Tag Archives: ikea

The best smart home devices and kitchen gadgets that make great gifts

Posted on by

Everyone wants their home tidy, organized and safe, but it’s not always easy to keep it that way. Fortunately, there are gadgets that can help make all of it a little easier. We often review smart speakers, robotic vacuums and more here at Engadget, and for the holiday season we’ve compiled a list of favorites that will make excellent gifts for you or your loved ones. Plus, they don’t need to be super tech savvy to use these either – most of our suggestions are simple enough for those new to the smart home world.

Instant Vortex Plus

Instant Vortex Plus air fryer
Engadget

Air fryers might seem like just glorified convection ovens, but in our tests, we found that they do produce astoundingly crisp foods, with results that are either better or comparable to convection toaster ovens. The Instant Vortex Plus is easily our favorite, thanks to its clear viewing window so your giftee can see the food while it’s cooking, plus there’s an odor-removing filter that helps reduce cooking smells. It’s roomy enough to fit four large chicken thighs and it heats up much faster than a conventional oven. Best of all, clean-up is near effortless – the rack is dishwasher-safe and the non-stick drawer basket can be washed with soap and water.

Buy Instant Vortex Plus at Amazon - $133

Arlo Essential Video Doorbell

Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

If your loved one frequently complains about stolen packages or simply wants a way to see who’s at the front door without opening it, consider gifting them a video doorbell. Our favorite is the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, which is compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple Homekit. They’ll be able to get a 180-degree view of their visitor from head to toe, plus it alerts your phone with a video call whenever someone rings the bell. It comes with a three-month trial to Arlo’s Smart subscription service right out of the box, which also includes motion detection that differentiates between a person, package, vehicle or animal.

Buy Arlo Essential Video Doorbell at Amazon - $150

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Google

Google’s Nest Hub smart display is a great device to have around the home — especially if your gift recipient already uses the Google Assistant. It works as a digital photo frame and they can use it to watch YouTube and Netflix. It can also make calls via Google Duo and offers recipe videos along with step-by-step cooking instructions. If the user so chooses, they can track their sleeping patterns if they place the device next to their bed. Additionally, if they already have a Nest Doorbell camera, they can easily use the display to see who’s at the front door.

Buy Nest Hub at B&H - $100

Amazon Echo Show 8

Amazon Echo Show 8
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

For those who prefer Alexa over the Google Assistant, the Echo Show 8 is a great alternative to the Nest Hub. It also works as a digital photo frame and its 8-inch display is a good size for streaming shows from Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu while prepping dinner. It can also be used to keep up with the news, check the weather and control smart home devices. Since Amazon has a partnership with Allrecipes and Food Network Kitchen, users can find assorted recipes and instructional videos as well.

Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon - $130

Blink Indoor camera

Blink Indoor camera
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Blink’s indoor camera offers the gift of peace of mind in a compact and affordable package. Your loved one will appreciate the fact that Blink is wireless and battery-powered; since they don’t have to place it near an electrical outlet, it can sit almost anywhere. They also won’t have to worry about recharging the camera since it can last up to two years on its two included AA batteries. Aside from just letting them monitor their home, it also features customizable motion alerts so they’ll only get alerted when they want to. There’s also two-way audio so they can hear and speak to the person (or pet) on the other end.

Buy Blink Indoor at Amazon - $80

iRobot Roomba 694

iRobot Roomba 694
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Maybe you have someone in your life who could use a little help cleaning up after themselves. For that, we recommend getting them one of our favorite robot vacuum cleaners, the iRobot Roomba 694. It can suck up dirt and debris from both hardwood and carpeted floors, with an edge-sweeping brush taking care of dusty corners. The companion app lets them control it remotely, or they can set up a cleaning schedule so the little robot can do its thing at a set time. It even automatically docks and recharges itself if it’s low on battery.

Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon - $274

August WiFi smart lock

August Smart Lock 4th gen
Engadget

Smart locks are a great way to add security and convenience to any home. We recommend August’s WiFi smart lock because it’s easy to use, and since it fits over an existing deadbolt, it’s great for homeowners and renters alike. It lets your loved ones unlock the door completely hands-free, which is handy if they have their arms full of groceries. They can set it so that it automatically locks once the door is closed, or after a set period of time. If someone’s at the door but they’re at the office or in the backyard, they can easily let them in with a single finger tap. They can also grant access for specific friends or family members, which means they might never need to put the key under the doormat ever again.

Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $230

Mila air purifier

Mila air purifier
Mila Cares

Air purifiers are great gifts for anyone who has allergies, lives in a polluted area or just wants to breathe easier at home. And if you want to give someone a smarter air purifier, consider the Mila Air. It ships with one of seven pre-configured HEPA filters that can filter out particles and allergens like pollen and dust. It also has a ton of customization options: There’s a “Housekeeping Service” mode that goes full blast when no one’s in the room, a “Sleep Mode” that turns the lights off and reduces the fan speeds at night, plus a “White Noise” option that mimics soothing sounds like waterfalls. The Mila also has a bevy of sensors that can tell you if there’s carbon monoxide in the air, or if the humidity is too high.

