How this sensorial playpad focuses on sustainable design to adapt with your growing child

Posted on 02/07/2023 by Tanvi Joshi

For all the parents and caregivers out there, if you’re looking for a game-changer in the world of play mats, then you’re in for a treat. Let’s dive into the wonderful world of the Stokke PlayPad, a play mat that’s all about fun, comfort, and learning. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on this awesome creation!

The Stokke PlayPad is a game-changer in modern playtime. Say goodbye to dull, simple mats that do nothing to stimulate your child’s imagination. This play mat is jam-packed with interactive elements that will keep your child delighted for hours on end as it adapts to your children’s changing interests, abilities, and personalities, assisting them in their growth throughout their childhood.

Designer: Marius Kindler

Imagine this a soft, cushioned surface ideal for small hands and knees to explore. The Stokke PlayPad is made of high-quality materials to provide optimal comfort for your little adventurer. No need to be concerned about discomfort or irritation—your youngster will have a comfortable and secure play place to enjoy.

The PlayPad’s interactive aspects are an excellent combination of visual and audio engagement. This play mat is a sensory delight, with vibrant designs and diverse textures. Your youngster will be able to touch, feel, and explore a variety of hidden surprises, which will encourage curiosity and fine motor skills.

The Playpad is made up of two layers: an upper sleeve made of recycled polyester and EVA foam with embossed icons and a lower sleeve containing the LED and sensor grid. These two layers are detachable, allowing you to wash and clean any mess your toddler makes on it.

This PlayPad is also all about convenience. It’s lightweight and foldable, so you can take it with you everywhere you go. Are you paying a visit to friends or family? Are you going on a picnic? Not a problem! Simply pack up the PlayPad and your child will have a familiar play environment wherever they go.

We are all aware that playtime is about more than just having fun; it is also about learning and development. The embossed icons provide visual and tactile cues to your child’s visual exploration and cognitive recognition. To interact with. The brilliant colors and contrasting shapes draw their attention and aid in the development of critical cognitive and perceptual abilities. The sensors and LEDs spread across the pad are powered by a battery, a speaker offers audio feedback and directions, and an RFID reader allows you to select and switch between numerous games and activities so kids never get bored!

This PlayPad is not only for your children but also for you to interact with them and create memories together. By placing different discs on top of the play base, you can switch between different play modes. Each play disc activates a unique setting for the PlayPad’s sensors, speakers, and lights, enabling the stated play activity.

The variety of available play discs keeps the PlayPad appealing throughout childhood, and adding additional discs to the collection allows families to upgrade over time based on the child’s age, abilities, and interests. So that parents can provide their children with more play with fewer toys.

It is a perfect combination of all things that you need in a play mat that’s fun, comfortable, and educational. It’s designed with love and care to provide your child with a stimulating environment where they can learn, grow, and let their imaginations run wild.

Since the PlayPad is both an interactive toy and a home interior piece, it was a natural fit to work with Stokke, a well-known luxury brand known for creating long-lasting items with a design sense that reflects its Scandinavian background and excellent material and craftsmanship standards. Most young families prefer Scandinavian minimalism, which is reflected in the PlayPad’s materials and colors.

This is a great way to unwind with your little ones and keep them engaged throughout the day. It is a practical and sustainable way to keep your children learning subconsciously throughout their childhood.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Japandi Design Style

Posted on 03/06/2023 by Pooja Khanna Tyagi

The emerging Japandi design trend melds the Japanese and Scandinavian modern interior design styles. Featuring a brilliant combination of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism, the design style is deeply rooted in simplicity and comfort. Although Japan and Scandinavia or the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are distinctly different in culture and geographically different, they are designed on the same principles. The origin of this design style dates back to 1853, when Japan lifted its border policies after years of seclusion. Shortly after this event, Danish designers and creatives started visiting Japan and got fascinated by Japanese oriental aesthetics.

Designer: Ward 5 Design

Also known as the Scandi-Japanese style, the Scandi design follows the notion of “hygge,” meaning coziness, where the home should be your sanctuary that can exude elegance, conviviality, and well-being. The Nordics wanted to add warmth into the interiors so that their homes could feel peaceful and comfortable, especially throughout the cold and dark winters. It aims to improve everyday life and creates coziness with a mix of materials like velvet, leather, knits, and crochets and pays attention to furniture details. The Japanese design follows the concept of “wabi-sabi,” which values contentment and slow living and celebrates the beauty of imperfections. The fusion of “hygge” and “wabi-sabi” determines the critical elements of the Japandi design style. Since both these design trends have many standard features, their core philosophy is to merge the rustic Nordic décor with the sleek Japanese design and create a Zen vibe.

