Maston

Across 2,640 square feet, the layout gives shared spaces a clear relationship to both the fireplace and the coastline. An informal lounge connects with the dining area and kitchen, while a double-sided fireplace also serves a den. A full bathroom sits behind a cedar wall. These divisions give the lower floor distinct places to settle without separating every activity into an enclosed room.

The living-room photographs reveal how much work the material palette does. Exposed timber beams establish a steady rhythm overhead, while brick flooring extends around the broad hearth. Wood paneling and shelving reinforce the sense of enclosure. Against that textured interior, the glazed openings become especially legible: they frame the coast while leaving plenty of solid, tactile surfaces around the seating area.

Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors open toward the ocean, and the brick paving continues onto the patio. Carrying the floor material outside gives the terrace a direct visual relationship with the rooms behind it. The kitchen keeps its own character through an original wood-slat ceiling, with a view of the bay available from the sink. Even the more ordinary household tasks have a place along the waterfront.

Upstairs, three bedrooms and a separate sitting area occupy the spaces beneath the sloping roof. A central atrium and landing wrap around the brick chimney, with internal glazing allowing light to reach deeper into the house. Rather than treating circulation as leftover space, Maston makes the route between rooms part of the architectural experience, linking the upper level visually with the living area below.

Photographs show timber-framed internal windows beside the chimney, their angular tops following the roof. That arrangement makes the building’s geometry readable from within. The house is currently listed for $5.1 million, and its selling appeal extends beyond the waterfront address. Maston gave the interior enough substance to hold attention even when the ocean is outside the frame.

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A Hidden Mechanism Turns the Scissor Chair Into a Lounger

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Buying a chair for conversation and buying one for an evening with a book can feel like two separate furniture decisions. One asks you to sit up; the other invites you to sink back. If your living room doesn’t have space for both, the Scissor Chair offers an appealing compromise. Produced by the German company Wilhelm Knoll, this mid-century design changes its sitting position while keeping the appearance of an ordinary upholstered armchair. Its designer remains unknown, but the problem it addresses is familiar.

The name gives away the basic geometry. According to a vintage dealer’s description, lifting the armrests allows the crossed legs to unfold. The chair moves between a taller, more upright configuration and a lower lounging position. Instead of leaving the legs stationary while only the backrest moves, the transformation changes the stance of the chair itself. I like that the supporting structure participates in the adjustment. Those wooden legs have a job beyond providing a handsome silhouette.

Designer: Unknown (produced by Wilhelm Knoll)

In photographs of a cream-upholstered example, the narrow wooden arms trace an open shape around the seat and back. There’s plenty of air beneath the upholstery, and the legs remain visually separate rather than disappearing inside a boxy base. In the upright position, it looks quite composed. Lowered, the crossed supports become more obvious, and the chair takes on a relaxed, backward-leaning posture. The useful surprise is how little visual fuss accompanies that change.

The adjustment is more substantial than a slight tilt. One dealer lists seat heights of 45 and 36 centimeters for an example, roughly 18 and 14 inches. That’s a difference of about three and a half inches, enough to make these visibly different seating arrangements. Those are seller-provided measurements for a vintage piece, rather than a universal specification, but they help explain the appeal. You’re choosing between two distinct positions, with different relationships to the floor and surrounding furniture.

Underneath, the mechanism is considerably busier than the silhouette suggests. A dealer’s underside photograph reveals pivoting metal links, brackets, and a coil spring tucked between the wooden supports. I’d happily leave that view to someone servicing it. From a design perspective, though, the separation makes sense: the mechanical assembly sits beneath the upholstered seat, where it can do its work without dictating the appearance of every surface above it. The chair doesn’t need to look like workshop equipment to have moving parts.

For a smaller living room, I see the attraction as flexibility rather than some miraculous recovery of square footage. A chair that changes posture still needs room around it, especially when its stance changes. The more convincing benefit is having one seat that can suit a conversation and then offer a lower position for unwinding. That’s a modest promise, and a useful one. I’d rather have two clearly differentiated options than an elaborate transformation with no obvious purpose.

The Knoll name deserves a little care here. Wilhelm Knoll was a German business whose roots go back to a Stuttgart leather shop founded in 1865. It shouldn’t be casually confused with the American company Hans Knoll established in 1938, although the businesses share family history. Vintage dealers date Scissor Chair examples to the 1950s. Keeping the manufacturer credit separate from the unidentified designer matters, particularly with an object whose mechanism deserves more attention than a famous surname alone.

