My Urban Garden Deco Guide

Though I will say it is the type of design you should only have at home if you are really conscious of the risk I encourage you to visit my find today http://www.blomus.com/blomus.php?l=en&a=detail&i=65072&p=2  a selection of torches from a lovely cool brand with a selection of outdoor items ....

J 'adore

 Forget television evenings.
Giving outdoor cinema a whole new look, the theater system isn’t just a projector. Instead of aiming the picture onto a wall or the side of a house, the CineBox system comes with an inflatable screen! ( seen on Inventorspot.com)

In the wonderful Saint James park, an outdoor office space has been set up to promote outdoor living.

Love the idea - top of the trend

Among recent design and architecture submissions at  great blog Fresh MoCo was a stunning square gazebo inspired by Japanese paper lanterns – simple and cosy.(lower left)

The theme of gardens becoming outdoor rooms is now old hat.Though it is surprising how long it has taken designers to bring workstations outdoors. At some level out=leisure.But a clever solar power table is sign of new thinking and changes to come:

seen in gizmo:
SunTable: a photovoltaic solar-power generating table designed to juice up your gadgets in an eco-friendly style. And now the table's available for purchase. The stainless steel and teak production version charges up in about four hours of bright sun exposure (there's a hinge so you can angle it properly if you need to) and delivers about four hours of 12V after that. It comes with a built-in inverter, so it has regular power sockets that you can plug your gadgets into, and is designed to be weatherproof, easy to disassemble and even recycle. That's about it: it's a table with a solar generator built in... doesn't get much simpler than that! Oh—it does cost $2,200, so it's most likely to appeal to really rich eco-warriors

No it is not  an outdoor room dedicated to a bachelor's conquest! It is a find by TrendsNow  : a bird house designed as part of a series of products designed for the modern single man!

'Birdhouse

A pet is ideal against the single man‘s loneliness. But a hard working single man can‘t take the responsibility. Our birdhouse is glued on the outside a window, so the single man can watch his birds grow up from the inside!'

I love the new term I heard on the BBC= the rise of the STAY-CATION, the vacation taken by staying at home are on the rise. My bet is that that is only the beginning and was my thinking from day one: the way we relate to cities is on the brink of massive change.

I am still so surprised when I see the awarded gardens. It is as if the world was still in eager need of more beautiful flower beds. When do you see designers who show great skill in making outdoor space incredibly flexible using the latest technologies allowing a same space to be used in totally different ways depending on the time, the season or the user ( parents, kids, teens or elderly people).

If you comment on blogs-specially major garden blogs a la BBC - design or others please encourage new thinking!

Have nice day
Anne

Any woman knows she always has a good pretext to buy a new expensive dress ( it was on sale, it will last for ever..) .Well , if you fall for The SUNSHOWER  it is easy to justify : it is a real feature, it is eco ok, it is durable because of the quality!

'SunShower is a new solar shower designed and custom built to order by New Zealand company s.p.u.d Ltd.

Measuring approx 2.5m wide x 2m high, SunShower is unique in design and function. Architecturally designed using the highest quality materials, SunShower is a permanent installation and operates from a mains pressure water supply. It provides a constant regulated flow of solar heated water. Turn it off, and SunShower stores the water ready for your next shower. Great for the beachhouse, lifestyle block or even downtown poolside. SunShower is a statement in contemporary outdoor living.

 I discovered this on LandArtbasics... not sure I am in love with the design but I find the idea innovative so I am sharing it!

'this hut comes with its very own wraparound ecology. Its wooden frame is protected by a steel mesh casing that holds a decorative facade of pebbles and rocks - a self contained abstract garden. The aim has been to produce a building that feels like it belongs to its surroundings - the materials and forms used all reflecting the unique atmosphere of the shoreline. Over time it is hoped that a mutual relationship will come to exist between the two as natural elements play upon the huts surface. The steel mesh helps to protect the hut, being resistant to both vandalism and graffiti, but just as importantly gives the building its main form and expression, reminiscent of waves crashing around a rock or headland. This should be particularly effective with the sunlight glinting off the metal. n.b in actuality the mesh will be wrapped right around the building - here we have cut some of it away in order to reveal the design. Also it will be sealed at the top to prevent detritus collecting inside the casing. Part of the plan though is that sand is blown through the mesh to collect between the rocks and even that the steel itself becomes tarnished, all contributing to the effects described above. The hut itself is plain, in a driftwood style, the roof sloping to deflect rainwater, with large west facing windows that flood the interior with light. '