All articles by Ana Lisa Alperovich

Ana Lisa is an independent writer and curator born in Buenos Aires and trained as an eco-designer at Goldsmiths University of London. In addition to writing for 6sqft she is a frequent collaborator at NYC’s Inhabitat, where she reports on global design week events and sustainable architecture. She also contributes to Australian BlackleMag, Argentina’s Casa Foa magazine and Inhabitots. She loves Japanese architecture and Dutch design, and is constantly in search of good ideas to share with the world. Currently she splits her time between Buenos Aires, NYC and The Netherlands.

Tom Dixon’s New Sophisticated Copper Coffee Set Improves Every Step of the Art of Brewing

October 22, 2015

Tom Dixon’s New Sophisticated Copper Coffee Set Improves Every Step of the Art of Brewing

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Famed British designer Tom Dixon is paying a brilliant tribute to the daily act of preparing and drinking coffee. His Brew Coffee Collection is a sophisticated beverage set with gleaming copper elements that any New Yorker will love to wake up to. But the bling isn't the only thing here, as the designer explains, "The range includes a piece to perfect every stage of the coffee ritual, from the push of the plunger to the dunk of the biscuit."
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Freyja Sewell’s Felt Cocoon Helps People Reconnect With Their Senses

October 16, 2015

Freyja Sewell’s Felt Cocoon Helps People Reconnect With Their Senses

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

In a world that focuses so much on the convenience of online interactions, it's important to bring attention to our bodies and physical sensations. Tackling this issue, British designer Freyja Sewell created the "Sensory Concentration Space," a cocoon-like habitat for enjoying different stimuli and escaping away from it all. Hand-sewn from biodegradable grey felt, it isolates people from the hustle and bustle of modern urban life, something most New Yorkers could benefit from.
Learn more about this warm comfy space

Grid System: Ying Chang’s Customizable Mesh Desk Adapts to Your Busy Life

October 15, 2015

Grid System: Ying Chang’s Customizable Mesh Desk Adapts to Your Busy Life

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

With limited space, New Yorkers need to be smart about the way they live and work. So if you often find yourself multi-tasking at home, this design may be right up your alley. Royal College of Art graduate Ying Chang has come up with the modular "Grid System," a piece of furniture that allows users to plug and unplug different storage boxes and trays according to their needs.
Learn more about this clever design

Modern ‘House on the Hill’ Sits in an Open Meadow Miles Away From Any City

September 23, 2015

Modern ‘House on the Hill’ Sits in an Open Meadow Miles Away From Any City

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The owners of the "House on the Hill" in upstate New York are a couple of NYC-based art collectors who for the past twenty-five years have spent their weekends in an old farmhouse in Columbia County. In love with the sweeping views and the near-untouched landscape that greeted them every time they made the trip up, they decided they wanted to build an eco-friendly passive house in the middle of a forest clearing nearby. With the idea of living a simpler and more efficient life in mind, they asked Gates Merkulova Architects to build them a shelter designed with materials that would age as gracefully as they hoped to with time.
Learn more about this modern retirement home

Pile: Transforming, Space-Saving Furniture for Life on the Ground

September 14, 2015

Pile: Transforming, Space-Saving Furniture for Life on the Ground

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

German designer Karl Frederik Scholz joined Israeli Michal Blutrich to create Pile, a stackable space-saving furniture system for relaxation and conversation right on the floor. Perfect for small apartments, the collection features different shaped and colored items that can be arranged into various horizontal, vertical or compact combinations. Pile also has seat cushions, a table, and a lamp that adapt to different needs and put a multi-hued, sculptural twist on traditional Japanese tatami mats.
Learn more about this multifunctional furniture system

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Kim Hoover’s Sustainable Upstate Home Has Fossilized Bamboo Floors and a ‘Cool Roof’

September 11, 2015

Kim Hoover’s Sustainable Upstate Home Has Fossilized Bamboo Floors and a ‘Cool Roof’