Of course, photographs can’t tell me how smoothly a surviving example adjusts or how supportive it feels after an hour. With a vintage moving chair, I’d want the mechanism demonstrated and its condition checked before buying. That practical reservation doesn’t diminish the idea. The Scissor Chair appeals to me because its cleverness is so specific: lift the arms, alter the stance, settle into a different position. A living room doesn’t always need another chair. Sometimes the chair already there could simply offer another way to sit.

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These Japanese-Made Guitar Scissors Come With Their Own Mini Stand

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Even though I already have drawers and boxes of various stationery items, I’m always on the lookout for things that are cute and unique but still useful for work and my hobbies. Scissors are one of those things you can never have too many of, especially if they serve different functions. There are pairs for everyday cutting, for journaling, for cutting things into cute shapes, and some that are just highly decorative.

If you love stationery and music, the Rockstar Guitar Scissors may be your next tiny purchase. As the name suggests, it’s a pair of scissors shaped like an electric guitar. But more than just being uniquely shaped, the design itself has a role in storing and using the scissors. It’s the kind of item you might want to keep out of your office drawer, and it could also make a small gift or stocking stuffer this upcoming holiday season.

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting at $30

A lot of differently shaped stationery items can just be novelty things that are good to display on your desk. This one, though, has parts that were thought out to match the theme while making it a functional piece for everyday use. So forget about guitar graphics slapped onto a pair of conventional scissors. This one takes the idea further. Well, it still can’t play actual music, of course.

The guitar body separates into the handles, with the finger openings as part of the lower body of the instrument it’s imitating. The narrow neck of the “guitar” separates into the cutting blades. It even has a removable ABS cap that completes the headstock when the scissors are closed. According to the store’s description, the cap also covers the sharp point and prevents the scissors from opening while it’s in place. That gives a decorative detail a useful job when you’re putting the scissors away.

The scissors have stainless steel blades, while the handles and cap use ABS plastic and the stand is made from elastomer. You can choose from three color options: black, metallic blue, and pearl white. They measure about 7.8 inches overall, and the YD Select lists black at US$30; metallic blue and pearl white at US$40 each.

They even come with a stand that holds up your closed scissors like an actual guitar at rest on an instrument stand. For anyone who tends to lose smaller tools among notebooks and pen cases, having a dedicated spot could make them easier to find. Of course, the stand takes up some desk space, so this isn’t really a space-saving solution. It’s more about giving a useful item a place where you’ll actually notice it.

Made in Japan by Nikken Cutlery, the scissors are also known as Seki Sound. Nikken says craftspeople in Seki individually sharpen the blades, and it describes a fluorine-coated finish intended to reduce adhesive sticking when cutting tape. That’s a relevant feature if your stationery projects involve tape, although it shouldn’t be read as a promise that the blades will never need cleaning. The guitar detailing also includes six strings and frets, rather than relying only on the outline.

Compared with options from a big brand like Fiskars, the Rockstar Guitar Scissors put more emphasis on their display-ready shape. Fiskars offers SoftGrip handles, Easy Action spring-assisted opening, and nonstick models, while its MoMA collection puts artwork on familiar scissor handles. The Rockstar design instead turns the whole tool into a miniature instrument, complete with a cap and stand. There isn’t enough evidence to say it cuts better or feels more comfortable than those alternatives; its clearest distinction is how the guitar shape carries through to storage.

I wouldn’t expect the Rockstar Guitar Scissors to replace every specialty scissor in my drawers. What appeals to me is having something with a recognizable personality that still has a reason to be on my desk. For a stationery lover who also loves music, it could make a good holiday gift or stocking stuffer, especially if you’d rather give something useful than another ornament that just sits there. At least this little guitar has a job between its imaginary performances.

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Your next touchscreen device will not be made from plastic, it will be woven into the sleeves

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We are already wearing clothing with heaters and Bluetooth speakers built in. But tech-infused clothing to do more than that still feels ugly and nerd chic. Changing that perspective for good and giving us a reason to believe that the next touchscreen interactive device will not be made from plastic- it will be woven into the sleeves- researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a touchscreen sewn into clothing.

