Home Tech: Where's My Robot Housekeeper?

A charming new film called”Robot & Frank” takes place in the not too distant future, where humanoid robot housekeepers are trivial. (The direct robot personality also acts as caregiver to an aging man and, finally, as co-conspirator and friend.)

It is a frequent theme in popular culture. From Isaac Asimov’s”I, Robot” series published starting in 1950 to the Will Smith movie of the same title to”The Jetsons,” have guaranteed a future where smart machines would wash our dishes and do our laundry.

In every one of those fictional depictions, housecleaning robots are humanoid. The home of the future is washed by something approximating a human servant re-created out of circuits and machined metal components.

Frank Langella in”Robot & Frank”

It is the future today, is not it? So where’s your robot housekeeper? It turns out that a few elements of autonomous housekeeping were harder than imagined. The mechanical problems have been resolved, and the”intelligence” to carry out domestic chores — for example, draining dishes and placing them into a dishwasher — is also doable.

Two problems prevent us from getting”The Jetsons'” Rosie the Robot: pattern recognition and decision making.

Your brain’s skills to recognize what objects are, and to contextualize them, are far beyond even the most effective computer. These skills are required for even the most commonplace of national pursuits.

So with the current technologies, humanoid, all-purpose cleaning robots are out of the question and will be for quite some time.

The fantastic thing is that little housecleaning robots which specialize in just one task are becoming more and more accessible and affordable.

Roomba 650 Floor Cleaner – $399.99

Floor-Cleaning Robots

Robots that vacuum rugs and wash floors have been around awhile, and they improve with every generation.

The chief in the group is a company named iRobot. They make vacuum cleaner robots under a brand called the Roomba and cleansing or floor-washing robots known as the Scooba. Other companies have emerged which also sell Roomba-like robot vacuums.

In general, these floor-cleaning robots are all round, flat and operate on re-chargable batteries. They map the room in their robot brains and make multiple passes in every area. Sensors stop them from tumbling down stairs and permit them to clean around the bottoms of furniture. Many return to their charging channels, so the only human intervention required is the occasional emptying of their dirt bubbles and cleaning of their brushes.

One of iRobot’s most recent products is state of the art. Called the Roomba 650, this floor cleaner automatically corrects for various sorts of floors and carpets. And it has a fresh layout for transferring dirt into an enlarged bin, which involves draining less often. You can program it to clean up to seven times each week starting at whatever time you specify.

WCR-I001 Window Cleaning Robot – $539.99

Window-Cleaning Robots

A new category of robot does windows! These generally involve two light and small units that you set on all sides of the window — one side cleans, and the other hand holds it against the glass using magnets and controls direction and speed.

Once you turn it loose, the robot cleans horizontally until it reaches the other side of the window; then it makes another pass in the opposite direction a few inches lower. These passes until the window is done, repeat.

One of the leading brands is Named Windoro WCR-I001 Window Cleaning Robot. It cleans replaceable microfiber cloths and runs for approximately two hours on a battery charge, as stated by the manufacturer.

Looj 330 – $299.99

Rain Gutter-Cleaning Robots

iRobot creates a gadget known as the Looj 330, which won’t only clean your roof’s rain gutters without much effort on your part, it will reduce your ladder time, which makes that seasonal gutter-cleaning chore safer.

The Looj is a lanky, watertight mini-tank that fits to the gutter. You turn it on and let it go, and its large, rubberized flaps flip the leaves and junk out of your gutters.

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Brick Oddities Throw Home Design a Curveball

Among the hundreds of thousands of home photographs on , many fall into some broad stylistic types. Designs rooted in conventional fashions tend to predominate , and contemporary houses receive their fair share, even though both camps can scarcely agree. Even in the eclectic category, lots of the buildings are still quite similar to conventional or modern/contemporary houses, with minor idiosyncrasies.

However, what about the really odd? Showing some of these houses was my target in this ideabook, and mercifully, I have discovered a couple of.

Bernard Andre Photography

Take away all the curves moving this way and that, and this house in Northern California may just fit in with additional contemporary houses on . However, why do so? They give this hillside residence so much character. It appears as though the numerous volumes and curves work in perfect balance, the convex curve on the left rooting the house into the site as the concave curve on the right leans over the incline.

