Tag Archives: beach

Tower game made from marine plastic helps you think about environmental impact

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One of my plans in life when I eventually retire is to live somewhere near the beach and just have a daily walk along the shore. Aside from nature and people watching, another thing that I enjoy is to look at some of the things that people leave, intentionally or unintentionally, by the shore and in the water and wonder what’s the story behind it. Of course it’s not a good thing that these trash are left there so it will also be part of my routine to clean this up and think of ways to encourage people not to litter on the beach.

Designers: Shoma Furui and Kem Kobayashi

One idea that came from someone who has been seeing all these tiny pieces of trash left on the Makuhari Beach in Chiba City is to create a game out of them. Debris is a tower-stacking game similar to Jenga and Uno Stacko but is made from the marine plastic collected from the area. The tiles have different color patterns based on the season and the collection site where these microplastics came from. It uses VOC-free (no volatile organic compounds) and water-based acrylic resin as a binding agent.

While you’ll have fun playing the game (if this is your thing), the designer also wants to make Debris a way for consumers to engage with environmental issues. Regular beach clean ups do help keep the shore and water clean but there are also those tiny pieces that remain buried and erode into invisible microplastics. They have an effect on the marine environment that sometimes may not be so visible or obvious to us. Having a game made from these pieces can help us think about our effect on our environment.

It can also be interesting to think about what these colors and shapes were in their previous life as trash. But the important thing is that the materials and process in creating Debris is fully sustainable and it can be disposed of properly when you no longer need it. And hopefully, you get to think about what you’re doing to help preserve marine life and keep places like beaches a safe haven for all.

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This Wooden Tiny Home Feels & Looks Like A Beachfront Getaway But Is A Full-Time Dwelling

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Tiny homes are one of the most popular home styles in 2023, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to make their way well into 2024. They had started off as a fun and cute trend, but now they’re a space-saving and environment-conscious housing option that is economical as well. They reduce the load on Mother Earth and are a simple and minimal alternative to the imposing and materialistic homes that are not preferred by everyone. And an excellent tiny home that I recently uncovered is the Beach by Raglan Tiny Homes

Designer: Raglan Tiny Homes 

Designed by New Zealand’s Raglan Tiny Homes, the recently completed Beach tiny home features a compact and cozy interior that instantly welcomes you in. The tiny house is non-towable and equipped with a welcoming indoor-outdoor lifestyle and aesthetic, which is accentuated by a part-enclosed deck area. The main section of the home has a width of 2.5m, with the covered deck adding another 2.9m, which covers a total width of 5.4m. The length of the home is 6m.

The exterior of the home is finished in Douglas fir, giving it a warm and minimal aesthetic. Although the layout of the home isn’t very typical and seems more like a beachfront getaway villa, it is in fact intended to be used as a full-time dwelling. An outdoor shower has been outfitted ahead of the entrance, which is teamed up with a small outdoor bathtub, that is concealed under a hatch in the floor. This functions as a quaint outdoor bath for some much-needed pampering sessions.

As you enter the Beach via sliding glass doors, you are welcomed by a combined living room/bedroom space that is equipped with a sofa, and a bed, as well as some storage store. However, this is the only space in the home, there are no other rooms or even a loft, which can be a bit limiting. The tiny home is equipped with a wood-burning stove, shelving, a diesel-powered heating system, and an off-the-grid solar panel setup. You can add an additional studio area if needed.

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Minimalist home on the Hermosa Beach is the ultimate beach house to move into in summer 2023

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Designed by Los Angeles-based architecture studio XTEN, and called the Strandhouse, this Hermosa Beach house is the epitome of minimalist architecture and truly celebrates the beauty of its seaside location. The home was created by the practice founder Monika Haefelfinger and partner Scott Utterstrom as an excellent specimen of beachside living for the coastal Southern California region in a minimalist and contemporary form.