The team of scientists led by Assistant Professor Tural Khudiyev from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at CDE, has created fiber that functions as pixels and senses touch at the same time. They have integrated 54 specialized fibers into a sleeve, which they described as the world’s first touchscreen built into a garment. The findings of their research were published in Nature on 21 October 2026.

Designers: NUS

Opening doors for tech-integrated clothing that does more than the usual heating and playing music features, it has a 96 x 54-pixel display on the sleeve, which can show images, play videos, and respond to touch. For the real-world mathematicians, it can also do some calculations.  While the techier have the option of pairing the touch-sensitive layer on their sleeve with another Bluetooth device, or interact with it over voice commands.

The scientists inform that this is not a screen integrated into the fabric, instead, it features electronics that are built right into the fibers themselves, ensuring that in addition to carrying out some of the functions on the mobile device in your pocket, it can also display body temperature readings when required. The fiber comprises a display and sensing capability, while an integrated touch-sensitive layer helps detect finger inputs and helps activate the corresponding pixels.

Talking about their creation, Asst Prof Khudiyev said, “What made this possible was our ability to construct the GUI system from electronic building blocks in fibre form — similar to traditional yarn, but with the sophisticated electronic functionality built directly into the fibres.” The display that has been created is for now a pretty low-resolution interface, so you cannot expect to play high-res videos on it just yet, but from what we are seeing, it can have a range of applications, such as health monitoring. Imagine a display on your garments that displays your physiological readings?

One concern that instantly comes to mind is how safe a garment GUI system like this one. According to the scientist behind the innovation have found that the display and touch sensitivity of the fabric remains almost unchanged after “50 machine-washing cycles and 1,000 bending cycles.” Also, the garment embedded with the electronics and the touch display remains flexible and breathable, making it usable for everyday wear. The team has not yet announced any possible release date for such a technology, but we already sense that the possibility of its release in the very near future is immense.

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Mori the Mushroom Robot Offers Company Without Saying a Word

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A mushroom with glowing eyes is an easier sell for my nightstand than a miniature humanoid. OKA’s Mori takes that approachable shape and gives it a specific job: offering a little company and a reason to pause, without making another screen the center of attention. Currently offered through an early-purchase program, the companion robot uses light, sound, and movement to bring some presence to a quiet room. The ambition is modest enough to feel appealing.

For anyone who wants to unwind without reaching for their phone, the physical design makes a good opening argument. Mori stands just under 12 inches tall at its maximum height, with a broad illuminated cap above a rounded, fabric-covered body. Two eyes peek out from underneath and the fabric contains 25 percent real wool. In the supplied photographs, the proportions suggest a small table lamp that wandered into an animated movie, then decided to stay. I’d happily make room for that silhouette.

Designer: OKA

The backstory gives that friendliness some purpose. OKA cofounder Hua Wang said he spent a decade designing mechanisms that brought people back to their phones. With Mori, he wanted a robot that belonged in a home rather than a large, intrusive machine. That’s a useful starting point. A domestic robot has to earn its place among your furniture before its intelligence becomes particularly interesting.

Mori’s controls lean into that furniture-friendly character. According to OKA, placing both hands on its base starts a guided breathing session, while patting its head makes the cap retract and turns it into a lamp. Light and natural soundscapes provide the setting for those breaks. I like the directness of those gestures. Touching an object to change its behavior feels appropriate here, especially when the proposed activity is stepping away from the usual sequence of opening an app, choosing a menu, and adjusting settings.

Importantly, Mori doesn’t speak in words. Its vocabulary consists of sounds, expressions, light, and movement. That limitation might be its most attractive feature. I don’t particularly want a bedside object to become another conversational obligation. A glance or a small movement leaves more room for interpretation, much like an animated character whose personality comes through before it says anything. The lamp setting also gives its owner a way to dial that personality down, with most companion reactions reduced. Cute still needs an off-ramp.

Of course, those expressive eyes come with a less whimsical consideration: sensing people inside their homes. OKA’s privacy policy says Mori’s core AI runs locally, with camera and microphone inputs processed on the device. Raw audio and image frames are discarded after processing, while recognition information can remain locally to distinguish users. The policy separately allows collection of account, device, and diagnostic information. That distinction matters. Local processing is a welcome design decision, but I’d still read the permissions before inviting a camera-equipped companion onto the dresser.

