Tag Archives: stone

FreePower turns your beautiful stone countertop into a wireless charger

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Wireless charging is finally becoming more common but despite the freedom from tangling cables that the technology offers, wireless chargers still have a few inconveniences, especially when it comes to aesthetics. Only a few of these products can be considered pleasing to look at, especially when mixed with the rest of your room decor. And they still have at least one cable snaking out of their bodies, which might be difficult to hide depending on where you place the chargers. In an ideal future, almost any flat surface can become a wireless charger, immediately juicing up your phone or device the moment you put it down, anywhere you put it down. Part of that future seems to already be here, with a creative wireless technology that can hide that wireless charging space inside stone countertops, seamlessly blending with your choice of interior design.

Designer: FreePower

Wireless chargers remove the messy cables from the charging equation, but the current state of technology requires you to still make physical contact between the device and the surface of the charger. Add to that the hard requirements on materials for the surfaces of wireless chargers and you will find yourself with a few of these products scattered around your house, often sticking out like a sore thumb. Some designs are admittedly more elegant and stylish, but they still add to the visual baggage on what would be an otherwise pristine table or countertop.

FreePower is a technology that tries to offer the best of both worlds, combining the liberating convenience of wireless charging with a clean and unblemished tabletop surface. In a nutshell, it embeds the wireless charger inside the countertop, and not just any countertop, mind you. It is compatible with different stone materials, including quartz, granite, or even marble, materials you’d never think could be used for wireless chargers. Thanks to this innovative design, you don’t need to actually put a charging mat or stand on your kitchen countertop, side table, or bedside table, because the countertop itself is the wireless charger.

Of course, only a portion of the countertop actually functions as the wireless charging zone, but you don’t have to worry about ugly and conspicuous markings that ruin the aesthetic of your beautiful stone top. A customizable LED halo glows around the area where you can place your devices, and you can even turn this light off when it’s not in use. FreePower does even better than most wireless chargers because you can place your phone or earbuds anywhere within that zone, no need to perfectly align with markers.

FreePower is the latest in a growing number of designs that aim to integrate wireless charging technology into every surface inside your home, completely freeing you from unsightly cables. Of course, such a design is also less flexible in that you have very little choice when you want to change furniture or designs. You’ll have to hope there’s also an invisible wireless charger version available for that or else you’ll have to go back to old-school wireless charging mats.

The post FreePower turns your beautiful stone countertop into a wireless charger first appeared on Yanko Design.

Stone light sculptures use shadow play to create a more dramatic effect

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Lamps are designed to bring light to a space, but that doesn’t mean they need to be dazzling or blinding. In fact, some lamps emit more subdued and diffused illumination to create a specific atmosphere and enhance the ambiance of an area. Some lighting fixtures even go beyond just the light they shine, putting just as much emphasis on the form they come in or, in some cases, the effects they have on the environment around them. This collection of light sculptures, for example, are more pieces of art than just lamps, but the way it casts shadows inside and around it delivers more impact that, in turn, further enhances the effect that the warm light produces.

Designer: Alex and Henri (Frero)

It’s almost too easy to take for granted the effect that shadows have on our surroundings. Given their dark nature, they’re often regarded as “bad” or even “ugly” elements, especially when they do obscure other more important objects in a composition. That said, shadows actually create a more impactful composition, especially when they contrast with light and create interesting forms thanks to the shapes that stand between the light source and the surface the shadows are projected on.

Fuca

Fuca

Suma

Suma

The Tala Asa collection of light sculptures embraces this kind of shadow play, putting equal importance on both light and darkness to generate a more striking overall visual. Just like in art, negative space provides not only breathing room but a canvas for these contrasting elements to draw on, casting shadows inside holes while also shining light through them. The earthen aesthetic of sculptures provides additional contrast to the unearthly glow of the light shining from inside.

