Tag Archives: DIY Designs

LEGO shows how you can make a DIY engagement ring box from bricks

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Most women (or men) probably prefer to get a traditional diamond (or some jewel) in a box when it comes to engagements. But there are also couples who prefer to do something unique for their marriage proposals and connected to that, get something that is more personal and different than a jewel. Geeky couples in particular probably are looking for something different and tailor fit to their interests and if they’re LEGO enthusiasts, then this would be interesting to them.

Designer: LEGO

A video posted on the LEGO South Africa account shows how you can create your own DIY ring box. It doesn’t seem to be any special, new LEGO set that you will have to purchase in order to make this special box. The man demonstrates how you can use spare bricks to build your own ring box, although you probably have to pause the video a few times as there are no written instructions on how to do it step by step (although there are step-by-step screenshots).

The tutorial walks you through the whole process of constructing a ring box. He even makes a tiny, plastic ring to show that it can fit inside and it will not fall out no matter how many times you shake it. The main colors used in the video are green and yellow but in the end he shows that there are countless customizations that you can do by using different colors and pieces, although you will have to figure it out on your own.

If the couple are both LEGO fans, this will be an interesting way to have a unique proposal. And even if you have an actual diamond or jeweled ring with which to propose, putting it inside a DIY box made from LEGO bricks is pretty sweet.

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DIY kit lets you build your own Seiko watch movement from scratch… and it works!

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The devices and gear we own today are vastly different from the ones our grandparents owned. Back in the day, products could be pulled apart, tinkered with, and repaired without much of a fuss. Radios lasted decades, toasters from that era still work today, but the devices of today are a little too complicated to repair or tinker with. In fact, the companies that make these devices don’t even want you looking under the hood – try tinkering with a Tesla car and the company can remotely disable your entire vehicle for tampering. Mess with an Apple phone and its warranty gets voided. If you bought a Spotify Car Thing, regardless of your efforts, the company is planning on bricking the device globally at the end of this year.

The reality is that we aren’t intimately familiar with the stuff we own today, and it’s time we changed that. The folks at Rotate Watches believe the only way to change this is to make tinkering more accessible. This beginner-friendly 50+ piece kit lets you build your own working, automatic watch movement from scratch. Modeled on the Seiko NH36, this kit has everything you need to be an amateur horologist. A guide helps take you through the various processes, and at the end, not only do you have a working watch that you can keep on your table to tell the date and time, but you also inherit an innate understanding of how timepieces work… and that’s just priceless, isn’t it?!

Designer: Rotate Watches

The Seiko NH36 is a popular and reliable automatic movement known for its accuracy and durability. With a diameter of 29.36mm and a height of 5.32mm, it’s a compact powerhouse featuring 24 jewels for reduced friction and a smooth operation. This kit includes the movement itself, along with a set of specialized tools to handle the delicate watch parts. Screwdrivers, tweezers, finger cots, and pliers are all included, ensuring you have everything you need to handle the intricate components.

One of the highlights of this kit is the beginner-friendly guide. Rotate, the company behind the kit, understands that watchmaking can be intimidating for newcomers. Their detailed instructions break down the disassembly and assembly process into clear steps, accompanied by numbered pictures for easy reference. The guide goes beyond just the mechanics, explaining the purpose of each piece and offering helpful tips and tricks throughout the process. For those who prefer a greater challenge, Rotate also offers the option to receive the movement disassembled. This allows experienced hobbyists to dive right into the reassembly process, testing their watchmaking skills.

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Build your own Patek Philippe-style Chronograph using this DIY Wooden Watchmaking Kit

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Not everyone can afford a Breguet, Rolex, Richard Mille, or Audemars Piguet. Not only are they ridiculously expensive, they’re also gatekept from us regular folk by an arduously long waiting and approval process. You don’t simply go buy a Patek Philippe, you need to be ‘approved’ to buy one. This artificial scarcity makes it difficult for any watch enthusiast to appreciate great watchmaking, but the folks at Tèfo Clockwork have a clever solution – their laser-cut DIY kits allow you to build some of the most beautiful movements and complications found on luxury watches. Instead of splurging millions on a timepiece, Tèfo’s DIY kits let you build working mechanisms for a few hundred dollars, turning them into functional table clocks instead.

