iDale

An idea as exciting as it is creative

Some guy named Mauricio Arruda is the designer-architect responsible for this ingenious House of Cards table.

Are you getting that these are not regular playing cards yet?

It’s truly spectacular because it just looks so damn real. Mauricio describes the process of production saying:

“To manufacture the table, a process of laser cutting was used. This technology created a perfect reproduction of a deck of cards in scale 13:1. Subsequently, steel cards were welded one to one forming a second‐story house of cards that serves as an under frame. These frames feature a versatile look to the piece, since they are capable of supporting different sized tabletops.”

Whatever you do, do not bump the table.

Each card is created as a single piece so they can be assembled like a real house of cards, where each piece is selected randomly. What a clever way to bring freshness and charm to a room.

At first sight you wouldn’t have guessed this is a knife – I mean it’s round after all, and that’s not exactly traditional…

Perfect for chocolate, herbs and spices

It’s called the ‘Chop Round Knife’ and the brains behind it, Paolo Lucidi and Luca Pevere of LucidiPevere Studio, claim that it’s usable with a simple design that sits well in the hand.

The Chop Round Knife comes in blue, grey, pink and black for $48 (about R330) here. I like it.

Roman Abramovich, one of the  richest men in the world (with a £14billion fortune), has purchased all nine flats of a prime London block with Harvey Nichols and Harrods as their corner shops.

Look, I can see my yacht from here

Considering the size and the prime Knightsbridge location of the property, experts estimate it’s worth up to £150million…

5 stories up + 3 stories down = 8 stories

Abramovich lives with his girlfriend Dasha Zhukova and their one year old son Aaron. And I think it’s safe to say that the palatial house which boasts a cinema, an indoor pool, steam room and sauna, as well as a children’s study and entertainment room will have ample space for the three of them. Be real – 30,000 square feet is enough space for anyone.

See this old post: The Worlds Biggest Yacht (belongs to Roman of course)

Generally, when we think of Kuwait, we think of Saddam Hussain and an oil war. But I beg of you to please put all those thoughts behind you. In fact I’ve got a  little something that I think will help you move right along…

Behold The Star House…

Arrive on your boat. Naturally.

Nestled into the landscape, this beach house blends naturally into the coastline of Kuwait and slowly unfolds itself as you approached from the desert or the coast.

To infinity and beyond...

When you arrive, you get a glimpse of the sea whilst going down to the public space of the chalet. On this lower level, the house extends into the landscape and the sea, accentuated by an infinity pool in the garden. The private side of the house, located at the entry level, is concealed from the visitors. Bedrooms and private living spaces remain isolated from daily activities.

The Star House by night is plain bliss

The initial design was master planned for three detached dwellings, each with extensive sea views while simultaneously achieving privacy from one another. The client, instead, opted for a single house, two bungalows and a boathouse, with this incredible garage stashed below…

For the love of science. Really! Really? Really.

If you like this home, best you take a look at some of these:

• Irresistible Spanish Island Villa
• Compass Pointe Five-Room Dream
• Floating House in Seattle
• and be sure to Step Into This Carla Ridge Palace…

I came across this unusual collection of furniture yesterday by Tim Delger, a Texas based designer – he’s using street signs to make contemporary furniture…

Yield side table

Clearly he jacked a few stop signs, one way signs, crossing or yielding signs and created these rad deco items. His payoff line even reads “Art/Furniture/Stolen government property built by Tim” – classic.

One way seating

So Tim is a diverse artist, but the question is: What do you think of the repurposing of the road signs? Are they artistic or just a waste of time? Would you even use or want them in your pad?

This way coffee table

If you’re into the decoration thing be sure to check out all my House & Home posts here.

Oh my, what do we have here?

I couldn’t help myself sharing this exotic villa with infinity pool and spectacular views. Sharing is caring right?

mmm, a swimming pool and some palm trees!

Sure, it may be a little exorbitant, but I want to be inside this luxury pad worse than Steers burgers want to be inside me!

Infinity - one way to describe it!

The circular infinity pool as well as its phenomenal location make this villa a unique place for a getaway. Lets be honest here… no one’s gonna rev their car outside your window at 8 am and the likelihood of trick or treaters is minimal!

Simple and fresh.

The main house consists of three separate bedrooms, all having access to the infinity pool. You can be like “Hey, I’ll meet you in the pool”.

Then when the sun sets...

The villa can be rented for week-ends, so if you happen to visit Costa Careyes, maybe this post will actually come in handy?

Does the vibe get any better than this?

Right now, a moment of silence please.

Heavenly angel "aaaaaaaah" sounds right about... now!

Keep dreaming and take a look at some more bad-ass homes:

• Rio Home Worth Living In
• A Chic Pimp Palace!
• Floating House in Seattle
• Irresistible Spanish Island Villa
• The Razor in La Jolla – a must see!
• Another Irresistible Spanish Island Villa
• Step Into This Carla Ridge Palace…
• A Compass Pointe Five-Room Dream Home

Some things work perfectly. Others… well, they could be improved. The problem is that we become so used to what we have that we eventually just settle.

I was also puzzled when I first saw this.

One company is not willing to settle any longer. And they are on a mission to show you and I why their new improved nail clipper is the business…

AHA!

Meet Klhip: A revolutionary nail clipper that’s been reverse engineered so you apply pressure right above the blade. The results? Better ergonomics. Effortless cutting. And a nail so smooth you can skip the file ladies!

Snip!

Plus (and this is the biggie… wait for it!), clippings stay on-board instead of flying to the floor!

Stylish carry case

So why re-design something so mundane? Now you know! Get it here.

Here’s a fantastic clock for all those DJ’s out there…

Although you can’t hook it up to a mixer and have a good wiki wiki, it does tell the time and make for a visually appealing piece of wall apparel – Now can someone help me find or make one of these!

Right, so I’ve started creating a picture frame collage on one of the walls in my pad and as you can imagine it’s required me to brush up on my handy man skills. So I figured I would share my knowledge with you in a little DIY post..

All the hanging gear you'll ever need

First up you’re going to need to stop past your hardware store and pick up some goods. Every home needs a HILTI – it’s going to guarantee that you don’t screw up your walls, bash your thumbs and also save you loads of time. So stock up on all the accessories and parts that go with it too.

I also got myself some of these little brass things with jagged edges as they help get the frames closer to the wall. They also eliminate the need for crappy strings which always mess with you and the placement of your frames.

Brass teeth = frame exactly where you want it on the wall!

So, I removed the strings from all the frames that had them and just attached the brass teeth in the centre at the top of each frame – there is a little room for error here, so don’t get all Vorsprung Durch Technik on yourself. Just get a small screw driver and away you go.

Next I measured where I wanted the frames on the wall and placed one of the HILTI nails into the HILTI unit…

Like so.

Place the nail tip exactly where you want it to go in the wall and then push the HILTI firmly up against the wall. Now hammer away at the metal top and feel the nail go into the wall…

bang bang bang!

Next you need to screw one of the HILTI attachments (go back up to see those bad boys) on to the nail you’ve just hammered into the wall.Then the really simple last step…

Less than an hour of work.

Hang, line up and enjoy!

Nestled perfectly in the woods.

A Brazilian architect named Marcio Kogan designed this home in Rio De Janeiro, Brasil.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because I’m an architectural nutcase and this particular design embodies the unique organic architecture vibe of my favorite designer ever, Frank Lloyd Wright…

Note the recessed glass sliding doors left of the pool

Love the way the forrest gobbles up the see-through space

Don't ignore the bridge leading off into the trees

Imagine snoozing on that rug next to a warm fire

Blending the outside with the inside is an art of note