Bernard Andre Photography

A ravine of sorts stays between these two curving volumes. This is the entry stairway below a third volume that’s also restricted by a curving roof.

Bernard Andre Photography

This view of this leaning volume provides a small glimpse inside, where we can observe a curving interior wall around the floor. It’s excellent to see that the curves are not just skin deep.

omnidome

Additionally curved at odds with the first instance, are these DomeHouses out of Korea. Where the hillside house is habit indoors and outside, the DomeHouse is a prefabricated construction purported to take four hours to get a few people to build. Bucky Fuller may be proud, given they’re prefab, around (surrounding the most space) and extremely lightweight. I’m not sure about these square windows inserted into the domes, though.

omnidome

Indoors, the DomeHouse is precisely what you would expect: a dome. Furnishing a little, single-room dome isn’t simple (note the way the apparel “violates” the world), but you can not assert that it does not have character.

Uni architecture

This is the XS House, which I believe is pretty cool–it’s so basic yet so distinct. Uni Architecture altered them relative to each other and used three boxes. Windows are cut into portions of the boxes.

Uni architecture

Along with the windows, light comes in through the gaps that are created by altering the boxes relative to each other. Like I said.

Charles Debbas Architecture

This house is completely contemporary, without one detail: that curved window cut into the metal facade. Is your house smiling? Can Amazon’s largest stockholder live there?

Charles Rose Architects Inc..

Speaking of odd facts, how about this scupper that projects from the copper-clad residence? Let us call this the Pinocchio scupper.

GMK Architecture Inc

I have heard of reusing barns for residences, but how can one reuse a concrete silo? In the looks of it, the cylinder connects the two pieces on either side, so stairs would be a good guess. The “hat” on the top indicates a secluded loft or escape as well.

SmartPlayhouse.com

Illinois Outdoor Playhouse – EUR 8,500

The strangest example yet may be the miniaturization of a contemporary masterpiece into a playhouse, like in Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House (Plano, IL, 1951). Mies supposedly said, “God is in the details,” in that case the playhouse is sadly lacking — it is wood rather than steel and contains corner posts where the first had none. But it instantly recalls the first in an odd sort of way.

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Green Home Tucked at a Forest

After four generations of family summer vacations spent at their cottage in Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Bill and Carol Page understood this area on the Sunshine Coast is where they’d build their dream home after retirement. The environmentally conscious bunch worked with Montgomery Wood Architect to the majority of the design, using local timber and high tech sustainable attributes where they could. The Pages retained all of the cut-off material during construction and are now using the bits in handmade furniture. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts age, their home design is a lively mixture of fresh, contemporary lines and simple craftsmanship.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Bill and Carol Page
Location: Roberts Creek, Sunshine Coast, British Columbia
Size: 1,600 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, office, workshop, spacious garage
That’s intriguing: Rainwater kept in a cistern under the sun deck is used for irrigation and a koi fish tank.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The few took advantage of their long, narrow lot by placing the house to the back and opening the bright front to get a garden, a driveway and a deck.

Carol’s bent for growing and her experience working at theDevonian Botanic Garden at the University of Alberta helped turn their front garden into a lush oasis. She also planted a lively mixture of hydrangeas, Russian sage, elder, montbretia,Euphorbia, daylilies, Kinnikinnick, clematis,honeysuckle, bamboo, daisies, black-eyed Susan, dogwoodand showy stonecrop — among many different plants.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Rather than interfere with the sun deck at the front, the homeowners put the door to the side of this lot and let the entryway into bisect the dwelling and private areas of the house.

The local cedar siding was hand-dipped in a stain by a local painter to protect the timber from weather and boost the color’s longevity. Painted a forest green, two trim accents were utilized: rough-cut Douglas fir and stained vertical-grain Douglas fir, which carries on inside the house.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Front deck wraps around the face of the house.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The main living room opens onto the sun deck and the kitchen; windows make good use of this whole lot’s southwest orientation.

The design highlights the progression from backyard to deck into dwelling spaces and then private locations. Clean and simple buttery walls match the warmth of this timber siding outside.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The big central island serves as a prep and dining space.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The spacious floor plan, the vaulted ceiling and the skylights make an airy feel in the living areas.

