Odd planter concept lets you enjoy observing your plants grow in a fun way

Different people tried to cope with the pandemic quarantine in different and sometimes creative ways. While some were content to catch up with their TV shows and games, others took up new hobbies to while away the time. One of the more popular ones seems to have been growing plants indoors, which is not totally new but also not something adopted by the masses. Even here, there’s a variety of goals and purposes to indoor gardening, though a majority seems to have been focused on the more aesthetic benefits of having lush, green living things inside the home. Ironically, these people seldom go out of their way to grow those plants in equally aesthetic pots, something that this design concept tries to solve right from the start.

Designer: Adrian Min

You can’t just use any container to serve as a plant pot, of course, regardless of how pretty that container might be. There are a few factors to consider to allow a plant to thrive and survive, which is often what informs the design of a planter. These more functional planters, however, aren’t what you’d always call presentable, definitely nothing you’d proudly display on your table or shelf. That doesn’t have to be that way, though, and this “Odd Pot” concept marries form and function in a way that looks not only appealing but also playful.

It’s definitely an odd one for a pot, though mostly because of its unconventional shape. It comes as a tall bowl that stands on three short tapered legs. Instead of a typical brown clay, the pot seems to be made from some terrazzo material, probably ceramic. A removable disc knob juts out from the pot’s back and is the primary mechanism for its highlight feature.

This feature comes in the form of a half capsule that adds something interesting to the presentation while also giving the viewer a different way to look at the plant in the pot. This “cover” is made from glass but has different textures as well as transparencies. One is completely smooth and transparent, while another is smooth yet frosted. Perhaps the curious one is the ribbed clear glass that adds an interesting play of light with its reflections and refraction.

While the Odd Pot retains pretty much the exact same function of a regular planter, its form takes the presentation to the next level. With its stumps for legs and an “arm” that extends from its body, it almost looks like an anthropomorphic version of a planter. It might even remind some of the “sus” characters from a popular game from the past year or two. Granted, the pot’s design isn’t going to be conducive to all kinds of plants, particularly the ones that grow tall or wide. But for most succulents, it will do just fine and will even add a bit of character to your plant decoration.

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This self-sufficient plant pot is also a beautiful desk light and decoration

People have different reasons for raising different kinds of plants in different locations. Some grow vegetables outdoors both as a hobby as well as a source of fresh food. Others have indoor herbs they could pluck out and add to their food in a flash. There are also plenty that raise green things to add some literal life into rooms and houses, giving them both something to do and something to look at when stuck at home like in the past two years or so. Despite being less involved than growing things you can eat, raising houseplants isn’t trivial, especially with all the different factors involved. Fortunately, there is a growing number of appliances designed to make that activity almost dead simple, and this smart, self-watering pot is made to look just as beautiful as the plant that it puts on display.

Designer: Ivan Zhurba

While there are definitely plants that require very little maintenance, like succulents that have become a bit trendy recently, most small plants you’d want to grow indoors need more than just watering each day. In fact, it might be bad for the plant if you shower it with water that often. The plant will also need sunlight, which might not be available all the time or in all places in your house. Fortunately, the Vivo Pot takes care of both for you.

At its core, Vivo (no relation to the smartphone brand) is a self-sufficient and self-watering pot, allowing you to almost have no involvement in the day-to-day maintenance of the plant. It also has COB (chip-on-board) LEDs that deliver the light that the plant needs to grow. Admittedly, there are now a few devices or designs that offer the same capabilities, but what makes the Vivo Pot different is that it is a sight to behold on its own, whether it has a growing plant to show off or not.

When completely closed and unused, the pot resembles an egg, which is a fitting metaphor for the start of life. Curved grooves swirl around its body, giving it a distinct dynamic look that turns it into a decorative piece that sits on your desk or shelf. Of course, the pot is meant to be opened, and the height-adjustable lid rises to make room for what would be the plant of your choosing.

This lid contains those bright LEDs, turning the Vivo Pot into a desk lamp as well. Of course, it wouldn’t be wise to rely on it as your only desk lamp since it simply augments rather than replaces your light source. To give off an even better atmosphere, there is a ring of light surrounding the plant, showing it off and giving you a unique night lamp should you need illumination in the dark. All in all, these are quite simple ideas, but the beautiful way they are combined together is what makes this concept design just as refreshing as the verdant life that’s growing inside it.