Designer: Tèfo Clockwork

Click Here to Buy Now: $249. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Created by a team of hardcore horology-enthusiasts, Tèfo Clockwork’s kits bring million-dollar timepieces to the masses. Their laser-cut wooden kits are highly detailed, and are scaled up so you don’t need Swiss-level precision to assemble them. Their current kits come in 4 complication styles – a Center Tourbillon, a Minute Repeater, a Fly-back Chronograph, and a Perpetual Calendar. These complications can be found in some of the most high-end watch brands, but with Tèfo, they can be bought, assembled, and admired at a much lower price. The complications aren’t the watches themselves, so Tèfo isn’t infringing on any intellectual property. The mechanical movements are open for all to build (although some of them like the tourbillon are so complex on a small scale that only a few companies can build them), and that’s pretty much what the Tèfo Clockwork kits hope to achieve.

The center tourbillon

Back in the late 18th century, Swiss-French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet developed the tourbillon, a watch complication that was designed to counteract the effect of gravity on the watch’s accuracy. This was a concern back in the days of the pocket watch, but as wristwatches gained popularity, a fixed direction of gravity wasn’t really a concern because of the wrist’s constant movement. Tourbillons soon began fading away (given how complex they were to manufacture), although some brands retained them as a work of luxurious art and a symbol of craftsmanship. The Tèfo TC-01 table clock scales up the classic tourbillion, which can be visible right behind the TC logo on the front. The entire contraption measures approximately 10 inches tall and wide, featuring a skeletal design of multiple wooden components that assemble together to create the TC-01 table clock. More than 300 parts come together to build the TC-01, taking over 15 hours (think of it as a highly complex 3D puzzle). The clock draws power from a 12V motor, which is designed to run 24/7, and when you’re not admiring the constant movement of the tourbillon inside, you can actually use the TC-01 to read the time thanks to an hour and a minute dial that rotate with the same accuracy you’d expect from a haute Swiss-made timepiece. At the center is the Tèfo Clockwork logo, which rotates precisely once every second.

The minute repeater

You can build on the TC-01 by adding a minute repeater to it. The minute repeater was originally developed to help tell the time in the dark by chiming every hour, quarter, or minute depending on its setting. Originally used by aristocrats in the 1600s, this too disappeared ‘with time’, becoming just a mechanical luxury found on high-end watches. Tèfo Clockwork’s Minute Repeater module comes with more than 400 parts, requiring over 24 hours of work to put together. Once assembled, it can be paired with the TC-01 by plugging into its side and connecting using a series of pins. Similarly, Tèfo is working on two more complications – the fly-back chronograph (found on ultra-premium Richard Mille watches) and the perpetual calendar (which can be found in Patek Philippe’s watches that cost up to 9 million a pop) that can both be plugged into another side of your TC-01 clock, building on its intricacy, complexity, and accuracy. Both the fly-back chronograph and the perpetual calendar come with 150 parts, and take roughly 8 hours to put together.

Tèfo Clockwork’s entire kits come made from precisely laser-cut wood, with a combination of both light and dark woods to help highlight certain features and increase contrast between different parts. Load-bearing components or parts subject to wear-and-tear are made of metal, while ball-bearings ensure gears, hands, and other components like the tourbillon can rotate freely without any sort of friction. The kit is available as a central module that serves as a clock, with the option of plugging two more modules into its left and right sides to create a larger-than-life functioning luxury clock! Who says you need to sell your house, car, and kidney to afford a Richard Mille or an Audemars Piguet complication?!

The Tèfo Clockwork TC-01 starts at $249 for just the center tourbillon clock, or $749 for the tourbillon clock and two more complication modules. Tèfo offers global shipping with all units expected to ship by November, making these kits a perfect DIY project for you, or a Holiday Gift for a watch-loving friend or family member!

Click Here to Buy Now: $249. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

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The Little Toy is an Eames-inspired Ticket To Some Retro Fun and Creativity

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For everyone who loves DIY and spaces, this one’s for you! The Eames Office just pulled off the ultimate nostalgia move by resurrecting The Little Toy, a blast from the past that hasn’t seen the light of day since 1961. Charles and Ray Eames, the dynamic design duo, cooked up this gem in 1952 as a tabletop spin-off of their iconic creation, The Toy. And trust me, it’s not just a reissue; it’s a time-traveling invitation to creativity for both the OG fans and the newbies.

Designer: Eames Office

The Toy was for playing “in,” but The Little Toy is all about playing “with.” It’s like they miniaturized the fun, letting you build tiny sets, tents, and houses to jazz up your toy collection. Unlike its flexible predecessor, The Little Toy uses sturdier cardboard panels. It is a DIY dreamland for kids and grown-ups.

