Dollhouses have come and go in many shapes and sizes - but most of them have been stuck in the last century or even before that.  The most popular styles were Victorian, Colonial or Classical.  The modern era has sadly been largely ignored.  Until now.

Modernistas and Minimalistas - rejoice!   Danish design house, Minimii, has recreated a very modern and minimal dollhouse that is a replica of the villa of famed designer, Arne Jacobsen.  The 1928 villa - stark white, spacious, and minimalist - is reproduced at 1:16 scale and ready to be furnished with matching modern furniture like Jacobsen’s Egg chair.

Its sprawling interior and minimalist white color make it friendly to many different design ideas and only limited to a child’s imagination.  For more information take a look at the Minimii site.

The Vipp Collection at Design Within Reach

Ever since first laying eyes on a Vipp refuse can, I was in love. The Danish company’s cans are unmatched in their combination of aesthetic appeal with functionality - sharp lines and neutral colors with an easy-to-clean finish and a wide rubber foot pedal. It helps that they have been hand-constructed from quality materials since the company’s inception in 1939.

This month, Vipp is once again teaming up with DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) and Design Within Reach for CAN IT!!!, an effort to raise awareness and funds. They have asked a group of significant artists, designers, entertainers, and celebrities to transform Vipp bins into art objects, with amazing, and amazingly varied, results.

The final bins are on display at the DWR Tools for Living Store at 142 Wooster Street in Manhattan until October 28th, and are available for advance bidding. On the 28th, the celebration gala and final auction hosted by DWR, Vipp, and DIFFA will take place at the DWR flagship store at 110 Greene Street, with proceeds going to DIFFA’s important work. Bidders will be invited to this otherwise private event.

I had a chance to visit the DWR Tools for Living store last night, and was truly impressed with the bins and the store (which I learned from delightful salesman Steve has only been open a little over a year). If you are in the area, I recommend a visit!

Here are some of my (somewhat biased) favorites:

Jes Gordon

Avi Adler and John Baldessari

David Rockwell

Cole Garett and Yves Behar

All images ©Vipp via If Its Hip, Its Here. More information and images are available there.

Have you been stuck at home, wondering what’s going on in design in the world beyond your little corner? Or maybe you’ve just come back from your summer holidays, and your appetite for new ideas is whetted. Either way, you should check out the new Designer Monthly that just went up today, with features on how color is used in a handful of countries, the history and basics of using Feng Shui for interior design, objets d’art from around the world, and a whole lot more.
Check it out at http://www.sheffield.edu/designermonthly/

I have to admit that partly I wanted to post this just because this photo is so cool. I love the idea of nature being stronger than the things we build, and this photo exemplifies that.

But it is also part of the publicity for an event in Chicago September 2 that sounds so great I (almost) wish I lived there and not in New York City. It’s a “fast-paced, lively” discussion titled “Living Structures,” with speakers from Urban Habitat Chicago.

Even if you can’t go, it’s interesting to think about—what are your favorite “living structures”? Write to Stylehound and let us know.

The Chicago event will “feature multiple presenters highlighting their favorite living structures, ranging from living bridges, living fences in Africa, and animal architecture such as coral reefs and bird’s nests to edible homes, rooftop gardens, and espalier tree forming for food production.”

Find the details here:

Urban Habitat Chicago - Living Structures Lecture

If you’re on the East Coast of the US right now, you’re really feeling the heat. And hopefully not using your A/C too much for relief. 

There are, of course, methods big and small for greening the planet with home decor. The small things you can do right now: get some insulated shades and close them in the heat of day, use a fan instead of an A/C, go out to an air-conditioned movie instead of turning on your personal A/C.

One of the big-picture approaches we really love is the “white” roof, a roof that doesn’t contribute to heating the air, but that cools it. Plus, think how great it looks: just imagine if your city were filled with rooftops carpeted in cooling green grass. 

Here’s an interesting article evaluating one white roof, which we found at Low Impact living: 

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/category/interior-design/

You know how, sometimes, you’re standing around in the shower and don’t really need the water on? Especially if you’re becoming more aware of just how precious that water is. And yet, turning the water off and back on again is sometimes just more than you’re willing to do.

Here is the coolest water-saving device we’ve ever seen. The shower water is powered by touch-sensitive tiles; touch, and there’s water. Touch again, and you’re saving water.

But the best, coolest, most innovative thing is that the shower and sink water doesn’t just go down the drain, used once and then tossed into the riverways of your town. Instead, it’s recycled for use in the toilet. And all of this happens silently, behind-the scenes, so all you know is that you have a really cool-looking bathroom.

Want more information? It’s at http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/07/06/touch-sensitive-bath-time/

And if that isn’t good enough, we found it on this blog: http://cribcandy.com/home/picks/eco-friendly-touch-sensitive-bathroom/13260/

Just found this blog, hosted by interiordesign.net:

http://www.interiordesign.net/blog/1850000585.html

This is a collection of posts by five different writers, including D.B. Kim a “traveling design guru,” with the article round-up overseen by Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen. It’s an intersting assortment of points of view and takes on design; the latest post on the Musee D’Orsay in Paris gives an in-depth look at the design of the museum. Just the ticket if you’re stuck state-side and wishing for a trip to Europe, it even includes a slideshow of the author’s visit.

If you’re going to San Francisco….before next weekend, schedule in a stop at the Metropolitan Home “Modern By Design” show house in Pacific Heights.

Several designers, each of whom was assigned a different area of the house, will show off their work in the  historic 7,000 square feet home. Proceeds will go to the San Francisco Ballet; tickets are $25 each, and the event ends on July 12th. For more information, go to: http://www.pointclickhome.com/renovation_inspiration/articles/modern_design_2009

From the beginning of the 20th century to the end of the 1980s, Finnish design had a fascinating evolution that designers still learn from today. If you’re planning to be near Helsinki between June 10 and September 6 of this year, check out the exhibit at the Suomen Rakennustaiteen Museo. For details, see http://www.mfa.fi/frontpage

If you’re in New York City this week and if you’re into architechture, check out the two-day program at the Guggenheim. The title of the program, “Now What Architecutre?” is a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright himself, whose work and life are under discussion by present-day design and architecture greats.

You can go for one day or for both. And on the 15th, the new Frank Lloyd Wright show opens at the museum.

For more, go to http://www.guggenheim.org/