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These beautiful homeware products are made from coffee’s biggest waste

Some people joke that the world is fueled by coffee, but there is actually some truth to that. Health experts might be divided on the effects of the cup of liquid energy, especially in the long term, but there’s no denying that plenty of people depend on even just a single cup to get through their day. Unfortunately, the increasing demand for coffee and coffee-based drinks is negatively affecting the planet more than our bodies, thanks to various forms of waste related to the coffee economy. Thankfully, there are a few creative people who are finding ways to curb coffee’s negative impact on the environment, like turning used coffee grounds into home accessories that are not only beautiful but also functional as reminders to live a greener existence.

Designer: Sarah Christensen

It’s easy enough to downplay the effect of coffee grounds on the planet. After all, they sound less harmful compared to the plastics and other materials used in delivering coffee in a cup. This organic material, however, does emit methane in landfills, contributing to one of the most potent greenhouse gasses that, in turn, further global warming. Given how much people use coffee today, that situation is probably going to get worse.

What makes this even more tragic is that coffee grounds actually still hold a lot of value even after they’re used. Not only do they still contain various aromas and flavors, but they can also be used as raw materials for creating other objects. They don’t have to go to waste, for all meanings of the word, and it takes only some motivation, creativity, and access to equally sustainable materials to turn waste into art.

Sarah Christensen has started creating everyday homeware out of these spent coffee grounds, but that material alone doesn’t exactly work well for solid objects. The designer also had to use Jesmonite, a popular eco-friendly, VOC-free, and non-toxic alternative to resin-based products. Coffee grounds are cast into sheets to be stored for later use and then later broken into chips. These serve as composite material for the objects ala terrazzo, where each product is 40% coffee grounds and 60% Jesmonite.

Christensen doesn’t simply make any everyday homeware either. She has focused primarily on plant pots in order to encourage indoor gardening hobbies and lifestyles. She also has some candle holders and soap dishes, too, both intended to tell the owner to take a slow down, step back, relax, and reflect on life and our impact on the world. Even if you don’t get those subtle hints and messages, it’s hard to ignore how beautiful these products are, with specs of brown that add character and points of interest to the smooth surfaces of the objects.

The story doesn’t end there, however, as the designer is trying to introduce these homewares into the circular economy. Broken pieces, for example, can be used for other things, like crocks in plant pots or material for buildings. This way, one can really say that coffee makes the world go round, even after the drink has long served its purpose of energizing you, perhaps to help make the world a better place.

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The smart flower system with climate control automatically helps grow plants sans human involvement

Arguably, greens inside the house spread healthy, positive vibes to relax the body and mind. But caring for these plants inside the house is not everyone’s piece of cake. Some people try very hard but to no avail. This is where smart planters step in. Using high-tech monitoring and growing techniques – with minimum human effort – these planters can water, care for the soil, and automatically adjust the environment to intensify plant growth.

Smart planters are available dime a dozen. While some options rely on artificial light to help grow greens in shadier parts of the house, there are others that keep the plants happy and healthy autonomously. In the already crowded, but high-demand segment, designer Evgeniya Burmistrova has introduced a smart flower system with climate control that takes care of the plants independently and leaves you with a green, inviting environment at home.

Designer: Evgeniya Burmistrova

This smart planter can monitor the condition of the air, soil and the plant to ensure it receives the right amount of water and light to grow healthier. Designed with the working population in mind (who have less time to care for their plants, but love to have them in their indoors), the plant pot can artificially control humidity, air temperature, and more to ensure plants do not die during the user’s long absence. This endeavor can be further beneficial for the users, who can through a mobile app, control, monitor and see the plant’s performance from anywhere.

This flower system comprises three elements: a pair of smart flower pots and a stand. While all components are designed to work independently, they are best used together, with the two pots hanging from the stand. The stand is as versatile as the planters; it is usable in both vertical and horizontal orientations and can rotate 360-degrees. The pots and the stand all have their own LED backlight that works as the light source to provide natural light for Photosynthesis.

