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December 14, 2016

Turn anything into a table or shelf in minutes using Be-elastic’s SNAP

NYC apartments often have irregular layouts and odd corners, and finding pre-made furniture that will fit nicely can often be a lofty task. As such, the founders of Be-elastic have designed an innovative furniture solution called SNAP to solve this problem. The SNAP assembly system is comprised of a simple snapping mechanism that allows users to design and assemble tables, stools, or shelving using whatever material they can find. The team has already experimented with a variety of items, creating tables from dart boards, vintage doors, and even bicycle wheels. But you can use your own design savvy to decide the color and number of legs your item requires.
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December 13, 2016

Rare modernist pieces by Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Gaudí and more up for auction today

If your idea of a perfect stocking stuffer is a classic Serge Mouille three-armed ceiling light, the auction of items from the private collection of architect Lee Mindel, which begins today, is just what your gift list ordered. "Light & Aerie: The Collection of Lee F. Mindel, FAIA" includes dozens of rare modernist pieces from the architect's personal collection. Mindel is moving from his Chelsea loft in a former hat factory to a new aerie in Tribeca's rare and collectible Herzog & de Meuron-designed "Jenga tower" at 56 Leonard Street; Mindel's loft is available, too, if you've got a really big stocking to fill. Auction house Phillips is handling the sale, which includes stunning pieces ranging from art to furniture, lighting and decorative items by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Antoni Gaudí, Georges Braque, Hans J. Wegner, Ettore Sottsass, Jr. and many, many more.
Check out some of the iconic pieces headed for auction
December 7, 2016

10 modern menorah designs for Hanukkah 2016

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. In anticipation of Hanukkah, we’ve rounded up ten modern menorahs for the design-minded.  For thousands of years, people all over the globe have been celebrating Hanukkah (a.k.a. Festival of Lights), and this year's festivities are just around the corner. While the holiday invites participants to join in on a variety of joyful traditions like playing dreidel and eating potato pancakes, the eight-night event is centered around the lighting of the menorah. From emojis and dinosaurs, to elegant branches and minimal blocks, you can find a menorah in almost any style these days—so why not give the ancient nine-tiered a contemporary update? To help you find the right menorah design for your living space, we've rounded up ten of our favorite modern takes on the centerpiece.
have a look at all 10 here
December 6, 2016

5 places to buy affordable modern art in New York City

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top five shops for scoring affordable art in trendy Manhattan. Manhattan is a treasure trove of fine art. The gallery districts have shifted from Soho to Chelsea down to the Lower East Side, populating each neighborhood with clean white walls and a rotating collection of pieces from a roster of painters, sculptors, and mixed media artists. Although viewing the art the city has to offer is free, taking a piece home can be a major hit to the wallet. I've rounded up a list of great places in Manhattan to not only see art, but to also buy art affordably. Kickstart your burgeoning collection, or find a unique gift, at one of my picks below.
5 spots to score great art here
December 5, 2016

A guide to tipping building staff during the holidays

Every December, building staff across the city leave seasonal cards under residents’ doors. If you’re new to life in a full-service building, don’t be fooled—this card is not simply a chance for staff to extend holiday cheer to you and your family. These cards, which usually arrive in the first week of December and list […]

November 30, 2016

10 eco-friendly Christmas tree alternatives for small spaces and apartments

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we've rounded up some alternative holiday tree ideas for those living in tight spaces. While you could buy a Charlie Brown tree, or try ask to have a few feet knocked off that pine when you hit the register, if you're a small space dweller who wants a more eco-friendly holiday arbol this year, there are plenty of options for you beyond the classic artificial fir (which fyi is even more environmentally unsound than chopping down an evergreen thanks to the carcinogens produced during manufacturing and disposal). From edible trees to LED pines to DIY options that smell just as good as the real thing, 6sqft has searched high and low for 10 different types of sustainable Christmas tree alternatives to jazz your apartment up with this year—and years to come.
ten alternative ideas here
November 30, 2016

