Humidifiers add humidity to a home’s interior which can be useful in a dry climate, but the noisy hum of the machines can be a turn off. The Humidifall combines a humidifier with a piece of art and a soft rippling waterfall that can add not only a cool new look to your home but a pleasant background sound that you won’t mind.
Humidifall
Filters in pitchers or hooked up to the kitchen faucet to purify drinking water have been around for years, but shower filters are relatively new. The reasoning behind them is that chlorine in your water can be unhealthy for your skin (which is your biggest “mouth”). I’m glad I didn’t know about those studies during my years on swim team… These filters are meant to promote healthy skin and help keep you free of annoying itching or dry skin that can be caused by the chemicals or minerals in your bathing water.
Above ground swimming pools have long been viewed as the distant second choice for backyard swimming pools. According to an article on the benefits of above ground pools, that view may be changing. Today’s above ground pools aren’t the clunky metal (or worse–blow-up) beasts of old. They come in a variety of sizes and materials, and can be anything from large recreational pools to dedicated lap pools. While they might not increase the value of your house the way an in ground pool can (also read: Does a Swimming Pool Increase Your Property Value?), they can go with you if you decide to move.
Looking for environmentally conscious furniture? Or furniture makers that use recyled materials or perhaps contribute some of their earnings to eco-friendly causes? Treehugger, a blog that follows modern yet ecologically responsible living, has entries on a number of furniture makers that are doing their part to help the Earth. Visit this post on Re-Modern, a furniture designer “with integrity” or check out these bucket pendant lamps, made out of–you guessed it–recylced bucket liners. Also in the light category are these table lamps made from recycled jars. The whole site is a great resource and worth browsing when you have the time.
We’ve mentioned barcode reading microwaves, but what about refrigerators with barcode reading technology? Korea’s LG Electronics offers a refrigerator with a computer brain and a barcode scanner that tracks the status of your groceries. It is Internet ready and can send you an email when you’re out of eggs. LG Electronics also offers a refrigerator with a built-in LCD TV for watching your favorite shows (or maybe just keeping your kids entertained) while you’re fixing dinner. According to an article at CNN.com, these smart refrigerators may not be ready for the mainstream.
Your traditional lawn mower cuts grass with a blade. The Wolf-Garten Zero Laser Mower cuts grass with a laser, then mulches the grass into small particles that are dropped back onto the lawn. The Wolf-Garten is a quiet system since there’s no noisy motor rotating blades. The technology is still fairly new (read: expensive), but it will be interesting to watch.
Articles on the Zero Laser Mower: WOLF-Garten striving to ready laser mower, Wolf-Garten: Zero Laser Mower, and You’ve never seen a lawn mower like this one!
Rolling library ladders seem to be a staple of Hollywood home libraries/studies, but they can be practical for everyday homeowners, too. Alaco offers them not only for high shelves in libraries but also for kitchens, lofts, game rooms, wine cellars, and more. Their website has an estimate form where you can specify the dimensions of the ladder you need.
Rolling ladder features and options.
Customization of furniture is becoming more popular these days. With printing technology, vendors can offer wallpaper, rugs, and kitchen backsplashes with pictures of the kids or whatever you desire on them, but furniture is being customized, too. While custom designed pieces may still be expensive when commissioned, now more homeowners are realizing they can do much of the work themselves. “Meet the hottest new interior designer: the American homeowner. Spurred by the Internet’s growing ranks of décor vendors and weary of canned looks pushed by big retailers, would-be decorators are commissioning their own curtain fabrics, designing their own bathroom tiles — even ordering rugs emblazoned with images of the family dog.”
Along with kitchens, bathrooms are one of the most popular remodeling projects homeowners choose. If you’re thinking of tweaking (or completely overhauling) your bathroom, you might be wondering what kind of cost you’re looking at. Here’s a summary of costs, based on projects, according to Taunton’s New Bathroom Idea Book.
Television, long considered by many the antithesis of art, is becoming a new way of displaying art in your home. Digital artists are creating original pieces for display when there’s nothing on TV. You can get software art (the art is actually computer code that controls sounds and images on the television), collaborative Internet-based pieces (collectors from around the world can view and modify the artwork), or DVD art (video art that plays off a DVD).
