See Adam Frank’s Charming LED Nightlights Illuminate BKLYN Designs

See Adam Frank’s Charming LED Nightlights Illuminate BKLYN Designs

With BKLYN Designs just around the corner, we're giving you a sneak peek of some of the local designers who will be displaying their awesome green wares at this year's show. A modern addition to any room, the Lumen LED nightlight by Adam Frank is an energy-efficient version of the designer's original oil lamp (and it's also made with recycled or recyclable materials to boot). The charming light even doubles as a projector to cast contemporary shadow art onto your walls.
 

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2 Gold Will Be the First Manhattan Building to Install a 13-ft Airtight Flood Gate

2 Gold Will Be the First Manhattan Building to Install a 13-ft Airtight Flood Gate

One NYC apartment that was hit hard by the waters that flooded the Financial District during Hurricane Sandy is taking matters into its own hands by investing in a giant, airtight floodgate. 2 Gold will be the first Manhattan rental complex to build a

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Don’t Miss Brooklyn’s Freshest Green Furnishings at This Year’s BKLYN Designs in May!

Don’t Miss Brooklyn’s Freshest Green Furnishings at This Year’s BKLYN Designs in May!

It’s baaaack! Our favorite showcase of the hottest made-in-Brooklyn home designs took a hiatus for a few years but now BKLYN Designs is back and ready to make a splash from May 10-12. This carefully curated tradeshow will bring together a bevy of leading

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The High Line Hotel Will Breathe New Life into a Beautiful Chelsea Landmark

The High Line Hotel Will Breathe New Life into a Beautiful Chelsea Landmark

Chelsea’s beautiful red brick General Theological Seminary will soon be given a new life as The High Line Hotel. Slated to open in May, the Tenth Avenue side of the late 19th century complex will be transformed into a luxury hotel that faces the famous elevated park of the same name. The sixty room hotel will also offer guests proximity to the Chelsea Arts District, as well as a private, tranquil garden.
 

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PHOTOS: Artist Sopheap Pich Builds a Miniature Bamboo City in the World Financial Center

PHOTOS: Artist Sopheap Pich Builds a Miniature Bamboo City in the World Financial Center

A miniature bamboo city has risen inside of the World Financial Center's Winter Garden. Made from sustainable bamboo and rattan, artist Sopheap Pich's "Compound" is a city-like installation that comments on the massive construction boom in his home town of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which has caused the depletion of many of the natural resources in the region. We recently had a chance to visit this fascinating series of sculptures - click through our gallery to see them all.
 

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Neighbors Report That Domino Sugar Complex Workers Are Removing Asbestos Illegally (VIDEO)

Neighbors Report That Domino Sugar Complex Workers Are Removing Asbestos Illegally (VIDEO)

Though we thought some naysayers of the controversial Domino Sugar affordable housing complex may have been assuaged by Two Trees’ plan to create a temporary urban farm and bike courses at the site, it seems a new issue has now arisen. According to resident

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10 Transforming Furniture Designs Perfect for Tiny NYC Apartments

10 Transforming Furniture Designs Perfect for Tiny NYC Apartments

Lilliputian living is not at all new for New Yorkers, but with Mayor Bloomberg's adAPT NYC pilot program, we might be seeing even smaller spaces in the future. The good news is that designers have been coming up with some truly clever transforming and double duty furniture designs to help us make the most of our tiny apartments. From a babushka-style 2-in-1 chair to a vertical garden that doubles as an exercise machine to stairs with hidden drawers built right in, click through our gallery to see a selection of 10 pieces of multi-purpose furniture.
 

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6 Clever Tips to Make Your Tiny Apartment Feel Larger

6 Clever Tips to Make Your Tiny Apartment Feel Larger

Photo credit: Wei Chang

Judging from the popularity of our articles on tiny apartments, it's no secret that many people have embraced the idea of downsizing...but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. Whether you've lived in a tight urban space for a while or you just recently decided to make the switch to small-space living, there are certainly challenges (ranging from where to store all your stuff, to how to accommodate extra guests, to just feeling like you have room to breathe). After living in micro apartments ourselves for some time, we've come up with some smart tips and tricks for making your smaller home feel larger. If you've been feeling a bit cramped lately, read on for some ideas that can give you a little more livable room.