Buy air purifier at Mila - $349

TP-Link Kasa smart plug

TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

With a smart plug, any appliance can be part of a connected home for not a lot of money. TP-Link’s Kasa smart plug is a particularly good one because it is both affordable and incredibly compact (and if you’re really short on space, there’s a mini version that’s even smaller). Together with its companion app, they can schedule a timer to turn on and off anything from Christmas lights to a coffee maker. It’s also compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, which lets them add voice control to any outlet.

Buy Kasa smart plugs at Amazon - $30

Eero 6 WiFi Mesh router

Eero 6 WiFi Mesh router
Eero

With most of us having so many gadgets and smart home devices, perhaps the best thing you can give your loved one is the gift of better WiFi to keep things running smoothly. Amazon’s Eero routers will deliver just that. The latest models support WiFi 6, the latest and fastest WiFi standard, and will support 75-plus devices simultaneously. It also covers up to 1,500 square feet with WiFi speeds up to 900 Mbps, so it’s unlikely they’ll ever have to deal with dead spots or buffering again. The Eero 6 also comes with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub that lets them connect compatible devices without having to purchase a separate device.

Buy Eero 6 at Amazon - $89

Philips LED Smart Bulb starter kit

Philips LED Smart Bulb starter kit
Engadget

Add some color to your loved one’s life with the Philips LED smart bulb starter kit, which comes with four multi-color bulbs plus a Hue Hub that connects them all together. The bulbs can fill the room with millions of different colors so they can choose from warm moody lighting for a cozy atmosphere or rainbows for parties. In the companion app, they can create timers and routines so that their lights gradually turn on in the morning or off in the evening. And it’s scalable: They can eventually have up to 50 lights connected to one Hue Hub, giving them the freedom to outfit their whole home with smart lights if they wish.

Buy Philips Hue starter kit at Amazon - $200

IKEA-worthy furniture designs that are the ultimate storage + display solutions for your modern home!

Posted on by

If you’re an independent millennial who recently moved out of their family home and into their own, then a major issue that you may be dealing with almost every day…is space constraint! Our modern millennial homes have many virtues, but one thing they lack is space! Space constraint is something most of us end up dealing with every day. Smart storage solutions can be lifesavers in such tricky and compact situations. And to make your lives easier, we’ve curated a whole collection of storage solutions that come in the form of furniture designs that, to be honest, are IKEA-worthy! Not only do these products comfortably store your belongings, but they’re also perfect for displaying those special items that you don’t feel like shutting away in a dusty cabinet. From a modular shelf unit inspired by the architecture of Bangkok’s storefronts to a bookshelf that hides a sleek staircase- these innovative storage and display solutions are the IKEA-worthy additions your home needs!

Tenement H is a modular cubby storage system that reflects the exhibition’s ‘domestic’ theme. Inspired by the multifaceted facades of Bangkok shophouses, Tenement H features customizable barriers that range from scissor gates to accordion doors, shutters, and railings. Constructed from aluminum, Tenement H is modular and versatile by design, allowing access to the storage units from all sides and multifunctional as a semi-partition for your room as well. Coated in glossy optic white, scarlet red, and light blue, the modules of Tenement H mimic the color scheme of Bangkok’s city storefronts. Each unit can be configured according to what your space allows–for smaller spaces, Tenement H can be built up vertically while larger spaces would allow for a wider base.

Although their motto is “No tools, no hassle”, the most defining characteristic of staxxiom’s furniture is that it’s so visually simple, you don’t even need a manual. With laser-cut pieces of wood that simply interlock to create your design, staxxiom is building on IKEA’s DIY culture by making their furniture more efficient, more eco-friendly, and as simplified as possible. That last part works in staxxiom’s favor too, because the simplified design gives their furniture a unified, wonderfully minimal aesthetic, along with the added benefit of being ridiculously easy to build too. Try, for a second, to describe the parts of a table in the simplest way possible. You’ve got 4 legs and a tabletop surface, right? In reality, though, furniture is often much more complex than that. There are many more aspects, like glue, screws, bolts, threaded inserts, rubber feet, etc. that go into making a great table that you often forget to describe. staxxiom’s designs outright do away with these minor complexities by keeping their furniture designs as visually and physically simple as possible.

Amidst the catalog of accessories is a basket storage system that doubles as a wood-and-crate step ladder, ideal for the kitchen space or bathroom to store toiletries and reach taller heights. Then, there’s a series of photo frames that can store paper goods like notes and business cards in an integrated slot that traces the perimeter of each frame. Using their own homes and colleagues’ homes as their main source of inspiration, the design students even made niche items like an insect house made from wire and hollow bamboo that could be hung outside an apartment window for hummingbirds and honeybees to drop by and visit.

Furnicloud essentially functions as a system of aluminum rods that can be configured to attach different container modules and create more storage space. Composed primarily of boxes that come with lids and doors, the rods can be vertically placed in varying shapes for the boxes to attach to and fill. The boxes that come with Furnicloud come with drawers, doors, and shelves to optimize their storage capabilities. In addition to storage boxes, Furnicloud includes mirrors, lights, hangars, and other accessory-sized storage containers that can be strewn from the aluminum rods, stabilizing the furniture system as a whole. Constructed entirely from aluminum, Furnicloud comes in different shades, coats, and finishes, ensuring that each furniture system can be customized for each given living space.