The 15 best NYC holiday markets and indie pop-up shops

December's first days bring a dazzling parade of holiday gift markets all vying for the opportunity to find new homes for a bounty of goodies and crafty gifts. We're all familiar with the big NYC markets at Bryant Park and Union Square, but some of the best finds—and the most fun—can be found at smaller, cooler pop-ups and neighborhood markets. Some are only around for a weekend, others for the whole month or longer. In addition to locally-made jewelry and crafts, vintage finds, artfully curated fashions, home items and other things we didn't know we needed, these hip retail outposts sparkle with drinks, food, workshops, tarot readings, nail art, music, and family fun to keep shoppers' spirits bright.
Find out where to get the goods
November 29, 2016

Hipster nativity scene is hilarious, sacrilegious and can be yours for $129.99

Though the resurgence of beards and maxi-dresses makes the classic version look almost au courant, a company called Modern Nativity has created a tongue-in-cheek take on the iconic Christmas manger scene with an update for the smartphone set. The “hipster nativity" was born, like many a great idea, over happy hour beers between friends. Founder Casey Wright tells Mashable that after having an illustrator sketch it up, the idea looked too good to leave on the drawing board.
I played my Spotify mix for Him
November 4, 2016

Boulon Blanc transforms from coffee table to dining room table in one motion

Efficient studio living in any city requires planning and ingenuity, and with a limited amount of square footage, multi-use furniture can help to optimize your available space. Now, thanks to the French furniture brand Boulon Blanc, you can easily and stylishly transform your living room into your dining room with one swift motion. Their clever new table changes height in an instant, and is made from high quality components and materials. Inspiration for the Boulon Blanc table is drawn from aeronautics and precision time pieces, and the team spent over two years developing the table's sophisticated helicoid mechanisms.
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October 28, 2016

Wine condoms provide ‘on-the-go protection’ for your bottle of vino

Wine and condoms often go hand-in-hand, but one product has actually combined the two. Wine Condoms, available on Amazon, are so popular that they are currently sold out through the online retailer. Their description also claims that Amy Poehler, Sharon Stone, Mila Kunis, Madonna, Bethenny Frankel, Melissa McCarthy, Patricia Arquette, Rosie O’Donnell and Ruby Rose “have […]

October 26, 2016

Citee t-shirts are covered with city maps from 230 different locations

It's no secret that we're huge fans off all things map related, and that's especially true when it comes to wall decor and t-shirt design. Alex Szabo-Haslam, a designer from Sheffield, England, recently launched a campaign for "Citee," an exclusive collection that includes exactly these items. In phase one of this project, Alex printed highly detailed maps of 80 cities onto t-shirts, and now he's using Kickstarter to fund round two where he'll expand his line to include another 150 locations.
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October 10, 2016

Burn calories sitting at your desk with HOVR

Our bodies are designed to move, yet most of us spend our days sitting at a desk, staring at a screen. But here's a new device that claims to help counter that inertia by producing unconscious movements that can help keep you fit while answering emails. While it might look like some silly exercise device being offered on a late night television informercial, HOVR promises to burn calories by creating healthy movements without mental distraction.
get fit with HOVR
October 6, 2016

The Avegant Glyph is a wearable movie screen with surround sound

The Avegant Glyph offers cinema screen entertainment without the distraction of people rustling popcorn. The wearable, invented by a Silicon Valley start-up, resembles a hefty pair of headphones but when you slide the band down over your eyes, micro mirror projection gives the impression that you’re watching an enormous display. READ MORE AT METRO NEW […]

October 3, 2016

Geometric sound-absorbing wall panels are made from wood wool

Made from wood wool, a mix of leftover wood chips, cement, water and pigments, these sound absorbing wall panels come in assorted colors and shapes that can be arranged and re-arranged, turning any cookie-cutter apartment into a unique space. Designed by Swedish studio Form Us With Love and known as BAUX Träullit, they're a great example of how construction materials can also be functional and stunning.
Learn more about this lovely wall piece
October 3, 2016

Renters’ Rights 101: Know what your landlord is responsible for

No, you don't have to suffer in a sub-zero apartment this winter, nor do you need to dine with mice and roaches in your kitchen during the summer. If you're one of the many constantly finding themselves up in arms over a negligent landlord, rest assured there's more that you can do beyond grumbling to your friends. Indeed, in NYC tenants have a lot of power, and the city has established a number of regulations to protect you, your family, and especially young children living in rental properties. Ahead is 6sqft's list of the most common problems New York renters face—and some advice on how to get those issues fixed quickly.
Your rights here
September 28, 2016

iFetch automatic ball launcher is designed for lazy dog owners

If you can’t keep up with your dog’s demands for yet another game of fetch, this gizmo could save your throwing arm. The iFetch flings balls from between 10 to 39 feet (depending on the model) and it can even be operated by your pooch. All your dog has to do is drop the ball […]

