Crane Design for Better Living

Speakers Made of Old Newspapers and Dryer Lint

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:23:46 +0000

Normally, this is what I think of when I think of speakers.

Old Speakers

While these are made of wood and other materials typical of loudspeakers, I don’t notice them except when they stop working. No one bothers to say anything about them aesthetically. They are a sad, but necessary part of my home sound system. Fortunately, there is a whole world of speaker design out there that will surprise you.

My intention for writing this blog post is to show you the amazing speakers that an old friend of my husband’s, Ian Schneller, created. Not only are these speakers beautiful to look at, but they have been written about and praised by audiophiles the world over.

Big Horn Speakers by Ian Schneller

When I met Ian in the early nineties, he was in the legendary Chicago band Shrimp Boat with a few of our other friends. While still a band member, Ian started Specimen Products on Archer Avenue where he made his own guitars and audio equipment. He loved using found materials and incorporated the D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) aesthetic in ways that made everything he did wonderfully odd. Even the horn speakers seen here are made from old newsprint and dryer lint — very Ian. Andrew Bird, the musician, was one of his clients and later they became collaborators in the project Sonic Arboretum. After so many years of working in relative obscurity, it is great to see Ian’s work and genius recognized at last.

Sonic Arboretum at MCA in Chicago

Sonic Arboretum is a collaboration between composer / violinist Andrew Bird and sculptor / inventor Ian Schneller. It is a sonic installation consisting of a “forest” of plant-shaped audio horn speakers powered by custom-made tube amplifiers. These speakers and amps serve as a compositional garden for Bird who creates new site-specific compositions that play continuously as visitors meander and follow the music’s lead.Sonic Arboretum debuted at the Guggenheim Museum in 2010 and was exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in December of 2011.

Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller’s Sonic Arboretum from MCA Chicago on Vimeo.

Audiophilia Anyone?

To get into the mind of an audiophile, I suggest the podcast Unbelievablesounds.com. It not only makes the listener understand why this podcaster geeks out about recorded musical sound, but the reviewer also illustrates his words with a collection of music that spans many decades and genres. You will leave your earphones feeling smarter and ready to download old songs you had forgotten and new songs you can’t wait to hear again.

Heart Your Fruits and Veggies – Don’t Refrigerate!

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:21:40 +0000

The Korean artist Jihyun Ryou has done something simple, beautiful and smart in the world of food technology. You don’t have to plug anything in nor do you have to buy any preserving or de-ripening chemicals.

Jihyun Ryou's food storage design

In her blog SaveFoodFromTheFridge, Ryou shows you that knowing a little something about the hydrocarbon ethylene, the hormone that is produced by certain fruits and vegetables that make them ripen and age, can work with other fruits and vegetables to slow the aging process. She also explains “chilling injury”, a result of what can happen to certain vegetables in the refrigerator. By creating Ryou’s simple designs in your own home, foods last longer and are safe from some of the negative effects of keeping plant foods in the refrigerator.

Keep Your carrots and leeks upright

“Bring your food in front of your eyes”.

Ryou’s art project is a celebration of the visual and practical. With these simple boxes she has created both an artistic work that is visually beautiful and provides a real function for the home and the environment. Accompanying her art/design project is a beautiful book that explains her process and is complete with charming sketches of her designs.

The Youtube video below is an interview with the artist. Watch this while I go and buy some wood and plexiglass to make some of these boxes myself.

A Yen for Zen: Japanese Soaking Tubs

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:13:59 +0000

I was in Munich about ten years ago and the bath store across the street from the hotel had a Japanese soaking tub in the window. My husband lived in Japan for a short time in the 80s and remarked that these deep wooden tubs were so fantastic he was surprised that they were not being sold in the states. The one pictured here is produced by Rapsel, an italian bath manufacture. It is modeled after a Japanese-style soaking tub, but because it is made in Italy, it is not a true Japanese, or Ofuro-style, tub.