The Eames magic remains intact – freedom to build whatever your creative heart desires. The Little Toy consists of colored cardboard panels that are tougher than ever, replacing the old plastic-coated paper which is also a gesture towards sustainability. And forget the dowel rods; they’ve jazzed up the assembly with wireframes, making it a breeze to dive into the creative process.

Back in the day (1952-1961 to be exact), The Toy was the answer to space issues and a game-changer when paired with other toys. Tigrett Enterprises of Kansas made sure this mini marvel was a hit. It’s a testament to the Eameses’ knack for turning everyday materials into something extraordinary.

Fast forward to now, and The Little Toy is back, sporting a retro price tag of $79. This reissue isn’t just about reliving the good ol’ days; it’s an open invitation to explore prefab architecture and modular magic. With its vibrant panels and snazzy wireframes, you can go wildcrafting toy houses, funky sculptures, or even desktop architectural wonders.

This revived Little Toy isn’t just a relic; it’s your golden ticket to unlocking creativity, just like it did over fifty years ago. The Eames Office has not only resurrected a classic but handed you a chance to embrace that timeless spirit of play and innovation. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the past and let your creativity run wild!

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DIY living plant chair let’s you build a tiny green sanctuary in your home

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With our modern lives and routines, it can get quite difficult to spend a bit of time in nature. We find ourselves surrounded by screens almost all the time, consuming tech has become the norm, and immersing in nature is a rarity. This is quite sad, but for those of you who want to incorporate a bit of green in your homes, and interact with nature on a day-to-day basis without having to veer off into a forest, then the Green Hideaway chair is the right design for you.  The Green Hideaway Chair is a super interesting furniture design that is a must-have for DIY and nature lovers!

Designer: Front/, HORNBACH and HeimatTBWA

Designed by  Stockholm-based studio Front/ in collaboration with European DIY chain HORNBACH and its creative agency HeimatTBWA, the Green Hideaway Chair is a DIY living plant chair that allows you to connect with nature in the comfort of your own home. It was recently added to the HORNBACH WERKSTÜCK series which attempts to democratize high-end designs, by enabling industry-leading designers and artists to collaborate and create innovative self-build projects.

If the word DIY intimidated you a little, then don’t let it, because the Green Hideaway Chair can be built by DIYers of all skill levels, since it comes along with an illustrated, step-by-step instructions, a template, and a complete list of materials and tools needed. So they basically have everything spelled out for you! The Green Hideaway Chair is inspired by the Swedish seat called ‘pinnstol’. First, the user needs to build the natural wooden frame, and can then proceed to add a trailing vine of their choice, helping them create their little green retreat in their own home.

I love how accessible nature becomes once you build and add the Green Hideaway Chair to your home. Although it is DIY and made at home, it still has a designer-made feel to it and is quite pleasant to the eyes. However, it does seem to have a rather bulky and space-consuming design, so you need to make sure you have sufficient space to add it to your home. It’s not the best design for tiny homes or a home with space constraints. But all in all, it’s a pretty useful design for those who want a touch of green in their homes.

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This DIY game controller looks like a low-poly object taken from a video game

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Trends come and go, but some things seem to never die. Ever since the earliest days of Pong and arcade cabinets, video games have survived ups and downs in the economy but have so far remained a rather lucrative industry. In fact, the past years have been rather kind to gaming and gamers, with the surge of titles, devices, and accessories to tempt buyers to part ways with their hard-earned money. There has even been a sub-culture where people have started making their own gaming machines and peripherals. While a gaming computer might not be everyone’s forte, some more adventurous gamers might dare to dabble in a bit of DIY experimentation. What better way to get started then than with your own game controller that looks like it jumped straight out of a video game.

Designer: Input Labs

Thanks to modern electronics and 3D printing, it’s almost too easy to make your own gamepad with your own unique design. Of course, making it functional and ergonomic is a completely different matter, and it takes some domain knowledge to pull off a successful design. Thankfully, there are quite a few designers out there already doing much of that work, and some are even sharing the recipe completely free of charge.

The Alpakka game controller is one such design. It is already distinctive on its own, just by the way it looks. Unlike most controllers with smooth curves and polished surfaces, Alpakka has a more faceted and geometrical appearance that would fit perfectly in low-poly games such as Minecraft (though one could argue even Alpakka is too high-poly for the voxel game). Whether it makes for a comfortable grip is probably a bit questionable, but you can easily change that, too, by simply modifying the design for 3D printing.