Designer: Monika Haefelfinger and Scott Utterstrom of XTEN

Nestled along the Hermosa Beach, the Strandhouse is surrounded by white sand, and located near the central pier of the beach. The home is marked by large openings, minimalist aesthetics, clean geometries, and subtle decor work, resulting in a space that feels expansive and spacious. It is blessed with stunning vistas and views, functioning as a great viewpoint to enjoy the beautiful body of the ocean. “As the white interiors showcase the client’s art collection, the west-facing glass façade acts as a blank canvas, reflecting various shades of color throughout the day,” said Haefelfinger.

The home includes three distinctive floors, with the ground floor opening up to the beach, and functioning as an extension of it. The second floor is subtly elevated from the ground, and holds all the primary living spaces, while also doubling up as the perfect viewing platform. The top floor houses all the private areas, and three storeys are connected via a white, sculptural, central stair core that also serves as a lightwell, enabling the sunlight to reach the rear of the house. The house is defined by four bedrooms and a range of terraces and balconies which bring open-air elements to the home.

The Strandhouse is the perfect culmination of minimal and clean aesthetics and a neat geometric form. These characteristics give the home a lightweight and subtle feel. The home is also an example of sustainable architecture, as it includes passively designed dual-glazed windows with low-e coating, a thermal chimney, a reflective ‘cool’ roof, stormwater retention and filtration, drought-tolerant planting, and on-site EV charging. The stunning location, sustainable features, good-looking aesthetics, and wide range of rooms make the Strandhouse quite a catch, and the ultimate beach home!

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This charred timber beach house on an Australian island is inspired by local campsites

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Called the Baker Boys Beach House, this award-winning house is situated in Minjerribah, which is home to some of the best surfing conditions in South East Queensland, Australia. The beautiful holiday home was designed by Refresh Design for three distinct families who wished to share the house at different times of the year. Refresh Design needed to cater to and take care of each family’s requirements and preferences while creating a contemporary space that is in tune with the island’s beach personality.

Designer: Refresh Design

Meant to embody calmness and simplicity, the Baker Boys Beach House, allows its residents to fully immerse themselves and truly enjoy the experience of being at the beach. The home is designed to be more of a shelter, than a luxurious and complex abode. “It was obvious that the connection between nature and the shelter is more important than a more luxurious house, commonly found in cities,’ said Monika Obrist, creative director of Refresh Design.

The home was inspired by local campsites, wherein cooking, sleeping, and gathering take place under one common roof. Hence the home was designed to be a communal space, where all the shared areas are placed on one compact level. It makes the residents feel as if they are staying at a light shelter, rather than spending the day inside a house. The site’s extremely steep slope made this plan quite challenging to execute. To tackle this issue, the back of the house was anchored to the ground, while the other end is cantilevered to provide stunning views of the water, and function as a sheltered space for storage and car parking.

“The experience and connections are totally different depending on where you are. The back of the house is sheltered and very private; it backs onto the nature reserve which naturally cradles the fireplace at the back. The front of the house, in contrast, has sweeping ocean views, presents itself very proudly to its surroundings, and gives access to sunlight throughout the day,” said Monika.

All the rooms were arranged cleverly so as to provide maximum privacy to the residents, while also gifting them with immersive and enthralling views of the beach and the water. The entire home was clad in charred timber, and amped with sturdy steel roofing to create an exterior that perfectly blends with the nature surrounding the house.

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Beach accessory collection can also be used in the city

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If you don’t go to the beach often, you probably do not invest that much into buying beach accessories that are meant only to be used occasionally. But what if it’s something that you can use both when you go on your seaside vacations or when you’re just living your life in the concrete jungle? And what if they’re actually well-designed and even better, what if they sport an eco-friendly and sustainable design? This collection is all of the above and may interest both casual beachgoers and city living individuals.