The prime objective of the Japandi design style is to design with intention. This style creates a warm and welcoming space with a fusion of clean lines with functional style. Moreover, its beautiful and practical design encourages one to stay close to nature. These design elements will help you to master your interiors and exteriors.

Beautiful Craftsmanship

Furniture design forms one of the most important components of a Japandi interior design style. Look for artisan pieces of furniture with a timeless appeal so that one can use them for years to come, as the focus is quality instead of cheap throwaway pieces. Japandi furniture design makes a statement without adornment, the details are handmade, and each piece is unique, and there is no similarity between the two parts. Wood is the most prominent material in this design typology since it is readily available in Japan, and the country is known for its mastery of timber. Every piece is intentionally chosen in a particular space so that it can add meaning and purpose. For example, low-height furniture is evocative of the concept of being close to the earth.

Designer: Manh Duy

Warm Palette

The Scandi palette is gray, white, and brown, while the Japanese palette incorporates autumnal hues and colors from the earth and the sky. Create an earthy feel with muted pearl gray and sky blue colors with hints of pale green. The colors of nature play wonderfully with the organic material of Japandi-style space. A bold color can be used as an accent in the decorative accessories and throw pillows to complement the wood tones. These colors can be layered to mimic the look of a natural landscape.

Designer: Nada Hasham

Sustainability

There is a focus on sustainability, the use of natural materials, and eco-friendly aesthetics. Japandi does not believe in the one-time-use culture, and the options should be environmentally safe. Avoid plastic and look for home décor items in natural materials like wood, stone, and woven textiles.

Both cultures have a deep fondness for nature and sustainability. In Japan, there is a psychological exercise called “Shinrin-yoku,” which means “Forest Bathing,” whose purpose is to inspire people to reconnect with the country’s forests. The Norwegian people follow the concept of “Friluftsliv,” also known as “Outdoor Life,” which is about spending time and enjoying the outdoors.

Designer: Sipal-WAFAI.Architecture

Use Organic Materials

Japandi focuses on natural materials like unfinished wood and incorporates organic materials like rattan, wicker, cane, wood, and bamboo, along with comfortable fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp. A mix of materials creates a serene space. Moreover, the design style is distinctly organic, where the ceramics, bowls, and even lighting can be in organic materials.

Designer: Delicate Decor

Introduce Plants

Plants and greenery work as genuine accessories and can bring in a sense of outdoor living. They purify the indoor air and form a decorative accent. The Japandi style has a profound respect for nature and focuses on less but bigger sizes of plants. To complete the picture, beautify the interiors and create a nature-inspired décor with houseplants like hanging vines and bonsai trees or beautiful plants in large ceramics. Plants create a warm and welcoming look and soften a minimalist interior.

Designer: Japandi Lights

Decluttered Spaces

Japandi emphasizes comfort and simplicity, making every item functional yet aesthetically pleasing. There is a focus on openness and zero clutter so that the space looks clean, fresh, and minimal. An open-plan layout exudes a tranquil space connected with the outdoors to create a brilliant indoor-outdoor connection. If there is less space for storage, use natural storage solutions like wicker baskets, boxes, and trays. Use bamboo or folding screens to camouflage clutter.

The bedrooms are minimalistic, with minimal window dressing, few art pieces, and comfortable bedding. A good curation of art pieces, mirrors, rugs, tables, and lamps infuses coziness without creating a cluttered look. Additionally, a Japandi bedroom supports rest and encourages a tech-free space that encourages sleep and minimizes distraction.

Designer: Hilight Design

Bring In Natural Light

Natural light creates a bright, airy interior and is the gateway to the natural world. Japandi integrates large windows to bring in plenty of natural light while the reflective surface of neutral-hued walls bounces the natural light. If there is less natural light, one can use mirrors to reflect more light. The rooms should be softly lit for a tranquil interior. Consider industrial lights to add a Scandinavian vibe that can infuse warmth with handcrafted pendant lights or retro pendants in copper finish. Use floor lamps for a warm and cozy glow.

