Are you looking for a multi-person seating alternative to the couch? Have a dream of “swimming” in cushions? Do you really love birds? Then this seating option might be for you!

The Giant Birdsnest by O*GE is “a prototype for new and inspiring socializing space, which can be seen as a morph of furniture and playground.” It looks like it could be used as an unusual sleeping space in addition to seating. Think of the great conversations you could have while in this nest!

Would you ever put something like this in your family room?

Image courtesy of O*GE

Are you remodeling a princess-themed bathroom? Or maybe one in Vegas? Well, look no further than this sparkly bathtub by SICIS. It’s made out of glass that l00ks like pink sequins.  A perfect present for the sparkly shoe-lover in your life!

We want to know if the heel of the “shoe” could be used as a water slide into the bath for an extra dash of fun. What do you think of this fun and unusual bath?

Copper and wood are two of nature’s most beautiful materials. Tamasine Osher has used copper piping, along with wood, to create some gorgeous industrial-chic pieces. It’s a very innovative use of a material that might otherwise have been used for scrap! What do you think?

Images courtesy of DigsDigs.

Jim & Theresa’s House on the Venice Canal
Apartment Therapy
“The moment I spotted Jim and Theresa’s home on CA Home + Design online I knew it was unique. To my happy surprise their interior designer Erinn Valencich of Erinn V. Design Group happened to be a recent acquaintance of mine. Welcome to a lovely family home that sits right on the water of the Venice canals.”

Homes with Incredible Backyards
Forbes
Check out this roundup beautiful luxurious yards that Forbes put together.

Designers’ Homes on the Market
Architectural Digest
“To coincide with the April designers’ own homes issue, AD presents a portfolio of seven extraordinary estates for sale, all of which were conceived–and inhabited by–prominent architects and decorators.”

Builders’ Special
Dwell
“A resourceful sound mixer sources some local design talent, rolls up his sleeves, and builds small, green, and affordable in Bozeman, Montana.”

Today, we are pleased to share another winner of the myMarvin Architect’s Challenge. Nils Finne of FINNE Architects in Seattle designed a beautiful cabin located on a wooded waterfront property on Lake Superior. The Eagle Harbor Cabin stands majestically on the northern edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Featuring the rocky, ocean-like shoreline of Lake Superior, the wooded three-acre site provides a dramatic backdrop for this 2,000-square-foot cabin.

Cantilevering toward the water with a 40-ft.-long glass wall facing the spectacular beauty of the lake, the cabin is composed of two simple volumes: a large open living/dining/kitchen space with an open timber ceiling structure and a two-story “bedroom tower,” with the kids’ bedroom on the ground floor and the parents’ bedroom stacked above.

The cabin demonstrates a simple, elemental quality utilizing native Michigan hardwoods such as maple and birch. The interior spaces are wood paneled, with exposed framing in the ceiling. The cabinets use PLYBOO, an FSC-certified bamboo product, with mahogany end panels. Other custom touches include a curvilinear maple entry screen, a custom mahogany coffee table and a curvilinear dining table made of mahogany and steel.

The exterior of the cabin is clad in corrugated metal siding, offset by the tall fireplace mass of Montana ledgestone at the east end.

This home also incorporates a number of sustainable building features, including 2×8 construction (40% greater insulation value), generous glass areas for natural lighting and ventilation, large overhangs for sun and snow protection and metal siding for maximum durability. Sustainable interior finish materials include bamboo/plywood cabinets, locally grown maple flooring and birch paneling, linoleum floors and low-VOC paints.

Both Marvin windows and Marvin doors were used in this project.

To see more about the Architect’s Challenge, please go here.

A Whole Different Animal
Houzz
Your home  doesn’t have to be country or rustic to incorporate animal inspirations. (You don’t need to shop for a leopard-print rug, either.) See how some homeowners have added character to their home by bringing barn animals indoors.

Green & Affordable Prefab Home Debuts in Palm Springs
Dwell
Imagine living in a brand new, stylish, LEED Platinum-certified home in Palm Springs for a cool $180,000. Imagine no more. The LivingHomes C6 might be a prefab, but your jaw will drop when you see this slideshow. Vacation home, anyone?

Piles and Piles of Tile
Centsational Girl
CG is in pursuit of the perfect tile backsplash as she takes on an ambitious hallway bathroom remodel. Turns out selecting the perfect tile isn’t for the faint of heart.

Tour the Art-Filled, Luxuriously Appointed Gramercy Park Hotel
Casa Sugar
Need a little color inspiration? The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City employs a bold Raphael-inspired color palette that fearlessly blends colors from the across the spectrum. (The photo at the top of this post is from the on-site Jar Bar.)

Ah, the humble shower. It’s the way most of us choose to get clean every day, but it’s usually a pretty simple affair: you stand and the water pours over you. If you wanted to lie or sit down in the shower, you would end up with a face full of water and would probably end up just choosing to take a bath.

Luckily, there’s a (luxurious) solution: Meiré und Meiré, a German company, offers “…a private spa, presenting the architectural inspiration for a tour through water competence.” They even have a solution for anyone who has wanted to lie down and take a relaxing shower.

What do you think? Would you ever want something like this to give you more showering options?

Images courtesy of Meiré und Meiré.

It seems like Japan often leads the way when it comes to small but innovative housing. It’s no surprise of course, since this island nation has a large population and often limited land. However, Japan has long been known for its impeccable aesthetics. Combine that with an efficiency obsession and you’ll find that some of the best tiny houses in the world are from Japan.

This house (via Apartment Therapy) is especially cool–squeezed between two highrises, it still manages to have five stories and gardens on every floor. It might not be the most practical house, but it sure is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city!

Images courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Over at Architectural Digest, they are featuring some beautiful celebrity kitchens. We recommend checking them all out and imagining how your favorite celebrities whip up gourmet meals, but we have to share the one we loved the most. Feast your eyes on this unusual kitchen:

No, it’s not in a European dungeon — although you probably figured that out from the stainless steel appliances. It’s Gerard Butler’s New York kitchen and it manages to be subtly masculine and cozy at the same. It seems like the sort of kitchen where you might roast a whole pig just as easily as you could boil up some pasta.

During the colder months, this kitchen would be especially nice to warm up in. It’s not the typical light and bright kitchen we’re used to seeing, but it works. We’re jealous of Gerard! You can read more about it here.

What do you think of his kitchen?

Image courtesy of Architectural Digest

Today, we have two very cool DIY fiber arts ideas, both via Curbly. If you want to add some personalized flair to your home, consider these!

First up is this duvet cover featuring doodles. It’s a bit labor intensive, but the end result is very cool. You’ll need whatever drawings you’ve doodled. After photographing the drawings, the creator of this duvet cover traced them on to fabric. You’d probably want to buy a solid-colored duvet for this. Lots of work, but you end up with a duvet cover that no one else in the world has.

The second DIY idea is also a great way to reuse old clothing. Using old pairs of jeans, cut into whatever pattern you like, you can make some fun wall art. Just sew on to a fabric back and voila! Jeans and art on your wall.

What do you think of these ideas? What’s the coolest DIY fiber arts project you’ve ever done?