Coco

Coco

Anta

Anta

Each of the five sculptures has a story to tell through their different forms. Fuca’s simple frame pays homage to the beauty of square elements you might find around you, while the arching Suma is inspired by the geological wonder that is the Ring of Fire. Two squares on top of each other make Coco represent balance and equilibrium, while the interplay of Anta’s three stripes embodies both unity and individuality. Lastly, Sunda’s more complicated pairing is meant to convey the intricate structures and complex relationships of tectonic plates, cutting a powerful and imposing figure in any space it stands on.

Sunda

Sunda

Regardless of their design or inspiration, all five sculptures draw from the earth in more ways than one. They’re available in natural tone finishes, including bone, sienna, terra, olive, and lava, but they’re also made from reclaimed stone and minerals bound with resin and coated with natural plaster paint. And just like how the sun and the earth create an interesting play of light and shadow, the Tala Asa light sculptures bring that interesting dynamic to a smaller degree in your home, office, or any space that needs just a little bit of natural inspiration to bring it to life.

The post Stone light sculptures use shadow play to create a more dramatic effect first appeared on Yanko Design.

These stone-like outdoor loudspeakers are perfect for gardens and poolsides

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You often play music indoors because the acoustics is often better inside enclosed spaces. You don’t need to pump up speakers to the max to be heard, and you don’t risk annoying neighbors with genres they might have no love for. Plus, most audio equipment like speakers aren’t exactly meant to stay outdoors for long, lest Mother Nature wreaks havoc on their sensitive electronics. Lately, however, it has been trendy to have outdoor gatherings to celebrate newfound freedom from home quarantines and restrictions, not to mention parties at pools that really get crowds wet and wild, especially during summer. Fortunately, there are indeed speakers designed not only to be heard outdoors but also to survive whatever weather may come, and Focal’s new set of speakers definitely looks the part of weather-beaten objects.

Designer: Focal

There are admittedly quite a number of speakers that can withstand a splash of water or some dust, but these aren’t meant to be left outside for long periods of time. Those that are designed to be more permanent outdoor fixtures do meet the durability requirement, but they also clearly stand out as alien parts of your garden or pool. That might be fine for some people, but others might prefer outdoor speakers with a bit more discretion in how they blend with their surroundings.

The new OD Stone 8 from Focal’s line of Littora 200 outdoor speakers easily fits the bill with its round, egg-like shape and its textured finishes that deceive your eyes into thinking they’re made of stone. These loudspeakers easily fit almost any outdoor motif, whether it’s a lush garden or a pool with concrete surroundings, which covers pretty much all poolsides. These speakers are also IP55 rated, which means they’ll survive both a rainstorm and an accidental jet of water from the pool.

The Littora 200 collection also includes the new OD Sub 12, a subwoofer that you can partially bury underground to mix with the rest of your garden. These also come shaped like giant mushrooms, so they will blend well with other plants, not to mention the boulder-like OD Stone 8. These two speakers complement each other not only in terms of acoustics but also in thematic appearance.

Of course, no one will probably mistake these speakers for real mushrooms and stones, especially given how geometrically perfect they look. It’s still a nice touch, though, to have audio equipment that is almost virtually invisible rather than standing out and becoming a visual distraction. And they aren’t all just about good looks, though that’s definitely one of their selling points. The speakers are also equipped with Focal’s Iris cone drivers, so you get the brand’s full audio expertise at your beck and call as well.

The post These stone-like outdoor loudspeakers are perfect for gardens and poolsides first appeared on Yanko Design.

These elegant colored glass pieces are actually dyed using crushed stones

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Just like with clothing, it’s also too easy to take for granted how glass-based products can actually be harmful to the environment in the long run. While glass itself is made from sustainable resources, the dyes used to give them vibrant colors are toxic to the environment. Even worse, colored glass can’t easily be recycled because of that mixture and because it’s nearly impossible to bring the material back to its natural transparent state. To make decorative glass truly sustainable, a new method of coloring glass needs to be developed, and one designer embarked on a journey of two years and hundreds of miles to come up with a solution that matches Haute Joaillerie in elegance but surpasses it in sustainability.

Designer: Salome Maarek

Glass is beautiful and useful in so many ways. It is used in furniture as functional parts of tables and shelves, and it is used in decorative pieces that require reflective or transparent surfaces and faceted forms. It can even be used in place of precious stones, and, of course, stained glass has been in use for centuries. As beautiful as it may be, colored glass apparently has a dirty secret. They are, unfortunately, toxic to the environment both in their production and disposal.