Designer: chrisfluence

Stripped Furniture

Japandi furniture uses different materials, textures, and colors, infusing peace, serenity, and a comfortable feel. One can accentuate the space with a chair or coffee table in a bold color. Create contrast with dark and light wood tones as Japan uses dark wood Cedar, Red Pine, and Cypress, while Scandinavia uses light wood oak, mahogany, pine, and teak. This is a great way to create visual interest, bring the space together, and create a warm and harmonious feel.

Designer: Hishida Komuten

Sumptuous Textures

Japandi design infuses warmth and interest using sumptuous textures and fabrics. This can be achieved in the curtains, upholstery, and rugs, which will infuse warmth. A big cozy rug in natural materials is a must-have in a minimalist bedroom as it provides a warm underfoot whenever one enters or exits the bed.

Designer: Veronique (Veer.enmeer)

Balance

The Japandi style does not believe in symmetry but uses different furniture pieces that can create an organic feel. One must pay attention to the visual weight of each piece as this design style aims to create balance and promotes relaxation.

Designer: Stewart-Schafer

A fusion of Japanese minimalism and warm Scandinavian interiors has emerged as one of the most popular style combinations of the decade. These tips will help you to create your favorite look.

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This prefabricated home combines Scandinavian simplicity with a breezy Californian twist

Posted on 31/03/2022 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

Adobu and Koto Design collaborated to design a prefabricated backyard home with off-grid capabilities, marrying Scandinavian design with sustainability.

Based in the English seaside village of Westward Ho!, the architecture studio Koto Design captures the mellow vibe of a day spent at the seashore and translates it to the home space. Inspired by Scandinavian simplicity and Japanese minimalism, the result comes through breezy, open floor layouts and organic building materials.

Designer: Koto Design x Adobu

The architecture studio is known for its extensive catalog of sustainable, prefabricated tiny homes that can be transported to locations across the globe. In a recent collaboration with the USA-based, backyard home-building company Adobu, the two studios worked together to construct a tiny, prefabricated home that marries Scandinavian design with a Californian twist.

From the outside, the backyard cabin appears like one of Koto Design’s signature tiny homes, topped off with a slightly torqued roof. While its original look maintains an elemental, wooden look without any paint, buyers can choose from an array of different finishes. The organic facades merge with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that are meant to embrace a semi-outdoor lifestyle, a common touch in Californian architecture.

Inside, the large windows work to keep the interior living spaces airy and bright, like a day spent seaside. Integrated storage compartments line the perimeter of the interior rooms to maintain the flexibility that an open-floor layout provides. Additionally, built-in furniture, like a window bench in the dining area, creates space for guests and residents to relax without introducing more furniture pieces to crowd the floor.

Koto Design is committed to delivering sustainable, prefabricated homes that don’t compromise on comfort. Each tiny home built with Adobu takes around four months to finish offsite construction, while the onsite assembly is completed in some weeks. In collaboration with Adobu, the two studios can now offer carbon-neutral homes in the USA that have a 60+ year lifespan, on and off-grid capabilities, and are built to full housing standards.

Once the tiny home finishes offsite construction, Adobu can assemble the tiny home onsite in a matter of weeks.

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Top 10 Scandinavian designs for modern minimalists

Posted on 10/03/2022 by Srishti Mitra

Have you ever come across Scandinavian designs? There’s something so simply minimal, quaint, and awe-spiring about them. They manage to speak volumes without being loud or saying much. These designs are based on three strong pillars – functionality, simplicity, and clean lines. They, somehow, always leave you with a warm feeling in your heart, an intense admiration for the attention to detail, and the delicate touches each design consists of. Place a well-designed Scandinavian product into your home, and it seamlessly merges with its surroundings, adding to the harmony of a living space. And we’ve curated a collection of exquisite designs that promise to do exactly that! From a coffee table that finds a balance between Scandinavian and Japanese design elements to a Scandinavian-styled minimal cat litter box – these products designs are an authentic embodiment of Scandinavian design philosophy, while also retaining its minimal and warm aesthetics.

1. The Cloth Coffee Table

Characterized by its curved bookstand that works as the table’s centerpiece, the Cloth coffee table’s curvy personality is echoed throughout its build. The bookstand also finds a balance between boldness and elegance, offering a weighty centerpiece that helps ground the coffee table, without dominating the available tablespace. Featuring softly bold elements like an undulating table edge that mimics the look of a live edge, the Cloth coffee table keeps a dynamic profile without dominating the room.

