Curbed - All

Usonian home in Ohio wants $490K

2017-06-08T17:59:48-04:00

Clearly inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture

Everything is coming up Frank-Lloyd-Wright today on what would have been his 150th birthday. The architect’s influence continues to be seen in homes all across the country, and this one in Worthington, Ohio, is no exception.

The 2,700-square-foot three-bedroom is located in Rush Creek Village, a community founded in 1954 based on the principle’s of Wright’s Usonian architecture and considered the largest one in the nation. The town is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The home itself features strong lines, natural materials, and a flowing floor plan that optimizes family living. Built-in furniture, expansive windows, skylights, and other details combine to create a spacious yet cozy environment from which to enjoy the surrounding sites, including gardens and a creek.

Rounding out the split-level home are an eat-in kitchen, dining area, family room, guest suite, deck, patio, and balcony. Located at 195 East South Street, it’s offered at $490,000. Have a look.

Via: Ohio Broker Direct, Estately

Pokémon Go, celebrating first birthday, will host real-world events

2017-06-08T16:15:01-04:00

The augmented reality game is bringing together trainers IRL

To celebrate the upcoming anniversary Pokémon Go—the location-based augmented reality game that basically took over the world last summer and was downloaded a whopping 750 million times—developer Niantic Labs has announced a series of both in-app and in-person events rolling out over the next couple of months.

On June 13th, Niantic will host an in-game event called the Solstice Event that will feature Fire-type and Ice-type Pokémon, XP bonuses for throwing Poké Balls accurately, and discounted Lucky Eggs. A new update focusing on “collaborative group gameplay” is also coming soon.

As for the IRL part, the first-ever real-world event will take place at Grant Park in Chicago on July 22. Pokémon Go Fest Chicago is billed as a celebration of the Pokémon Go community of “trainers”—who have already come out to their respective cities in droves and boosted civic engagement in the process—that will feature, according to the press release, “a ton of exciting activities.” Details are slim, but tickets go on sale on June 19. Events are also planned in Europe and in Yokohama, Japan, where a “Pikachu Outbreak” will take place in August.

Via: The Verge

SylvanSport GO camper hauls gear and easily sleeps four

2017-06-08T15:15:02-04:00

It’s the swiss army knife of campers, all for under $10,000

The vast array of campers is mind boggling. There are campers perfect for stargazing, some styled after 1920s boats, and other bespoke versions that cost as much as a house.

But what about a camper that does a little bit of everything without racking up the costs? North Carolina-based SylvanSport builds adventure camping trailers that give you a tremendous bang for your buck. Their most popular model—the Sylvan GO—is an all-in-one travel trailer that can carry your gear, transform into a camper that sleeps up to five people, and costs $9,995. Seriously.

As a toy hauler, the Sylvan GO can hold an ATV or bikes inside the multi-height trailer bed, and it can also haul bikes or kayaks on the roof rack. And while plenty of trailers offer room to carry gear, you usually sacrifice sleep space.

Not so with the Sylvan GO. The GO pops up and folds out to create a tented—made by the veteran adventure company Kelty—area with a two benches and a table. It’s big enough for most people to stand inside at 6.5 feet in height, and the dining area coverts into a large bed with storage space underneath. Two adults and two kids can easily fit on the king-and-a-half sleeping area, and you can use the sunshade to create an extra vestibule to add space.

Near the hitch there’s also a tent-material storage area that is equipped with a drain plug, making it the perfect place to ice beverages when the camper is set up.

Set up takes about 10 or 15 minutes, and the Sylvan GO clocks in at a very lightweight 840 pounds. This means that even small cars can pull the trailer, either for camping or just as a gear hauler. Head over here for a list of retailers nationwide.

Restoring a historic house: 8 tips and tricks before getting started

2017-06-08T14:05:27-04:00

Beware of water damage

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on May 5, 2016. It has been updated with new information.

Welcome back to Period Dramas, a weekly column that alternates between roundups of historic homes on the market and answering questions we’ve always had about older structures.

Buying a historic house often means acquiring a fixer-upper. And that's not necessarily a bad thing! Details like woodwork, fireplaces, and wide floorboards, are usually left unspoiled by previous renovations in a house than needs work—and then there's the exciting opportunity to bring an old house back to life.

