Tag Archives: garden

Literal Lawn Chairs: Grass Sofas Brighten up British Summer

by okesoft on 30. Jul, 2010 in Uncategorized

[ By Delana in Art & Design , Home & Garden , Nature & Ecosystems . ] Summer means more time spent outdoors in the sun, but the National Trust of Great Britain found that British families are spending an average of 43 hours per week inside and on the sofa. That’s a grand (or not-so-grand) total of 13 weeks per year. To get people out of the house and into nature, the National Trust has unveiled ten huge grass sofas in locations all across the UK. There are no TVs, no laptops – just unique spaces for quality outdoor family time. The massive furniture was grown in about a month using all natural materials: straw bases covered with blankets of green, growing grass. These peculiar outdoor living rooms all consist of a sofa and a coffee table, letting British families get out of their homes but still spend time together in a familiar setting. The growing living rooms were placed in a handful of picturesque natural locations, with some even making appearances in town centers. The National Trust endeavor uses humor rather than stern authority to coax families out into the beautiful British landscape this summer. (all images via: Inhabitat ) Relaxing on a sofa in the sun, in some of the UK’s most beautiful outdoor spots, might be the best way we can think of to spend the summer. With a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits, a family outing to one of these living rooms would make for a splendid afternoon. Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist: Literal Tree Houses: Amazing Homes Built with Whole Trees There’s something primitive about the sophisticated homes designed by Whole Trees Architecture: they use whole, young-growth trees in amazing, beautiful ways. 2 Comments – Click Here to Read More »» Super, Man! How to: Recycle 100s of British Phone Booths It’s hard to find an operational red telephone box in Britain today, but they haven’t disappeared altogether. These creative reuses give the boxes new life. Click Here to Read More »» [ WebEcoist - By Delana in Art & Design , Home & Garden , Nature & Ecosystems . ]

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14 Fantastic Garden Figures From Fairy Tales

by okesoft on 30. Jul, 2010 in Art, Uncategorized

Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes . Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. Most professional garden designers are trained in principles of design and in horticulture, and have an expert knowledge and experience of using plants. Some professional garden designers are also landscape architects, a more formal level of training that usually requires an advanced degree and often a state license. Garden owners have shown an increasing interest in garden design during the late twentieth century, both as enthusiasts of gardening as a hobby, as well as an expansion in the use of professional garden designers. These are example of very big owners interests in garden design by created gardens figures like characters from fairy tales . Fantastic artworks! (…) Read the rest of 14 Fantastic Garden Figures From Fairy Tales (0 words) at Chill Out Point – Funny Images and Artwork Subscibe to Chill Out Point’s Feed to get constant updates of our Fun Posts © Chill Out Point – Funny image galleries and artwork , 2010. | Permalink to 14 Fantastic Garden Figures From Fairy Tales | No comment | Post tags: art , artworks , characters , design , experience , expertise , fairy tales , fantastic , figures , garden , horticulture , interest , landscapes , owner , plans Categories at Chill Out Point: Art and Design , Featured

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“Art-Eggcident” – Unique City Landscape In Leeuwarden

by okesoft on 30. Jul, 2010 in Art, Funny, Uncategorized, breakfast

Eggs mark the spot in the town of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands. These sunny-side-up creations are the work of Dutch artist Henk Hofstra . His Art-Eggcident is open to all in the town’s Wilhelmina Square. The eight fried eggs have a diameter of 7.5 meters. Some have a bulging yolk 2.3 meters high. Members of the public have come out of their shell to engage with the artworks. The eggs will fry in the sun for the next six months… While breakfast lovers get to admire his extraordinary talent. (…) Read the rest of “Art-Eggcident” – Unique City Landscape In Leeuwarden (0 words) at Chill Out Point – Funny Images and Artwork Subscibe to Chill Out Point’s Feed to get constant updates of our Fun Posts © Chill Out Point – Funny image galleries and artwork , 2010. | Permalink to “Art-Eggcident” – Unique City Landscape In Leeuwarden | No comment | Post tags: art , artworks , breakfast , creations , diameter , eggs , Leeuwarden , Members , public , spot , Square , sun , talent , town , work , yolk Categories at Chill Out Point: Art and Design , Funny

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Decked Out: Wood Patio + Above-Ground Swimming Pool

by okesoft on 26. Jul, 2010 in Uncategorized

Building an above-ground pool is not the most intuitive choice when designing a home – after all, you can save space rather than displace it by burying the pool underground. In this case, though, the exception turns out to be much cooler than the rule. This backyard pool-plus-patio combination manages to define the space next to it, while also creating an elevated deck platform aside from the sunken green garden to which it is adjacent. Moreover, for a family with small children it provides multiple views down to the pool level and into the deep end for the sake of safety. A set of wooden benches in the lower garden area reprise the dark-stained wood decking of the pool area, while an overhung part of the house hovers over and connects the main structure with the pool (while also providing shade). All in all, this house by  Andres Remy Architects is conventionally modern, but the creative swimming pool does a lot to set it apart from its stylistic peers. Now, if only you could also see into it from inside like in the Slice House (indoor view of the outdoor pool) shown above. Keep Going – Check out this Great Related Dornob Design: Natural Home Patio Pools & Outdoor Wood Deck Designs Sure we all wanted to a swimming pool as kids, but did we ever think about the cost and space it would take up or work it would involve? Once the hallmark of a luxury home, many people view high-end modernist back-yard swimming pools as either a play-place for the ultra-rich or a hard-to-maintain space-displacing burden of suburbia. A combined pool-and-deck design can be a great green way to m… Click Here to Read More »»

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Concrete Conch: Spiral Shell-Inspired Fractal Beach House

by okesoft on 26. Jul, 2010 in Offbeat, Uncategorized

Crazy and curved both inside and out, the home was made of a combination of concrete and found materials, both inorganic but also natural (and relevant) ones including local seashells and regional coral. Instead of corners, each curve flows fluidly into the next to make for a series of experiential spaces that mimic the infinitude of the fractals that form them. Best of all, it is perfectly sited on the beach of a remote southern island – surrounded by similar shapes. The one thing that is not surprising about this house may be the person who inhabits it: yes, it was designed by and for an artist ( Octavio Ocampo ). The tension between ‘art’ and ‘design’ is palpable – some aspects (like the spiked roof) are purely ornamental and artistic, while others (including a second-story deck in the ‘opening’ of the ‘shell’) seem to be functional as structures and spaces. Swirling stacks of mixed stone form curved fences that reflect the organic nature of the main ‘shell house’ buildings and curvalinear window openings. Perhaps the only unfortunate parts of the design are the doors and windows, which are forced to conform to the curves around them but ultimately contain straightened elements that clash with the overall fluid forms. Keep Going – Check out this Great Related Dornob Design: Creative, Colorful & Curved Spiral Shell House Design Like something found 20,000 leagues under the sea or set in the center of the planet, this dazzling house design by Senosiain Arquitectos was patterned after a shell – as if you could not tell. Imagine for a moment being one of the two children being raised in this structure, a fairy tale wonderland of architectural and interior design delights. Constructed from a durable combination of… Click Here to Read More »»

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