And that is what really sets this controller apart from other quirky and interesting designs we usually come across. Everything you need to know about making the controller on your own is available under the very liberal Creative Commons license, meaning you can tweak it to your heart’s desire without worrying about getting sued. All you really need is to get a hold of all the components needed as well as a 3D printer. It does require that you know your way around soldering electronics and whatnot, but that pretty much comes with the territory.

Despite its almost whimsical appearance, the Alpakka is serious about its gaming functionality, including dual-gyro sensors that could be used in lieu of a mouse. And just like the design itself, the software needed to make these functions work is available under an open source license so that anyone can use them or, if they also have the know-how, even tweak those features to their liking.

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Best DIY designs for you to build at home

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DIY designs have been taking the design world by storm! Especially with COVID-19 restricting us to our homes, building things purely with our hands, putting our sweat and grit into it, and watching a design roar to life in front of our eyes, has become the new pass time for many of us. But these DIY designs are more than just your run-of-the-mill products made using discarded water bottles, and paper! These are innovative, complex, and highly functional product designs that cater to a variety of our needs, but are also really simple to put together. It’s the best of both worlds. From a DIY digital hourglass to a DIY wooden bicycle – each of these nifty designs will get your creative juices flowing, your hands moving, as well as definitely add some value to your life. Which of these unique DIY designs would you try building at home?!

1. OpenBike

This bicycle made of plywood was created with the intent to get more people to focus on sustainability. The open-source design is called ‘Openbike’ and despite the obvious problems that come with a bike made from plywood, it is still an affordable and lightweight alternative for those who want to live on a budget but are also eco-conscious. You can download the files to build your own bike here!

Why is it noteworthy?

“This is not about bicycles! Open your eyes, this is about you, about your attitude towards the future. Do you think that the pollution of the cities will disappear by itself? Do you think traffic jams are caused by others?” reads the Openbike website which makes the mission statement of the design very clear – they’re not claiming to offer the durability or a thief-proof bike but rather shift your perspective on affordability and sustainability.

What we like

  • Reduces carbon emissions in cities by empowering people with technology

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

2. Desco

It’s almost difficult to see Desco as an organizer, given how it visually looks disorganized on its own. It utilizes different shapes that seem to be haphazardly thrown together, as well as lines that cut through each other at odd angles.

Why is it noteworthy?

Unlike traditional desk organizers, you almost have to stop and think which items go where because, despite its seemingly random design, each nook and cranny of the Desco actually serves a specific purpose. That large acrylic circle in the middle, for example, has slits that are designed to hold notebooks, while the space going through the pipe shape can hold pens and even rolls of paper. The slanted foot has space for a few sheets of paper, while the acrylic surface of one of the wooden boxes can be used as a tiny wall for sticky notes. There is also plenty of space for all kinds of tools and knick-knacks, including a tray for your phone, earbuds, or smartwatch. There’s even a surface that can be used to keep your favorite mug within arm’s reach.

What we like

  • Despite its jumble of shapes, Desco still adheres to minimalism as far as the surfaces themselves go
  • The transparent acrylic gives an illusion of floating in the air

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

3. The Digital Sand Clock

This isn’t about having a screen that displays a sand clock, which would be boring and too easy to make. This DIY project actually tries to mimic the experience of using an actual hourglass, including turning it upside down or sideways, as well as watching the “sand” drop little by little. Naturally, it doesn’t use any sand at all but utilizes LED lights to convey the same visual effect.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Digital Sand Clock isn’t just a hardware project, though. There is also a bit of coding involved, especially in animating how the LEDs light up to mimic falling sand. That part is actually what makes the entire endeavor rather impressive, given how it can use motion (technically an accelerometer) to control the “movement” of the sand, and the lights adjust accordingly as if they were actually movable solid objects.

What we like

  • It is a demonstration of how far we’ve come in enabling such creations without being at the mercy of large companies and production plants
  • It is a source of inspiration for budding designers and engineers who want to take a whack at this more democratic way of creating things

What we dislike

  • The project involves a lot of components and work – hence it may not appeal to everyone

4. That Stool

Small stools can come in handy anywhere. From empty art studios to crowded offices, stools can make the simple difference between sitting on the floor and having a seat. They especially come in handy when they’re designed for easy assembly and storage. Developed by Alondra Elizalde, That Stool is a flatpack DIY small stool designed with easy assembly to provide a practical means of having a stool anywhere, at any time.

Why is it noteworthy?