While Riders Gonna Ride is a lifestyle brand whose roots come from mountain biking, Bike Box is a storage solution designed for bikers everywhere– from the mountains to the city streets. Bike Box is modular by design and built from black CDF and beech wood to ensure a versatile, yet durable storage unit. Constructed like a storage unit for a professional locker room, Bike Box’s frame is built from CDF, or Compact Density Fibreboards, a highly compressed material often chosen for its water-resistant and long-lasting nature. The storage found on each Bike Box is made available through a peg and socket system of wooden pegs and accompanying sockets. When customized to hang your bike or orient shelving units, the pegs can be positioned however each bike owner sees fit.

Tiny home designs are some of our favorite designs, mainly because they have forced designers to look beyond the obvious space-consuming solutions and think literally inside the tiny home box for out-of-the-box solutions! The stair cupboard manages to do the same and beautifully, with super tight-fitting steel sliding stair in a bicolor oak closet that slides out with ease. The staircase also doubles as a temporary storage space for knick-knacks and other items in the bookshelf when not in use. The dark steel staircase creates a strong contrast to the pale wood while matching the industrial-chic vibe of the remaining apartment. Villa Roco was designed to house a generation of one family that can live together and apart in one plot with its intuitive design. Who said an entire family couldn’t live in a smaller space with their privacy intact!

The idea for the Parachute Wall Shelf came to designer Yusuke Watanabe, funnily enough, as he was listening to Coldplay’s first album titled “Parachutes”. Derived from the Italian word “parare” (to protect) and the French “chute” (to fall), this award-winning universal shelf holds anything in place! Its clever design is influenced by how clothes pegs secure objects on a clothesline by clipping onto them. The multiple pegs or planks on the Parachute Wall Shelf hold your objects in place by gently ‘clipping’ them to the wall. Made from colored sheet metal stripes that almost look like a parachute’s cloth with their wavy design, the Parachute Wall Shelf looks like abstract art when not in use. It sits flat against the wall (unlike most shelves with cantilever forwards), looking like framed art until you tip one of the ‘pegs’ forward and use it to store objects or to even hang items of clothing like your coat, scarf, or hat.

PaiPai Pets’ double basin cat kennel is a cat tower and console storage cabinet in one. Looking at the kennel head-on, two wide doors border a narrower middle door, which opens up to the kennel’s storage unit and jungle-gym interior. On the left and right sides of the kennel, there’s enough space to fit two large litter boxes, which are always accessible through the middle door’s open porthole. Behind the kennel’s center cabinet, storage shelves can be found where cat owners can stow away smaller items like cans of wet cat food and litter scoopers. Painted in bright white, with natural wood accents along the perimeter, the kennel can remain discreet even in busier home spaces like the living room or den. Along the sides of the kennel, smaller portholes allow for plenty of airflows as well as a fun way for you to play whack-a-mole with your cat.

Orte loop

In urban homes, one often has to compromise on the kind of furniture they would like because there isn’t enough space to have a separate piece for each function – in this case, Orte saves the space you would need for a full shelf and a mirror by blending them into one. Its limestone base supports a rotating wooden frame with the mirror on one side and six hidden shelves on the other. The pop of red brightens up the corner where the furniture will be and stretched oblong shape makes it easy to fit in any corner. It can be used as a dresser, a bookshelf, or the stuff you need to grab quickly without it being on display always.

To give the studio space more defined and delineated areas, Alexander Kudimov and Daria Butakhina of Ruetemple, built an elevated module from wood, with plenty of storage options and a cave-like zone that works as the studio’s enclosed bedroom space. The idea to create a bedroom module initially came from Kudimov’s and Butakhina’s plan to build a wooden structure that would absorb the studio’s many functional elements, including storage space, a living area, and a platform area for getting ready in the morning. The bedroom module mainly contains the studio’s sleeping area– a secluded section of the elevated platform that provides a space for the bed to remain separate from the rest of the apartment. The cozy den remains hidden from view for the most part, but a large window situated at the head of the bed dissolves the barrier between the studio’s hallway and the newly formed bedroom.

Meet IKEA’s Sjömärke – a gadget that turns any desk/table into an invisible wireless charging surface!

Posted on by




Looking for a minimalist accessory that can turn your boring desk or side table into a wireless charging hub? A gadget that hides away from plain sight and charges gadgets just by placing them on the furniture surface?

It’s a fact, no one likes the mess of cluttered wires. Reason enough for wireless charging technology to gain traction in a very short period of time. IKEA also boarded the bandwagon with its earlier released furniture embedded with wireless charging coils. But won’t it be great if you could turn any piece of furniture like a desk, side table, bedside table, or shelf into a wireless charging station that’s hidden from plain sight?