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect Kim Hoover, principal at Hoover Architecture, built a bold sustainable house and guesthouse within the picturesque Hudson Valley. The two-level property takes inspiration from a tree house, which is reflected through its open, casual spaces, use of wood and the great outdoor views it frames through its many windows. But the home's most interesting details aren't what you'd expect. This unique space boasts recycled porcelain tiles, fossilized bamboo floors and it has a reflecting "cool roof."
Learn more about this design

Space-Saving Chair Pops Up From a Single Sheet of Bamboo

September 9, 2015

Space-Saving Chair Pops Up From a Single Sheet of Bamboo

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

"To what degree is the object you're creating capable of dictating its own design? Is it even possible for an object to 'tell' for which form its best suited? And if so, what will the end result be?" Following this train of thought, designer Robert Van Embricqs created The Rising Chair, a bamboo seat that assembles in just a few seconds. Made from interconnected, renewable bamboo slats, this pop-up seat starts off as a flat surface and only needs to be pulled upwards to create a chair.
Learn more about this sculptural bamboo seat

Minimal Furniture Gets Dressed Up with Handmade Mexican Textiles by Daniel Valero

September 4, 2015

Minimal Furniture Gets Dressed Up with Handmade Mexican Textiles by Daniel Valero

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Architect Daniel Valero recently teamed up with a group of Mexican craftsmen to develop a stylish collection that blends minimal furniture with handmade textiles. Dubbed Mestiz, the line consists of skeletal wooden pieces that are dressed up with textured cloths. In addition to serving as decorative and functional objects, the furniture range provides employment for locals and keeps traditional craft alive.
Learn more about these dressed-up designs

Sensual HALO Lamp Waits for a Gentle Human Touch to Turn On

August 30, 2015

Sensual HALO Lamp Waits for a Gentle Human Touch to Turn On

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

HALO is an object that appeals to our most basic instincts. It has no visible controls such as a dimmer or a switch. Designed by Icelandic designer Kjartan Oskarsson, this sculptural, minimal lamp requires a gentle human touch to brighten up. Simply tug on one of the strings to light up a room.
Learn more about the brilliant HALO Lamp

SUNplace: A Solar-Powered Mobile BBQ Concept for Cooking Al Fresco

August 27, 2015

SUNplace: A Solar-Powered Mobile BBQ Concept for Cooking Al Fresco

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Want to throw a Labor Day barbecue, but don't have any outdoor space? This mobile grill can be transported to the beach or park for the perfect al-fresco dinner party. SUNplace is a contemporary BBQ powered by the most basic, clean, and accessible source of free energy we have -- the sun. Conceptualized by the creative duo Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Waithe, together making up the design firm Lanzavecchia-Wai, the table highlights both technical cooking and the social aspect that comes with it.
Learn more about this sun-powered grill

Popular Articles

Used Plastic Containers Get New Lives as Colorful Stools with ‘Tachtit’

August 25, 2015

Used Plastic Containers Get New Lives as Colorful Stools with ‘Tachtit’

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Have you ever considered turning your plastic packaging waste into something practical for day-to-day use? A group of designers at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design followed the waste cycle of several plastic containers at a local market and discovered that after being used just once, the vast majority went straight to the landfill. Disheartened by the wastefulness they saw, Avner Balachsan, Maya Shtrigler, Noa Rich and Yohay Alush invented "Tachtit," (which is Hebrew for "bottom," but conveniently also sounds a lot like "attached it") a series of metal legs that give large containers a second lease on life.
Learn more about these recycled stools

Preston Scott Cohen Builds a Brilliant Upstate Home from an Old Dutch Barn

August 24, 2015

Preston Scott Cohen Builds a Brilliant Upstate Home from an Old Dutch Barn

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

To create the beautiful Goodman House, architect Preston Scott Cohen had to transport, restore and re-assemble a Dutch barn frame at a new location in Pine Plains, NY. The structure affords an unpolished but warm atmosphere with open-plan interiors wrapped in an industrial skin. The space was crafted to follow the client's desire for an "excessively lit space" with an "undivided interior," and as such, the home uses an ample number of slide-up screens and roll-down glass doors to make way for an open abode with a modern aesthetic.
Learn more about this contemporary barn-home