That Stool is comprised of only a few parts: a seat rest, five legs, a couple of star-shaped spindles, and some connecting nuts and bolts. All contained within a flatpack corrugated cardboard box, the parts of That Stool are easy to assemble with no additional hardware required. Following the imprinted instructions on the underside of That Stool’s top cover, users will first attach each leg to the corresponding screws on the star-shaped spindles. From there, connecting fasteners secure the legs and spindles in place, providing a sturdy bolster for the seat rest to mount.

What we like

  • Assembled in only four steps without any additional hardware
  • Can be used anywhere, at any time
  • You can build it yourself!

What we dislike

  • Looks like any other regular stool on the market

5. The Absolem keyboard

There are times, however, when creative people think outside the box and go to town with new concepts and experiments. Those often end up looking unpolished or straight out of a sci-fi show prop, but this eye-catching butterfly-shaped keyboard won’t look out of place on a minimalist wooden workspace.

Why is it noteworthy?

The designer, a software engineer by profession and modder by hobby, initially wanted to create something that would have ended up looking completely different. The ultimate goal was to have a reduced number of keys, 36 in total, plus a few extra keys that would allow switching between letters, symbols, and function keys. At first, he settled on a “3D” design that had those extra keys hidden underneath an elevated surface for the split 36 keys.

What we like

  • Acute attention to detail

What we dislike

  • Uses plenty of plastic and electronics, including neoprene, so it’s not exactly a sustainable design

6. GRIP

Grip Wheelchair Project

Grip Wheelchair Render

GRIP is a project by three designers: Lorcan Looney, Bryce Cormack, and Leah Deegan. They wanted to engage with common problems in the world by providing practical solutions. The Grip goes beyond aesthetics as the main aim is to enhance the “grip” of the wheels for wheelchair users.

Why is it noteworthy?

Grip is mainly a rim cover that provides ease and comfort to the users. It’s a “comfortable and durable hand protecting cover” that allows you to push the wheelchair more easily. With the cover, the problem of fingers being trapped between the wheel and the push rim is eliminated. The Grip is not a product being sold in the market. It’s something you can actually do on your own as a downloadable template and instructions are provided by the designers. The step-by-step guide is easy to follow so you can assemble the Grip with easily accessible materials and components.

What we like

  • Reduces hand strain and deterioration
  • Inclusive design

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

7. The Stair Cubby

The Stair Cubby, as it was christened, can be assembled without the use of tools, with tabs simply going into slots and held down with pegs. The cubby is designed to sit on two steps of stairs, but the panel on the back can slide up and down to adjust to different stair heights. The storage has five open-access cubbies for shoes, books, and any other item that can fit inside, keeping things organized and out of harm’s way.

Why is it noteworthy?

Staircase bins need to take into account the particular shape of stairs, but not all stairs are made equal, so they have to be a bit more flexible or at least configurable. Given how in-demand these storage solutions might be, they also need to be durable and sustainable. These two product design students from Nottingham Trent University in the UK hit both birds with one sheet of plywood.

What we like

  • Can be assembled without the use of tools
  • Great for homes with space constraints

What we dislike

  • We’re not sure how well it would hold heavier objects

8. The Atlas

Your backpack is as much a part of your apparel as your coat is or your cap or sunglasses for that matter. As a society, we’ve come to accept keeping bags on the floor, and having their bottom surface collect dust and dirt over the years. You wouldn’t do it with any other part of your outfit, so why is it okay to keep your bag on the floor? That’s a question the guys at Addio Design Collective found themselves asking too. With that very design brief, they created the Atlas Backpack Stand – a new category of furniture that serves the purpose of a side-table as well as a stand for hanging your backpacks, so they don’t have to touch the floor.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Atlas isn’t a conventional side-table. It comes almost with the proportions and shape of an easel, sporting an A-shaped frame. It comes with a slightly inclined design too, keeping the stand stable and preventing it from tipping over due to your bag’s weight. On top, two tiny hooks let you hang your backpack, bag, duffle, suitcase, purse, or tote, while a flat surface acts as a storage area for your phone, AirPods, sunglasses, etc. It’s a stand designed around your backpack and your EDC and can sit perfectly near your work table.

What we like

  • It suspends your bag above the ground, keeping it from getting dirty
  • Makes it easy to access stuff inside your bag without having to bend down

What we dislike

  • A bit of a niche product – may not appeal to everyone

9. The Penkesu Computer

Every day, the world is greeted with half a dozen or so “hacks” that try to solve a problem or even solve a problem no one thought was even a problem, using only off-the-shelf materials assembled together in garages or basements. Not all of them turn out to be useful or even attractive, but some do pique our interests, like this DIY pocket computer that actually works like a regular computer.