This is Sjömärke wireless charger by IKEA – designed to be a niche product in its own rights. Why I say that is because it doesn’t sit on top of your furniture – rather it hides underneath. The cool accessory is fully capable of juicing up your gadgets by beaming electric charge through a wooden or plastic material furniture 8mm – 22mm thick. With a metal furniture top, it won’t work- that’s the only catch. It shouldn’t be much of a problem as most of us prefer wooden furniture for our homes.

According to IKEA, the accessory is perfect for interiors that are themed on a minimalist, clean look. Sjömärke is compatible with the latest Qi 1.2.4 baseline power profile – giving it comparable power to a 5W charger. The biggest advantage being, you simply put your phone, earbuds or any other wireless compatible gadget on the desk, and, voila, it charges seamlessly like magic. IKEA even provides a transparent ‘X’ sticker to stick on the sweet spot right above the seven-inch by three-inch charger.

As a standard safety feature, Sjömärke has LED lights indicating charging status along with temperature and power monitoring. The cool charger comes for a price tag of $40 and will be up for grabs in IKEA stores and online as well in the US and other regions in October.

Designer: IKEA

IKEA meets Tesla in these tech-enhanced furniture designed to make your home a smart one!

Posted on by

I truly believe the right furniture designs make or break a home! After all, furniture is an integral part of any home, it sets the tone for it and contributes to the essence of the home. You can express your tastes, preferences, and personality via the furniture pieces you choose for your living space. They are an extension of you. Now, as pleasing as aesthetic and visually intriguing furniture designs can be, people are now shifting towards furniture designs that are more focused on function and utility (that simply put make our lives a whole lot easier) and one such interesting genre is Smart Furniture! Tech-enhanced furniture is a whole new ballgame, catering to our multiple needs, and making our daily lives more comfortable. From smart work desks that run on food waste to smart beds that charge our devices and come along with an integrated home theatre system, smart furniture is in a league of its own! They’re an explosive meeting of IKEA and Tesla! And, we’re exploring a few super innovative and unique designs today.

The Hariana Tech Smart Ultimate Bed was designed to have everything you will need to relax within your bed frame. It has an integrated reclining massage chair with a remote, a built-in Bluetooth speaker, a bookshelf, a reading lamp, an air cleaning system, an area to plug in and charges your devices, a foot-stool that opens up for extra storage, and a pop-up desk for the ultimate WFH setup, Netflix marathon or cozy reading hours. The sound system also features an SD card slot, an auxiliary port, and a USB port. Another interesting detail about the Hariana bed is a password-protected safe box for you to store your most precious belongings – for me, it would be my passport and snacks!

This table is called a Clock and I want you to keep that in mind for the rest of this story. Clock was designed to be compact and fit in the growing trend of smaller living spaces. The designer wanted to create something that seamlessly blended into our workdays (especially when working from home!) without disrupting our office hours or eating habits. The hybrid station converts food waste into energy to power itself wirelessly but also includes the systems to be plugged into a wall if needed. It is an innovative product that combines technology and functionality to sustainably manage waste and encourage more people to shift to natural/renewable energy sources. When you aren’t working, simply slide the parts back and close the product into a slim bench. In its closed state, only the power icon and energy levels are visible, simply tap the power icon to light up the panel.

The IKEA STARKVIND air purifier comes in two variants, a floor-standing model (in black and white) or a side table version (in a dark or light finish) – costing $129 and $189 respectively. Mind you, to have access to all the smart functions via the compatible app, the $35 smart home hub needs to be purchased as well. The air purifier will hit the IKEA stores from October 2021 in the U.S., so keep an eye on this one. While their form factor is a bit different depending on the intended use-case scenario, on the inside they contain the same three-filter system. This layered filtering system captures bigger particles like hair or dust, 99.5 percent of small airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers, pollutants, dust, pollen, and even bad odors are not spared.

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.

Meet the Duoo Bed designed by Andrei Mogila for Zegen which brings a pragmatic approach to winding down after a long day’s work. The aesthetically crafted furniture piece combines minimalism, smoothness, and geometry of lines to appeal to anyone. Duoo is the result of prime attention to detail when it comes to design aesthetics. Usability-wise, the bed brings the convenience of charging mobile devices or battery banks right from the headboard. Plus it has dedicated led night lights on each side for late-night readers which bring the convenience of privacy without bothering your mate. Keeping comfort and visual neatness at the core, Andrei has managed to strike the right balance of form and function.

Designed for use by the public, both the Fluid Cube and the City Snake primarily function as city benches with the same technical attributes. The Fluid Cube is a 9 cubic meter cube structure that partially encloses two parallel benches with an overhead roof for shelter during bad weather. The City Snake, a 7.5-meter outdoor bench that curves and bends to provide unique sitting options to travelers looking for a bit of respite. While the two structures provide seating for the public, they also come equipped with solar panels that generate power for some of the structure’s more technical features. Raised parts of the City Snake accommodates traditional solar panels, while solar cells are overlaid on the Fluid Cube’s glass roof. The solar panels on both of the structures yield power to use the built-in USB charging outlets, the WiFi hotspots, as well as the benches’ lighting systems.