2. Maxia

Maxia’s exterior holds onto the traditional look of a caravan, but smooths out its edges and rounds its windows to give the caravan an elevated, more seasoned look. Maxia’s front window slopes from the caravan’s roof down the curved front facade, lengthening the feel of the interior and offering fuller views of the outdoors through the dual-pane panoramic window. With an aim of transforming their caravans into, “the most beautiful places in the world,” Hobby designed Maxia for hygge-style living, outfitting the interior with comfort and simplicity in mind. Available in two different lengths that inspire two different layouts, Maxia 660 WQM is the longer of the two and accommodates up to four adults with full kitchen and bathroom areas.

3. The Plico Chair

The Plico Chair got its name from the Latin translation, “To fold.” Built using Scandinavian design flairs and minimal ornamentation, the Plico Chair’s frame is crafted from solid oak wood for a natural look and sturdy base. The rear legs of the Plico Chair fall back, allowing a natural recline for the cushion to rest. Upholstered in linen canvas, the cushion also evokes a subtle comfort with organic tones and lasting protection from inevitable wear and tear. A natural leather hide strap extends from the rear legs to the front of a chair to create an armrest propped up with a center wooden peg. Designed to be disassembled for easy storage, the Plico Chair features exposed brass fitting and visible joints, enhancing its already elemental aesthetic.

4. The A-part bench

Cleverly named, the A-part bench (a play-on apart) is a bench that allows you to regulate the distance you want to retain between yourself and the person sitting next to you. The bench is designed to literally help you bridge the space, meet up with a friend you have been dying to see while having them respect the distance you need so you can focus on the happiness of meeting up. As the designers explain, “The importance of bridging this distance, in parts, is double. People maintain the safe distance between them, but in the meantime, psychologically, they feel that they have a goal and they will gradually return to their lives before the pandemic.”

5. The Notes Shelves

Designed by Julien Renault for Cruso, the NOTES Shelves is “an invitation to play with compositions and colors”. The artfully crafted slabs of light oak slide into a steel frame, creating a clean and minimal wall-mounted shelf that provides a wonderful storage space, while also allowing you to proudly display your favorite objects and artifacts. The shelves are so simple to set up, that you can do it by yourself at home, with the help of a standard tool (which is provided along with the shelving unit). The NOTES Shelves’ edges have been uniquely sanded and rounded, making them soft and smooth to touch.

6. Kork Kafeware

Kork Kafeware was designed to encourage people to take a break from their daily struggles and enjoy me-time. Functionally, it gives you the best of both worlds, stainless steel is durable and cork is heat-resistant. The eco-conscious range includes a French press, espresso maker, goose-neck kettle, and coffee grinder which is all you need to enjoy a perfect cup at home. Kork uses the inherent qualities of cork and polished stainless steel to create a natural, functional product designed to last a lifetime. Cork is a sustainable alternative to plastic and offers unique insulative, elastic and lightweight properties to the design.

7. The Cove

The Cove is a minimalist Scandinavian-styled litter box that complements your home decor. Made from non-toxic recycled plastic, the litter-box comes with a simple, clean, off-white design that integrates a scooper along with a dust-pan and brush into its form. The box comes with vertical walls that prevent litter from accidentally spilling out, or the tray being overturned, along with a silicone base that keeps the tray from accidentally slipping or moving around the floor. Designed as much for humans as for cats, the Cove’s integrated scooper docks securely within the box, and comes with a sturdy silicone grip for easy scooping as well as a carefully designed scoop mesh that cleanly and efficiently sieves through the litter to collect the cat waste.

8. The Polestar SLR

The Polestar SLR is an apt example of a passion project that just evolved and bettered over time. In fact, designer Arthur Martins claims he isn’t done yet! The Polestar SLR (short for Salt Lake Runner) was designed to see how Scandinavian minimalism would manifest on an automobile’s outer body. The advantage of choosing a salt lake racing bike lies in being able to sacrifice a few details for the sake of visual authenticity. The Polestar SLR has minimal ground clearance, basic suspension, and doesn’t really steer because it doesn’t need to. Martins claims that he’s working on a street-legal version with further detailing. I can’t wait to see what comes out of the exercise!

