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Design

Qubicles

Bookshelves have taken over almost every wall I have.  And while they’re nice, they’re not stylish.   Modular shelving, like these stylish Qubicles, would be really nice.

Sold in sets of three cubes, Qubicles are designed for easy arrangement and variability.  With an inner storage area of 8in x 8in x 6in, each cube provides plenty of room for books, pictures, CDs, or little glass unicorns.  The outer dimensions of each cube is 10in x 10in x 6in.

What makes Qubicles stand out among other modular shelving systems is the bracket system.  Once the bracket is mounted you can rearrange the cubes any way you wish—without having to use tools.  They simply slide in and slide out.

Multiple colors are available.  So, for example, you can change your Qubicle colors for the holidays.  Put up orange and black Qubs at Halloween to display mini pumpkins.  Change it up in time for New Year’s Eve. 

Sound great?  The tricky thing is this:  Qubicles are not yet available for purchase.  They are listed at Quirky, a website devoted to developing and selling inventions and innovations devised by people like us FIYers. 

The way it works is that Qubicles are available for pre-sale at $32 set.  When demand hits a certain threshold, the product goes into the manufacturing stage. 

More about the Quirky revolution coming soon. 

by John Barker

Written by editor on September 4, 2010 at 10:37 am
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Snazzy Tubs

It’s a girly thing to admit, but I love baths.  Don’t get me wrong—I’m not goin’ for any pink foo-foo scented bath salts and such.  But there’s something just plain awesome about soaking in a tub with a book or TV show and a glass of wine—or a decent beer (none of the light crap).

But I don’t know if I could bring myself to even get near one of these tubs.  They’re just . . .too artsy looking to even be tubs – even if they ARE tubs.  Check these out:

SNAZZY TUB # 1: The WS Bath Epoca Free Standing Bathtub

That’s just plain daunting.  I feel like one of the King’s bath-boys would be hovering over me with some sort of tiny bath towel.  And the bathroom would have to be the size of a football field.

This sucker comes in gold as well.

SNAZZY TUB # 2: The WS Bath Milo Glass Bathtub

Yeah, I know.  WS Bath again.  But this thing is really cool.  You know it.  I know it.

But what wouldn’t be cool would be someone walking in while I’m taking a bath.  It would be like viewing a hairless albino seal through a viewing port at Sea World’s Seal Encounter.  Type that many S’s in a sentence and you know how serious this would be.

SNAZZY TUB # 3: Bagno Sasso X Line Free Standing Bathtub

Okay.  This is a bathtub I can wrap my head around.  Or sink my behind into. It’s somewhere behind the built-in towel and soap shelves.  In this case, the tub can be either freestanding or nestled against a wall.  And the taps can be mounted on the wall, floor, a Pillar column, or on the edge of the tub itself.

This is just the tip of the melty iceberg, if ya’ know what I mean, when it comes to the world of designer bathtubs.  I’ll be back with more!

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 30, 2010 at 10:20 am
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Broom Groomer

Okay, I’m just gonna say up front that I’m not sure what the benefit of this product is.  It’s supposed to be a “sweeping improvement” in dustpans.  But why is it called the Broom Groomer?

Let’s check it out together, shall we?

What you have here is a dustpan augmented with a row of rubber teeth in the back.  When you sweep dust into the pan, these teeth supposedly clean the broom’s bristles, which eliminates annoying dust bunnies the sweeper has to dislodge from the broom by hand.  I wish I had a hunting license to bag as many dust bunnies as possible.  I’m sure I currently exceed the limit and could get fined by the cleaning police . . .

Sorry… got distracted for a sec there…

The Broom Groomer is made of durable plastic with rubber on the grip.  A footrest is built into the handle—which angles downward.  This is something that makes a helluva lot of sense to me.  I hate it when I’m sweeping and the dustpan crawls across the flow with each stroke of the broom.

The Broom Groomer is available for pre-sale at Quirky for $9.99.  Here’s the design pitch—and the guy makes quite a good argument about why this is a great idea:

I’m sold.  And believe me, I need it.  The dust bunnies are currently building a warren in my house . . .