Dubbed the Coway Icon Air Purifier, this is a reworked and modified variant of the plasticky box-like utilitarian purifiers. It boasts a smaller and flatter form factor to sit along a wall, presenting users with more flexibility in room placement. The quiet and powerful Icon integrates smart technologies to be more than a simple box doing its chores – it comes with its own smartphone app that can be used to control the functions of this air purifier remotely. The app also provides a status report of the air quality and its lifecycle, informing when cleaning or replacement is necessary.

Equipped with a built-in 4K projector that can be synced with a series of devices to binge-watch movies/TV shows on a 70-inch retractable screen, the HiBed by  Fabio Vinella (for Hi-interiors) is the epitome of in-bed relaxation. A built-in surround sound system with invisible speakers makes the bed feel more like a movie theatre. The bed is connected to an app and monitors our sleep patterns and movements, adjusting the temperature according to our comfort. It also records body weight, air quality, and noise level to provide a foolproof check on our health. Some good news for the late risers, the HiBed comes with an inbuilt smart alarm system that wakes us up with loud recitations of the weather and daily news.

Designed by Modern Sprout, the Smart Landscape Growframe is a minimal frame that can be mounted on any wall on your home, and whose functionality is more complex than its simple looks! It nourishes all kinds of plants – from ones that seek low light, to ones that seek bright light. Once mounted on a wall, you can slide your favorite plants into the Growframe, and connect to the Modern Sprout app. The app is a complete godsend! The app features an on/off switch and can be used for customizable programming and pairing recommendations for partial shade, partial sun, and full sun plants. You can easily select and switch between light settings.

Kuube comes in three different sizes, each of which offers the same services to varying degrees. The Kuube Nano, their mid-sized bench, is solar-powered and accommodates up to four people, complete with a WiFi hotspot, two USB chargers, two wireless Qi chargers, and a single display screen, which provides environmental information like weather, air quality, and UV index. For the makers behind Kuube, adapting their conceptual design process to help mitigate the current global climate crisis in micro mobile ways (i.e.; city bikes, electric scooters) was their top priority. On the choice to generate each smart bench with solar power, the designers behind Kuube say, “Living in the times of climate crisis we believe it is very important to achieve sustainability in as many ways as possible…Our goal is to achieve sustainable smart cities [through] micro-mobility.”

The post IKEA meets Tesla in these tech-enhanced furniture designed to make your home a smart one! first appeared on Yanko Design.

IKEA’s latest Paris project is a fleet of bike-driven sleeping capsules for people to nap in!

Posted on by


Photo by Twitter user @tomsDlu

La Sieste is an outreach project from IKEA that makes up a fleet of cargo bikes that carry sleeping capsules for people to take naps in while cyclists cart them around the streets of Paris.

We could all use a nap. The pandemic has changed our relationship with sleep and many across the globe experience sleeping issues as a result of the quarantine. According to a SleepStandards study, 98% of people in the US have developed new sleep problems post-lockdown. Thankfully, we can always nap and IKEA’s got our back. Hitting the streets of Paris from August 30 to September 3, IKEA launched La Sieste, a fleet of cargo bikes that cart sleeping capsules with beds around the city where people can take power naps in before returning to work.

In the midst of semi-returning to the office, we’re tired. Today’s workspaces have moved to the home and the lack of certainty around when we’ll be fully returning to the office is hanging us in an exhausting limbo. This newfound lack of sleep across the globe seems to be both a cause and effect of lifestyle changes brought on by the pandemic. Part-marketing strategy, part-wellness boost–IKEA’s La Sieste bike fleet will comprise of sleeping capsules outfitted with IKEA furnishings, such as a mattress, cushions, sheets, duvets, curtains, pillows, and bed frame. Nappers will have the option of blacking out their IKEA La Sieste capsule with heavy curtains or leaving the curtains pulled back for a brief, 30-minute micro-tour of the avenues in Paris.

When the itch for a nap comes, don’t yawn it away–take a trip around Paris in one of IKEA’s La Sieste sleeping capsules. Nappers will only have to post to their socials by mentioning @IKEAfrance on Instagram or tweeting @IKEA_france on Twitter with the hashtag #lasiesteIKEA. From there, a cyclist will slide into your DMs and confirm your nap before picking you up to catch some Zs.

Designer: IKEA

La Sieste will hit the streets of Paris on August 30 where they’ll remain until September 3.

Nappers will Catch be limited to 30-minute sleeping journeys.

Catch some Zs by tweeting @IKEA_france or mentioning @IKEAfrance on Instagram.

This DIY flatpack van conversion kit makes it easy to transform your van in a mobile camper overnight!

Posted on by

VanLab creates high-quality, flatpack DIY van conversion kits just like IKEA furniture kits so anyone can turn their van into a mobile camper.

You just finished Nomadland and you’re looking for a way to turn your car into a fully-equipped camper like Fern’s, but getting the job done is no easy feat. It can get costly and knowing which materials are worth splurging on usually requires an expert’s eye. Nowadays it feels like we’re all considering a mobile lifestyle and New Zealand-based company VanLab is making that possible. Turning each of us into expert camper van outfitters, VanLab constructs DIY flatpack van conversion kits à la IKEA so anyone can transform their vans into mobile homes.