Clément Brazille Reinvents the Iconic Bertoia Chair with Comfortable Knitted Upholstery

August 21, 2015

Clément Brazille Reinvents the Iconic Bertoia Chair with Comfortable Knitted Upholstery

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Sometime ago we showed you a high-tech redesign of the iconic Eames sofa made from lightweight carbon fiber. This time we've got another classic redesigned; Harry Bertoia's beloved Wire Chair reinterpreted with a new, knitted skin. Customized with corduroy, linen, cashmere wool and cotton strips, French designer Clément Brazille's vision adds texture to the iconic seat.
Learn more about this knitted redesign

Luscious Grassland Carpets Bring Argentina’s Pampas Into the Home

August 7, 2015

Luscious Grassland Carpets Bring Argentina’s Pampas Into the Home

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Buenos Aires-based Alexandra Kehayoglou was born into family that's been working in the carpet business for decades. But rather than settling into an office or marketing job at her father's factory, she followed her own will and crafted an innovative range of rugs that bring Argentina's lush grasslands into interiors across the globe. Her designs are threaded with different lengths, and feature organic patterns with all shades of green—the perfect combo for channeling the feel of a barefoot stroll in the country.
Learn more about these soft green rugs

Michael Hilgers’ BalKonzept Will Turn Your Fire Escape Into an Outdoor Office

August 6, 2015

Michael Hilgers’ BalKonzept Will Turn Your Fire Escape Into an Outdoor Office

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

City dwellers who are lucky enough to have a balcony (or maybe just a fire escape) and who also work at home now have the perfect setup for the warmer months. German designer Michael Hilgers created a brilliant balcony desk that hooks onto the railing to hold a laptop or papers. Dubbed BalKonzept, this extremely lightweight design comes complete with an integrated flowerbox, so you can have both a perfect outdoor workstation and a garden.
Learn more about this makeshift balcony desk

Jack Craig’s Skeletal Coat Rack Turns Into a Room Divider as Clothes Populate It

August 5, 2015

Jack Craig’s Skeletal Coat Rack Turns Into a Room Divider as Clothes Populate It

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Detroit-based industrial designer Jack Craig came out with a minimal wooden coat rack that doubles as a room divider. Crafted from light Ash and simply dubbed Coat rack room dividers, it gets "activated" when guests arrive and drape their clothes on its many modular units. As clothing populates the racks, the structure starts to disappear turning into a fabric landscape that also works as a space divider, which seems like the perfect prop for closet-deprived New Yorkers.
Learn more about this multifunctional piece

Visser & Meijwaard’s Brilliant Furniture Zips Open and Closed

August 3, 2015

Visser & Meijwaard’s Brilliant Furniture Zips Open and Closed

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Dutch studio Visser & Meijwaard designed a series of furniture pieces that combine a sleek wooden base topped by plastic upholstery with YKK zippers. Easy to wash, bright and bold, the True Colors collection consists of stools, benches, and wardrobes inspired by traditional camping furniture that zip and unzip with the ease of a backpack or your favorite pair of jeans.
Learn more about the minimal colorful furniture

Dan Hisel’s Mirrored Cadyville Sauna Fuses the Forest, the Building, and the Body

August 2, 2015

Dan Hisel’s Mirrored Cadyville Sauna Fuses the Forest, the Building, and the Body

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

The Cadyville Sauna is a small, wooden hut, located along the Saranac River in upstate New York, that dissolves into the surrounding forest via the reflection on its mirrored skin. While its boundaries look unclear, architect Dan Hisel's design not only blends with the environment, but lets something deeper and intangible arise. The sauna’s intense thermal conditions make a human body heat up and relax, while the wood absorbs sweat and hot air, causing the body, the building and the forest to become one.
Learn more about this mirrored woodland sauna