9. Departo

Arguably, many folding chairs are conceived with the concept of portability but their design anomalies leave them high and dry. Departo folding chair however offers a high-quality seating solution conjured up with unification of aesthetics of two cultures. The utilitarian chair is built with Scandinavian design inspiration and focuses on Japanese materiality realized with the steel frame and ash wood legs. The rounded wooden backrest of the chair complements the comfy canvas seat while the leather handle allows for easy carrying. Provided in light ash and dark ash colors, this hand-crafted foldable seating solution is a brainchild of Departo founders Glenn Pushelberg, George Yabu, and Yuichiro Hori and is priced at $295 apiece.

10. The Automatisk

The Automatisk’s design showcases the watch face in its simplicity, with a 316L brushed steel body, and two overlapping metal plates with an anodized finish sitting right under the hands. Available in silver, plum, olive, black, and a matte grey finish, the watch face uses an interplay of colors to look bold, while luminova markings make sure the time is visible both in the day and at night. The watch comes with a date window at its 6 o’clock position, maintaining its sense of balance and symmetry, while the linear markings and the smooth gliding second hand provide a minimalist appeal.

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Modern design elements update this reinterpretation of a traditional Norwegian boathouse

Posted on 26/02/2022 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

The Badehus, or Bathhouse, is a modern, minimalist reinterpretation of the traditional Norwegian boathouse with 45-degree angled timber planks that give it a dynamic, semi-enclosed look.

Reinterpreting traditional boathouses to fit in today’s world boils down to making them functional for modern needs without stripping them of their old-world charm. The Norwegian boathouse, or naust as it’s colloquially termed, is traditionally built using one of three methods: gate, timber, or stone construction. While each method typically maintains the same frame shape, each method gives the boathouse a unique finished look.

Designer: Handegård Arkitektur

Handegård Arkitektur tried its hand at reinterpreting the traditional Norwegian boathouse for the 21st century, using an alternative gate construction method. Handegård Arkitektur constructed the Badehus, which translates to Bathhouse, as a tiny retreat to accommodate a small clinker-built boat.

From behind, the Bathhouse appears like a fully-enclosed red boathouse without any windows. A closer look reveals a completely different building. Inside, each facade of the Bathhouse is lined with thin timber planks angled at 45-degrees that open the interior up to the outside. The planks are angled so that the boathouse is enclosed from behind, but entirely open from the front.

This alternative form of gate construction offers some privacy from the outside and then an unfettered view of the sea from the inside. This dramatic transition is exactly the purpose behind the Bathhouse’s modern update as the architects explain, “When you enter, you experience the purpose – you are sheltered at the same time as you have a view of the entire sea.”

Entering the Bathhouse, one large full-swing door leads guests to its modest living area that organizes a minibar and woodfire stove towards the rear of the building. Behind that, a loft bed keeps a space for sleeping and a bathroom can be found in its own area behind a closed door. Just a few steps away, guests can enjoy a spacious lounge area that completely opens up to the sea via two large full-swing doors.

The floor and gabled ceiling remain bright with solid plywood paneling. The gaps formed by the angled timber planks are also covered by narrow acrylic panels that help protect the Bathhouse from the natural elements while still collecting pools of sunlight. Two granite columns and a concrete plinth give rise to a galvanized steel frame, where the Bathhouse rests.

The timber planks open up the interior to the outdoors and add some energy to an otherwise stripped-down retreat.

From behind, the Bathhouse looks entirely enclosed behind the timber planks.

From the other side, the Bathhouse’s angled timber planks open up.

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A tiny cabin inspired by the Japanese concept of forest bathing is designed to immerse guests in nature

Posted on 23/02/2022 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

The Woodlands Hideout is a small, nature-inspired cabin in the woods designed as a solo retreat to a larger residence some 200-feet away from the tiny home.

Since winter doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, escaping to a warm cabin in the woods sounds like the move. Disconnecting from the chaos of the modern world doesn’t sound too bad either. From years spent documenting his travels, in addition to remodeling and managing short-term rental homes, architect Rico Castillero took what he learned in these roles to build the first prototype of a small cabin.

Designer: Rico Castillero, Further Society

Inspired by the Japanese concept of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, Castillero says he’s been “dreaming and scheming” up plans to build what he calls the Woodlands Hideout. Amounting to a small, 190-square-foot cabin, the Woodlands Hideout operates as a solo retreat for guests to sleep under Oregon’s towering pines.