Now available for shipping in the US, VanLab’s flatpack van conversion kits require only two electric screwdrivers and can be assembled inside your van between three and six hours, then all that’s left to do is configure the wiring. Like IKEA furniture, VanLab’s conversion kits can be built by anyone; no carpentry experience is necessary. Speaking to the ease of assembly, VanLab founders note, “Absolutely anyone can build this kit. All the holes are pre-drilled and the panels are pre-cut. All you need to do is follow the simple instructions in the manual provided and screw the panels together.” Constructed from Baltic Birch plywood, the wooden panels come pre-finished and are designed to fit together like puzzle pieces so anyone can give rise to their van outfittings with ease.

VanLab’s conversion kit dedicates space in each camper for a full-size bed with integrated storage and an ergonomic kitchen with a countertop or worktop space. Each kit can be customized for your preferred size and spatial needs. For instance, the kitchen can either remain as an open countertop or be outfitted with cut-outs for a sink, cooler, and refrigerator. Since each kit includes all the tools, instructions, wood panels, hinges, screws, door magnets, and hatches necessary to turn your van into a mobile home, you’ll only need to take care of extra amenities like a portable toilet and leisure batteries for things like laptop and smartphone charging.

Designer: VanLab

Each kit can be customized to fit your van’s size and spatial requirements. 

With integrated shelving and storage, VanLab makes van conversion kits to maximize available space in your van!

Each kit comes with pre-finished wooden panels and pre-drilled holes so each piece fits together like a puzzle.

The kits think of everything you might to make your mobile lifestyle feel like home.

The kits come with countertops that can either remain open for extra countertop space or come with pre-cut holes for sinks and refrigerators.

Just like IKEA furniture packs, VanLab’s conversion kits come in flatpack designs.

IKEA is set to sell renewable power from their wind + solar parks to become climate positive by 2030!

Posted on by

IKEA, the world’s biggest affordable furniture brand, has announced plans to sell renewable energy to households, starting in September with Sweden’s home market.

As part of their aim in becoming “climate positive” by 2030, Ingka Group, the owner of the most IKEA stores worldwide, says Swedish households will be able to purchase renewable electricity from the brand’s own solar and wind parks for IKEA-friendly prices.

Svea Solar, a solar panel production and installation company, produces IKEA’s solar panels and will buy the renewable electricity on the Nordic power exchange Nord Pool to then resell that to IKEA customers without surcharge. Similar to other utility bills, households that purchase IKEA’s renewable solar energy will commit to a fixed monthly fee in addition to a variable rate that will depend on each household’s energy consumption. The buyers of IKEA’s renewable energy will be granted access to an app that allows them to not only track their own energy production and consumption but also sell back surplus electricity to IKEA.

The brand’s 2030 “climate positive” initiative aims to cut the global company’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than what is generated from IKEA’s entire value chain, spanning from the factories’ production lines to the disposal of furniture. Speaking on how selling renewable energy will help IKEA achieve their 2030 goal, head of sustainability at IKEA Sweden, Jonas Carlehed says,

“We want to make electricity from sustainable sources more accessible and affordable for all. IKEA wants to build the biggest renewable energy movement together with co-workers, customers, and partners around the world, to help tackle climate change together.”

Designer: IKEA

IKEA furniture gets smarter with this air purifier disguised as a side table!

Posted on by

IKEA’s STARKVIND smart air purifier brings the promise of affordability and minimalism to the most important home appliance pandemic hit times can do with.

Breathing clean indoor air is crucial more than anything else with the COVID-19 menace lurking around. Air purifiers are the best bet to keep safe from harm’s way, and more so for people allergic to air pollutants. Reason enough for the Swedish furniture giant to try its luck with air purifiers. The brand is expanding its mushrooming smart home appliance lineup with an air purifier which is a sublime combination of design and technology. Dyson and Mila better watch out!

The IKEA STARKVIND air purifier comes in two variants, a floor-standing model (in black and white) or a side table version (in dark or light finish) – costing $129 and $189 respectively. Mind you, to have access to all the smart functions via the compatible app, the $35 smart home hub needs to be purchased as well. The air purifier will hit the IKEA stores from October 2021 in the U.S., so keep an eye on this one.

While their form factor is a bit different depending on the intended use-case scenario, on the inside they contain the same three-filter system. This layered filtering system captures bigger particles like hair or dust, 99.5 percent of small airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers, pollutants, dust, pollen and even bad odors are not spared.

This IKEA air purifier can operate at five different fan speeds which can be either automated (with the in-built sensors) or controlled via the IKEA Home app. It can even be scheduled using the app or work in tandem with the TRÅDFRI smart home hub. Plus you have the convenience of keeping a close eye on the indoor air quality with the app.

STARKVIND is sufficient for any room measuring 215 square feet or thereabout. Definitely not a competition-beating figure by any stretch of the imagination, but for small apartments and city dwellers a very good option nonetheless. Plus we have to keep in mind, the side table version is bringing dual utility to the fore, something I absolutely love.

