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The Design Inspirationalist

~ Inspiring Ideas | Spectacular Creations

The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: urban

Piping Hot Design Trends

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Liz Alton, The Home

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Tags

bathroom, bedframe, bookshelves, country, exposed duct, historic, Industrial, Liz Alton, loft, minimalist, pipes, recycling, shelving, steel pipes, Storage, upcycling, urban, vintage, wine rack

One of the beautiful things about working in a historic mill building is the gorgeous exposed piping and ductwork. Combined with the brick walls and the high ceilings, it’s one of the selling points of the space. When I was coming up with some creative ways to accessorize the space, I found some visually striking examples of designs that integrated pipes along the ceiling or in accent pieces. If you love this look and aren’t currently calling a loft home, there’s some creative designer and DYI pieces on the market that you can use – from shelving to lighting fixtures.

Exposed Duct Works, Redux
Exposed ductwork is a hot look in a lot of urban apartment and office buildings right now, especially the ones that used to be factories, mills, or big commercial facilities.  These lofts go for big bucks, and have tremendous character that you can work with. Lots of natural light, exposed bright, and rich woods permeate the space.

Piping Hot Design Trends

But not all exposed ductwork is urban. This beautiful country example of an exposed duct takes a really practical turn as place to hang pots and pans!
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Trilogy Builds

A colorful paint job makes this design a standout for a fun take on exposed pipes in a kids’ bathroom.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Houzz

Hanging Storage Solutions
Who doesn’t love a creative storage solution? DIY crafters are rock stars at recycling and upcycling, and these pipe shelves are a great way of using steel pipes and even a bellowsflex hose to create unique shelves and bookcases that can adapt to almost any arrangement.

Here pipes double as both the supports and the mechanism for attaching the shelves to the wall.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Interior Result

With pipes’ structural integrity, it’s really possible to combine shelves into ultra-creative configurations.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Yellow Pelow

Hanging bookshelves in particular are a hot item, where shelves can double as both the supports and the bookends. This lighted version is great to illuminate a reading nook.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Gear Culture

Industrial fittings are used in this one to give it even more character.
Piping Hot Design Trends

Pipe Shelves Scaled
If you love the pipe shelf look but need more than just a foot or so of shelf space provided by the hanging shelves, there are some great examples of floor shelves constructed of pipe. The key qualities translate over: a very artistic and modern industrial look with a highly configurable potential design.

Pipe and wood combine to a really unusual shape in this one – this would be a great idea for working with specific display needs or around an oddly shaped wall feature.
Piping Hot Design Trends

The pipes on this corner shelving unit help anchor the whole thing, while allowing it to fit into a tight space between window and door. Look at all the room you get for books, knickknacks and more.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Modern Meals for Two

Funky Furniture
There’s also some really fun pipe and hose furniture. This vintage wheel cart combines pipes and antique box wood.
Piping Hot Design Trends

This pipe and wood wine rack is absolutely to die for.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Manhattan Cleanline

It also makes a sturdy, minimalist bedframe.
Piping Hot Design Trends
Photo Credit: Design Fabulous

A lot of these items are commercially available, but they are all very doable as custom commissions or DIY projects. I think it’s time to sign my husband up for a welding class!

Written By Liz Alton

Guest Post: Designing a New York Child’s Oasis

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

alexsjourneys, apartments, bunks, children, city, design, interior design, modular, new york, playground, small spaces, urban

There are some brilliant new design trends in 2012 that would be a great addition to any home. Because New York real estate is the most expensive in the nation, some of the more affordable spaces are small compared to other regions. Therefore, New York designers show homeowners how to maximize their spaces and make the most of what they can afford. Let’s take a look at one of the latest trends in home design, most particularly, how to take a swanky New York City space and build a children’s oasis.

Many families living in the city want to improve the quality of life for their children. With that said, designers are helping families build mini-playgrounds in the home to make indoor city living more fun and enjoyable for children.

The designers usually tend to try and utilize many existing elements in the home to create an urban oasis. For instance, a supporting beam can be used as the base for an abstract tree in the child’s room. Bright colors, such as baby blues, are also suggested to make the space appear more spacious and inviting.

Guest Post: Designing a New York Child's Oasis

Modular bunks are created with geometric cutouts for the stairs and the beds. Each modular space allows for enough room to install small shelving for a nightstand, light and of course a mattress. Since the unit is built into the wall, it is safer than that traditional unit. Again, whites and pastels can be used to keep the room open and spacious.

Guest Post: Designing a New York Child's Oasis

Kids growing up in city apartments may not get the same outdoor living experience as suburban or country kids, but their urban oasis is something most kids would want regardless of their location.

Designers often take a single element that the homeowner loves and incorporate it into the designs with a twist for children, or teens. Having these fun elements bring out the creative suit of your Manhattan home gives a whole new life to home.

{Alexandra is a travel enthusiast who loves to write about fashion, beaches, food, and the wonderful things in the world.  She provides her own insights on vacationing to the blogosphere.  If you would like to learn more about her, follow her @alexsjourneys or visit her blog alexsjourneys.wordpress.com}

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