Restoring a historic house is no small undertaking. Not only does special care need to be taken when dealing with old structures and building materials, but old houses are full of surprises, and costs can add up quickly. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned, its that a renovation done right can turn a nightmare into a dream home.

We turned to one of our favorite interior designers and architects, fellow old-house obsessive Steven Gambrel, who has restored and renovated a number of 18th- and 19th-century houses in and around New York—like the 1853-built Captain Overton house in Sag Harbor—to learn a bit about what to expect, and what to look for, when restoring a period house.

1. Be prepared to live in a historic house

“If you’re going to buy a historic house because you love the old wavy glass windows and the spirit of the floors,” says Gambrel, “You must understand that you’re not going to be able to have some of the creature comforts that come with 21st century living.”

Do you count on things like radiant floors—or even just something like an evenly heated or cooled room—as a must-have? Then living in an older house, with its irregularities, may not be for you. “I would do anything on earth to maintain the wavy glass in the windows, even if it means having a drafty room,” says Gambrel. “I would just put on another sweater. But, if you’re not that person, then that’s not the right house for you.”

2. Watch out for water

Keep an eye out—especially around the ceilings, floors, and windows—for signs of water damage. That could be a warning of serious structural issues. “You need to understand that water damage is very serious and important. It needs to be addressed,” says Gambrel. “Water damage has long-term effects like dry rot. Also, bugs love wet environments.”

One of the areas of the structure to check for water damage is the sill plate. The sill plate is the bottommost horizontal component of the structure that runs around the entire foundation. All of the vertical structural supports for the house are attached to the sill plate.

“The sill plate often gets the most abuse, water-wise, because it sits closely to the wet ground,” says Gambrel. “If the sill plate is rotten, then that’s a lot of the reason why the floors are crooked, because that’s the whole structure that the house sits on.”

A view of the Captain Overton house before renovations.

3. Bring the (right) people along with you

A contractor can help estimate the amount of work that needs to be done and its cost. But, select the people you consult very carefully.

Don’t feel like you need to bring an inspector with you. At least not right away. “[Inspectors] often don’t have specific knowledge about preservation,” says Gambrel. “They will usually tell you general things like ‘the house needs to be updated.’ And then you’re like ‘yes, of course.’ You need to get more specific in order to be helpful.”

Research and contact people who have experience working with old houses: “You need a local historian or contractor who restores historic houses. They can provide the most assistance and tell you about the restoration process that needs to be done,” says Gambrel.

And, above all, anybody you bring must understand your ultimate goal of restoring the property. “A lot of people don’t understand the difference between preservation and ripping something out and starting over,” says Gambrel “That’s not what you want. You need talented people who can help you through the process of restoring an old home.”

4. On a budget? Start small

While older houses—regardless of size—will probably all need to have updates and renovations, if you don’t have access to the coffers of the Roman Empire (and if you’ve never renovated a house before), look for a smaller house, which will be more manageable.

“Buy quality materials and renovate less—I will always advocate for that,” says Gambrel, whose renovation of the Captain Overton house in Sag Harbor includes double-mahogany glazed windows, custom-designed brass hardware, and salvaged marble mantles. “I would rather live in a perfectly restored tiny 18th-century saltbox than a crashing down mansion with crappy tiles.”

Courtesy of Steven Gambrel.

Demolition work during the early phases of the renovation of the Captain Overton house.

5. Be smart about your investment

Even if you don’t ever plan to sell, Gambrel says it’s smart to consider resale value when budgeting. “The biggest problem with renovation and preservation is that it costs the same amount of money to renovate a house in several different locations, regardless of what the market can support,” he says. “You don’t want to find yourself spending too much money in a place that won’t yield an equal return.”

To that end—research about what fully renovated houses sell for in the area and let that inform how you structure your budget. As much as we hate to say it, one easy target for conserving the budget is by picking and choosing which fireplaces to restore.

Often in fixer uppers, fireplaces are not in working order and need to be relined or have their masonry otherwise repaired—a process that Gambrel says can cost upwards of $12,000 per chimney. If you find a place with multiple fireplaces—and chimneys—it might be smart to pick and choose which to repair.

6. Start with the roof, windows, and masonry

It might be tempting to pick out kitchen cabinets and paint swatches right away, but the first stages of the renovation should be practical rather than aesthetic. “It’s like managing a crisis—you need to first fix things that are going to stop any future damage from happening,” says Gambrel. “Get the house watertight. Fix the roof, windows, and masonry.”