Nestled in a cozy, private neck of the woods, some 200-feet away from Castillero’s main property called Woodlands, the Woodlands Hut is defined by its unique shape and 10’ x 10’ x 20’ custom-built steel frame. In designing the Woodlands Hideout, Castillero looked first to nature to determine the layout and construction scheme.

In fact, the shape of the home was chosen to accommodate the leaves and pine needles that fall from the overhead tree canopies. From there, Castillero had the challenge of configuring the interior to maximize the available living space, especially on the shorter side of the home.

On the shorter end of the home, Castillero found height in passive activities. The toilet, woodstove, and desk each live in their own corner of the home’s shorter end. Taking up a little bit more space, guests will also find the built-in bed on this end of the tiny cabin.

Then, moving to the other end as the roof gradually rises, guests can enjoy a hot shower outfitted in Coosa as well as a fully functional, yet super-compact kitchenette. A woodfire stove functions as a partition between the sleeping space and the cabin’s small dining area. With the layout in place, Castillero clad the interior in oriented strand board (OSB) paneling for a unified, yet organic look.

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This coffee table finds balance in Scandinavian and Japanese design elements for a bold and elegant look

Posted on 04/02/2022 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

Cloth is a coffee table design from Joao Teixeira that merges Scandinavian functionality with Japanese simplicity for a dynamic, yet balanced look.

The right coffee table can really help break up space in any living room. Plus, coffee tables are like mom’s purse for inside the home—they always have what we’re looking for, even when we don’t know we’re looking for it. Taking to the design movements that know space and the bare essentials best, a new coffee table called Cloth from designer João Teixeira is described as “Japandi,” for its blend of Japanese simplicity and Scandinavian functionality.

Designer: Joã o Texeira

Doing minimalism before it was cool, Japanese and Scandinavian share a lot of common design principles, including a focus on warmth, groundedness, and a subdued color scheme for an overall calming effect. With aim of merging these principles together to design Cloth, Teixeira hoped to find a “balance between boldness and elegance, depending on the angle.”

Featuring softly bold elements like an undulating table edge that mimics the look of a live edge, the Cloth coffee table keeps a dynamic profile without dominating the room. Eager to integrate a sense of durability into the simple build of Cloth, Teixeira hid all of the table’s hardware by using construction processes like press bending for the table plywood elements and CNC-milling for the tabletop.

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Scandinavian Architectural Designs that’ll convert you into a minimal architecture advocate!

Posted on 30/11/2021 by Srishti Mitra

Scandinavian designs always manage to be minimal, quaint, and awe-spiring, whether it’s a product design, interiors, or especially their architectural designs. The Scandinavian architecture will always leave you with a warm feeling in your heart, and intense admiration for the attention to detail, and the delicate touches each structure consists of. Scandinavian-inspired cabins are my all-time favorite, every time I come across one, I feel like tossing everything aside and embarking on a cabin vacation! But Scandinavian architecture extends beyond these cabins and encapsulates much more. However, the quintessential usage of dark wood, the minimal vibe, and an eco-friendly and sustainable attitude while building something, remain common in most of their designs. And, we’ve curated some of our favorites for you to go gaga over! From a Scandinavian tiny home on wheels with off-grid features to modular architectural designs that are a healthy mix of Scandinavian design and sustainability – these structures will turn you into hardcore Scandinavian architecture lovers!

1. Redukt’s Tiny Home

Poland-based Redukt, a tiny mobile home company, found sophistication and an open-plan layout through simplistic and versatile design for their off-grid-prepared tiny home on wheels. Prepared for all elements, Redukt’s tiny home on wheels is thermalized with oiled pine boards that give the home a tidy, yet natural personality. Dissolving the barrier between the outdoors and interior space, the tiny home comes with twin glass doors that are just short of reaching floor-to-ceiling heights.

2. The Nook

Brimming with artisanal goods and artwork of local craftsmen and artists, The Nook was designed to bring the handcrafted touch of the old world into the modern era. Described as a “collection of stories,” Belleme designed The Nook to link his personal history to the surrounding forest and architecture of the cabin. The tiny cabin is constructed from a collection of locally felled trees that Belleme memorized during a five-year stint spent in the Appalachian woods, during which he learned primitive building skills like creating a path of hand-split logs that leads to The Nook’s front entrance.