Why is it noteworthy?

Called the Penkesu Computer after its creator, the ultra-compact device that resembles a bulky communicator from the good old Nokia days has a distinctive charm despite its unpolished looks. While you probably wouldn’t use it for serious work, the wide but short laptop has the makings of a cyberpunk prop, specifically a cyberdeck that’s often used by characters to access the net or other computers. If you’re into that genre and style, the Penkesu Computer will definitely tickle your fancy, and it will undoubtedly turn heads if you use it in some cafe.

What we like

  • Penk Chen has generously provided the exact list of materials and components to buy, as well as the pattern for 3D printing the enclosure

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

10. The Chonky Palmtop

Tiny laptops, sometimes called palmtops, have the advantage of portability over normal notebooks, but they are terrible when it comes to comfort while typing. You can only cram so many keys in such a small space, forcing designers and users to perform finger acrobatics to activate additional keys. That’s not even considering yet the ergonomics of bending your wrists to fit your fingers in such a cramped space. That is the problem that this bulky “palmtop” tries to address by miraculously fitting a slightly more comfortable keyboard in a 7-inch space.

Why is it noteworthy?

This contraption isn’t called the Chonky Palmtop for no reason. Unlike other DIY laptop projects, this one makes no qualms about being a large plastic brick. It’s not going to be usable on your palm, though you probably won’t use it like that anyway. After all, what makes this special is how it tries to make typing a bit more comfortable on a laptop of this size.

What we like

  • It splits the keyboard into two halves, adopting a layout that is similar to those ergonomic keyboards you’d find in the market

What we dislike

  • You may not want to use a computer of this size for your everyday needs

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This IKEA-inspired modular kitchen system is designed for digital nomads

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Rëkoøk is a modular kitchen system designed for the digital nomads of today to bring their kitchen with them anywhere work takes them.

IKEA is one of the most iconic furniture brands of all time–it’s no wonder designers find endless inspiration from the multinational, Swedish-founded conglomerate. While IKEA has always been a primary source of furniture for economical buyers hoping to bring a touch of Scandinavian design into their homes, the digital nomad era of today makes the flatpack designs and easy-to-assemble pieces from IKEA that much more relevant. Merging the design language of IKEA with a modular and interchangeable build, Rëkoøk is a portable kitchen concept designed for the digital nomads of today to feel at home wherever work takes them.

Designer: Edoardo Gouffran

Constructing Rëkoøk, product designer Edoardo Gouffran hoped to build a flatpack kitchen system that allowed digital nomads to bring their kitchen with them as they move from one space to another. Depending on the space they move into, digital nomads can configure Rëkoøk to fit their culinary and spatial needs.

The idea behind Rëkoøk was to “create a kitchen that respected the rule of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle and [one] that was easy and quick to assemble.” Users will need only to attach the kitchen sink to a water supply system for operation.

As a result, Rëkoøk is comprised of modules that users can easily fasten together with included hardware and tools for ultimate customization. Smaller spaces might require a more vertical kitchen, so users can adjust Rëkoøk’s build to fit that space.

Then, larger spaces might allow for more counter space, allowing users to elongate the kitchen system and spread out a bit. Just like IKEA’s furniture pieces, users can assemble Rëkoøk through an easy-to-follow set of instructions that come with each package. An accompanying app also supplies buyers with food recipes and assembly instructions.

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Xylo Living is a flexible and modular furniture platform that doesn’t require any tools

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In this day and age when sustainability is critical, we need to be wiser when shopping for the right furniture. There are plenty of affordable options but they’re not always exactly of good quality. Sure, you can easily buy from a store or online but they don’t really last. Most of them use cheap materials and still require assembly which can take a lot of time and energy—but not Xylo Living, a smart modular furniture system that can fit any lifestyle. With only several components and sans the need for any tools or accessories, you can create different types of furniture to meet your needs.

Designer: Xylo Living

Click Here to Buy Now: $750 $1500 (50% off). Hurry, exclusive deal for YD readers only!

