New “Metallic Wood” Is as Strong as Titanium But Much Lighter - Dwell.com

A newly invented material has the strength of titanium, however it's light enough to float on water.

Titanium has long been touted as the metal of the future, due to its strength, rust resistance, and amazing lightness. But it's not as strong as it could be, due to random defects in the way its atoms are stacked during the manufacturing process.

Read the full article here.

Casper’s New $89 Lamp Promises to Help You Get a Better Night's Sleep - Dwell.com

Mattress startup Casper introduces a smart lamp designed to promote healthier sleep.

Casper, the company that reinvented how we buy mattresses, now wants to transform our sleep habits with Casper Glow—a new connected bedtime light. The small, cord-free lamp is designed to address a common culprit that can get in the way of a good night’s rest: light.

Read the full article here.

Modernist Master Florence Knoll Dies at 101 - Dwell.com

Smart Home

Florence Knoll Bassett, whose interior “architecture” and iconic furniture designs set the standard for the midcentury modern interior, passed away Friday at age 101.

"I feel grateful to you for doing such work in a world where mediocrity is the norm." 

 —Charles Eames in a letter to Florence Knoll (the two studied together at the Cranbrook Academy of Art) 

Florence Knoll Bassett, known as Florence Knoll, died on Friday, January 25, 2019 at 101. Knoll invented the concept of "total design," revolutionizing interior space planning by embracing all elements in a room. She set the standard for midcentury modern interior design, one which is still followed today. 

Read the story here.

Casper’s New $89 Lamp Promises to Help You Get a Better Night's Sleep - Dwell.com

Smart Home

Mattress startup Casper introduces a smart lamp designed to promote healthier sleep.

Casper, the company that reinvented how we buy mattresses, now wants to transform our sleep habits with Casper Glow—a new connected bedtime light. The small, cord-free lamp is designed to address a common culprit that can get in the way of a good night’s rest: light.

Read the full story here.

Tom Dixon's Latest IKEA Collaboration Is a Hackable Bed - Dwell.Com

Ikea Bed

IKEA and Tom Dixon just unveiled a modular bed you can customize, personalize, and transform through a selection of headboards and accessories.

When British designer Tom Dixon first teamed up with Swedish flat-pack furniture maker IKEA, the result was a "hackable" sofa. Delaktig is a modular seating solution that can be modified, adapted, and added onto as your needs and life situation change. Now, the partnership has brought that same concept to the most-used piece of furniture in your home: the bed.

Read the full post here.

10 Home Gadgets at CES 2019: Talking Toilets, Beer-Ordering Fridges, and More - Dwell.com

LaMetric

Sleek design meets smart technology. Innovative solutions produce stylish results. And of course, there are robots and talking toilets.

Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, every January, the annual consumer electronics show CES is where we get a sneak peek at the latest tech gadgets we'll be buying in the next few years, and a glimpse into the future of technology.

Read the full article here.

Tech Talk: 4 Smart Devices to Make Pet Care a Breeze (Video) - Dwell.com

Smart Home

Connect your pets to the Internet to help you monitor, feed, and care for them when you can’t be there.

Smart home devices let you check in on your home when you’re not there, giving you peace of mind that everything is okay. But did you know they can help you look after your pets? 

Read the full article and watch the video here.

Tech Talk: Start Your Smart Home For Under $200 (Video) - Dwell.com

Smart Home

A smart home doesn’t have to be an expensive home. Here are three ways you can add some cool, connected capabilities for under $200.

The idea of a fully automated smart home can be a little overwhelming, both in concept and cost. But you don’t need to go all-in on connected tech to benefit from it. Instead, install a few devices that address specific needs, provide some neat modern conveniences, and cost a lot less. 

Read the full article and watch the video here.

A Cinder Block Duplex in Charleston Is Recast as a New York–Style Loft - Dwell

Charleston Home

The industrial-modern Metamorphosis House is now a showcase for art.

When architect Kevan Hoertdoerfer was asked to turn "probably the ugliest house in Charleston" into the proverbial swan, he was both thrilled and apprehensive. "It’s a dream to have a client who gives you an open book," he says of the instruction to do anything he wanted. "On the other hand, you’re compelled to do something really powerful." The resulting metamorphosis of a squat 1950s cinder block duplex into a concrete and glass neighborhood standout leaves no trace of its ugly duckling origins.

Read the story here.

Meet The Firm That’s Reimagining Life in Antarctica - Dwell Magazine

The largest community on the planet’s coldest continent needs a smaller, smarter facility to continue its crucial work. It may be on the verge of getting one.

Read my latest piece for Dwell Magazine here

Within and Without - Dwell Magazine

Dwell

A Texas interior designer expands her vision outdoors with a water-wise garden.

The first thing that strikes you about interior designer Lynn Rush’s home is that it’s black. The second is that its dark plaster walls are slowly being enveloped by swaths of brilliant green ivy. Surrounded by peach stucco mansions, this LEED Platinum residence on the outskirts of Dallas is wholly different, but without sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb. Instead, its low profile seems to dissolve into a backdrop of native plantings.  

Read the full article here.