Freshly cut hydrangeas in the backyard are an instant centerpiece.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Glass doors connect the home’s interior with its lawn.

A furnace that is efficient, on-demand hot water and in-slab heating keep the house warm in the winter. However, strategic window placement along with the insulated thermal mass of the concrete flooring mean heating is seldom required.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Steel spindles from a Vancouver company were a successful design experiment.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The upstairs home office overlooks the primary roof and provides an opinion of the Georgia Strait.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The upstairs bathroom is straightforward and pragmatic, with a huge tub and dual-flush toilets.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Carol’s upstairs sewing area also looks out to the front of the house and the Georgia Strait.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Efficient multipurpose spaces promote circulation into different areas of the house. The laundry area area also functions as the back hallway, leading to the downstairs storage area along with the garage and shop areas out the back. Large light wells on each side of the space welcome light to the home’s deepest areas.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The lower patio is enveloped by Carol’s backyard — a refuge secluded in plain sight. Carol maintains an edible garden with a wide selection, including beans, lettuce, raspberries, cucumber, squash, swiss chard, kale, chives and leeks.

The couple is responsible for all of the landscape design, plantings and built structures. Many of the plantings are heirlooms from different families’ homes around British Columbia and Alberta, and lots of the new plantings are native species.

Ryan Nelson Photography

The cottage style of Roberts Creek lends itself well to a massive setback site, instead of a tight urban cloth. The house almost blends into the woods. Carol and Bill’s home is now a destination for future generations of their family to enjoy annually.

telephone: Do you have a creative, ecofriendly home? Discuss it with us!

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A Manhattan Loft Slides Into Flexibility

This Tour is an instance of art impacting life: architect Azin Valy took inspiration from her customer’s artistic work when changing a cramped two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood into an open, expansive loft. In her work, artist and client Suzanne Russell frequently deals with “interrelated parts that are constantly shifting and moving.” It’s a philosophy that Valy applied when she incorporated sliding doors, built-in cabinets and “smart glass” windows that go from transparent to opaque.

“Casper [Russell’s partner, a Danish attorney] also has an eye for perfection and minimalism, so the attic is our collaborative attempt at translating their requirement for a space that reflects their characters and thoughts,” says Valy.

at a Glance
Who lives here: A retirement home for Suzanne Russell and Casper Munter
Location: New York City
Size: 1,500 square feet
That is interesting: In the late 1900s, the flat was tenement housing.

I-Beam Design

All the walls in the flat were stripped to the first brick foundation. “The apartments used to be row-house buildings before they were converted to condos from the 1980s,” says Valy.

I-Beam Design

The sleek, contemporary spirit of the appliances, the Caesarstone countertop and the white cabinetry contrasts using the white oak floor and recycled-beam pub in the kitchen.

Would you see that the smart-glass windows that transition from clear to frosted at the flick of a change (from inside the bathroom)?

I-Beam Design

Following is a closer look at one of the windows from the kitchen right now it’s in transparent mode and allows light to flood the bath from the home living room. Along with being a natural light source, the windows are just plain fun.

Kitchen designers: Urban Homes; countertop: Caesarstone

I-Beam Design

Following is a peek at the window inside of the toilet while it’s frosted for privacy.

I-Beam Design

Materials utilized in the kitchen can also be utilized in the bathroom, linking the two spaces. “Reclaimed classic subway tiles from the kitchen also surround the tub in the toilet,” says Valy. The identical Caesarstone countertop used from the kitchen cascades on sills and shelves in the toilet as well.

I-Beam Design

The clients’ minimalist style is evident from the bedroom, in which a task lamp and a pair of reclaimed planks are the only decoration. A reddish side table gives the spare room a place of color.

I-Beam Design

A close look at this picture reveals a mirrored door, which creates the illusion of a extended narrow space by representing the distance resulting in the living space. Interestingly, the hallway used to be a shaft between two row houses.

“Our goal from the renovation was always to reflect the clients’ modern sensibilities,” says Valy. “But keeping the brick walls and keeping up the appearance of the shaftway-turned-hallway roots the space to its tenant housing history.”

I-Beam Design

The living area and the dining area can be connected or separated. Sliding doors (the track along the ceiling is envisioned here) let the room to change from open to private.