For homeowners or renters who are opting for better quality furnishings, Xylo Living can be a great option. It’s a flexible platform that offers easy-to-assemble and disassemble furniture pieces. The furniture can be made using three component types including Surface Pieces, Side Profile Pieces, and Connecting Slats. Xylo Living allows you to interchange components to make the piece you want. It’s like Lego for adults but with bigger and different pieces. You can assemble the pieces into a table or a chair or whatever it is you can imagine. You don’t even need to bring out your toolbox because the pieces can be easily connected.

The Xylo Living furniture system boasts a modular design. When you’ve finished a chair, you can make more to build a couch. You can also make a side table, center table, dining table, or maybe a TV stand. For people who like to arrange their home layout and decors more frequently, you can turn to Xylo Living as you can quickly transform a piece of furniture into a new one depending on your need and the living space. All the items you’re making, when put together, will then result to a minimal aesthetic and unified look.

The modular system also allows easier storage and transportation apart from the easy transformation advantage. This means when you need to move, you only need to break down the piece into components or a modular level. It’s easy to adjust and configure. For this furniture system, the only limit is your imagination. A Xylo Living Furniture piece can be perfect for smaller rooms and homes. If you’re moving to a dorm room for college, you can invest in the system and bring the pieces again when you move back home or get your own home. Moving to a bigger house? Get some more components and create larger furniture pieces.

The platform offers efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. It’s definitely a smarter way to do home interiors as there won’t be any waste. Anyone can own this Xylo Living furniture and expect to maximize the purchase as you’re not only getting one piece. You can make more out of the platform and build something that grows with you. Xylo Living is all about flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability. Our use of space must be more efficient now and good thing there are furniture items that can fit or expand. The trend of modular furniture systems seems to be increasing and we can expect more similar platforms will be introduced.

Imagination is a requirement for intuitive creation. With Xylo Living, you can seamlessly make your own furniture as a solution to your personal need. You may never find that perfect furniture for your home but the Xylo Living lets you create a piece that grows with you and fits your style and your life.

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Top 10 DIY Designs of 2021

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DIY designs have been taking the design world by storm! Especially with COVID-19 restricting us to our homes, building things purely with our hands, putting our sweat and grit into it, and watching a design roar to life in front of our eyes, has become the new pass time for many of us. But these DIY designs are more than just your run-of-the-mill products made using discarded water bottles, and paper! These are innovative, complex, and highly functional product designs that cater to a variety of our needs, but are also really simple to put together. It’s the best of both worlds. From a sustainable helmet made from mushroom to a DIY wooden bicycle – each of these nifty designs will get your creative juices flowing, your hands moving, as well as definitely add some value to your life. Which of these unique DIY designs would you try building at home?!

1. The Grow It Yourself Helmet

This mushroom helmet will grow on you as it grows. Yes, read this slowly and carefully: this mushroom helmet will grow on you as it grows. “What do you mean?!” you say and I assure you that statement is not wrong, there is an explanation for it. The Grow It Yourself Helmet is a sustainable product made from mycelium which is the vegetative part of a fungus. Mycelium is the thready hyphae that are tightly woven into mass branch-like networks making it a strong sustainable material. The network of filaments are natural binders and they also are self-adhesive to the surface they grow on. The entire process is based on biological elements that help in upcycling waste. The process of making this helmet also gets the kids involved in a meaningful activity that teaches them about sustainability and safety.

2. Openbike

This bicycle made of plywood was created with an intent to get more people to focus on sustainability. The open-source design is called ‘Openbike’ and despite the obvious problems that come with a bike made from plywood, it is still an affordable and lightweight alternative to those who want to live on a budget but are also eco-conscious. The multidisciplinary Spanish design studio wants to reduce carbon emissions in cities by empowering people with technology which is why they made Openbike so that the files can be downloaded and fabricated by anyone in the world.

3. The MagnetCubes

Using a transparent framework of pillars and beams held in place by magnets, MagnetCube gives you the joy of building first, and then of playing. The cube format lends itself to two different games – a multiplayer game called CubeClimbers, or a rollercoaster-building game called Liftpack. CubeClimbers is all about ascent and starts by building a tall multi-level structure by snapping the cubes together to make a pixelated mountain with steep ascents and drops. The mountain is then explored by small plastic climbers, who either climb up or fall down based on what the roll of the die says.