Japanese Ofuro soaking tub

According the history of Japanese soaking tubs, they were not actually used to wash oneself, but to benefit from the rejuvenating experience of being immersed up to your chin in hot water. The aromatic woods that these tubs are made from provide a soothing bathing experience.

Geishas with Soaking tub

The traditional soaking tubs that are manufactured in Japan are aromatic cedar and hinoki woods of the finest quality and taken from vertical grained heartwood that is properly dried and free of defects. Cedar and hinoki woods have a citrus aroma similar to lemon.

Hinoki wood tub

There are many types of deep soaking tubs and ofuro-style tubs. Japanese tubs are made in Japan, ie. Chinese tubs are made in China and American tubs are made in the United Stares. If they are made of wood, they should be made only of coniferous wood (not teak, mahogany etc.). These tubs should be handmade, using techniques of wood joinery derived from traditional ship building. Only traditional methods that have been developed over the centuries guarantee performance, durability and authenticity.

Outdoor Ofuro-style soaking tub

Bartok designs is the leading manufacturer of Japanese soaking tubs world-wide. A basic tub can run about 250,000 yen or $3300. It is expensive, but oh-so-lovely.

Bartok design tub

Bury Me In An Airstream Trailer

cranedesignforbetterliving — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Airstream Mobile Home

For years I have lusted after that brushed aluminum form of the Airstream trailer that was designed by Wally Byam in 1929. It has the old-world futuristic look that was determined in the nineteen twenties and thirties by inventors like Buckminster Fuller. In an effort to create the home and cars of the future, Fuller became famous for his eccentric and innovative housing designs such as the Dymaxion Dwelling Machine and, his most known architectural feat, the Geodesic Dome. I can’t say for sure, but judging from the look of the original Airstream trailer — which was designed at the same time Fuller was concocting his streamlined buildings — I can see that Wally Byam’s structures were influenced by the innovations of his time.

Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Dwelling Machine

Epcot Center - Geodesic Dome

The Airstream trailer has been a mainstay of American design for decades. While it was designed in 1929, Byam’s trailer did not make it into production until 1932. The Airstream, Inc. website gives a short history of the birth of the Airstream trailer:

In 1929, Wally Byam purchased a Model T Ford chassis,built a platform on it, towed it with his car to a campsite, and painstakingly erected a tent on it. The effort was tiresome and unpleasant, especially when it rained. Spurred on by his first wife Marion, Wally built a tear-drop-shaped permanent shelter on the platform that enclosed a small ice chest and

kerosene stove. He then published an article that ran under the headline, ”How to Build a Trailer for One Hundred Dollars.” Readers wrote Wally for more detailed instruction plans, which he sold at a cost of one dollar each. The response was extraordinary, earning him more than $15,000. After building several trailers for friends in his backyard, “the neighbors started complaining that I was making too much noise,” Wally observed,

“so I went out and rented a building.” Airstream Trailer Company went into full production in 1932, when fewer than 48 trailer manufacturers were registered for business. Five years later, nearly 400 companies squared off against each other. Today, of those 400, only Airstream remains.

Now, over seven decades later, the Airstream trailer has become one of the most coveted Americana designs internationally. A vintage Airstream trailer can cost up to $70,000 depending on its condition.

The Airstream trailer was especially loved by designer Christopher Deam who gutted an Airstream for Wilsonart, a San Francisco-based laminate manufacturer, and remade the interior using their products. The project was so successful that it caught the attention of Airstream who asked Deam to upgrade and redesign the interiors of the company’s newest models. Below is a Ted Talks video of Christopher Deam’s design journey in an Airstream trailer.

While I don’t have an Airstream myself (sniff), I did see the most wonderful creative reuse of an Airstream trailer in Fayetteville, Arkansas last year. Grey Dog Vintage, owned and operated by Molly Clark, is a traveling vintage clothing boutique with its home base in Fayetteville.