I-Beam Design

A closer look at the sliding doors that separate the living area in the dining room.

I-Beam Design

Here we see the sliding door can separate the guest bedroom (at right) in the dining room — and the way that it can also visually connect the two spaces.

I-Beam Design

The floor plan shows the way the living spaces are interconnected and the way one area bleeds into another. The flat retains its raw and open quality with the help of temporary obstacles that allow the room to accommodate and transform based on the privacy requirements of the clients.

More:
400-Square-Foot Unfolding Apartment in Manhattan

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Sift During 8 Stylish Sandboxes

When it comes to garden playtime, children do not need a whole lot of bells and whistles. Take sandboxes, such as — tots are perfectly happy with a couple primary boards nailed to a square and stuffed using the powdery stuff. You, on the other hand, might like something a little more refined to elevate the appearance of your picture. Have a look at these inventive sandbox suggestions to create a kid-friendly play zone with grown-up allure.

Globus Builder

This arrangement appears simple but packs in quite a bit of function. The benches on each side keep little tushes out of the sand and offer a place for parents to perch also, and the roof shelters children from a lot of sun.

Together with the cover on, this sandbox looks like a detail. However, the cover’s role goes beyond beauty — it also protects the sand from cats or other animals who may treat it as a litter box, and shields it from fall leaves and spring rains.

Exteriorscapes llc

This sandbox is wrapped beneath a arrangement that looks like a child’s own beach cabana. Removable grates on top of the box make it easy to sift out debris and keep out critters.

Agnes Blum

Coupled with sand, a boat-shaped wooden box becomes a playspace which kindles the imagination on multiple levels.

Stout Design-Build

Here’s 1 approach to guarantee a soft landing! Kids can zoom down the slip into a pit of sand that is ready and waiting for playtime.

gytis

Though its design is streamlined, this sunken sandbox is oriented along the walkway so thoughtfully that it becomes an essential component of the hardscaping.

Garden design perth

An accomplishment of green design as well as visual appeal, this trio of industrial-size water drums includes a sandy place for teeny-tinies to relish.

This free-form sand pit appears to flow like water along the stones that surround it.

Sandbox Safety
After your sand-filled setup is ready for playtime, follow these ideas to keep little ones safe:

• Replace sand at least one time every year. Old sand may harbor bacteria that lingers throughout the off season.
• Be mindful of the sand you decide on. Some varieties contain crystalline silica, a carcinogenic compound, so look for manufacturers which are marked “silica free.” River or shore sand is generally fine, and businesses like Safe Sand offer great options too.
• Have your sandbox fitted with a pay to ward off pets and wildlife and keep sand warm during rainy days. If sand does get wet, let it dry completely before you replace the cover.
• Aerate sand occasionally using a trowel or rake to test for garbage and other debris.
• Always supervise sandbox playtime, particularly for younger children who may be tempted to taste the contents.

Read thousands of smart kids’ spaces

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10 Vibrant Midcentury Modern Living Rooms

Let’s just be honest. As amazing as it is with that gently curving teak and those blank lines, midcentury modern can be a little, well, primitive occasionally. At its best it’s filled with color, art and playfulness. At its worst, it’s a bleak Soviet vibe.

All these midcentury beauties have the ability to do it just right — to maintain their true midcentury cred without sacrificing whimsy, nature and color. In some cases they are downright comfy, proving that midcentury does not have to stick to a lockstep minimalism to be authentic.

LDa Interiors & Architecture

These furnishings possess the clean, simple lines of great Danish modern, but the layered designs and textures in the rugs, pillows and upholstery give it warmth.

Jan Skacelik

The decoration is pure midcentury blue blood, right down to the Saarinen Tulip Chair along with the trio of Nelson lights. But due to the bright white paint along with the marigold-yellow couch, it’s likewise cheery and welcoming.

Dufner Heighes Inc

This chamber is 1950s. Can not you just picture a few sipping martinis on that couch?

Johnson Berman

Clean, simple and uncluttered. But with a mixture of textures and patterns in the rugs and lots and lots of natural lighting.

Hammer Architects

If the 1970s counted as midcentury, then that low-slung living space, built around the gorgeous Fireorb fireplace, would be on the mark.