Sometimes, the location of the house directly relates to the strength and quality of the building materials. “The serious problem you'll find with some regions is that occasionally, there's sand in the mortar. That negatively affects its integrity,” says Gambrel. “Because there's so much sand in the earth here on Long Island, many 18th-century chimneys were made with this weaker mortar, so the masonry will be weaker and in need of more attention.”

Fireplaces and chimneys are a good place to check if mortar needs to be repaired, a process called repointing. Simply use your hands to conduct a preliminary test before calling in specialists: “If you don’t see any mortar missing [from between the bricks/stone in a house], use your fingers to touch and tap on the mortar to see if it comes apart.”

7. Technology is your friend

While Gambrel warns that updating heating, cooling, and electrical systems of a house are easily the most expensive part of any renovation, don’t worry that executing the updates will necessitate ripping out all the period details you came to love in the first place.

“Technology has been extremely kind to preservation—you can break down a mechanical system into smaller units, feed the upper floors from the attic and the lower floors from the basement,” says Gambrel. “It’s called a split system, and it’s a really good way to have not as much damage done to the historical fabric of the house.”

Courtesy of Steven Gambrel.

The queen-sized bed, tucked into the niche created by the new bathroom, which is behind the wall to the right. The transom window above the bed lets light into the bathroom.

8. Embrace the non-threatening quirks

Leveling out uneven floors in an old house can be a time-consuming—and costly—process. Why not accommodate them into the design scheme of the house? “In Manhattan, I have a house that was built in 1827. It’s crooked! So I left it crooked,” says Gambrel. “I designed all the millwork, like the baseboards, accommodate the crooked floors. The baseboard might be 6” high in one location and then 8” in another.”

Similarly, if you’re figuring out where to add bathrooms and closets, try to view the problem as an opportunity. The restored Captain Overton house has a bedroom with a bed built into a niche that was created when Gambrel added a bathroom to the second floor.

It’s all about knowing what to sacrifice to preserve the rest. “I would rather maintain the integrity of 3 compelling rooms and compromise the 4th rather than chop away at all four and be left with four average spaces,” says Gambrel. “You have to make it a creative opportunity. That’s where the beauty, charm, and quirkiness of a renovation is.”

Frank Lloyd Wright’s lost inflatable architecture

2017-06-08T13:27:30-04:00

His idea for a plastic dome showcased his desire to make architecture affordable

Frank Lloyd Wright’s opinion of his own genius wasn’t the only thing inflated about his work. In the late ‘50s, during the height of his fame, the architect took a slight detour to design a different kind of home. While many of his masterpieces, such as Fallingwater, featured bold cantilevers and extended roofs which seemed to float on air, this project actually relied on pressurized air to stand up.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fiberthin Village project, completed for the U.S. Rubber Company, featured a series of 25-by-46 foot hemispherical homes, split spheres made from Fiberthin, a vinyl-coated nylon fabric. Wright’s design for a village of these structures, and the celebrity he lent to the product, represent one of his periodic attempts to create affordable housing for the common man.

Unlike his prefab or Usonian designs, however, these experimental dwellings were closer to bouncy castles than mass market homes for the everyman; they were supported by “extremely low air pressure provided by a combination warm-air-heating and air-conditioning system with a blower attached” according to a New York Times article. Tubes of the space-age plastic, filled with 1,700 pounds of sand, served as weight and ballast.

Life Magazine

Life magazine spread about the Fiberthin concept in the November 11, 1957 issue.

Wright’s contribution served as an early example of what would later be known as inflatable architecture, a post-war movement that combined new plastics and radical politics to create bendable, portable, and even buoyant ways to redefine space and the built environment.

Like many later inflatable designs, Wright’s Airhouse had a military pedigree. Manufactured by Irving Air Chute Company in Lexington, Kentucky, then the country’s oldest parachute factory, it was one of a bumper crop of novel, inexpensive designs hoping to use technology to house the oncoming wave of post-war babies. In a 1957 Life magazine article, Wright’s Airhouse shared feature space with Alcoa’s Aluminum Beach House, a molded plastic mushroom-shaped home by Monsanto, and a steel-roofed house by Ulrich Franzen.