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 29, 2010 at 10:05 am
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Cynthia Rowley Pretties Up Your Toolbox

Considering you are on FixItYourself.com, you may not know that Cynthia Rowley is a g0-to name when it comes to choosing an outfit or even a fancy handbag. You’ll just have to take my word for it.  

And now, when it comes to running carpet, rotating screws, and cutting wire, the New York designer is getting into the game with her Genuine Article line.  These items will stand out like a sore thumb in almost any toolbox, but not because they are designed for dainty hands. 

Proving that you can be pretty as well as pretty handy, each tool in the Genuine Article line has its own unique look.  There’s a patterned pair of pliers, a screwdriver, a tape measure, and even a flowered staple gun — yes, it’s important to be pretty when firing off staples with such force. Other items include a hammer, wire cutters, and a level. She’s even come up with a bag to keep everything in. And if you are more interested in a traditional toolbox, this one might be a match.   

The perfect gifts for the wife or girlfriend, it says you want her to be involved.  I’m going to get a set for myself, because I know my husband will keep his dirty mitts off.

Genuine Article items are sold for $10 each (the bag is $25). However, you can save a few bucks by buying items in sets, which retail for $25.

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 28, 2010 at 10:44 am
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More Turquoise for 2010

Feeling a little blue? Pantone is — and they’ve been celebrating it all year long.

To kick off 2010, the Pantone, the ”global authority on color,” declared its  15-5519 Turquoise to be the color of the year. I didn’t know there was a color of the year. Do they celebrate with a crayon or something?

 

Probably not, but it is an interesting way to push paint colors that most consumers aren’t familiar with. Eggshell does get blah after a while. Still, I have to wonder if anyone has incorporated this color into their lives just because Pantone told them so.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

 

It does have a bit of a calming effect — and who doesn’t need a little extra calming? Also, we can’t knock Turquoise; Pantone chose the color amongst 3,000 other options.

It’s a nice color for the bathroom or a kid’s room. However, I’d want to use this in my bedroom. It might create the illusion of an ocean view, or at least make me feel like The Little Mermaid. Where would you put this color in your home?

by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 18, 2010 at 2:11 pm
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Coffee Anyone?

My girlfriend is a coffee fanatic.  I suspect she got this from her Mom, who pretty much mainlines the stuff 24-7.  So, if you’re like they are, you will probably want one of these:

 

 

 

This is the Xelsis Stainless Steel  from Saeco.  It’s touted as a coffee bar for the home.  And while (to me at least) it looks like some sort of futuristic explosive device from a science fiction flick, it is apparently capable of making multiple types of beverages:   espresso, cappuccino, latte . . . even just plain ol’ hot water for tea.

The Xelsis can be customized for up to six people—and each can program six different beverages to a personal profile.  Simply tap the icons on the machine’s touch screen control panel, and presto!

Want milk in your coffee?  No problem.  The Xelsis has the same milk capabilities of a profession espresso machine—including a large milk carafe that hooks on to the front of the machine to allow frothing for cappuccinos.  And, to keep things sanitary, the milk circuit is separate from the rest of the machine.

This sucker costs $3000.  When I saw that I actually said, “Holy crap” out loud.  This is gotta be the most expensive coffee maker in the world – right? 

But there are people out there who would happily pay that kind of cash for a good cup of coffee.  Break it down over 5 or 6 cups a day, and maybe its a better deal than Starbucks.  I don’t know, but I don’t think my girlfriend will be getting one for Christmas. 

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 17, 2010 at 3:09 pm
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Duct Tape to Match Your Mood

How many times have you wanted your duct tape to reflect your mood? Never, you say? Well, that isn’t stopping the good people at Duck from creating a few options for you.

Put away those Sharpie pens. Now, duct tape comes in a variety of colors and patterns. Duck just announced a few new flavors of the craft/work favorite, making for over 20 different options.

Some of the new patterns include animal prints like Zig-Zag Zebra and Spotted Leopard, a trippy Cosmic Tie-Dye pattern, the flame-filled Hot Rod, and the military-inspired Digital Camo. They already have a ton of colors, such as red, yellow, aqua and purple as well neon shades Funky Flamingo (pink) and Island Lime (green).

Perfect for that duct tape  prom dress. . .

 

Duct car . . .

 Or a duct couch . . .