In searching for a better way to make beautiful glass, Jerusalem-based Salome Maarek looked to natural stones for the answer. The designer initially considered dyes from fruits and plants but realized that they had their own negative environmental impact as well. Stones, on the other hand, are in abundance, but Maarek didn’t just grab any stone. The stones are locally sourced, that is, they come from different regions in Israel. And to make the process environment-friendly from start to finish, the stones were gathered while journeying on foot or by bus.

The glass itself is made from typical ingredients like silica, sodium bicarbonate, dolomite, and the like, while crushed stone powder is mixed in to act as natural dye. The stones themselves come in various forms like potash, copper, sand, and clay, and this variety has resulted in different colors and textures. So far, the process has yielded colors such as moldavite green, turquoise blue, indigolite, amber-orange, and tourmaline yellow, all without the use of harmful chemicals and materials.

There are some considerations that make this sustainable way of making colored glass a bit more difficult than normal, harmful colored glass. For example, the glass was melted at only 1,200C for hours, which is a lower but more sustainable temperature. This meant that the glass had to be mold-blown rather than using a more common hand-blowing technique.

The result, however, is definitely worth all that work, with a beautiful piece of colored glass that can withstand pressure up to 5 tons. It can also survive temperature changes without cracking, unlike regular colored glass. And even if made with unconventional materials and methods, the result is glass that can be used as a more durable alternative to Haute Joaillerie, offering gorgeous pieces of gem-like glass that don’t show a single clue that they were colored using ordinary stone.

The post These elegant colored glass pieces are actually dyed using crushed stones first appeared on Yanko Design.

This stone-inspired mechanical keyboard turns typing into a meditative activity

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When you need to finish a story or program, this keyboard could help you to get into the zone with its appearance and sounds.

Conventional keyboards are pretty much made from plastic, giving them a bit of a cheap look and feel. Of course, there are mechanical keyboards that raise the bar higher in terms of materials as well as typing experience, and there are even all-metal variants that give the typing tool an industrial character. It is only recently that both designers and computer users have become a bit more interested in making their keyboards look more appealing or unique, but many of them tend to lean on the wild side of colors and design. Enter the Mason60- Zen Series of keyboards that give the most used and abused computer peripheral are more somber look and feel, inspired by the most stoic part of nature: a stone.

Designer: Brazen Studio

While many people will find it a bit annoying, there is also something almost hypnotic about the sound of keyboard typing, especially when using mechanical keyboards. Proof of that is how some ASMR videos or sounds make use of typing as part of these sometimes comical antics on the Web. Of course, when you’re frantically typing to meet a deadline, the sound coming from a keyboard will be similarly chaotic and stress-inducing, so it might sometimes help to have a visual reminder to slow down, stay still, and take a deep breath. Unsurprisingly, imagery related to Zen gardens is perfect for inducing such a calming mental state.

It’s easy enough to paint a keyboard case with a stone-like coating and call it a day, but that is a little boring and only addresses one of the two main senses. The Mason60- Zen keyboard, in contrast, uses a cement resin composite that gives it nearly the same substantial feeling and weight as stone, but without actually having to carve out the keyboard case from rock. It isn’t as heavy as stone either, but it’s no featherweight either at 1.65kg. While it does make moving the keyboard more taxing, it also makes it more stable and less likely to slide on your desk.

Brazen Studio goes beyond the looks, however, and makes sure your fingers can also feel the Zen. After being cast in a mold, the case is acid-etched to create a surface that closely mimics the texture of stone. Unfortunately, that does mean the process uses harmful chemicals that make the product less sustainable.

If those weren’t enough to set the Mason60- Zen keyboard apart from the crowd, the fact that each one is painstakingly finished by hand cements its status as an artisan piece, pun intended. That means that no two keyboards will exactly be identical, elevating their status beyond mere computer accessories. Those could be some of the thoughts and inspiration that go through your mind while you happily type on this beautiful mechanical keyboard, hopefully helping you to get into the mood and focus on the task at hand.

