Tag Archives: Minimalistic

Nendo’s Tokyo house uses a giant stairway to keep the family and their 8 pets connected!

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When I saw Nendo’s latest project, there is just one song that started playing in my mind – Led Zepplin’s Stairway to Heaven because that is exactly the emotion this house radiates. The unusual-looking home was designed to be a part of one of Tokyo’s residential neighborhood where two families can live on different levels while being connected by the defining staircase that runs through the entire space. The house is called Kaidannoie which actually means house of stairs and it truly feels like it will lead up to heaven.

The stairway house has three floors in total, the ground floor was created keeping in mind that it would be used by the elderly members of the family and the remaining two floors are meant for the couple and their children. Of course, you can choose the living arrangement as per your needs but given how not-normal this house looks, it still has a very wholesome vibe which is showcased in every carefully thought out detail. What I love most about this house is that the stairway also acts as an indoor garden filled with abundant sunlight which becomes a large common area for the family to have some bonding time. Because of the staircase, there are no conventional floor boundaries which means the entire house has the luxury of a high ceiling. While most of the home is smartly concealed to keep the residents’ lives private, the south-facing side is made completely of glass allowing sunlight to fill the space and provide a zen view of the existing persimmon tree. A staircase is usually never the center of attention in any house, but Nendo’s home flips that concept on its head so fast that now you would only want a house where the staircase is the fundamental and spiritual pillar of the structure. The style in which this house is built invites a lot of warmth, light, and nature without feeling trapped like Harry Potter was in his room under the staircase.

The staircase starts right from the roof, the upper part is a semi-outdoor greenhouse and as you go down, it diagonally connects every level (and provides ample space for the owners 8 cats!) organically and then casually extends all the way out onto the street. This house makes me feel like even if I was quarantined in it, I wouldn’t feel like I am indoors all day because of how well it is designed. You’d think the oversized staircase would be jarring on your eyes but it surprisingly has a gentle demeanor that instantly resonates with you, maybe because staircases are a symbol of connection and moving upward…and also where many of us may have nostalgic moments that are sometimes the defining steps of our lives (just like 12-year-old Mr. Potter).

Designer: Nendo

The house encourages natural ventilation and balances the urban setting with peaceful greens.

The stairway not only makes the house stand out visually but it also conceals the functional parts of the home, offset to the north side, from the street.

The stairway house is a blend of traditional and modern Japanese aesthetic – the lush greens inside and outside harmonize well with the monochrome and concrete interior design.

So the staircase is connecting each family member and each corner of the house among themselves but also with the outside world.

 

stairway house

 

The unusual geometric modules of this organizer tray add a pop of colour to your desk!

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I don’t know about anyone else, but quirky and cute stationery pieces will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t pass a stationery store without finding myself sneaking in for one little snoop. In hindsight, it always seems like a terrible idea when I find my desk cluttered with tidbits I might never even end up using! Sitting and actually organizing my desk? Nah, that’s an option too tedious to even consider.  So, when I discovered designer Jakob Lukosch’s Shaped Tray desk organizer, you can be sure that it tugged right at the strings of my heart!

This modern, multi-piece powder-coated desk organizer is not only super functional but aesthetically pleasing as well. Four trays of varied sizes complement each other, each a contrasting color, but all visibly soothing to the eyes. The versatile sizing of the trays allows for essentials items of all shapes and sizes to be artfully tucked into them. The largest tray is a soft grey, into which the remaining three trays are placed. This has been designed so strategically that no two trays clash, nor is any space wasted. The set features rounded edges and sleek compartments, screaming of minimalism, with a hint of mid-century inspired style.

Simplistic, sleek and coated in lovely harmonious colors that don’t scream for attention, Lukosch’s Shaped Tray desk organizer is something I can surely find myself purchasing without a second doubt for not only will it add some character to my desk, but it will help declutter the constantly rising mess on it!

Designer: Jakob Lukosch

Minimalistic and Adorable: Nendo’s Kakao Friends Homekit Is Giving Us Major Aesthetic Goals!

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The Japanese studio Nendo has achieved master-status in turning everyday objects into something extraordinary! Their constant reinventions have always left us wanting more. This time ‘a simple white bowl’ was their starting point, leading to the creation of the Kakao Friends Homekit, a collection of contemporary smart home appliances with a companion app. It’s a mobile app, making it easy to access your products anywhere, at any time! Inspired by Kakao Friends, the original characters of Korea’s largest messenger app “Kakao Talk”, these simple yet totally adorable objects include seven products: a body scale, a humidifier, a thermometer, an alarm, a sensor, and an air purifier. All the objects share a continuous aesthetic theme, even though they each possess a unique silicon ‘icon’ which symbolizes their different functions. Another element that groups them together as a family is their soft feel factor, the absence of any hard edges and the overall soothing texture they possess. Let’s dive a little deeper into them!

Designers: Nendo x Kakao Friends

The cloud-inspired Smart Scale records and tracks users’ weight changes. The scale’s icon a ‘cloud’ symbolizes the desire to be lightweight. Puffy and cotton candy-like, the body scale will literally give you the sensation of “walking on clouds”, while you enjoy managing your weight with a series of super friendly feedback animations.

The collection also includes an adorable little humidifier! The humidifier’s icon is ‘vapor’. With a simple white bowl as it’s base, Nendo chose a muted lilac for the ‘vapor’, enhancing the soft feel of the item. Humidifies a room, and looks cute? We’re all in for this product!

Not an early bird? Well, your mornings are going to be a little less gloomy with Nendo’s Kakao Friends alarm clock. Waking up on time won’t seem such a task with this little bird chirping out your daily alarm! The color accents on each piece, including the butter yellow on the alarm, are inspired by the characters of Kakao Friends.

Falling sick is the last thing any of us want to deal with in our busy lives! However, Nendo’s quirky little thermometer does manage to put a smile on our faces. Modeled after the ‘perspiration’ that is produced on catching a fever, the droplet-shaped thermometer is truly one of a kind.

Continuing to weave a playful story around each product, Nendo decided to shape their sensor after a periscope. Though it may look little, that does not affect its functionality nor its ability to look out for us!

Here, Nendo has diverted from their bowl on the bottom design, and instead placed the bowl on top for the Kakao Friends lamp. The lamp has a ‘ray of light’ extending from the bowl, illuminating any room it could be placed in.

For the baby pink air cleaner, a ‘flower’ that flutters in the wind was selected as the icon. The visual of a flower fluttering in the air instills the image of a fresh clean breeze in our heads, adding on to the lithe aura of the air cleaner.

Minimalistic, soft and highly functional, Nendo’s Kakao Friends Homekit is exactly the collection of accessories we need to add a touch of pastel color and mellow aesthetics to our homes!