 

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Upper West Side Artist Transforms Driftwood into One-of-a-Kind Furniture Pieces

Upper West Side Artist Transforms Driftwood into One-of-a-Kind Furniture Pieces

Collecting fallen wood during country road trips with friends started off as a hobby for Paul Kruger, but eventually turned into a full-fledged business that pays homage to the trees. The NYC-based artist quickly found that he could take his newly discovered

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Pier 57 “Incubox” Shipping Container Mall Approved by City Council

Pier 57 “Incubox” Shipping Container Mall Approved by City Council

We've been following the progress of this massive shipping container mall proposed for Pier 57 for quite some time now, and this week, the project came one step closer to fruition with the approval of the City Council. Developed by Youngwoo & Associates and designed by LOT-EK, the mall is part of a larger renovation and redevelopment project that seeks to re-enliven the area around the waterfront as a retail and tourist destination.
 

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Greenpoint’s Keramos Hall Restored to Its 19th Century Splendor by Kamen Tall Architects

Greenpoint’s Keramos Hall Restored to Its 19th Century Splendor by Kamen Tall Architects

For the past decade or so, most Greenpoint locals regarded Keramos Hall as just another dingy corner building. Now, thanks to Kamen Tall Architects P.C., the historic building’s façade has been restored to its original splendor, nabbing it a Lucy G.

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NYC Getting More Micro-Units, Sends Out Another Request for Proposals for Tiny Apartments

NYC Getting More Micro-Units, Sends Out Another Request for Proposals for Tiny Apartments

It seems that NYC’s new micro-apartment trend has already taken off before the first unit has even been built. The Department of Housing Preservation, the Citizens Housing Planning Council and NYC Development Commissioner Matthew Wambua just announced a new

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CoolNYC Solution Will Let New Yorkers Control Their Air Conditioners by Smart Phone

CoolNYC Solution Will Let New Yorkers Control Their Air Conditioners by Smart Phone

Although spring hasn’t quite sprung yet, the sweaty days of summer are just around the corner. And with our perspiration comes wallet-busting energy bills from running our air conditioners day and night to keep cool. Luckily ConEd and ThinkEco are ahead

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PHOTOS: Leo Villareal’s Twinkling New LED Art Installation Lights Up an NYC Lobby

PHOTOS: Leo Villareal’s Twinkling New LED Art Installation Lights Up an NYC Lobby

Light artist Leo Villareal recently unveiled his newest LED sculpture inside a glass-front lobby on the Avenue of the Americas. Called “Volume (Durst),” the chandelier-like installation was commissioned by the Durst Organization to be enjoyed by its employees, as well as the rest of the city. The piece incorporates 86,400 LED lights programmed by Villareal to pulse in a myriad of shapes and patterns that never repeat themselves.
 

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William Miller’s Beautiful and Abstract Photos Are Actually of the Gowanus Canal’s Polluted Slime

William Miller’s Beautiful and Abstract Photos Are Actually of the Gowanus Canal’s Polluted Slime

Artist William Miller’s photos may look like beautiful artistic abstractions, but the flowing lines and iridescent specks are actually close-ups of Brooklyn's heavily polluted Gowanus Canal. A closer look reveals the grim details of the sludgy waterway - bits of garbage, pools of oil and even the corpse of a rodent floating in the infamously mucky waterway .
 

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UNICEF Challenges CUNY Students to Create Designs That Help Kids Across the Globe

UNICEF Challenges CUNY Students to Create Designs That Help Kids Across the Globe

The City University of New York and UNICEF are launching a school-wide challenge called Design UNICEF that asks CUNY students to come up with innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of kids around the world. The students will create designs

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SNEAK PEEK: Nest-Shaped Treehouse Made of Hurricane Sandy-Fallen Trees Rises at Brooklyn Botanical Garden

SNEAK PEEK: Nest-Shaped Treehouse Made of Hurricane Sandy-Fallen Trees Rises at Brooklyn Botanical Garden

"Nature is the architect," Roderick Romero told us rather modestly when asked about his latest creation, a giant "nest" made from trees knocked down by Hurricane Sandy at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. While it's true that the public art piece, dubbed "Sandy Remix", was born from the aftermath of the superstorm, we think Romero should at least take a little credit. He and his crew have been working through frigid temps, snow and rain to perfect the one-of-a-kind treehouse before it opens to the public on April 6th. If you want to get a sneak peek of this magical structure before the official launch, click through our gallery to take a private tour.
 