Ninainvorm

The midcentury modern version of the cozy cottage, complete with patchwork rug.

SHKS Architects

The pedestal table, the spindle clock along with the Jen Risom sofa seats are midcentury icons. But the room has not gone overboard with its own theme. It seems contemporary.

Even without a great deal of color, this impeccably put-together midcentury room includes warmth. It’s partially because the bones of the Spanish home seem to be much, much older.

Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

A Moebius side table puts the mid century tone here. Nevertheless, the contemporary art, bright accessories and upholstery make the room bright and unique.

Shirley Meisels

Some traditional pieces — including a shag rug! — a minimalist strategy, and a simple tricolor palette give this space a very calm, quiet feel.

John Lum Architecture, Inc.. AIA

It’s bright, easy and open with the right icons, however, the ceiling is what actually makes it. Nobody did wood and white like the designers of the midcentury.

Ninainvorm

Another comfy version of midcentury. Rather than sterile and serious, this room seems fun and lighthearted.

Watch more midcentury and modern decorating guides

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Trestle

A trestle is the bridgelike structure which can be found behind a tabletop. It consist of two vertical studs, or legs, and a horizontal brace.

Charlie & Co.. Design, Ltd

The trestle with this rustic farm-style table includes a wonderful raw finish, in keeping with the table’s overall look.

McClellan Architects

A contemporary trestle table with banquette seating fits well within this contemporary space.

lilach shahaf

This trestle table works well within this clean-lined dining space, but it would fit into a more traditional design too.

Cary Bernstein Architect

The simplicity and stability of trestle construction is a good match with Amish furniture.

Rachel Reider Interiors

This trestle table dark-stained oval table top matches the curves of this built-in bench seat.

Cristi Holcombe Interiors, LLC

While most trestle tables feature a single trestle, here they double up to support a table at a sawhorselike manner.

Read more trestle photos

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Layout Calendar: May 24–June 14, 2012

Play Home in a Time Space in Brooklyn or get crafty at Chicago’s Randolph Street Market Using a DIY workshop. Whether scoring the great antique wood carving or sussing out the newest modern product is something, our roundup of events has something to you.

West Architecture Studio

TOUR — June 9–10, 2012
Modern Atlanta Home Tour

Among the modern homes selected for this year’s self-guided Modern Atlanta home tour, curated by AIA Atlanta, are a farmhouse inspired by Edward Hopper paintings and the modern live-work area of TaC Studios. See how a number of the designers efficiently incorporate sustainable materials and green construction practices with digital technology. Designers include Dencity, Lightroom, Plexus R+D, Clark & Zook and West Architecture Studio (photograph).

Hours: 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Price: $35; $25 students. Purchase tickets online

brooklynmuseum.org

EXHIBIT — May 25–Aug. 26, 2012
“Playing House”
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn, New York

See how four modern artists changed eight period rooms to bridge the past and current. Betty Woodman decked outside a dining room (photograph) with color-saturated ceramics and paintings; Mary Lucier set up video which plays right on the antique furniture Ann Agee altered a artist studio and Anne Chu attracted nature inside via mixed media.

Hours: Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday
Price: $12 suggested contribution

randolphstreetmarket.com

MARKET — May 26–27, 2012
Randolph Street Market
Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington, Chicago

The Randolph Street Market is home to four indoor-outdoor markets, including the popular Chicago Antique Market. Shop for that special vintage brooch at Modern Vintage Chicago or some handmade present at the Indie Designer Industry. Take in the spring sunshine around the grounds, learn how to sew at a DIY demonstration from The Sewing Maniac, get urban farming information from the Urban Canopy and visit hundreds of other sellers.

Hours: Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Price: $10 at the gate, $8 in advance; $5 students, $3 in advance. Purchase tickets online

antikbar.co.uk

FAIR — June 7–17, 2012
Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair
Olympia Exhibition Centre, Grand Hall, Olympia Way, London W14 8UX

The Olympia fair draws a large audience of celebrities and other fine art and antiques fans looking for high-caliber pieces. Lectures on topics in the “Trophies of this Russian War” into midcentury cloths are also on the program. See the full schedule

Hours: June 7, 12, 14: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; June 9–11, 13, 15–16: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; June 17:
11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Price: #55 Record day; #10 single entrance; #18 entrance for two; #8 students and seniors.Buy tickets online

caesar.it

SHOW — June 11–13, 2012
NeoCon
Merchandise Mart, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago

Hear from former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley and catch up on design trends, products and interior design concepts for homes, offices, healthcare providers, resorts and institutional spaces at this design exposition and conference. Take your choice from more than 120 CEU-accredited conventions and see what neighborhood design students and emerging designers are around in a special student exhibition.

Hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Price: Expo is free with preregistration, $25 onsite; CEU conventions are $55 with preregistration, $65 onsite. Register online

EXPO — June 5–7, 2012
E3: Electronic Entertainment Expo
Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles

Whether you’re eagerly awaiting another Half-Life setup or you’re working on your own hit video game, E3 is the place to be if you’re in the electronic entertainment industry. Play games soon to appear on screens in living rooms and home media centres, capture demos of new products and watch the most up-to-date in groundbreaking interactive technologies for computers, video game consoles and handheld devices.

Hours: Tuesday, 12–6 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Price: Open to commerce and business professionals only. Register online

Inform us : What’s in your calendar?Let us know in the Remarks.

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Guest Groups: Silliness in the Kitchen

For me, cooking isn’t always fun. But, there are particular times when things get somewhat frustrating, and by frustrating that means anything related to baking (for me, anyway). Regardless of our culinary flaws, we should never take anything too badly. Another deflated self — errr, souffle? I believe that it’s time to get some comic relief! I’m a firm believer in playing along with your meals. Here are my favorite picks for whimsical and marginally over-the-top fantastical kitchen accessories.
— Kristin from The Cuisinerd

Howkapow

Glove And Hate Oven Glove Pair – GBP 24

I’m becoming a bit tough love on my (lack of) success in carbonated. These certainly need to make a permanent appearance hanging out of my kitchen countertop.

notonthehighstreet.com

Tea Rules The World Sugar Bowl And Creamer By Takae Mizutani And Sons – $71.88

Is it the golden detailing or the simple fact that there is a unicorn? OK, it is certainly the fact that you is a unicorn. I’m obsessed!

Fred Flare

Dollhouse Brush And Dustpan Set – $15

I’m having a hard time thinking that this beautiful lady will not immediately pop into life and help wash crumbs like Mrs. Butterworth. She is delightful!

Amazon

A di Alessi Paradise Bird Milk Jug – $32

I’m afraid if I buy this milk jug I might have morning discussions with it on cereal. Heck, that really sounds fantastic!

Howkapow

Dino Salad Servers – GBP 18.95

What did the dino salad fork say to another dino salad ? You know there’s a joke in there someplace. These are beyond enchanting.

UnicaCool

Banana Josephine Timer By Stefano Giovannoni For Alessi – $54

Who better to tell you when the frozen pizza is more prepared than a monkey wearing banana rings?

NORTHERN icon

Showtime Vase two – $267

I love everything about this vase, largely it looks like a Teletubby room suit. I need so badly to get a tulip poking from the chest pocket.

Gretel Home

Beater Whisk – $18

These candy-colored whisks could cure the bluest of days. So will the brownies you make together. Now my only trouble is that color to select! They are absolutely gorgeous.

A+R

“Paper Boat” Table Top Serving Set – $25

How playful are these boat serving dishes? The little spoon oars! The salt and pepper buoys! Tabletops never seemed so fun.

Lumens

Distortion Candlestick – $24

This candlestick immediately sends you on a magical carpet ride to Alice In Wonderland. I love every little quirky bend into it!

designboom

Animal Wine Stopper – $24

Giraffe bottoms are the black and clearly my first pick for corking wine. I can not quit laughing.

Fred Flare

Buddha Butter Dish – $26

Buddha Butter? Try saying that five times fast.

Rare Device

Crow Bottle Opener – $29

This bottle opener is modern, sleek and with purpose, but nevertheless provides a giggle. I believe this is as magnificent as it’s silly. Who has a bottle to open? I need to put this birdie to do the job!

Amazon

Boston Warehouse Brandon Green Veggie Peeler – $9.95

Have you got 10 lbs of sausage looking at you needing peeling? Something tells me that this feisty little lady might make that job a bit more entertaining.