According to Henrik Telander, Product Owner at IKEA of Sweden, the brand’s idea of a smart home is not about gadgets, “It’s about making life and home better through combining our solid home furnishing knowledge with digital solutions and technology.”

Designer: IKEA

This modular furniture series reuses same construction pieces to adapt to your tiny living space!

Posted on by

Modular furniture is a tiny home’s most coveted design secret. As cities across the globe grow in population, living spaces are shrinking. Those who live in cities mostly live in tiny apartments or shared homes that require a lot of space budgeting. Meeting the spatial demands of tiny living spaces, furniture designers Lee PinYi and Su Ching Yao developed a modular, versatile furniture system called Better.

Better includes a collection of furniture pieces, ranging from office desks and bed frames to task chairs and coat racks, that hinge on a modular design to adapt to changing needs over time and provide extra storage space in small living spaces. Packaged just like a piece of furniture from IKEA, Better comes complete with simple, yet comprehensive assembly instructions and interchangeable parts that can give each piece of furniture a whole new look and function. Just like IKEA, Better boasts a simple and clean design scheme. Each piece of furniture shares assembly components, allowing users to swap different parts out for new ones, creating a totally new piece of furniture.

For example, a desk from Better might require the same parts used to build a coat rack, allowing users to recycle building materials and create their own piece of furniture from the start. Interchangeable parts also allow users to build on fully assembled pieces of furniture, adding storage compartments or leg rests when necessary. The height, finish, and integrated shelving for each component can be adjusted at any time by the user to build a piece of furniture totally unique to their own needs and living space.

Designer: Lee PinYi & Su Ching Yao

The same legs used to build the task chair can also be used to build the office desk and coat rack.

With an elemental look, Better’s collection of furniture evokes Scandinavian design.

Interchangeable assembly design and hardware lend to a simple construction process and modular deisgn.

The same construction pieces used to build the chair can be used to build a coat rack.

Users can also add on storage units like shelves and racks to make more use of each piece of furniture.

Following an easy-to-understand assembly process, Better’s furniture comes together quickly.

Integrated shelving units can be incorporated into every piece of furniture to ensure optimal storage.

Additional shelves can be latched onto the side of desks or even underneath for a neat footrest.

The chair follows the same, simple assembly scheme, allowing for a seamless building process.

The foot rest on the task chair can be adjusted to any desired height.

The workbench can also be adjusted according to your height and space available.

Users can build a chair or a stool following Better’s assembly instructions.

The coat rack can carry as many racks as needed, allowing users to add or take away when necessary.

By getting creative, users can turn average workbenches into sleek entryway shoe benches.

The workbench can also double as a cot.

Better’s line of furniture is inspired by the simplicity of Scandinavian design to fit into any living space.

Packaged like IKEA furniture, Better leans on a simple and clean design scheme.

Home gyms designed to complement your IKEA furniture and meet your health + fitness goals!

Posted on by

With the pandemic restricting most of us to our homes, going to the gym daily isn’t really an option anymore. Add the work from home culture on to this situation as well, the result is basically just us sitting about in our home all day. We aren’t running about as we usually would, nor are we really able to get any regular exercise done. An innovative solution to this problem is home gyms! Home gyms ensure that we work out and maintain our physique within the comforts of our own home. We don’t need to step out, nor stress about the cons of stepping out, we can simply slip into our gym attire and get our daily workout done right in our own home. So, we’ve curated a collection of unique, super functional, and innovative home gym designs that’ll ensure you don’t use the pandemic as an excuse to skip out on your workout anymore! It’s time to get fit and healthy with these designs.

Oliver Perretta’s Kondition was inspired by a piece of furniture that actually resembles a standard workout bench, IKEA’s BEKANT series. Both IKEA’s BEKANT and Perretta’s Kondition have similar personalities as they appear as modest, simple furniture designs whose true essence shines through in their ability to blend into any given room. At first, an unassuming side bench or low-rise table during living room hours, and then, an adjustable home workout with a sliding bench come gym time. Perretta was certain to make bullnose corners for Kondition’s workout station in order to enhance both the piece’s adaptive nature and its approachability in its inherent baby-proof design. Additionally, Perretta plans to utilize aluminum extrusion in any eventual construction process as that would ensure a high strength to weight ratio for more intense workouts. Stamped panels also make for easy and deep cleaning so that job won’t ever feel stressful after a good sweat.

A space-saving work + workout setup designed for your mind & body! It has been one year of WFH and we all have quickly realized the need for furniture that can serve dual purposes and optimize space when we are working at home/living at work. Especially for the urban demographic that lives in compact apartments, it is a challenge to create a home office and also have space left for exercise equipment – another lifestyle change we have adapted to! This innovative desk design uses wall bars at its core with modular attachments that let you use it as your 9-5 set up and then transform it into beast mode. Made in Germany, wall bars offer a particularly wide range of possible variations. In addition to many training options, the combination offers a functional workplace. The desk module is attached in a few seconds, without tools. The height is flexible, so it can be used as a desk or as a high table. After work, the desk module can simply be unhooked and folded in so that it can be stowed behind the wall bars, under the bed, or behind the door. With additions like the slide, the kids can find their movement-compensation on the wall bars even after work. These setups work for the whole family and the wooden finish lets it seamlessly blend with any interior aesthetic.