Copyright © 2017 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ. All rights reserved.The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York)

Fiberthin Village (Mishawaka, Indiana). Unbuilt Project. 1956

Underneath the curved “roof”—strong enough to withstand brisk winds, a heavy snowfall, and the weight of a grown man walking across its surface—the interior was split, living room occupying half the floor space, a bedroom covering another quarter of the interior, and the remaining room divided between a dining area, kitchen, and bathroom.

The entire structure measured three feet by three feet when folded—small enough to be stored in a car trunk. During its debut at the Showcase for Better Living home exposition at the New York Coliseum in 1957, a smaller 15-foot by 25-foot version was displayed next to a fully furnished dome, outfitted with Herman Miller modular furniture upholstered in Naugahyde. The junior dome was deflated and stuffed into a suitcase several times each day, only to reappear and impress onlookers with its space-age ease.

The Fiberthin experiment was only one of the potential uses architects had devised for these structures. Another concept, the balloon arena, was created to help provide portable and easily erected outdoor concert facilities, according to a 1957 Billboard article.

By the Fiberthin homes went public, Wright had been working for years to make his designs truly affordable. In January 1958, during a presentation at the Chicago Athletic Club, he stated he could sell a middle class home for $15,000, even though his most recent prefabs for Erdman Associates retailed at $50,000. The Airhouse, though perhaps best suited for temporary structures, nonetheless had a compelling price point: $2,245, plus $75 for the blower and $100 for the front door.

The experiment was short-lived, however. The architect was involved temporarily, the home never really took of with consumers, and one of the structures later collapsed, leading Wright to issue the following statement: “Tempest in the public teapot over the U.S. Rubber Company’s own invention of a cheap, transitory shelter is funny. If a tire blows out, nobody gets excited. If a plane falls, we keep on flying.”

The Ikea cult shelf that I can’t quit

2017-06-08T13:00:02-04:00

It’s basically the perfect piece of furniture

Unless you’re very lucky, living in New York City means living in a series of apartments of varying sizes and configurations—an itty-bitty studio one year, a super-narrow railroad apartment the next. That makes furniture shopping really difficult; who knows if that amazing couch you bought when you were living in a great one-bedroom will fit in the tiny space you downsize to next year?

This reality is on my mind every time I’m jonesing to buy furniture. I’ve lived in New York for 17 years, and in no fewer than eight apartments in that time, which has led me to seek out pieces that fit certain criteria: Functionality and looks are obviously important, but the biggest factor for me is whether or not something will fit into multiple spaces. And the ability to serve multiple functions is a plus, too.

Which is why I felt like I struck gold when I stumbled on Ikea’s once-ubiquitous Expedit shelving system, which has since gotten a slight makeover and is now known as Kallax. I was looking for a bookshelf that would hold more of my (admittedly, way too big) book collection, and my previous storage system—Ikea’s Billy, because what else do you buy when you need cheap, efficient shelves?—wasn’t cutting it.

A post shared by Melissa Pleasants (@cookiejarqueen) on Jun 2, 2017 at 8:33am PDT

The Expedit, however, had everything I was looking for. The third-largest unit (a 2x4), when used vertically, was perfect for holding a lot of books, in part because you can stack them two-deep. The books you want people to know you read—in my case, my collection of vintage New York guidebooks and important feminist texts—can be on the outside; the ones you don’t—my collection of trashy romance novels—can be hidden behind, but are still easily accessible.

Plus, the Expedit doesn’t take up a lot of floor space, it’s sturdy, it’s easy to clean, it can be used to store pretty much anything, and it’s not very expensive. It’s basically the perfect piece of furniture.

Once I realized how well it worked as a bookshelf, I went a bit Expedit-wild: over the next few years, my husband and I managed to accumulate five of the units in various sizes, which have now moved with us to three different apartments. Two of the big ones are for books, and a third is for clothes, which, with the addition of a few storage cubes, works much better than a dresser or wardrobe. A smaller square shelf holds linens and off-season clothes, while the smallest unit is where I keep my record collection.

Those Expedits have served us well, which is why I was so bummed when Ikea announced in 2014 that it would retire that line in favor of the sleeker, more streamlined Kallax shelving system. It’s essentially the same thing, with perfectly square cubbies that can hold all manner of items, but something about it just feels different.

