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I discovered the fascinating world of books when I was a very little girl, having my grand-father right there, beside me, leading my steps and making sure that I was making the right choices. As I had access to all sorts of unusual spaces, that could become reality only when day dreaming through the adventures of fabulous characters, I have always imagined by perfect corner of the earth.

That corner was the place where I could read in peace, far from the torment and the noise of my daily environment. And guess what? A circular bookcase design, just like the Reaction Bookshelf, is something that seems to perfectly fit the corner of my dreams, as if it was especially designed for the explorer child I once was.

Created by the designer Olivier Peyricot, the Reaction was elaborated back in 1996 (oh my God, it seems so far off) and launched in 1997. You can comfortably read whatever you like most while resting your bones in a circular bookcase design surrounded by books.

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“A cross-section of a space lab in which we pursue our literary discoveries, Reaction participates in the perception of the piecemeal world that surrounds us. Micro-architecture for the interior, scenographic expression of exterior reality, Reaction prepares us for our return to the land of noise”.

The Reaction measures 1830 mm in length, 1830 mm in width and 1830 mm in height. If you’re taller than that, you can always customize the bookcase according to your height. It sounds great, isn’t it? But is seems too good to be true. So, I’m sure you are already ready to hear the disadvantage. The price. The hefty price. No more, no less than 2,440 Euros (including VAT).

(Source: Dvice)

What do you do when you want to come up with an ingenious architecture that you are hoping to be a perfect mixture between creativity and eco-friendliness? Well, you ask some mad men to give you a hand. Don’t laugh at me, ‘cause I’m not kidding you! You can take these two words - “mad men” – as literally as you like.

Because the Chinese architects that some of you might have heard of, know under the name of MAD, (did I tell you that you’d better not laugh or did I not?) had one hell of an idea: to recreate the city center of Huaxi, a district in Guyiang, China. And in order to do that, MAD gathered 11 young international architects such as Atelier Manferdini (USA), BIG (Denmark), Dieguez Fridman (Argentina), EMERGENT/Tom Wiscombe (USA), HouLiang Architecture (China), Mass Studies (Korea), Rojkind Arquitectos (Mexico), Serie (UK/India) and Sou Fujimoto Architects (Japan).

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The MAD architects and their guests were part of an urban experiment that was aimed at conceiving a masterplan which was to be developed by Shanghai Tongij Urban Planning and Design Institute, Studio 6, in collaboration with MAD.



Therefore, during a three-day workshop that took place in the summer of 2008, each participant had to bring an independent design for the final masterplan, according to “their own understanding and interpretation of the local natural and cultural elements”.



“The ecological method here is not just focused in saving energy; rather, the goal is to create a new, balanced urban atmosphere which can evoke the feeling of exploring the natural environment. The city is no longer determined by the leftover logic of the industrial revolution (speed, profit, efficiency), but instead follows the ‘fragile rules’ of nature. This collaborative experiment thus provides an alternative, responsive model for the development of the urban centre: a man-made symbiosis, in harmony with nature, in which people are free to develop their own independent urban experience”.

The purpose is indeed noble! You can make no question of it, but come on! Where is the privacy, guys, with those glass-made-of buildings? I can understand transparency, but this is a little bit too much!

(Source: Dvice)

Ordinary gadgets are aimed at ordinary people, while eccentric devices are targeted at people who characterize themselves by the most unbelievable pretentions. I know it’s not fair and I’m not the one saying it, but many human beings think this way.

Normal people are familiar, for example, with normal desks. It doesn’t mean they’re poorer than others (how some would dare to say) it just means that they don’t give a damn on material things as much as others do. Eccentric people, on the other hand, due to the fact that they want to feel like possessing the whole world, are tempted to buy all sorts of unusual things.

A relevant example in the given context is the Globus Scriptorium, a huge white globe that, once opened, reveals the most outstanding contemporary computer desk of them all. It looks like an unidentified flying object that could scare the hell out of anyone.

Created by Dutch designer Michiel van der Kley, the Globus Scriptorium’s idea is based on the eclectic designs which were conceptualized by the innovators of the 1930s. The sphere consists of two polyurethane hemispheres that form a leather seat and a workspace.

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The most important advantage of the Globus Scriptorium is the fact that is saves the user a lot of space, which is quite nice, you know? But I don’t know whether it compensates the high price. Because, let me break the news to you: this contemporary computer desk will “lessen” your pockets with an impressive amount of money: $7,000 plus $4,000 shipping. Don't blame me, 'cause I'm not selling this thing, blame Hammacher Schlemmer!

(Source: Dvice)

Usually, when you ask someone about bookshelf speakers, they will tell you that the first thing to come into their mind has to do with common speakers fit on bookshelves. But Polish designers Witek Stefaniak and Anielka Zdanowicz came up with something more innovative. They combined the two, meaning the speakers and the shelves, the result being a pretty elegant multi-tasking piece of furniture.

The concept isn’t brand new, as there were several similar attempts in the past, but what you have to admit is that the Soundshelf is different as far as the design is concerned.

The Soundshelf is multi-functional, helping people not only to listen to their favorite music, but also to store books, CDs, videos and so on.

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“Why the traditional speaker has to be put away in the corner of the room or hidden in the wall? Speaker could be displayed, and the additional function could be imparted. The object becomes the item of furniture by a simple arrangement of DVD and books. Two suggestions of shape give the possibility to arrange the interior in the modern style and to achieve a good quality of home video amplification”. This is how the designers explained the concept they created.



The Soundshelf is just a concept for the moment, but there’s no doubt about the fact that the product will be a genuine success if it ever hits the mass production.

(Source: gadgets.boingboing.net)

For those who are into greener devices and who pretend to care about the environment more than they care about their… mother (I don’t know if something like this is possible. Maybe about their mother-in-law, that’s more like it), let me introduce to you an innovative device, the greenest washing machine of them all.

The Hand-Powered Washing Machine is precisely what the doctor ordered, and when I’m going to tell you all about it, you’ll understand my words. In the first place, the device doesn’t require electricity in order to work, which means that it will save you great amounts of money when the energy bill arrives. In addition, it is portable, so you’ll be able to use it wherever you like and you won’t have to worry about the lack of electricity. On the other hand, if you have just a couple of clothes to wash, the Hand-Powered washing machine will have this problem solved for you, because you won’t have to wait to store up great amounts of laundry.

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This small washing machine is made of plastic and there is no mechanical part involved. Being so small, you can store it wherever you like, move it from one place to another, or take it with you on road trips, camping trips and so on. Not to mention the fact that it comes assembled, so the only thing you have to do is to just attach the handle and you’re ready to go!



As if it weren’t enough already, the device requires small amounts of water and powder detergent per load (there are instructions included concerning the appropriate amounts and temperatures) and has a very fast washing cycle, which lasts from 10 seconds to no more than 2 minutes.

If you’re interested in this small washing machine which, in addition, comes in a so very green “outfit”, you can go grab it for $49.99 .

(Source: coolest-gadgets.com)