3. The Draper

The Draper, a new tiny home from Colorado-based RV company, Land Ark finds a minimalist, yet adventurous spirit through a balance of Scandinavian-approached interior design elements and thoughtfully modern exterior features. From the outside, the Draper exudes mystery with black corrugated steel cladding on all sides. Shaped almost like a reversed trapezoid, the Draper unfurls its all-black exterior to reveal a Cumaru fold-down deck constructed from renewable Brazilian hardwood. When unfolded, the Cumaru deck provides the Draper with a cozier appearance that immediately asserts the RV as a homey oasis designed to get away from the humdrum of everyday life.

4. Archipelago House

Norm Architects built the Archipelago House on the coast of Sweden. This beautiful holiday home is clad in pine and is a culmination of both Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics. The minimal pine-wood home features gabled roofs, that are inspired by the boathouses that float along the nearby seashore. Norm Architects created the home in the hope that “The building should look natural to the site and put the focus on the beautiful surroundings and the life unfolding in the place rather than the building itself.” The use of natural materials within the home creates an atmosphere that is truly Scandinavian in nature.

5. The Whale

185 miles north of the Arctic Circle, on the tip of the island Andøya, lies the quaint little town Andenes. Venture a little more, and you’ll find Bleiksdjupa, the deep-sea valley where migrating whales pass by, qualifying the area as one of the best locations in the world for catching a glimpse of the exquisite marine mammal. Whales are one of my favorite cetaceans; big, beautiful and always minding their own business. And to “create awareness and inspire learning and conservation of whales and their environment”, the Danish studio Dorte Mandrup will be building ‘The Whale’, a new visitor attraction in northern Norway. “Rising as a soft hill on the rocky shore– as if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the crust of the earth and created a cavity underneath”, The Whale is a perfect example of the seamless integration that can take place between architectural structures and their surrounding environment.

6. Yksi and Piha

Plant Prefab, a California-based architecture firm that prefabricates sustainable homes, recently collaborated with Koto, a UK-based studio that designs modular homes, to build two residences called LivingHomes. Devised to meet both LEED Platinum and net-zero standards, the homes were also designed and built on some Scandinavian design principles: minimalism and biophilia. The first home, Yksi, is a cantilevered, two-bedroom residence that employs biophilic design principles through ample deck space and large windows with unobstructed views of natural surroundings. On the first floor of Yksi, which means ‘first’ in Finnish, there are two bedrooms, a bathroom, an office space, and a utility closet. The second home, which is named after the Finnish word for ‘courtyard,’ Piha offers four bedrooms and three bedrooms, two courtyards and a deck, and a vast open living space that forms the heart of the home.

7. Eastwind Hotel

The Eastwind Hotel is a boutique Scandinavian-inspired hotel and bar in New York’s Catskill Mountains. The hotel has also been equipped with tiny triangular cabins. The entire structure including the minimal glamping pods is heavily influenced by Scandinavian aesthetics. Hence, hints of the colors white, navy, and black can be glimpsed throughout the space.” We started with that clean Scandinavian look, and then warmed it up a bit with earthy and natural colors, textiles, and artwork,” said Eastwind’s creative director Julija Stoliarova.

8. House of Many Courtyards

Swedish architecture studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designed a Scandinavian holiday home called the House of Many Courtyards. The home basically consists of interconnected box-like structures that are surrounded by beautiful courtyards. A 40-meter long corridor artfully connects all the minimal boxes. All the boxy structures feature varied heights, hence creating a geometrically unique holiday home that serves as an intriguing spatial experience. Sliding doors allow you to seamlessly step out of the home, and into the serene courtyards. It’s the perfect integration of indoor and outdoor living!

9. Elsa

Elsa is a 323-square-foot tiny home defined by Scandinavian design that’s anchored with natural, earthy elements, like an outdoor, teeming garden and greenhouse attachment situated right beside a pergola-covered porch and attached swing for picturesque summer evenings spent in the garden. Scandinavian design, an aesthetic that embraces clean and mostly unadorned, yet functional design, defines Elsa from inside, out. In direct contrast to the natural cedar shiplap, the left side of the house features standing-seam metal exterior siding, and just above the cedar shiplap section, a standing-seam metal pitched roof lengthens the inside loft bedroom ceiling.