I doubt I’ll collect Kallaxs the next time I need to invest in new shelves. But it’s not just Ikea that changed; it’s me, too. As I’ve gotten older (and, let’s be honest, have been able to afford to live in nicer apartments), I’ve reached the point where I want to invest in higher-quality furniture, and not have my living space look like an Ikea showroom. I still think the Expedit is a perfect piece of furniture, but it’s also one that I’m okay with leaving behind—just as I’ve left the crappy studio apartments and ratty old futons of my twenties behind, too.

A post shared by Barbara • RockingStitch (@rockingstitch) on May 27, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Ikea announces collaborations with NASA, Virgil Abloh, and more

2017-06-08T12:30:04-04:00

Several are targeting young urban dwellers

Ikea is holding its annual Democratic Design Days event in its birthplace of Älmhult, Sweden this week, the time of the year when the furniture giant reveals its latest curiosities and anticipated releases. If you’ve been paying any attention to the company’s recent moves, you won’t be surprised to hear: It’s all about collaborations, collaborations, and more collaborations.

First up, the furniture giant is partnering up with NASA and Sweden’s Lund University for a collection informed by the challenges and constraints of space travel and living— to Mars, specifically, an idea already broadly explored by NASA, not to mention Tesla founder Elon Musk.

The idea here is that space living concepts like growing plants for both air purification and food as well as tight bunk bed setups could spark new design approaches back down on earth. For Marcus Engman, Ikea’s Design Manager, the “dream outcome” would be a completely new way of doing storage. (Yes, please.) The company has already sent a team out to a NASA research center in the Utah desert, where they’re working with space architect Constance Adams in a simulated Mars habitat.

Jenny Xie

Ikea’s team with Constance Adams in Utah, introduced via livestream at Democratic Design Days on June 7.

An upcoming collection with Virgil Abhol—Kanye West’s creative director, a trained architect, and the designer behind high-street fashion label Off-White—turns the lens on young people and their “first home” experience. This is not necessarily about millennials purchasing starter homes, but the ambition and promise that come with being able to furnish a place yourself for the first time.

For Abloh, it began with a blue Eames chair that he still owns. For his Ikea line, it’ll be about those statement pieces that make a space cool, comforting, and revamped—whether it’s via a coffee table, ash tray, or piece of art.

“Three new things and decluttering can give you an apartment that looks like your Tumblr page,” Abhol said in an interview.

He’s kicking it all off with a fresh prototype of a remixed Frakta bag, the humble Ikea accessory that’s having quite having a moment.

Some of you guessed it! @virgilabloh @off____white prototyping a fresh take on the FRAKTA bag in IKEA’s very own prototype shop in Älmhult. "We’re in a moment where IKEA is transcending, and people are bringing this “do it yourself” culture” to the blue bag. What I’m most interested in is doing that process in partnership with the brand. It’s allowing me to put my opinion on a classic. It’s unique, and distinctly as much of off-white as it's IKEA". Photo @piotrniepsuj . #IKEAtoday #Collaborationpartner

A post shared by IKEA Today (@ikeatoday) on Jun 7, 2017 at 7:11am PDT

While these are both long lead projects, a few special collections closer to fruition also come by way of the fashion world. Bea Åkerlung, the fashion stylist who’s worked with the likes of Beyoncé and Madonna, is developing OMEDELBAR, a bold range of furniture and wardrobe accessories inspired by her own story.

“The hat vase (pictured below): You can put a champagne bottle in it, or you could put apples and oranges, or you could put your makeup, or whatever you want,” Åkerlung said. “I really played with the idea of using clothing and styling objects and turning them into homeware.”

A hat vase for OMEDELBAR

A wardrobe for SPÄNST

SPÄNST, a collaboration with Chris Stamp of LA fashion brand Stampd approaches furniture and home goods from perspective of, say, a sneakerhead and sports fan. A minimalist clear container mimics the form of a shoe box, offering a streamlined way for sneaker junkies to collect and display their goods (instead of towering cardboard shoeboxes labeled printed images of the what’s inside.) The wardrobe, shown above, on there hand, has hints of sports locker.

Both OMEDELBAR and SPÄNST are to slated to hit stores in spring 2018.

Renovated midcentury home with pond asks $1.2M outside NYC

2017-06-08T12:00:07-04:00

It was built in 1953

Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.

