Something that all of us are always focusing on, whether directly or indirectly is – home improvement. We can’t afford to replace every appliance in our home, or renovate a part of our home, whenever something goes down. That’s not cost-efficient, and not sensible in the least. This is where simple yet innovative home improvement designs come into play. These product designs elevate your home, and deal with all its problem issues, without making a major dent in your wallet! These nifty home improvement hacks will spruce up your home – both functionally and aesthetically. From a smart HVAC system that evenly regulates the temperature of your home to an air-purifying window – these unique product designs are the pocket-friendly upgrades your home truly deserves! These are the top ten must-have products that you simply cannot miss. Enjoy!
The Generark HomePower 2 is a backup battery for your home that’s cheaper than setting up a generator or shelling $12,000 on a Tesla Powerwall, it’s also classier and less noisy than those gas-powered generators that definitely seem archaic. Standing at roughly 2 feet tall and weighing a pretty commendable 45 pounds (20 kilos), the Generark HomePower 2 comes with an electric-vehicle-grade high-performance Lithium-ion NMC battery that can power 99% of your home appliances (even the heavy-duty ones). It doesn’t require installation or even a permit and can be carried or wheeled around the house depending on where you need it. Each Generark comes with 4 AC outlets, 2 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C ports, and a 12V/10A car outlet to power a host of devices, allowing you to run your home’s entertainment systems, surveillance systems, kitchen appliances, your workspace peripherals, garage power tools, medical equipment, and even recharge your EV. In the event of an outage, the HomePower 2 provides emergency backup for about a week, and a neat digital display on the device’s sleek body helps you understand how many hours of power you’ve still got before the HomePower 2 needs a recharge.
Meet the Christianshavn, a bedsheet that tackles this problem on a molecular level. Even though its name sounds like the kind of bedsheet that would put the fear of god into bacteria, it is, in fact, the unique material developed for and used by the bedsheet that helps it self-clean by automatically killing the microorganisms on it and preventing the spread of odors… so your bedsheet remains cleaner for longer, and doesn’t need changing so often. Nordifakt’s Christianshavn bedding is made in 100% organic cotton, which means it feels just as comfortable as your current bedsheets. However, it comes treated with Polygiene®, a fabric treatment that uses low concentrations of silver chloride that has anti-microbial properties. The Polygiene within the bedsheet acts like a natural disinfectant, using silver ions to break down germs that make their way into the bedsheet.
Burkhardt’s OneLife has devoted its efforts to building the most effective air purification technologies. OneLife’s magnum opus is the plasma field tech, which, as it turns out, is MUCH more effective than a HEPA filter, and healthier than an ionizing purifier. It’s extremely sustainable too, as the filters never need replacement, and can easily be cleaned under a running tap or a dishwasher. The OneLife X uses the same plasma field to purify the air rapidly and quietly, operating at a mere 25 decibels. It’s a whole lot cheaper to run too, with an operational cost of just $6 annually, unlike HEPA-based purifiers that can cost hundreds of dollars in replacement filters every year.
The Nano Garden features a two-part planter that waters and aerates itself thanks to its clever design. The pot itself holds water, while the floater inside houses the plant-pod – an all-in-one compostable pod that contains seeds and nutrients suspended within a growth medium. The pod floats on water, taking in as much as the plants need… and as the water level depletes, the floating pod descends downwards into the planter. This allows you to visually gauge how much water there is within your Nano Garden’s reservoir, allowing you to easily fill it up. A full water reservoir lasts anywhere from 2 weeks to a month (depending on the plant you grow), and the plant technically waters itself – so you never need to worry about over or under-watering your plants. The planter is accompanied by a neat light that sits on a telescopic arm that you can height-adjust as your plant grows.
Laundry is one of the most disliked chores and so it is no surprise to me that many of us just let the clothes be in the basket till we run out of fresh underwear. It may not be stinky or filthy, but it is certainly not the most hygienic practice because you are lettings the bacteria from the clothes spill into the air around you. Also, if you don’t air out your washing machine after using it, it can lead to molds and malfunctioning of the appliance. Keeping all these details in mind, designer Kikang Kim created Drawsher which is a sanitary machine that functions as a laundry basket and a washing machine. You’ll notice that it also looks good unlike any washing machine you’ve seen before, and that is because Kim has based the design on a modern dresser that optimizes space and blends well with your interiors.