NordicTrack Vault comes in and literally aids you with the training at a professional athlete’s level thanks to the iFit trainers enrolled with the platform. This smart home workout equipment combines technology, practical usage, and professional challenges only a trainer can throw at you to get fitter by the day. The freestanding smart mirror comes with storage space inside for all your dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and anything else for which space is left. You can call it an all-in-one smart fitness studio with an integrated 32-inch HD touchscreen cum mirror. So, as you select your training programs and follow the instructions of the trainer on-screen, you can actually keep an eye on the correct form of any exercise.

No drilling or screwing is required to fit the wall bars onto any door in your house – making them the ideal option for rented apartments or hostels. The exercise equipment extends well beyond its wall bar advantage. It can be used for sling training, stretching regimes, or isolated muscle training on the cheap. There are countless options to configure it, so you are never bored of repeating the same exercise. The FatMonkey wall bar also combines with your existing fitness bands, sling trainer, and gymnastic rings for circuit and functional training.

walkingpad1

The biggest advantage of the WalkingPad S1 is that it saves 95% space when folded up and also when compared to a treadmill without compromising on the workout. It has been redesigned to fit more people and more scenarios that come with a flexible life. It is also 20 lbs lighter and takes up to 45% less space than the older model. I love that it has a noise reduction feature so it can be accommodated in different rooms without disturbance. “Equipped with premium materials of the frame and the running belt, we aim to deliver the best workout experience at your home. Wake up to a morning walk at home when it’s raining or burn some calories before going to bed; WalkingPad S1 is your perfect solution to an efficient and effective daily exercise – anytime, anywhere,” says the team.

Shard Exercycle designed by Analogy Design is crafted to focus more on aesthetics and function rather than the statistics that are displayed upfront. The brass metal outer frame encapsulates the fiberglass body with the pedals, handlebar, and a seat to give the bike a pleasing form factor that you would actually want to flaunt. According to Arun Kumar, the lead product designer at Analogy, “The challenge here was to bring about a sculptural quality in the product using the right materials but also maintaining a balance between both the physical and digital experiences of the product.” The design phase of the bike was centered on ergonomic comfort and the flexibility to fit people of different heights and body measurements. Once that was sorted the design team proceeded with the layout of biofeedback interactions to light up the whole body that conveys the workout intensity in real-time. Combine that with the heart rate and speed sensors built-in, Shard Exercycle communicates the data with the compatible app to do all the fancy analysis.

Since physical fitness has become integral to our daily routines, the purpose behind Stoyka aims to strike a balance in using living spaces as fitness studios. In finding that harmony, the designers behind Stoyka integrated a storage system into the power rack, which slides out from behind the power rack’s rear wall. These sliding racks carry enough room to store the power rack’s barbells, round weighted plates, as well as rack accessories like support beams and spotter’s arms. Interchangeable by design, the Stoyka seamlessly blends into any home or office space simply by sliding the hidden storage panels behind the power rack’s rear wall. Equipped with the means for strength HIIT training and balance and flexibility exercises, Stoyka comes complete with reinforced racks, hooks, safety stops, crossbars, and removable wall bars.

Our modern lifestyle involves us being stationary in one position for long hours which is unhealthy and Pluching was created as an organic solution that brings more movement! The time spent sitting in one place has increased so much ever since the pandemic began because all we do is work from home and then watch Netflix at home. This can cause turtle neck syndrome, shoulder pain, back pain, and unhealthy stiffness which you can minimize using stretching equipment like Pluching. The idea was to design exercise equipment that gives the effect of band exercise and stretching but could clip-on on the back of your chair for ease. Pluching uses a powerful neodymium magnet that is embedded in a silicon clip to secure the equipment and give you stability.

Designed to adapt to your flexible lifestyle, the NOVA lets you transform your health and body no matter where you are without needing to go to a gym. Instead, the single exercise device is a heavy-duty portable gym that uses high resistance to provide total body strength training at home, office, or on the go. “The NOVA Gym provides up to 40lbs (18kg) of resistance in each hand in all planes of movement, yet only weighs 2.5lbs (1.12Kg) and folds up to go anywhere,” says Paul Francis who created the design and is also an architect, industrial designer, and inventor.

The team behind G-Wall designed their home gym specifically so that it could be stored behind a closet or armoire cabinet’s door. That way the time that you would have spent making room for your home fitness system, instead is spent actually putting it to use. G-Wall’s Home Fitness System has several standout features: variable modules, user-adjustability, and compatibility, to name a few. Each user decides on which modules they want to comprise the larger system. This means that despite the amount of space in your home, G-Wall’s design makes it possible to incorporate a home gym anywhere. The different modules that users can decide on range from cardiovascular equipment, to free weights and even heavy training. The gear that comes with each module is stored in cabinets or racks that easily hang behind doors or however the user deems appropriate for their personal space.