Designer: William Ellery by Trevor Davis

The Beachcomber Gear is a collection created in small batches for those who would like to have beach accessories that they will also be able to use even when they’re not by the sand and the sea. The collection is made up of two items for now although they will probably be adding even more items later on. Not only are these multi-purpose accessories, they are also created from sustainable materials like vintage materials or garments that are also meant to last long.

The Seatpack is an inflatable chair that you can use to hang out by the sea if you prefer not to have the sand creeping into your unmentionables. It is meant to be used around sand and water and not have that much wear and tear on the beach, including protection from rust. It actually has a fabric anchor so it will not be easily blown away if the wind is strong. It’s portable and easily inflated and deflated and has a nylon tensioning strap to adjust firmness. And if you’re not at the beach, it can be used as an extra seat in your living room, bedroom, or even office space.

The Beachcomber Bags have a water beading mesh so it can protect your belongings from sand and water but is also not that transparent unlike other beach bags. This means it can also be for every day use in case you feel like having a beach-like aesthetic when going to the mall or even for your school or office needs. Having things that can be used not just for the beach but also for when you’re not on vacation will help reduce waste and consumption.

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This inflatable beach chair takes on a more realistic form factor for comfortability

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Modeled after the popular Adirondack Chair (your quintessential wooden porch chair), the BOTE AeroRondak is a unique inflatable number designed to be taken to the beach. Quite unlike any inflatable chair you’ll ever see, the AeroRondak Chair has a rather unique form factor that deviates from the bulbous nature of inflatable furniture. It also sports a proper backrest and even wide armrests that can hold drinks thanks to a magnetic fixture for attaching drink-holders. The chair is inherently waterproof, making it perfect for the beach, the poolside, or even outdoors in the rain, and deflates down once you’re done, folding down to the size of a duffle bag that you can then carry with you.

Designer: BOTE

Click Here to Buy Now

Gone are the days of rusty hinges, moldy bean bags, and rotted netting.

Unlike most inflatable chairs that just end up considering rounded volumes to create the chair’s overall form, AeroRondak goes the more traditional-furniture route, with a design comprising flat panels sort of like planks of wood, but created through an inflated process. The chair isn’t made from regular plastic or rubber either – it uses a military-grade PVC skin that is virtually indestructible. The inner core of the chair has tens of thousands of composite fibers that connect the inflated halves, preventing them from turning bulbous and balloonish. This allows the inflated panels to stay flat and have a significant amount of rigidity.

The folks at BOTE explain the AeroRondak’s setup process in just 3 sentences – “First, unsnap the buckle, unroll, attach the pump hose to the inflation valve and fill ‘er up. The Aero Chair is to be filled until the pressure reaches 7-10 PSI. When you are ready to pack it up, do everything in reverse.”

The AeroRondak is perfect for practically any outdoor (or even indoor) situation. Sort of like collapsible furniture, the AeroRondak can be carried and set up when needed and stashed away when you’re done, making it perfect for lawns, beaches, poolsides, terraces, or even on the deck of your boat. This unique piece of furniture doesn’t come cheap though. The price of having the most eye-catchingly comfortable beach chair is currently north of 500 of your American dollars.

Click Here to Buy Now

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Inflatable chair is a portable version of a popular laidback chair

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I am a huge fan of the beach. I love going to it during the summer, looking at it and the sunset, walking around and feeling the sand slip on my toes, and sometimes, even swimming in the sea. What is challenging though is finding a convenient spot to sit so you can read a book or chat with friends or just stare off into the sunrise. Well of course you can just sit on the shore and on the sand but it’s not the most comfortable thing and sand gets in, uhm, places.

Designer: BoteBoard

The Adirondack chair is one of the most popular and laidback chairs created and is a constant feature in backyards, porches, and swimming pools. Now if only you could bring it to the beach as well but of course, it’s not built to be portable and is a bit heavy and bulky. Outdoor gear manufacturer BoteBoard came up with a lighter, portable, and inflatable version of this ergonomic chair called the AeroRondak Chair. You can bring it anywhere, not just the beach, but it seems perfect for that.