4. Hydropod

Reza Baluchi has run from Los Angeles to New York City twice and around the perimeter of the United States, accumulating 11,720 miles along the way. With all of this already under his belt, walking from St. Augustine, Florida to New York City over the Atlantic Ocean, not in a boat, but in a DIY floating bubble seemed easy. The floating bubble, dubbed “hydropod,” would have floated Baluchi all the way to the Hudson River’s shoreline if his trek wasn’t cut short some 30 miles south of his launch point. Mr. Baluchi, a former professional cyclist, said that he was hoping to use the attention from his trip to raise money to help homeless people and for other charitable causes. Over the years, he said, he has received puzzled reactions — including from the Coast Guard — after performing similar stunts on the water.

5. The RoKit

This kit comes packaged in a pretty impressive aluminum briefcase, containing everything you need to bring your unique tech idea to life. The upper part of the briefcase houses Royole’s 3rd Generation Cicada Wing 7.8-inch fully flexible touch-sensitive display, while the lower half of the briefcase contains a development motherboard running Android 10, an HDMI adapter (in case you want to connect your flexible display to an existing computer like a Raspberry Pi, smartphone, laptop, or any other gadget), and a bunch of power cables for good measure.

6. Breathing PC

DIY expert Matt Perks of DIY Perks sets a new high with his breathing PC that keeps the high-performance GPU and CPU cool with a breathable motion never ever seen before. This towering PC rig is not compact by any means as the breathable part is housed in the lower section, and the PC components are placed above it. The back and forth breathing magic is achieved with magnets and reinforced acrylic panels. Using acrylic bellows, vents, and a water loop – the innovation can cool one of the best graphics cards and the best gaming CPU on the market, the RTX 3080 and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. This system results in cool air being pushed up to the powerful components and through the radiator, which keeps the system cool. All the hot air is pushed out from the top to prevent it from circulating back inside.

7. DIY Wood Sculptures

Ironic by design, the San Diego-based artist takes this hard material and transforms them into massive wood sculptures that hold soft ripples and folds. Nuge’s process begins with sketching out the ripples that are followed by wood cutting and then smoothing it out, till you have this flowing expanse of wood that immediately provides visual calmness to your interiors. To hear it in Nuge’s own words, “The art that I create today, in essence, is a rebellion to my architectural background. I create organic forms out of wood that are in stark contrast to the hard lines and rigid nature of architecture. My work is about flow, energy, and human connection. It is because of these elements that I have a heavy emphasis on creating everything by hand.”

8. Re-SOHKO TRANSFORM BOX

Ever heard of a DIY home office that comes in a box?! Yup, me neither. But OPEN SOHKO DESIGN and NOSIGNER designed exactly that in the form of the ‘Re-SOHKO TRANSFORM BOX.’ The transform box is a space-saving platform that can transform into a lot of things, mainly your own manufacturing office, simply by unfolding it! Not only does it function as a workspace with a desk for you to work on with your laptop, but it even functions as a workbench wherein you can build a variety of things! Amped with nifty storage spaces for your tools and other supplies, you can set up Re-SOHKO TRANSFORM BOX anywhere, and get some hands-on work done. When folded, the box is roughly the size of a standard distribution pallet making it extremely easy to move around. Not to mention you can build the portable workspace all by yourself!

9. Vintage Hardwood PS5 Case

Matt, of DIY Perks is back again with another custom hack that you can build in the comfort of your own home. This time, the handyman YouTuber designs and constructs a wooden case for his new PS5 Carved into the base plate, DIY Perks creates holes where the rest of the PS5’s components fit. Next, DIY Perks mounts the system’s fan onto the carbon fiber baseplate, overlaying the fan with a grill to prevent anything from getting caught in the fan’s blades. Divided into two halves, the fan pulls air in through both sides, allowing airflow drawn from the heat sink to exit through the carved hole in the carbon fiber base plate. To direct the airflow from the heatsink to the fan, DIY Perks uses strips of foam, a cue taken from Sony. With the inner system securely fastened to its new carbon fiber baseplate, DIY Perks begins work on the system’s American walnut wood case. Using a Japanese saw blade, DIY Perks carves angled edges on the walnut wood to create a cubic frame.

10. Keychain-ready AirTag

As teardown pros iFixit got down to opening the latest Apple accessory – that’s making all the news – they decided to drill a hole in the AirTag itself. To make it keychain-ready, like the competition, they carefully drilled a punch hole on top of the tracker using a 1/16” drill bit. Surprisingly, the AirTag survived the operation without any functional dystrophy post the drilling bit. Even the sound profile didn’t change much, so the accessory is as good as out of the box. Yes, it now has a keychain hole! iFixit demonstrates how to precisely drill between the notches in the circuit board to avoid puncturing any circuitry and make the tracker non-usable

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