“Oh you know, I live down at the old gas station.” Not exactly what you’d expect to hear from the average person you meet. But then again, Juerg Judin isn’t exactly an average person. And his home is definitely not the average home. This Berlin-dwelling Swiss took an old gas station—Shell, if you’re interested—and made himself a very comfortable, ultra cool, oh-so-trendy modest city home. And, no, it’s not for sale.

They say that in real estate, the most important thing is location. Judin has a great location, and thankfully, he fenced off the entrance to the gas station since his home no longer serves diesel nor unleaded. And although he has changed the once-asphalt yard into a greener space, he kept the general architecture the same. A small Shell logo plaque still adorns an outside wall. The windows retain the floor-to-ceiling look of a gas station convenience store and the front entrance retains the double-door look, but similarities begin to fade beyond that.

The retrofitted bathroom has no hint of the public restroom ambience of its former glory. Instead, it is decked out in dazzling mini tile, and fitted with custom plumbing. Just inside the front entrance of the dwelling, Judin has created a sleek, clean, and minimalistic look of white, natural light, and horizontal lines. Light-filtering vertical blinds throw a twist into the horizontal theme, but maintain the airy whiteness and natural light.

The new kitchen boasts stainless everything. The white tile floors get a creative partnership with a sharp, white tile wall. The same tall grill windows reduce the need for daytime lighting in the kitchen.

Creative? Yes. Unconventional. Definitely. This is a clever way to add flair, style and uniqueness to urban living. I wonder what other oddities you can retrofit into a new home?

Photo Credit: City of Skies

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The old saying, “Old scooters never die, they just recycle,” is more than a slogan on a bumper sticker now that Spanish design studio Bel & Bel is converting old Vespa scooters into one-of-a-kind office chairs. That’s right, the old one-cylinder, gasoline- powered smokestacks are being replaced on the road with new, highly efficient electric scooters, and the classic Italian models are stacking up in metal salvage yards like exploding Ford Pintos.

Thankfully saved from the rust heap, those signature leg shields from older Vespas are ingeniously converted into the base of the chair. Bel & Bel are even installing colorful leather padding into the internal structure to create an unusually comfortable chair. It’s just destined to take office-chair hallway racing to a new level. Now don’t forget to use your turn signal when you bolt out the front door.

You may not be able to afford these high-ticket designer chairs on your average office-worker salary, but with weekends off, some leather cushions and a little junkyard scavenger hunting, you’ll be sitting pretty.

Photo Credits: inhabitat

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Take this gigantic fallen pine tree, for example. When it fell several years ago, the owner of this Brentwood estate decided to simply let it be. And to his amazement, the tree continued to grow horizontally. Rather than tear it up by the roots, he honored its tough tree spirit by building an incredible tree house all around it.

The pine lies low in its LA digs, serving as a foundation of sorts underneath the multiuse office tree house by Rockefeller Partners Architects. The structure was designed with strategically placed, angled steel columns (like a bunch of wild trees growing right through the house), cedar and walnut woods, a lovely “butterfly” roof and a multitude of windows that allow nature inside.

Along with blending the house organically into its surroundings, the owner further honored the decades-old conifer with a window in the floor. Part of the inspirational tree can always be viewed by looking down at the floor.

This 172-square-foot house on top of a tree, on top of a hill gets high marks for letting Mother Nature do her thing.

Photo Credits: Buzz Beast & Dwell

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#1 – The Great BIG Room

Raising the roof is easy enough to do in these large rooms, seeing as the ceiling is thirty feet high and all forms of noise echo throughout the massive space – the loud television, conversation in every which corner, and of course, cooking clamor. Even if the room doesn’t have dramatically high ceilings, there’s still way too much wasted space. And the openness, not to mention all those windows, make the area impossibly difficult to heat and cool.

#2 – The Ginormous Kitchen

Bigger is not better when you need an intercom from the kitchen table to the stove just to answer, “Scrambled.” Or when you have to ask, “Where’s the refrigerator? Wait a minute, I think I see it over there.” Or when the work triangle between the sink, stove and refrigerator is farther apart than 1st to 3rd bases on Field of Dreams. That big of a space and you’ve got yourself a simmering nightmare.

#3 – An Engulfing Garage

When the garage is all you can see, (or the most noticeable feature when you pull up to the house), then you know you’ve overdone its size. Out of proportion, this one actually looks like it’s pushing the house down a hill. Slowly consuming the rest of the residence, an oversized, poorly positioned garage will always win with its unsightly behemoth doors.