 If you are looking for something special to do with that new funky duct tape (maybe a duct basketball hoop) the Duck website has plenty “Ducktivities,” which also include step-by-step instructions. They’re also always looking for new, creative uses, and invite submissions to the Duck website.

The new Duck patterns are on sale now. You should be able to find them at craft and home improvement stores, as well as anywhere else you’d find duct tape.

 by Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on August 16, 2010 at 10:43 am
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Bucket Buddy 2

Recently, I wrote a brief article about the Bucket Buddy, a device that assists in carrying and pouring heavy buckets of water.  It seems there are actually quite a few products out there named Bucket Buddy. There are Bucket Buddy chairs, Bucket Buddy grooming caddies, Bucket Buddy ATV carrier devices, and more.    

Take this Bucket Buddy for instance:

Larry

Larry Humphrey of Emory, Texas invented this sucker.  It was created out of necessity when he needed to clear some foliage around his assisted-living facility.  The prototype was so successful that he decided to start Bucket Buddy Products and applied for a patent on the device.  Unfortunately, it does not appear that this product has come to market.

Then there’s this Bucket Buddy — and this one seems made for me:

Made of recycled materials, the Bucket Buddy uses 30% less ice than a regular beer . . . um . . . I mean water bucket.  The design makes sense.

Divots around the outside allow for greater surface area coverage for the ice that goes in the center.  It comes in a variety of colors as well.

There are more items called Bucket Buddy.  Many more.  But I think I’ve made my point: If you have an invention involving a bucket of any kind, it would be best to avoid naming it Bucket Buddy . . .

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 15, 2010 at 10:43 am
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He said, She said

It’s the middle of August, which means it’s hot where I live. I imagine it might be hot where you live, too. 

There are some things that nobody wants to do when it’s this hot -  like putting on a new roof or welding. For me, whose house is PURRRRFECT and doesn’t need those things anyway, being hot meant I didn’t want to read anything too heady or technical as I sweated my way around blogland this week.  I simply didn’t want to think too much.

Freshome - Interior Design, Decorating, FurnitureSo, I spent some time at Freshome. 

In the architecture department,  I indulged my senses with beautiful photos of gorgeous homes from around the world.  Click the View More button at the bottom of any post  and you will be treated to a stunning display. 

Here’s a picture montage of a totally different kind.  Aaron Whomsley is a handyman who runs what he calls a “light construction company” in West Chester, PA.  This week, he features a lovely kitchen renovation he’s recently completed.  Thirteen photos.  Beautiful work. I wish this guy lived near me. A good handyman is a good find.   

There are nice photos throughout the posts on Rambling Renovators, but I am especially drawn to their occasional feature called Love List.  Shouldn’t everyone have a love list? 

This blog, Brick House, is sorta the opposite of a love list.  Read the FAQs (tolerable even in heat) and then look at the pictures. 

And, one day, when the temps dropped a little, and I managed to focus on two words next to each other, I really enjoyed this post at Garden Rant.  I think they make some sense . . .  but they also could  be kinda lunatics.   What do you think?

Happy weekend!  Keep cool.

by Lisa Oram

Written by editor on August 13, 2010 at 12:26 pm
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DIY HDTV Antenna

While I’ve not yet moved into the world of HDTV (I simply don’t have the money to blow on a new television when I have three perfectly fine older ones), I can’t help but admire this relatively new technology.  Not only is the video from cable, DVD, and Blu-Ray incredibly clear, but off-air signals are extremely impressive as well.

But some people don’t realize that the off-air signal may not reach their home.  So, there they are, stuck with a giant, rectangular sculpture  in the living room that picks up a few channels—but with artifacts and glitches through the picture.

But fret not, my fellow FIY-ers!  If you are in this situation, you are not alone.  And babblin5 at Metacafe has a solution: make your own.  With just a few simple materials (clothes hangers, washers, wood, screws, and a small length of cable line), babblin5 claims you can easily make a HD antenna that will outperform store-bought models.

The following (very well made) instructional video will walk you through the process:


See what I mean?  Easy and inexpensive!  And it appears to work really well!  What more could you ask for?

If anyone tries it, let us know how it works out. 

by John Barker

Written by editor on August 11, 2010 at 3:29 pm
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