OKA also says Mori learns and becomes more individual through repeated interaction. That’s the promise I’d reserve judgment on until longer-term use establishes what actually changes. A familiar gesture could become endearing, or simply predictable. The interesting design challenge is giving Mori enough variation to sustain affection without making it demand attention. Its quiet role sets a higher bar than the adorable appearance initially suggests: it needs to remain pleasant when the novelty has worn off.

At $649 before taxes and shipping for First Access orders, Mori is an expensive experiment in companionship. That purchase includes two years of its Nature Time subscription; OKA says basic functions won’t require a paid plan, and the included subscription won’t automatically become a paid one. I’m drawn to the object, but the price makes its everyday behavior more important than its introductory charm. The real payoff would be a robot you enjoy having nearby even when you aren’t actively playing with it. A mushroom-shaped lamp already has a place in a home. Mori has to make the eyes worth paying for.

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These Five 3D-Printed Lamps Shape Light With Mazes and Moving Rings

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The relationship between technology and craftsmanship is evolving rapidly, and 3D-printed lighting sits at the center of this transformation. What once belonged purely to industrial manufacturing has now become a creative medium for designers, artists, and architects. Through digital modeling, parametric experimentation, and sustainable fabrication, 3D-printed lamps are redefining how ambient light interacts with interiors.

These sculptural objects are more than functional fixtures. They merge precision engineering with artistic expression, creating lighting that feels organic, customizable, and emotionally engaging. As digital craft evolves, here is how 3D-printed lamps are shaping a future where light becomes both atmosphere and architecture.

1. Parametric Light Sculptures

Traditional lighting design often begins with hand sketches and material studies, but digital craft introduces a more fluid design process. Using parametric software, designers can manipulate patterns, geometries, and textures in real time. This allows lighting forms to evolve naturally through algorithms and experimentation.

The result is a new language of illumination where every curve, perforation, and layer influences the diffusion of light. Designers can create highly detailed structures that would be difficult or impossible to produce through conventional manufacturing. Digital precision transforms lamps into immersive visual experiences.

The Maze Lamp transforms experimental 3D printing into a sculptural lighting piece filled with movement, texture, and individuality. Created by designer Stijn van Aardenne, the lamp features intricate winding lines produced through an industrial 3D printing process that moves across a rotating axis. This technique creates mesmerizing maze-like patterns that wrap around the cylindrical form, casting dramatic shadows and ambient light throughout the space. Even when switched off, the lamp stands as a striking decorative object with an artistic and futuristic presence.

Each Maze Lamp is unique, as the flowing patterns are generated through a randomized printing process, ensuring no two pieces are ever identical. Crafted using recycled plastic sourced from discarded refrigerator doors, the design also embraces sustainability while celebrating digital craftsmanship. The layered structure creates a glowing effect that feels both mysterious and architectural, turning the lamp into a functional work of art.

2. Layered Printing Creates Soft Illumination

One of the most fascinating aspects of 3D-printed lamps is how layered fabrication affects light quality. During the printing process, thin material layers form subtle textures that interact beautifully with illumination. These ridges scatter light softly, creating a warm and ambient glow within interiors.

Instead of harsh brightness, the lamp becomes a medium for atmosphere. The printed patterns generate shadows and gradients that shift depending on viewing angles and light intensity. This blend of texture and luminosity turns ordinary lighting into a sensory and sculptural feature.

The Alherd Collection by YET FAB transforms lighting into a sculptural exploration of nature, technology, and atmosphere. Inspired by the organic growth of coral formations and the erosion of natural stone, the collection features porous, cellular structures created through advanced computational design and custom 3D printing. Founded by Ilya Kotler, Anastasiya Kotler, and Rael Kaymer, the studio blends biomimicry with digital fabrication to create lamps that glow like living forms while adding a soft ambient presence to contemporary interiors.

The collection includes table, floor, and pendant lamps, all sharing a unified visual language that adapts beautifully across different scales. Crafted from recyclable plastic, each lamp is made to order and can be customized in various finishes and colors. Integrated LED lighting softly illuminates the textured surfaces, producing a warm, atmospheric glow that feels both futuristic and organic.

