Interior Design

Barcelona's new design museum is an angular metal-clad structure designed by local studio MBM Arquitectes (+ slideshow). (more...)

[ By Delana in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ] There are countless maps and other direction-finding methods for your smartphone that can help you get to where you want to go – but once you get there, you still have to worry about parking. This, of course, is one of the most frustrating aspects of going anywhere in a mid-to-large-size city. In fact, some 30 to 50 percent of urban congestion is caused just by people driving around looking for parking spots. But never fear – an app called ParkMe is here to provide real-time parking availability information in cities and countries all around the world. The smartphone app works by utilizing data from a number of sources. Parking facility operators can update the app with their capacity and availability. Businesses can use a widget to provide real-time availability near their establishments, which is a win-win for them and their customers. Payment options are listed so you’ll know ahead of time if you need to have cash available. Not all of the 1800 cities featured on ParkMe have real-time data available; only a handful of cities in the US offer that level of seamless parking integration. But the app does tell you where you’re most likely to find parking near your destination and how much you’ll have to pay for the privilege of leaving your car there. If you enter the amount of time you’ll need to park, the app will even tell you what your total cost will be. Overall, the app will reduce traffic congestion in cities by helping people find a place to park in advance. If  you could figure out your exact route, down to the entrance to the lot you’ll leave your car in, before you even leave your house – imagine how much easier it would be to get to your destination and get your fun outing started. [ By Delana in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ] [ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

If "cabin" for you conjures small and humble, then admittedly we use the term broadly. Here, ten homes that speak the cabin vernacular; some in east coast style, some west, but all summery, nature-based, and beautiful. For more, visit the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. Above: This cabin by San Francisco-based Nick Noyes Architecture sits on a 60-foot-wide ocean bluff in the Sonoma County coastal community of Sea Ranch. A copper-clad chimney connects two wings shielding an inner courtyard from the coastal winds. Above: A small modernist cottage on Shelter Island by NYC-based Deborah Berke Partners; see more at Architect Visit: Deborah Berke and Suzanne Shaker in Shelter Island. Above: This East Hampton residence by NYC-based Billinkoff Architecture is comprised of a string of small buildings connected by an indoor corridor, maximizing opportunities for indoor/outdoor living. Above: Seattle-based Heliotrope Architects designed this Whidbey Island, Washington, summer home for a retired couple who wanted ample space to entertain guests but wanted to keep the overall scale of their home small. Heliotrope maximized the oceanfront space and eliminated sprawl in the back. Photos by Julie Marquart. Above: This beach house from the portfolio of Bainbridge Island, Washington-based Michelle Burgess Design welcomes guests with a covered waterfront sitting porch. Above: This cabin by Seattle-based FINNE Architects looks right at home in the Pacific Northwest but is actually on the shores of Lake Superior. The main living area sports a simple shed roof and timber ceiling and a 40-foot-high glass wall facing the lake. Photo by Eric Hausman. Above: This vacation home by Bethesda, Maryland-based McInturff Architects was designed for a multigenerational family with strong connections to the site. Residents enter the home via a boardwalk that crosses the meadow and extends through the house and beyond toward the lake. Above: The owners of this Orcas Island, Washington, cabin wanted all the comforts of home without any excess to distract from the land and view. Heliotrope designed a minimal space with glass walls, providing views onto the beach in front and meadow behind. Above: This 1920s creekside cabin in Calistoga, California, was remodeled by Sonoma-based Amy A. Alper, Architect. The original layout of the weekend home occluded views of the seasonal creek, so Alper designed a double-height living room addition to wrap around the exterior. Photo by Eric Rorer. Above: This summer ranch by San Antonio-based Lake | Flato Architects sprawls over several buildings, meant to recall the summer camps of the owner's youth. Above, a lakeside pavilion with a screened sleeping porch, outdoor dining area, and dock. Photo by Chris Cooper. For a cabin on a smaller (but equally modern) scale, see Architect Visit: Pine Forest Cabin by Balance Associates.

The ceiling of a shoe factory in Cambodia that makes Asics athletic shoes collapsed on Thursday, killing two workers and injuring at least a dozen. The tragedy, which took place less than a month after a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed and killed more than one thousand workers, is the latest incident to highlight the poor safety at factories in developing countries. The latest building collapse is a reminder that worker safety isn’t an issue that’s confined to Bangladesh; many other countries are also grappling with poor work conditions for low-paying jobs in the fashion industry. READ MORE >   Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Asics, Bangladesh, building collapse, Cambodia, Cambodian shoe factory, Fashion, fast fashion, labor issues, shoe factory collapse, unsafe work conditions, worker safety

Clever Photo Pregnancy Announcements Sophia & Charlotte's Perfectly Balanced Shared Room Total Toy Flashback: The 1980s Reid's Excellent Eclectic Room More

Photo via Shutterstock A new report by the Washington Toxic Coalition and Safer States has revealed that over 5,000 children’s products contain toxic chemicals associated with cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive problems. The products, intended for those from infancy through adolescence, include party hats which contain cancer-causing arsenic, cosmetics which contain formaldehyde and dolls which contain hormone-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA). READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: BPA, car seat safety, children safety, children's products, claires accessories, flame retardant, formaldahyde, toxic chemicals, toxic toys, toxin home, walmart, Washington Toxic Coalition and Safer States

Greetings from ICFF! Inhabitat is on the scene today reporting live from the mother of all home furnishing tradeshows, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Stay tuned for all of the fresh green designs we uncover on our treasure hunt across the show floor and keep it tuned right here and on our Twitter feed to see our latest finds. + ICFF Coverage on Inhabitat Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: "green furniture", eco design, eco furniture, green design, ICFF, icff 2013, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, javits center furniture show, new york design week, sustainable design

The Double View Bench from Outdoorz Gallery is a small but sweet two-seater that is big on style and sustainability. French design firm Chloe De La Chaise put a literal twist on the traditional Victorian love seat in her contemporary bench concept, which features a double backrest that pivots back and forth, allowing a pair to sit side by side or face to face. The bowed base allows you to rock gently. Crafted by a French cabinetmaker with work recognized by the Ateliers d'Art de France, the Double View Bench features quality construction and is made using sustainably harvested materials - of the four pieces of wood used, three come from certified forests in France, and the fourth is moabi, a naturally oiled African wood also sustainably harvested. Wood choices include chestnut, oak, robinia-acacia and moabi. With just 50 Double View Benches in existence, this limited edition piece is in high demand and can be yours for a price of 2979€. For more information, visit Outdoorz Gallery.

I've always admired people with a knack for repurposing, the ones who can go to an antique store or garage sale and see endless potential in somebody else's old stuff.    Kasey and Jordana Henke, the co-owners of an Etsy shop selling vintage goods, are two such people, and they've generously shared some of their ideas with us. From our video archives, here are three fun (and really simple!) repurposing projects.  More

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has completed a hotel in Miyazaki where guest rooms and dining areas surround a central courtyard and wedding chapel (+ slideshow). (more...)