This means, no matter the type of plant you’ve got, this smart flower system will take best care of it even when you can’t. A planter like this is bound to look good at home and make indoor gardening pleasurable for all (irrespective of an individual’s time or knowledge).

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This stackable planter keeps your window clutter free and your plants healthy!

Ever since the pandemic started, we have been spending extended periods of time at home just quarantining and working. If you have a pet, it isn’t too bad but for others, it has become a time to shine as a plant parent! Having plants at home adds a little refreshing green to your space, can help purify the air and also give you something to care for that makes you feel good. But if you are a first-timer who has a small space and has only ever had succulents, then ToThem was designed for you – a planter that can take care of itself without crowding your windowsill.

ToThem is a modular vase system designed as a solution for organizing and taking care of multiple different plants in small spaces like city apartments. While optimizing space it was also essential for the designers to keep the form of the planter playful so they gave each part a unique shape that organically blends with the others. ToThem also has its own manual irrigation system that allows the water to reach the plants on all the levels at the same time. It also integrates a draining water reuse system. A smart planter that doesn’t use any tech to be smart, just good design.

The structure of the planter includes four juxtaposed vases of different shapes and dimensions designed keeping different plants in mind – aromatic plants (mint), Hedera Helix, Succulents (Aloe Vera) and flowers (Spathiphyllum). These plants were chosen for the positive properties they give to the interior environment and the inhabitant’s health (something we absolutely need in 2020). The warm, earthy tones complement the greens and transform any corner into a cozy one!

Designer: Camila Saulino and Alibek Atahanov

This smart purifier will elevate your air quality and home interior

With every passing year, we are seeing the effects of pollution seep deeper into our lives. Earlier it would only affect your health if you spent too much time outdoors, especially in an urban setting, but now we are learning that the air indoor can be 5x more polluted than outside. While a long term solution is adopting a sustainable lifestyle, you can make changes in your immediate environment overnight with appliances like air purifiers to improve the air quality for your health. Air purifiers are generally not something we consider as an accent piece in our homes but Air O, a conceptual air purifier, is here to change that.

Air purifiers have slowly become essentials in homes after the US EPA and WHO stated that PM2.5 indoors air quality is more toxic than outdoor air. It prompted people to monitor their living spaces, especially those with existing conditions like asthma or families with newborns. In addition to appliances, people also get indoor plants to naturally purify the air, but having both take up space and increases maintenance. Air O is the perfect fusion of a purifier and a planter that not only frees up and make corners of your home look tidy, it also gives your interior style a minimalistic upgrade. You can control Air O through an app on your smartphone and get timely reports on the air quality or notifications about changing the filters.

The designer’s idea to combine plants with an air purifier was like adding a turbocharger to make the appliance perform better while retaining the soothing presence of plants. The appliance is designed to look like a luxury plant holder with pineapple-like grooves that add texture to the otherwise matte black gadget. Air O’s sleek make it a perfect fit in any space and you won’t have to worry about a bulky air purifier being an eyesore in your home. Also, the plant really elevates the environment apart from having emotional benefits. I bet no one will be able to tell its an air purifier and they’ll assume you are a real adult now with real thriving plants in your home – nice feeling, isn’t it?

Designer: Sheng-Wen Wang

This article was sent to us using the ‘Submit A Design’ feature.

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A Fabulous Fish Tank for out Fishy Friends

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A fish tank is something that many of us own; it’s home to our fishy little companions that make our houses feel a little more like home! But there is no denying that a lot of fish tanks are somewhat of unsightly eyesores; they stand out within the home for all the wrong reasons as opposed to complimenting the existing furniture. This is certainly far from ideal.

AQUA is indisputably an exception to this! The crisp, clean geometry beautifully combines a fish tank, plant pot and sculpture, seamlessly. And most importantly, it does this without compromising the habitability of the environment for the fish.

The range of varying forms, material finishes, and proportions ensure that there is sure to be a tank to suit any room and any décor, while also providing a wonderful home for our fishy friends!

Designer: Andrii Kovalskyi

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