Grey Dog Vintage Boutique

“I’ve always wanted to have a vintage boutique, but when we started looking for a location, I couldn’t find a space that I loved,” Clark told the Fayetteville Flyer. “So we decided to gut the Airstream, and turn it into a boutique. I’m really glad we did.”

Check out Grey Dog Vintage flickr page.

The Ups and Downs of Murphy Beds

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:05:02 +0000

Have you ever wondered who Murphy of the Murphy Bed is? Okay, neither have I, but I am interested in Murphy Beds, or hide-a-beds, since they seem like they would fit so perfectly into contemporary home environments. They are space efficient and the design lends itself to so many modern home aesthetics. This is what I usually think of when I think of Murphy Beds.

Murphy Bed from the 1920's

But, the Murphy Bed has grown up and looks very different. Below are some of the newest designs in what was once seen only on the I Love Lucy show. Check out some of the more contemporary versions. I’m glad to see that Murphy Beds are making a comeback.

Contemporary version of the Murphy Bed

Murphy Bed that pulls down from the ceiling

I’m surprised that IKEA has not yet come out with one of these. In terms of design, it seems that these space-saving wonders would have a larger presence on the market.

The "Tale" computer bed from Flying Beds

The computer bed, ”Tale Bed”, manufactured by Euro Flying Bed company, is considered one of the best designs out there. When you pull out the bed sideways, the stuff on the desk stays flat so it won’t be dumped onto the floor.

The coolest looking Murphy Bed is one from Boxetti. I’m sure they are crazy expensive, but this is the one I want. The other shapes on the side of the bed house a closet and drawers.

Boxetti Bed

Boxetti Modular Environment

The Boxetti reminds me a lot of Vernor Panton‘s ideas back in the 60s and 70s. The Danish designer was the master of fluid, futurist design.

Verner Panton

Verner Panton Phantasmagoria

Unfortunately, the Murphy Bed had many disadvantages. The greatest of Murphy Bed shortcomings is that it’s nearly impossible to change the mattress without ordering an entirely new bed. Another is that most people don’t want to put the Murphy Bed away when they wake up. Laziness aside, I still think the Murphy Bed is a great space-saver and now, with the new styles, it can also be an asset to the look and feel of a room.

Next week I’ll be talking about the Airstream motor home. Laters.

Are You Shovel-Ready?

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:07:14 +0000

A few years ago during a Chicago election season, some candidates started referring to themselves as “shovel-ready” to take office. It described the hardscrabble grit and preparedness required of a true Chicago politician. I like the word ‘shovel’ and this new use of the word “shovel-ready” had me using it like crazy. I was “shovel-ready to get a manicure” or “shovel-ready to get the dinner on the table”.

ManPlow Pro 36

Well, now as we brace ourselves for a big snowstorm, I’m shovel-ready to buy a new a shovel. But, there are so many new designs on the market. The ManPlow had me feeling a little resentful. ManPlow? A huge snowstorm in 1995 when I was nine months pregnant with my first child and shoveling the six inches of heavy wet snow from our corner lot, induced labor. What about the MomPlow? Guaranteed to take those last horrible weeks off of any pregnancy. With the snow falling outside my window, I must say, however, that I did like the look of the ManPlow. It also boasts of having 36-inch extra width. Thirty-six inches. That’s a lot of ManPlow. It runs about $110.

Ames True Temper 26"

I also liked the look of the Ames True Temper 26” Snow Boss and not just because it is yellow. When I shovel I can’t always pick up a large plate of heavy wet snow so the smaller shovel surface appealed to me. It is also ergonomic and very light weight. The cost, $26, was also a plus.

Toro Snow Blower

In the end, don’t we all go for the electric snow blower and forgo the shovel altogether? I know that my neighbor Ralph did. Ralph fell down the stairs last summer and did some major damage to his back. His shoveling days were over. A few days ago, the snow came down. A few of the neighbors had already shoveled. (Why they shovel while the snow is still falling will always puzzle me.) Anyway, Ralph had his Toro Power Clear and he was ready to plow the entire town he loved it so much.