Location: Ardsley, New York

Price: $1,175,000

Built in 1953, this rambling midcentury home nestles by a pond and sits on nearly one and a half lush acres in Ardsley, New York. It has since been thoughtfully renovated by architecture practice Khanna Schultz, which updated the three-bedroom-two-bath for contemporary living while keeping its overall midcentury modern aesthetic.

The dwelling features a post-and-beam construction characterized by broad horizontal lines, extensive decking, and a flat roof with generous overhangs and pitched section, while sliding glass doors provide views onto the surrounding site.

The interiors are distinguished by dark hardwood floors, custom walnut cabinetry and paneling, and handsome exposed-beam ceilings that enhance the main open-plan living room. Here, a slate hearth anchors the space, which comprises a large sitting and dining area, all with outdoor views, naturally.

A sleek kitchen outfitted with Caesarstone counters and the latest appliances, new bathrooms, spacious bedrooms, and a lower-level family room with direct access to the grounds complete the energy-efficient residence, while mature trees, 40 new specimens, a native plant garden, and the aforementioned 75-foot deck round out the property.

Located at 1 Dellwood Lane, it’s offered at $1.175 million.

Frank Lloyd Wright home donated to School of Architecture at Taliesin

2017-06-08T11:22:09-04:00

The David and Gladys Wright House in Phoenix will host community events and artists in residence

One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s later residential designs, the nautilus-like 1952 David and Gladys Wright House, will be donated to the School of Architecture at Taliesin. According to an announcement this morning, the donation will allow school administrators, professors, students, and visiting scholars to live at the home and become artists in residence.

“The School of Architecture has a long tradition of apprenticeship,” said Aaron Betsky, the school’s current dean. “What’s great about this is that we get to live in Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. This allows us to come off the hills, be right in the middle of the Phoenix valley, and live and work inside this incredible house. It helps us as students and teachers understand how we can live in the desert southwest.”

Owner Zach Rawling, who purchased the home in 2012 for $2.4 million and saved it from demolition, approached the school with the idea of using the home as a “living laboratory.” Rawling had previously set up a foundation with the intent of turning the home into a museum, but believes the donation, and new purpose, will help preserve the home’s legacy while opening it up to the public. Some neighbors were concerned the museum, and its potential role as a commercial event space for rent, would bring excess traffic to the neighborhood, but the planned role as a residential and educational space should eliminate those fears, according to Rawling.

Courtesy David and Gladys Wright House Foundation

Photo from the ‘50s showing the David and Gladys Wright House. The new restoration program will help restore some of the citrus groves that used to surround the home.

“This brings the house to life and gives a meaning to the place in the best way we could hope,” he says. “It invites the local Phoenix community to experience the house as a living place, and see that Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas are still alive and well.”

The home will be formally gifted to a new supporting organization of the Arizona Community Foundation for the benefit of the School of Architecture at Taliesin.

According to Betsky, faculty and students will live at the house, use it for studio classes, and host workshops, discussions, and public events, helping connect the institution and its work with the Phoenix community.

A restoration program headed by Victor Sidy, the architect for planning and preservation at the David Wright House, and Chris Winters, who will oversee landscape restoration, will continue Rawling’s efforts to protect and preserve the home. Students will assist with the effort, part of the school’s ethos of “learning by doing.” Sidy expects the total cost to be near $3 million.

The David and Gladys Wright House was one of Wright’s early spherical designs, a form that realized its apex in his Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The home originally curved up over what were then citrus groves in the Arizona desert. The restoration will replant more than 300 citrus trees throughout the current 6-acre site.

Cool modern lamps inspired by amusement park, hot air balloons

2017-06-08T11:00:02-04:00

Way fancier than a circus tent or hot air balloon

Are you into youthful, playful design, but not dedicated enough to build your own hobbit house made of balloons? Swedish designer Clara von Zweigbergk may have created the right pendent lamp for you.

Inspired by a visit to Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the spun-aluminum lamps—named Cirque—are meant to evoke the park’s whimsical onion-shaped domes, hot air balloons, and the delights of being whirled around on a carnival ride.

"I don’t mind at all if—sitting in their kitchens—people look up and start thinking hot air balloons and carousels,” the designer told Dezeen.

The lamps, offered by Danish lighting company Louis Poulsen, come in three sizes and a range of color combinations. The downward-angled shade is best placed as a low focal point above a table or hung in a multi-height grouping, perhaps above a strategically chosen landcarpet?

Via: Dezeen