10. The Kabinka Cabin

A Hungarian company called Hello Wood has designed a tiny minimalist cabin that you can assemble yourself for creative space solutions or just an escape from your living room. The prefabricated cabins start at $10,200 and have been crafted in a way that anyone can put it together, it is truly the ultimate DIY project. With the tiny home market ‘growing’ rapidly, the Kabinka cabin is positioned to be like IKEA furniture – easy to assemble with an aesthetic that is loved by most. The Kabinka cabin comes in four sizes that range between 129 and 215 square feet. It is a tiny cabin but it has high ceilings – over 12 feet high actually – that bring a sense of spaciousness and luxury to the otherwise simple structure. The ceiling space is well optimized to give the cabin a loft-like setup that can be used as storage space or a cozy reading nook. Another cool thing about Kabinka is that it is a flatpack design!

The post Scandinavian Architectural Designs that’ll convert you into a minimal architecture advocate! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This crafty little bed comes with overhead storage… just like on an airplane!

Posted on 10/11/2021 by Sarang Sheth

Perhaps the most ingenious inspirational overlap I’ve seen in a while, the COBBO bed gives beds a rather clever little upgrade! The COBBO bed uses the empty space between the mattress to put a nifty cabinet, reminiscent of the overhead storage you get on airplanes… so you can live out your wanderlust airplane fantasies while sitting at home!

An airplane’s cabin is perhaps the most ideal example of space optimization. Every single nook and corner of an airplane cabin goes unwasted… with the seats being packed in the most space-saving orientation, tables being folded up to eat less space, and overhead areas being used to store luggage, that would otherwise need to be kept on the floor. Michael Hilgers decided to carry this utilitarian approach from aircrafts into regular homes, giving it a minimalist upgrade that looks much more visually aesthetic than functional.

The COBBO bed, designed for furniture manufacturer OTTO, comes with a simple Nordic-inspired design with solid oak legs and white storage cabinets that are located above the sleeping area. The bed’s slightly tapered design serves two purposes, it gives the piece of furniture both visual and physical lightness, since the cabinet above the bed is significantly slimmer than the bed itself. This allowed Hilgers to use slim wooden pillars instead of metal ones, since the cabinet above the bed wouldn’t end up being overly heavy.

The slim cabinet/shelf comes with four doors (two on either side) that open to reveal a perfectly slim nook to store items like books, quilts, throws, and cushions. It’s a clever way to provide storage without cluttering the floor, making it perfect for smaller rooms, student housing, people who like minimal interiors, or just the wanderlust who wants the experience of being in an airplane but can’t travel much because of the pandemic!

Designer: Michael Hilgers for OTTO

The post This crafty little bed comes with overhead storage… just like on an airplane! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This furniture collection also doubles up as pot planters with an ultimate Japandi vibe!

Posted on 29/10/2021 by Chi Thukral

After spending 99% of my time at home in the last two years, I have naturally developed a keen eye for good furniture designs. My preferred style is Japandi or Scandanavian design because I love their minimal aesthetic, functionality, and evergreen pieces – all of which I see in Lur! It is a furniture collection that includes pot planters which also double up as seating in the most organic manner. It was designed for Alki, a brand that is always seeking to collaborate with local businesses which makes it even more special because it unites distinct know-how and materials.

To create the Lur collection, designer Iratzoki Lizaso went to Goicoechea Pottery and work with the local team. The pottery workshop is based in Ortzaize in Lower Navarre, just a few kilometers from Alki. The Goicoechea family has been working with terracotta for three generations. The materials used, the solid oak, and the clay from the Goicoechea family quarry are here entirely natural.

The collection consists of planters and a bistro table. They all have smooth curves and organic shapes featuring a warm aesthetic thanks to the choice of materials and CMF details. It is minimal, timeless, and can work equally well for homes, offices, and public spaces. The idea of being able to vegetate our interiors with pots that are also low tables or seating participates in the creation of living and changing arrangements. These terracotta containers with an eccentric hole on the upper part, house flower pots that allow many unique and artistic compositions that can change the look and feel of a space!

Alki, the pottery team, and Iratzoki Lizaso enjoyed bringing together different craft skills to create Lur. The collection is centered around the idea of plant pots that can work double duty as shelves and coffee tables that add an extra dose of greenery to our spaces. Everything is bio-sourced and made with the intention to work universally as well as for a long time. The clay is transformed into a beautiful rose terracotta with a distinct texture with an off-center opening ready to hold flower pots and plants. The Lur range shows beauty in simplicity while doubling the functionality with minimal design!

Desinger: Iratzoki Lizaso