“It’s so easy”, he said after he had finished plowing my front walk and the area behind my garage. ”It literally pushes me along. I don’t have to do anything but guide it.”

With Ralph’s new Toro, I am hoping that I will never have to worry about being shovel-ready. Let’s hope. Maybe I’ll make him some cookies every time it snows. Cookies are way less expensive and easier on my back. Find a Ralph in your community. You’ll be glad you did.

Window Farming – Grow Your Own

cranedesignforbetterliving — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:03:12 +0000

You can farm your own tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries or cantelope even if you live in a cramped apartment and have no access to dirt or a tiny patch of lawn along the freeway just outside your window. The current official population estimate as of 2010 was 6,800,000,000 (boy, my hand was getting tired of pushing the zero key). That is almost 7 billion people. One-third of us live in cities and urban areas. Food, as you can probably guess, is very big business and is doing a lousy job at keeping people fed and/or healthy. Let’s not even talk about the obesity problems in America. With food deserts and other urban issues, people are not eating vegetables!!!

Britta Riley, an urban dweller in Brooklyn, has decided that she was no longer going to hand over the responsibility of taking care of the environment and access to healthy food to specialists and corporate interests. She thinks that they are pretty much the cause of the mess we now see with our current food system. Thus was born the Windowfarm!

Windowfarm System

The Windowfarm is a hydroponic growing system. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants with a high-quality liquid soil that is fed to a plants root system. There is no dirt which makes it a great system for creating a Windowfarm in your apartment where you can control the climate and provide natural light. Plus, no vacuuming.

OPEN SOURCE FARMING – Let’s All Do It

What I think is especially amazing about the Windowfarm is that its not just a product that makes money for those who sell it, it is also an environmental and food movement that invites people from all over the world to participate in improving its design and efficiency. Through social media, the creators of Windowfarm have published well researched instructions of how to build one of their systems so that anyone anywhere can build a Windowfarm system for free. Windowfarm.org asks that people who have built their own system post their customized versions on their site in order to benefit the specific concerns of those who build their own.

Click to view slideshow.

HOW THE WINDOW FARM WORKS

There is a pump at the bottom of the Windowfarm system that periodically sends a liquid nutrient up to the top. The nutrient then trickles down through the plants’ root system that are suspended in clay pellets. No dirt. No mess. But, you do, as the farmer, have to decide what crops you are going to put in your Windowfarm.

BUY THE FARM or build your own for free

One-Column Windowfarms cost $119.95, but if you buy it on Kickstarter, you will get it for just $99 (plus shipping and handling). Or, if you’ve got some empty water and milk bottles you don’t mind cutting into, you can make your own for free. All of the “build-your-own” designs are available on the Windowfarms site for free.

BRITTA RILEY ON TEDTALKS

Check out Britta talking about the Windowfarm movement on TedTalks.

The Nest Thermostat

cranedesignforbetterliving — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:53:21 +0000

THE DIGITAL DESIGN AGE – Teach Your House A Lesson

The newest and most innovative thermostat on the market is The Nest. I did not receive one of these from Santa this year so I am boycotting Santa and all of his works until I do receive one.

The Nest Thermostat

Nest Thermostat in "learning" mode

Two former Apple leaders, Matt Rogers and Tony Fadell, who worked on products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, designed this retro-meets-modern-looking digital thermostat from their startup, Nest Labs.

The Nest is a “learning” thermostat and enables you to teach it your heating and cooling habits over a seven day period. You can also program your Nest remotely using an iPhone. Pretty crazy. This is a beautiful design answer to the old utilitarian-looking thermostats of old.

Once Santa brings me a Nest, I’ll definitely post a picture. If you have one, let us see it. Send me a photo of the Nest in your home and I’ll post it here at Crane Design for Better Living.