The post This stone-inspired mechanical keyboard turns typing into a meditative activity first appeared on Yanko Design.

This sustainable material made from shell waste is cheaper & eco-friendly alternative to concrete!

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Each year over 7 million tons of seashells are thrown away by the seafood industry into landfills. Shells are not biodegradable and have a very high disposal cost which harms the environment as well as the restaurant owners. So this innovative, women-run,  material lab called Newtab-22 created Sea Stone – a natural product made from seashell waste that was salvaged from the seafood and aquaculture industries. It is a sustainable alternative to using concrete – one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions – in the making of smaller products.

Sea Stone is made by grinding down shells that are destined for landfills before combining them with natural, non-toxic binders. This grants the material a terrazzo-like aesthetic. The aim is to make it a sustainable alternative to concrete in the design of small-scale products, as the two materials share similar properties. Seashells are rich in calcium carbonate aka limestone, which is used to make cement – a key ingredient of concrete.

The process involves grinding down the shells and mixing them with natural binders. They are then added to a mould and left to solidify into concrete-like tiles. This method is currently carried out manually to avoid the use of heat, electricity and chemical treatments and ensure the process is as sustainable and affordable as possible. It results in variations in the sizes, textures and colours of the shell fragments and means that each piece of Sea Stone is unique. You can get different textures by altering the number of shells, binders, or adding coloured dyes for aesthetics.

“Even though some of the seashells have been recycled and used as fertilisers, the majority of them are being thrown into landfills or by the seaside. The discarded seashells, which are uncleaned or rotten, have not been cleared away at all and they have been piling up near the beach for a long time, thus causing odour pollution and polluting the surrounding land in the long run. Sea Stone proposes the use of discarded seashells to create environmentally and economically sustainable material rather than contributing to the world’s rubbish problem,” explained Newtab-22.

Newtab-22 has experimented with an array of natural binders in the development of Sea Stone, including sugar and agar. It is now reliant on two undisclosed and patent-pending sources. The material is currently being developed for commercial purposes and has so far been used to make products such as decorative tiles, tabletops, plinths and vases.

While the properties of the concrete and Sea Stone are similar, to truly replicate the strength of traditional concrete required in large-scale projects like buildings, an energy-intensive heating process would be required. This would be comparable to the method used to make cement, which accounts for half of all the CO2 emissions that result from using concrete. “The power of the material is different, we do not want to harm the environment in the process or the outcome,” said Hyein Choi, co-founder of the studio.

Sea Stone is versatile, durable and a lightweight alternative to not only concrete but also plastic – it can be used to produce several objects while repurposing waste, reducing carbon emissions of the toxic counterpart materials and keeping the costs low. Time to find that girl who sells sea shells by the sea shore, eh?

Designer: Newtab-22

Core Glow Stones Make Paths Glow in the Dark

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Do you have a path or driveway that gets really dark when the sun goes down? You could install traditional path lighting to help guide your way, or you could make the ground beneath your feet glow in the dark, which looks much, much cooler if you ask me.

Core Glow makes special stones that are made with photoluminescent microcrystals, enabling them to glow as darkness falls. Charged up under bright sunlight or a direct ultraviolet light source, the stones can glow for up to 12 hours at a time. Like other glow-in-the-dark materials they do fade out as the night goes on, so they’re brightest for the first couple of hours after they’re charged up.

The stones can be incorporated into both indoor and outdoor projects by setting them into concrete, or used loose like gravel. Using concrete means you can make permanent designs, and won’t have to worry about them getting kicked around. You can also toss them along the edges of a path to create a border effect.

Core Glow makes their glowing stones in blue, green, or aqua, and in different diameters which can create various effects based on their size and density. For the brightest glow, their quantum grade aggregate is the material of choice. Prices for the commercial grade start around $39 for a 1-pound bag, which should cover about 16 square feet, while the wuantum grade starts at $45. You can also get a commercial grade sample kit for $48, or a small sampler of quantum grade for $20 if you just want to test some out.