September 27, 2016

MOON lamp uses NASA-sourced data to replicate lunar phases in your living room

On average we spend almost 90 percent of our time inside, so it comes as no surprise that there are several home-decor products on the market that attempt to mimic different systems in nature to help break up the monotony. The newest addition to this collection is MOON, a small model of the moon that actually uses data sourced from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to position the unit. The MOON model was created by designer Oscar Lhermitte in collaboration with London-based design studio Kudu.
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September 25, 2016

Play with your pets and others’ pets with Petcube’s interactive camera

If you have four-legged family members, you've probably wondered what they're up to while you're at work all day. Sure, you can get yourself a regular camera, but Petcube takes pet monitoring to another level. Not only can you talk to, play with, and watch your dog or cat, you can do the same with other people's pets and even shelter animals via Petcube's app. And the best part? You don't need to own a unit to play.
Learn all about Petcube
September 22, 2016

Paul Foeckler creates rustic indoor lighting using reclaimed California firewood

For fireplace-starved apartment dwellers, here's an alternative way to bring in some woodsy warmth as we approach the cooler months. Designer Paul Foeckler's Split Grain lighting collection is made from firewood he forages himself in California and then slices uses a splitting technique that reveals the grain patterns of the cross sections. These intricacies are then highlighted when the light emanates from the sculptural piece.
See more of these beautiful lights
August 31, 2016

Superhero bookshelves transform your living room into a secret urban lair

Technically we all have to grow up, but that doesn't mean we can't always be kids at heart. Turkish product designer Burak Doğan helps us integrate this sense of play into our often serious adult lives with his series of superhero bookshelves. Now you can transform your dull living room into your very own superhero lair.
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August 30, 2016

Stay cool on the go with Zero Breeze, the first smart, portable air conditioner

If recent sweltering temperatures have you reconsidering your outdoor plans for Labor Day, you may want to check out this new product before resigning yourself to a holiday weekend indoors. Zero Breeze is the first portable air conditioner that will not only keep you cool indoors and out, but also includes a blue tooth speaker, night light and charging station for your devices.
Get the scoop on the product
August 30, 2016

10 easy ways to give your rental kitchen a makeover

For renters, the kitchen is often the least attractive area of their home. And this is especially true in NYC where landlords often turn to the cheapest finishes, built-ins and fixtures they can find in order to save a few dollars. But even if your apartment ultimately won't be your forever home, there's no reason suffer through an interior design nightmare. Ahead 6sqft highlights 10 easy and affordable ways to transform a ugly rental kitchen into a chic space—all without putting your deposit at risk.
Our 10 tips here
August 29, 2016

Bono: A stylish aluminum composter perfectly sized for your countertop

Composting in New York City can be challenging to say the least. Not only are you dealing with the constant changing of the seasons, but space in this densely packed town is also sparse. However, with every challenge is also an opportunity, and much like many of the other problems associated with these limitations we look to design to keep us moving in the right direction. On the composting front Polish designer Ala Sieradzka's as made for us Bono, a compact countertop composter spun from powder-coated aluminum that comes with an equally stylish cork lid and base.
learn more here
August 23, 2016

BioLight’s PizzaDome brings wood-fired pizza to your campground

While the majority of the NYC's five boroughs are a rough and tumble concrete jungle, just beyond the bridges, highways and waterways, city slickers can find solace in the tranquil forests of the northeast. However, there are some city conveniences, if given the option, we'd never want leave behind, and good pizza is definitely one of them. To add to their already cool roster of camping gadgetry, BioLight bring us "PizzaDome," the very first portable wood-fired pizza oven designed specifically for the campground.
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August 19, 2016

App-controlled toaster will sear emojis or the weather forecast onto your toast

Toast can be a bit boring, especially in the days of rainbow bagels and Eggs Benedict, but this app-controlled toaster offers quite a few ways to jazz up your standard morning bread. By working with bluetooth, not only can Toasteroid control the brownness of your toast from your smartphone, but its searing technology can print everything from weather forecasts, reminders, doodles, and emojis on your breakfast.
Find out more