#4 – Lots and Lots of Lifelong Lighting

There are some things better left unseen, like the dust ball in the corner of your bedroom. But that’s not possible in a home lit up like the 4th of July by built-in track and recessed lighting in every room. And like it or not, the lighting system is there to stay unless you want the mess of redoing ceilings. This living space resembles the inside of a flying saucer when alternatively, lamps and sconces would have offered complementary décor and soft lighting.

#5 – A Porch? Oh Sure, Just Put it Anywhere

The screened porch is a great addition to your home as long as you think before you build. If the add-on blocks the only sunlight that shines into a living space, makes for a bad view of pollen-covered outdoor furniture or creates a corridor through a room that used to be a destination, then it has undermined your home’s comfort and beauty.

Photo Credits: ArchDaily, Channel 4, Bromeliad, DIY Home Theater Design, & Remodeling Center

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#1 – Pixilated Naptime

We know more than a few twenty-something year-olds that would barter a limb on the black market to obtain this couch. Designed by Cristian Zuzunaga, this is furniture with a creative purpose. According to the website, Zuzunaga’s infusion of color into daily life aims to “counterbalance present dark and negative ways of seeing and therefore of thinking.”

#2 – Playful Cook Systems

Hungry? Don’t forget to preheat your neon-technicolor oven. Designed by Marc Newson, the Smeg oven is as bright and playful as an iPod cover. The beautiful hues may actually inspire you to clean the appliance once in a while, too.

#3 – Sweet Treats

Well, I could really go for some chocolate cake. Joseph Joseph’s sunshiny bowls and measuring cups, appropriately called “Nest,” fit inside each other for compact storage. The non-slip set may easily make cooking the brightest part of your day.

#4 – Apples and Oranges

Now this is a really great bowl. Made from a single piece of twisted chrome wire, the Fruit Loop bowl by Black & Blum doesn’t need any color to look stunning – your fresh fruit and veggies will take care of that.

#5 – Vibrant Baths

Since bathrooms aren’t exactly the most accessorized room in the house, flush some color between their walls with a Saint Patrick’s Day green chair and rug, tangerine countertops and fresh paint drippings.

Photo Credits: FurnitureStore & 8rd

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Deb Leblanc lives in a renovated 1970 Airstream travel trailer she bought on Craigslist for $3,700. Purchasing a “home” for under $4,000 is unusual in itself, sort of like living full-time in an Airstream. But what truly delights me is how Deb seemed to say, “Screw it! I’m doing whatever I want to this monster bus!” The woman has transformed her living quarters into an adorable girly paradise.

With only $2,000 put into the redo, she turned the 22’ Land Yacht from “nothing much to look at” to “hey, a really interesting woman lives here.” Nicknamed Jewels, the Airstream’s original neutral pallet is punched up with bright colors, lots of texture and interesting shapes. Though there are some 70s touches, like funky daisy shades, echoing flower motifs, a satiny papasan chair and hanging shell strands, the overall mood is modern and curvy, from the artwork to the built-in work desk.

Before

After

Skillful use of layering makes this space stunning and unique. Mirrors, strategically placed lighting, sunlit hues and bright décor, such as colored glass vases, make the trailer seem lighter, brighter and bigger, as does keeping the countertop and floor accoutrements to a minimum. The focal point living room appears deeper with a tiny table placed in front of the couch and large framing objects behind it so that it all steps back instead of looming at the end of the hall.

Deb’s stylish digs were originally meant to be used as an office, but turned out to be comfortable enough to live in year-round. After adding insulation underneath the Airstream and restoring the original furnace, Jewels is a gem even in the colder months.

About Deb

Deb is a fitness guru based in Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada. You can check her out here!

Photo Credits: This Tiny House

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Cotton Fiber Insulation

UltraTouch by Bonded Logic is a recycled insulation product. It’s a very safe option, since it contains fungal inhibitors, flame retardation properties and no formaldehyde components. Most professionals agree that it is far better, not to mention greener, than traditional fiberglass insulation.

Rigid Foam

Rigid foam is an excellent option because of its high insulating ability and sturdy constructability. It consists of large foam mats placed and secured against the concrete walls. The easiest way to apply it is during the construction process.

Spray-on Foam

Although it’s not the number one choice for aesthetics or the environment, it sure is easy. Just point and shoot. Spray-on foam compound is formed from a polyurethane liquid that expands, dries and hardens into an insulating sealant. Think “Great Stuff.”

Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass is the most common form of insulation. It isn’t always used in basements, since affixing the batts to the concrete walls of basements can be a hassle. Still, it’s an effective and economic way to insulate the basement.

Wet Cellulose Wall Insulation

Providing even better insulation than fiberglass insulation, this spray-in insulation is great for its eco-friendly quality. It involves spraying a cellulose solution that fills cracks, resists mold and is even fire-retardant.

Insulating Concrete Foam

Another green option, concrete foam insulation, is one of the most effective forms of basement insulation. This spray-in foam is installed during the construction of the basement and is very effective at filling walls, cavities and any crevices in the basement space.

Photo Credits: HomeConstructionImprovement, Build with a Pro, & Hannant

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Yes, this product is genius. And yes, it’s long overdue. Think of the future hassles you could prevent with a rotating U-shape drain pipe – no more toxic chemicals down the sink, no more fallen valuables lost forever, and best of all, you get the strange pleasure of seeing creepy gunk without ever having to touch it.

The PermaFLOW drain pipe comes with a 10-year warranty and retails for about $30. It features a Universal Easy Install Design to fit most kitchen and bath sinks.

If only the toilet had a transparent – wait, oh God, no, I take that back.

Get your ticket to plumbing paradise here.

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Roe Andersen and Hanne Berzant, Danish friends and designers, quit their day jobs to venture outside and then bring it back in, to capture Nordic nature and create an indoor line of home accessories from their company, by nord. They believe in sustainable manufacturing through organic materials and environmentally responsible production. The living space showcasing their products is where Hanne calls home. The line includes dandelion, leaf and wolf print pillows, along with the tree print duvet covers.

The Elm bedding is from the Lawrence Green Sky Collection. The cotton and bamboo-embroidered tree not only gives this luxury comforter and pillows the look of nature, but also a soft, natural feel.

Amenity’s Cove duvet is made from organically grown and processed cotton and printed with nontoxic, eco-friendly dyes. The cream and moss color scheme for only $330 is a breath of fresh air for the bedroom.

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#1 – I doubt this shelf is an actual replica of Mexican designer Joel Escalona’s personal DNA, or else Mr. Escalona would be a blob of protoplasm, but his MYDNA shelves are a unique take on the double-helix. There are two choices in bookshelves. The Static MYDNA is a basic bookshelf that can also work as a room divider. The Rotating MYDNA takes its cue from the lazy Susan gene and rotates for easy access to items on the shelf without all that annoying reaching and bending. These shelves are just prototypes but perhaps Escalona will eventually get funding from the National Institute of Health.

#2 – Combining Art Deco and Oriental design influences, the dynamic Ellipse Bookcase is more than a shelf to show off your collection of Nancy Drew mysteries – it’s a piece of art that’ll be the focal point of any room. Made of hard elm tree wood and multiple layers of wood veneer, unrolled bamboo covers the shelves themselves. Not even sure why they call this a bookcase – I’d rather find another shelf for Moby Dick and Hop on Pop and opt for Bonsai trees, Saki sets and Erté statuettes to complement its distinctive style.

#3 – If you’re a book-monger like me, a simple bookshelf just won’t cover it. You’ll need something more substantial to turn up the volumes. The overall dimension of this custom-built bookcase is 12′ x 20′. That translates into almost 100 linear feet of shelving, with each individual cubicle 18″ x 18″ across and 12″ deep. So you’ll need lots of room and a talented carpenter to write the next chapter of this novel experiment.

#4 – Looking for shelves that don’t look like, uh…shelves? These innovative folding shelves can be laid flat, folded up, turned on a 90-degree angle or mounted any old way you please. Made of cherry wood, they’re light as a feather and recently won a prize at the prestigious international design competition at the Furniture Manufacturers’ Association in Japan. They’re practical, distinctive and cool, so what more could you ask of a shelf?

#5 – It’s hard to believe this incredibly cool shelving unit was designed and constructed almost 60 years ago, unless you’re familiar with the legendary husband-and-wife-design team of Charles and Ray Eames, the king and queen of modern furniture design. This classic Vitra Eames storage unit bookcase utilizes molded plywood sliding doors, colorful painted screens with brushed, galvanized metal surfaces, and height-adjustable legs. This storage unit is as modern, functional and beautiful today as it was back in 1949 when Harry Truman roamed the White House.

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