The Windy City just isn’t windy enough for Frances Whitehead and James Elniski. After investing $40,000 in wind turbines, the savings to them is only about $500 a year. In case you weren’t a math major, it’s going to take them 80 years to pay it off. Fortunately for the environment, Frances and James just don’t care. Read the full story / more photos »

I’ve heard of students roughing it, but sleeping in freight containers? That’s right. Only it’s not a case of desperate living or some torturous fraternity hazing — it’s a very cool,very useful idea developed by a Dutch company called TempoHousing. Lots of images after the jump Read the full story / more photos »

Looking at Cliff Spencer’s design gallery is truly like viewing a work of art. When I first heard there was a designer using old wine barrels to make furniture and cabinetry, I was dying to see what the pieces looked liked and how this idea had come about. And when I did, I was impressed. Read the full story / more photos »

Man-made reservoirs don’t exactly bring a soft, fuzzy image to my mind, so when I heard what’s happening in Southern California in the hills between L.A. and San Diego, my skeptical side kicked in. Read the full story / more photos »

A new house often means relying on your friends. Friends can help you pack, they can loan you their pickup and/or help you move your belongings. Sometimes they can just be there to provide moral support while you get settled.

Read the full story / more photos »

If it comes to living in the country or the city, for me the choice is a no-brainer. I mean, as beautiful as the countryside is, it’s great to visit — not so great to live. Shall we talk about isolation? I couldn’t bear it. The city is really where it’s at for me. Cities are exciting cultural hubs that offer an alluring mix of art, film, theatre, music, restaurants, shops and — if you happen to live in a city other than Los Angeles — public transport.

The one thing cities don’t have are… farms. And I don’t mean the scarecrow-combine harvester-herds of Black Angus-type farms, I’m talking about a genuine urban farm. Read the full story / more photos »

Want to see a house assembled before your eyes? Check out the above video featuring the installation of a NomadHome.

If you want more detailed information, you’re either out of luck or in for a chuckle. If you believe the verbiage on the official NomadHome site (which is clumsily — and often hilariously — translated from what appears to be German), the NomadHome is “a home for the people of today”, designed to provide flexibility in today’s ever-evolving world, especially for those they call the “fleeing fledglings” and “part time settled mobile homers”. Which I guess means this isn’t the home for me. After all, I’m an accomplished fleer and I like my mobile homer settled full time. Video after the jump.

Read the full story / more photos »

Owning a home always comes with its share of inconveniences. But it doesn’t have to be that way. At least according to ZenKaya.

The word “zen” means “a trouble free experience” and “kaya” means “home”. Together they represent the philosophy of South Africa-based ZenKaya, whose prefabricated lodges are unique forward move in sustainable building and designed to be trouble free. It’s a lofty undertaking. Read the full story / more photos »

Symbiosis in design always intrigues me. While the integration of disparate and creative elements into one cohesive unit doesn’t always make for great art — when it works, it’s worth noting. From the strange but wonderful slicing and clanging noises in ‘80s Depeche Mode music (which seemed radical at the time) to a chandelier made from exploded party poppers, it’s the joining of unusual things that I most love to hear and see Read the full story / more photos »

If yurts intrigue you but you’re not ready to be a canvass dweller, the Wall home by Chilean-based FAR architects might be for you. The design is based on the idea that homes should not draw such distinct lines between inside and outside; instead there should be a gentle transition. To create this transition, the house is built in layers Read the full story / more photos »

Blue is my favorite color and I’ve often been criticized for the lack of diversity in my wardrobe, so when I saw this building I was immediately intrigued. The Blue Tower by Bernard Tschumi opened in New York City late last year, housing 32 apartments and a 3rd floor commercial space. Read the full story / more photos »

How often do I go to a store and spot a high ticket item that I know would look fantastic in my home? Very. How often do I actually end up purchasing it? Not very.

It’s not that I’m cheap; for things I know I’ll keep, I don’t mind spending good money. But what usually runs through my head is: I can make one of these myself. And what happens then is I go home, add it to my list of projects and eventually figure out a way to make it. I’m pretty handy that way. What I usually lack is the idea. I need inspiration from outside sources. Which is why I like stumbling across things like the incredibly cool DIY lamp made from an old washing machine barrel. Read the full story / more photos »