Jack Craig Fixes a Smashed Table With a Caramelized Resin Top

July 31, 2015

Jack Craig Fixes a Smashed Table With a Caramelized Resin Top

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Detroit-based industrial designer Jack Craig crafted a curious table and stool that are all about the process. Made from smashed and reconstituted pinewood, the Broken Board Series 2 is sealed with caramelized resin. Its clear honey-hued top leaves the broken wooden ends exposed while creating some surprising visual effects when objects are placed on it.
Learn more about the piece here

DelightFULL’s Botti Pendant Will Jazz Up Any Room

July 27, 2015

DelightFULL’s Botti Pendant Will Jazz Up Any Room

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

This eye-catching lighting piece is shiny, playful and loud. It takes a nod from the brass section of an orchestra and is perfect for a musician's home, a music hall, or any space in need of some elegance and flair. Crafted by DelightFULL’s skilled artisans using an array of trumpet bells, the Botti Pendant will jazz up any space.
Learn more about this loud trumpets lamp

Michael Hilgers’s ‘Flatmate’ Desk Conveniently Unfolds When It’s Time to Work

July 23, 2015

Michael Hilgers’s ‘Flatmate’ Desk Conveniently Unfolds When It’s Time to Work

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

This ultra-thin desk is just like any good roommate: mostly invisible, but around when you need them. Designed by Berlin-based architect and cabinetmaker maker Michael Hilgers, "Flatmate" is a compact workspace that won't take up much of your valuable floor space, but is just as functional as its full-sized counterpart. Thanks to its skinny profile, it can comfortably live in a narrow hallway or even behind other furniture.
Learn more about this invisible pop-up desk

Alexandra Angle Saves Fire Island Beach House From Demolition with Stunning Interiors

July 16, 2015

Alexandra Angle Saves Fire Island Beach House From Demolition with Stunning Interiors

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

A few years ago, a young couple from the city—she’s a real estate executive and he's a bond trader— were looking for a beach retreat on Fire Island, the place where he had spent his childhood summers. After an extensive search they settled for a basic wooden cabin that seemed a bit small and uninspiring, but had a stunning oceanfront location difficult to match. After fantasizing about the idea of making radical changes and even tearing it down to build a new bigger house, interior designer Alexandra Angle came to the rescue and saved the 1950s shelter from demolition using splashes of color, Liberty upholsteries, and classic modern pieces by Bertoia, Noguchi, and Kartell.
Learn more about this bright and colorful beach house

Architecture And Design

Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte’s Cork Helmet Blocks Noise Pollution

July 14, 2015

Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte’s Cork Helmet Blocks Noise Pollution

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Do you love living in the city but find the roaring traffic, cars horns, ambulance sirens, drilling, and barking dogs impossible to deal with? Stop suffering from all that stress–block the noise and restore your sanity with a Cork Helmet. As silly as it might look, Brussels-based Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte's design will help you deal with NYC's excessive 70-decibel sound level while you use your precious quiet time to daydream about calmer pastures.
Learn more about this crazy cork headpiece

Tetra-Shed: A Portable Wooden Home Office with a Rubber Skin

July 13, 2015

Tetra-Shed: A Portable Wooden Home Office with a Rubber Skin

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

As more and more people choose to work from home, there's an increased demand for rooms within a room. Some accomplish this configuration with multi-functional storage spaces, catch-all pods, and even meditation spaces. And some, like Innovation Imperative´s Tetra Shed take on the guise of a giant black rock. Its faceted, minimalistic, geometric aesthetic opts for the scant over the ostentatious; it fits an entire small office inside; it can be completely closed up, so you can relax and forget about work; and, let's be honest, it's quite the conversation piece.
Learn more about this small wooden space

Would You Eat from Plates Printed with Bacteria?

July 10, 2015

Would You Eat from Plates Printed with Bacteria?

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and U.S. bioengineer Tal Danino recently joined forces to make the invisible stunningly visible. They created a hauntingly beautiful set of tableware with colorful abstract patterns for French porcelain maker Bernardaud. Fittingly named Petri Dishes, like the shallow glass dishes biologists use to culture cells, the unique plates feature exploded photographs of bacteria like paenibacillus and salmonella.
Learn more about this bizarre and beautiful tableware

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