SmartCocoon’s fan units are pretty easy to install and fit right inside most air vents built into traditional home floors using basic DIY methods. They come WiFi-enabled and can be easily controlled via their iOS and Android apps, allowing you to regulate and control the temperature within your house to create consistently warmed or cooled microclimates in each room. You know how there’s always one part of the house that’s warmer than the rest? Or that one chair in the living room where you really feel that draft of cold air? Well, SmartCocoon’s booster fans were designed to eliminate those problems. Adding consistency to your thermostat’s temperature-regulating abilities, SmartCocoon’s fans kick in when they realize a room is colder or warmer than the rest of the house… or even allow you to maintain different temperatures in different parts of the house. The entire system of fans can automatically and intelligently re-route airflow to ensure each room is at its desired temperature, so you’re not fiddling with the thermostat every couple of hours to adjust temperatures. Moreover, SmartCocoon helps save energy costs too, by preventing you from constantly adjusting the thermostat.
The Hazy Air Purifier is a window that ensures privacy while providing proper ventilation. How does it work? The device utilizes a new concept called HAZE, which uses sunlight to heat the air inside your home; this “heat haze” purifies the atmosphere and creates a foggy screen that obscures your interior living space from passing neighbors. How does the Hazy air purifier fit into your living space? After all, windows come in all sizes. The designers fixed this issue with the Hazy’s height-adjustable frame. As long as your apartment has rectangular windows, the Hazy will likely be a perfect fit. Alternatively, the product also works as a standing unit; it doesn’t have to be fixed to the wall. Unfortunately, this method means losing out on the product’s main selling point: the hazy window effect.
The BORA X Pure stovetop takes away all the undesirable aspects of a typical cooking surface. The first thing you notice is its flat, minimal design. The stovetop itself is only 200mm thick, which means the unit can be installed without taking up significant storage space below. The electric surface allows for extra-wide cooking zones, to accommodate larger pots and pans (perfect for those homey stews). It also has a compact set of touch controls embedded in its surface, which contributes to its elegant, minimalist appearance. However, the BORA X Pure’s most notable feature isn’t related to its cooking abilities at all: it’s the exhaust filter. Let me explain. Unlike most stove/oven units, which have a ventilation chimney installed above, the BORA has embedded its filter in the cooktop itself. Why does this matter? First of all, the downdraft ventilation system contributes heavily to the BORA’s minimal design. Second, an overhead filter does not get cleaned often (speaking from personal experience), because the food splatter isn’t immediately visible.
Meet the COMODO shoe closet that doubles as a pouf to sit on while you wear your freshly cleansed pair of sneakers for the weekend basketball game. The name is derived from the Spanish word “Cómodo” which means convenient and pleasant in Spanish. Design Studio Designer Dot and designer Hyeona Cho have ideated a cool shoe closet loaded with new-age sanitization tech to keep your pair of shoes moisture-free and free from any bacterial or fungal build-ups. Taking inspiration from modern multifunctional furniture that has compactness and minimalism at its core, the shoe closet solves a very basic but important purpose. I still can’t get the smelly memories of those damn shoes in the monsoon season – ever the more reason for me (and perhaps all of you) to take a keen interest in this conceptual product that needs to see the light of day pretty soon in the future.
The Samsung AirDresser is here to save the day! Its sleek build is similar to a tall, thin fridge and can seamlessly blend in any room. The AirDresser uses a combination of steaming and heat-pump powered drying, and you won’t even have to plumb it in says Samsung. “That’s because, rather than a water connection like a traditional washer would require, the AirDresser relies on a refillable water tank at the bottom of the cabinet. It means it can be installed pretty much anywhere with a regular 120V outlet,” explains the team. The wardrobe has space for six hanging garments and includes a set of weighted hangers for helping pull the wrinkles out of pants. The AirDresser is safe to use for suits, woolen clothes, knits, down, fur, leather, and denim making it super versatile and functional. Samsung also mentions that it is good to be used to clean babywear (definitely a lot of cycles there!), toys, and even bedding.