The chair is made up of foam-covered armrests, an inflatable backrest and base, and two MAGNEPOD for the armrests. You are able to control the rigidity of the different parts of the chair as the armrests and backrest are inflated separately. The MAGNEPODS are embedded in the armests so you can place your water bottle or metal tumbler and sip your iced coffee or piñacolada while enjoying the beach. It may be weird to see a chair in the sand or even in the water, but hey, if it makes people happy, why not?

Something like this doesn’t come cheap though. The AeroRondak Chair costs $549 for a single and $998 for a two pack in case you need another one for your loved one. It includes a hand pump, a mesh carry bag, a repair kit, and webbing strap, aside from the inflatable chair of course.

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This shellfish-inspired luxury hotel blends perfectly onto the coastline of this tropical beach

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Inspired by shellfish, the Nudibranch hotel comes with an instantly recognizable shell-like facade and has ‘tentacles’ that stretch out in different directions, creating a piece of architecture that looks absolutely stunning from any angle.

The hotel gets its name from the Nudibranch, a species of soft-bodied gastropod mollusks known for shedding their shells after their larval stage. The animals are often known for their incredible design characterized by vibrant colors and hypnotic patterns (often an indication of an animal being toxic), and the hotel follows that trend too, with its grand design comprising a glass facade and lawn-covered public spaces.

The hotel’s glass ‘shell’ forms its most recognizable element. The two shells act as the hotel’s main buildings, with coastal views for each. The rest of the hotel’s ‘body’ surrounds these two shells, forming lawns and pathways above the sandy coast of the beach, guiding you to the hotel’s several amenities, from its restaurants and bars to the spa, swimming pools, and finally back to your room at the hotel. The animal-inspired building comes with signature tentacles too, that sort of form the entrances and exit roads, cutting through the wilderness to let you arrive at or check out of your destination.

The Nudibranch Hotel is a Gold Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2021.

Designer: SpActrum

Surfboard Shark Bite Writing Desk: You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Desk

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You know what your beach-themed office is missing? A surfboard desk with a shark bite out of it. Well, don’t worry, because Lunar Lounge Design on Etsy has you covered with this $950 handmade shark bite surfboard desk. I can already hear police chief Martin Brody and marine biologist Matt Hooper arguing with the mayor to close the beaches for the 4th of July weekend.

Constructed of 5/8″ MDF (medium-density fiberboard), each surfboard desk stands 29″ tall, 63″ long, and 23″ inches wide. The board’s fin is removable, and the legs fold down for easy storage or transportation. It’s finished with automotive paint and four layers of clearcoat and comes standard in lemon yellow with a frost white accent stripe, although custom color options are available. I want mine seafoam green with blood splatter!

I can’t think of a more perfect desk for writing the next great ocean-themed blockbuster like Jaws. Honestly, I can’t think of a more perfect desk, period. It checks off all the boxes, provided the only box is ‘surfboard desk with shark bite’. I must have one for every room of the house.

[via Dude I Want That]

Giant 6-Foot Death Star Beach Ball: That’s No Moon

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Because nothing says fun in the sun like a giant space station designed to obliterate planets with a single blast of its superlaser, NINOSTAR is selling this 6-foot diameter Death Star beach ball on Amazon (affiliate link) for $75. It’s no moon, but it will be the talk of everyone at the beach provided you can inflate it without passing out.

From what I gathered from the product description on Amazon, they’re not actually calling it a Death Star beach ball, which in layman’s terms means it’s not an officially licensed Star Wars product. Of course, if it were, it would probably cost $150, and $300+ from greedy resellers on eBay.

Obviously, it will be my duty to ion torpedo any Death Stars I see on the beach to prevent any other planets from suffering the fate of Alderaan. And by ion torpedo, I mean pop with the pointy end of beach umbrella pretending it’s a lightsaber. Will children cry and parents yell at me? Probably, but such is the life of a Jedi.

[via DudeIWantThat]