3. Sustainable Materials Shape Modern Lighting

Sustainability has become a defining factor in contemporary product design, and 3D-printed lighting responds directly to this shift. Many designers now use biodegradable plastics, recycled polymers, and plant-based materials to produce environmentally conscious lamps. Digital fabrication also reduces material waste compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Since objects are printed only where material is required, excess production is minimized. Designers can also manufacture locally, reducing transportation emissions and unnecessary inventory. This approach reflects a future where digital craft aligns aesthetics with responsible production practices.

The Drop Light by Teixeira Design Studio redefines everyday desk lighting through a thoughtful blend of functionality, sustainability, and minimalist design. Created in collaboration with Oftwise Studio, the lamp is 3D printed entirely from recycled plant-based PLA and features an integrated storage tray within its sculptural base. Designed to organize essentials like charging cables, earphones, and small accessories, the lamp transforms clutter into a seamless part of the design while maintaining a clean and contemporary aesthetic suited for modern interiors and workspaces.

The design highlights the versatility of 3D printing through contrasting textures and finishes. Its matte, tactile base offers durability and warmth, while the smooth, semi-translucent shade softly diffuses light to create a calm, ambient glow. The layered printing details feel intentional rather than industrial, emphasizing craftsmanship and precision. Combining sustainable materials with intelligent functionality, the Drop Light stands as a refined example of modern lighting design where utility, environmental consciousness, and understated elegance exist in perfect balance.

4. Customization Redefines Personal Spaces

3D printing allows lighting design to move beyond mass production toward personalization. Lamps can now be customized in size, texture, color, and form according to the needs of individual users or specific interiors. This flexibility creates stronger emotional connections between objects and spaces.

For homeowners and designers, customization means lighting can adapt to modern lifestyles. Organic forms inspired by nature, futuristic geometric structures, or minimal sculptural silhouettes can all be produced with ease. The result is lighting that feels unique rather than standardized.

The lighting collection from Gantri focuses on sustainable, design-led lamps made using plant-based, sugar-derived PLA materials. Each product is 3D printed to achieve precise forms, soft textures, and environmentally responsible construction. The designs combine modern aesthetics with functional lighting solutions suited for compact and contemporary interiors. The material choice ensures durability while maintaining a low environmental impact, making the lamps both practical and sustainable for everyday use.

The collection includes table, desk, and ambient lighting designed to enhance workspace and home environments. Products like sculptural desk lamps, multi-functional tray lights, and ambient mood lighting solutions offer features such as diffused illumination, space-saving bases, and integrated utility functions. Many designs emphasize minimal silhouettes, warm LED lighting, and ergonomic light distribution to reduce eye strain. Across the range, the focus remains on combining functionality, clean design, and eco-conscious production through advanced 3D printing technology, resulting in versatile lighting objects that suit modern living spaces.

5. The Fusion of Art, Technology, and Atmosphere

3D-printed lamps exist at the intersection of digital innovation and artistic craft. Designers are no longer limited by traditional tools or manufacturing constraints. Instead, they can experiment freely with fluid geometries, intricate lattices, and biomorphic forms that transform illumination into art.

As these lamps glow, they create immersive environments where technology feels human-centered rather than mechanical. Ambient lighting becomes an emotional experience shaped by texture, transparency, and shadow. This fusion of craft and computation reflects the future of contemporary design culture.

The Armadillo series by OHR Design explores how 3D printing can move beyond novelty objects into functional lighting systems. Inspired by the layered armor of the armadillo, the design transforms a simple shade into a kinetic, adjustable structure made of concentric printed rings. Originally developed from the OHRB tea light holder, the Armadillo introduces a flexible lighting concept where form directly controls illumination. The compact version stands at 240 mm and works as a bedside or accent light, while maintaining a sculptural presence even when unlit.

The Armadillo XL expands the concept into a full-scale desk lamp at 373.8 mm tall, designed for standard light bulbs and stronger everyday use. Its adjustable ring system allows users to open or close the shade, shifting light from a soft ambient glow to a focused beam depending on the need. Instead of being a fixed object, the lamp becomes interactive, letting the user physically shape lighting conditions.

These 3D-printed lamps transform digital craft into atmospheric experiences, blending technology, sustainability, and artistry. Through innovative fabrication and customizable forms, ambient lighting evolves into a sculptural expression that reshapes modern interior design.

The post These Five 3D-Printed Lamps Shape Light With Mazes and Moving Rings first appeared on Yanko Design.