Rare Device

I adore this trivet so much, I would hate to cover this up with a hot pot. It is cheerful, lively and even shaped like a smile.

Boston Warehouse

Toucan Can Opener – $19.99

It is wonderful how just a little play with color can transform a regular object. Having trouble prying open that tin of tomatoes? Toucan take action!

Boston Warehouse

White Octopus Dish Scrubbers – $17.99

I’m a firm believer that putting eyes on any inanimate object is instantaneous comedy. This octopus scrubber is no exception.

Donna Wilson

Use My Beehive Tea Towel – GBP 11.20

Washing dishes might be the least favourite activity in the kitchen. This is probably the final towel I’d use for the task, as it’s just too adorable. Showcased hanging around the oven door it’s!

Gretel Home

Crushed Glass – $14

I have started a collection of small”paper cup” glasses in my cupboard. This crushed version may need to join the ring. I love it!

Amazon

Goldfish Egg Cup By Stefano Giovannoni – $30

There is not any limit to my amusement with egg cups. This one wins not only the color, but also the ability to make a fish look like a manga character. I will take five.

Next: 10 Elements of a Eclectic Kitchen

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Sourcebook: Romantic Style

Style embraces the side of design. Soft textures and colors, a tiny glimmer of light from candles and antique mirrors and, of course, florals all will include a romantic touch to your property. Whether you employ this to one room (might I suggest the bedroom? ) ) Or your entire house, you are going to be feeling more amorous in virtually no time.

Related: So Your Design Is: Romantic

Urban Outfitters

Waterfall Ruffle Duvet Cover – $149

For intimate linens, look no further than cascading ruffles. Ruffles work on curtains bedding and table linens.

Resources:
• Locate this duvet cover, curtains and more at Urban Outfitters.
• Search for shower curtains and other ruffled finds at Rian Rae.

Horchow

Arched Mirror  – $750

Smoky or classic mirrors add a feeling of history in addition to glamour. They are not just for hanging on the wall — attempt leaning mirrors or perhaps mirrored furniture.

Resources:
• Browse the many antique mirror options at Horchow.
• Try these Crate & Barrel mirrors at a grid.
• There are lots of antiqued choices at West Elm.

Wisteria

Large Whitewashed Directoire-Style Chest – $699

Whitewashed wood provides a romantic touch to furniture and accessories alike. The worn patina pairs well with ruffles and other female touches.

Resources:
• See more whitewashed furniture in Wisteria.
• Get mirrors and other amorous bits at Anthropologie.
• Decorative whitewashed wall decoration from Z Gallerie will match any intimate space.

Ballard Designs

Mercury Glass Candleholder – $15

Candlelit dinners are a cliché for a reason: Candlelight is only more amorous than bulbs. Even if you’re not using candles for light, a romantic room requires them to your own mantel, buffet, dresser or dining table.

Resources:
• Check out these candlesticks from Ballard Designs.
• Find lots of antique-inspired designs in Candelabra.

Ada and Darcy

Custom Made Chippendale Bamboo Carver Chair – AUD 650

Floral rolls in cloths and backgrounds add a romantic air. If you are not in the market for new furniture, reupholster a piece you already possess in a flowery fabric.

Resources:
• Get this chair at Ada and Darcy.
• Source amazing ecofriendly floral fabrics at Rubie Green.
• Attempt the fantastically bold florals in Furbish.

Farrow & Ball

Calamine Paint

For paint colors in a romantic residence, stick to airy and soft colors such as this pink. Pastels, hot grays and even shades of white could be romantic.

Resources:
• Attempt this pink: Farrow & Ball Calamine.
• For a cool tone, go with Sherwin-Williams’ Light French Gray.
• For a hot neutral, use Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee.

Pottery Barn

Capiz Flower Pendant – $199

Pretty lighting is a superb way to add a romantic feel to the space. You will want lots of soft lighting throughout your house so you may correct it if the mood strikes. Look for delicate details, floral themes and crystal.

Resources:
• Get this and other romantic lighting in Pottery Barn.
• You will find lots of elegant options at Layla Grayce.
• Lamps Plus includes feminine table lamps.

More inspiration on amorous fashion:
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