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Miele Brings a Green-Walled Kitchen and Massive Herb Garden to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Miele Brings a Green-Walled Kitchen and Massive Herb Garden to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Visitors to the Miele booth at this weekend's Architectural Digest Home Design Show were treated to a glimpse into the ultimate green kitchen, complete with a center island-style herb table and lush vertical gardens. Created by New Jersey-based EcoWalls, the green accoutrements not only added flair to the booth, they also demonstrated how planted surfaces can be implemented into an everyday home. The vegetated walls and herb garden also acted as the perfect complement to Miele's newest line of energy-efficient refrigerators, ovens and wine coolers.
 

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New York City’s Oldest House Getting a Bright New Addition from nARCHITECTS

New York City’s Oldest House Getting a Bright New Addition from nARCHITECTS

New York’s oldest house, The Wyckoff House, is getting an exciting new addition designed by nARCHITECTS. The extension will create new cultural and programming space for the museum, and will give the landmark building a bit of a facelift without taking away from its historical features. The firm’s design will also add enclosed park space to the site - an innovation that recently nabbed the project an AIANY Design Merit Award.
 

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10 of the Best Green Home Designs Spotted at the Architectural Digest Design Show

10 of the Best Green Home Designs Spotted at the Architectural Digest Design Show

Design lovers from far and wide poured into NYC's Pier 94 this weekend to get their fill of the latest home goods at the Architectural Digest Home Show, and Inhabitat was also on the floor searching for the greenest of the crop. We were excited to see quite a few eco-minded exhibitors and wares on display, ranging from pendant lights made of old microphones to flourishing herb gardens to Venus flytrap-shaped urinals. If you weren't able to make it to the show, click through our gallery to see our top green picks!
 

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DIY VIDEO: Model Summer Rayne Oakes Shows You How to Make a Mason Jar Herb Garden for Your Kitchen Wall

DIY VIDEO: Model Summer Rayne Oakes Shows You How to Make a Mason Jar Herb Garden for Your Kitchen Wall

Picking up fresh herbs at a local farmers market is definitely a foodie luxury, but it doesn't hold a candle to harvesting fragrant, just-plucked seasonings right from your own kitchen. If you've always wanted to create an indoor herb garden but weren't sure how, our favorite eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes has got a wonderfully useful DIY project for you. Summer and her handy dad recently created a beautiful herb garden right on her kitchen wall using just a few mason jars, recycled wood pieces and other inexpensive materials, and we're really impressed by the result. Click through our gallery for a step-by-step tutorial showing you how to make a similar garden in your home, or read on for Summer's fun video documenting the process.
 

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Domino Sugar Site to Offer Urban Farm, Bike Courses, Local Food and More This Summer

Domino Sugar Site to Offer Urban Farm, Bike Courses, Local Food and More This Summer

Photo credit: SHoP Architects and James Corner Field Operations

Two Trees' plan to transform the old Domino Sugar Refinery into a massive affordable housing complex on the Williamsburg waterfront has been met with a mixed bag of reactions, but the management company released some news today that most people will find cool (or at least we think it is). The new plan reimagines Site E of the proposed Domino complex, which is currently just a vacant 55,000-square-foot lot on Kent Avenue between South 3rd and South 4th Streets, into a vibrant community space until construction begins next year. The interim site will feature an urban farm, a bilingual reading room, green space, family-friendly bike courses and affordable food and goods from local vendors for the community to enjoy.

 

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NYC Planning Commission Approves Cornell Tech’s Sustainable Campus on Roosevelt Island

NYC Planning Commission Approves Cornell Tech’s Sustainable Campus on Roosevelt Island

Cornell University overcame a big hurdle in their proposal to build a new tech campus on Roosevelt Island when the New York City Planning Commission gave their plans the green light this week. The proposed campus was approved by the community board last

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VIDEO INTERVIEW: Model Summer Rayne Oakes Turns Her Brooklyn Apartment into a Greenhouse Filled with 200+ Plants

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Model Summer Rayne Oakes Turns Her Brooklyn Apartment into a Greenhouse Filled with 200+ Plants

When she's not busy enacting change in the garment industry or making the latest sustainable fashions look amazing, model Summer Rayne Oakes likes to get back to her roots - literally. The Brooklyn resident and self-proclaimed plantlover recently told us that she transformed her apartment into a verdant oasis filled with over 200 plants. Click through our photo gallery to take a tour of this veritable urban greenhouse, and check out this inspiring video showing how Mingo Design helped Summer create a flourishing vertical garden wall right in her living room.
 

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SiloHome: Cold War Era Missile Silo Transformed into Luxurious Underground House in Upstate New York

SiloHome: Cold War Era Missile Silo Transformed into Luxurious Underground House in Upstate New York

This upstate New York home may look like a single-level hunting lodge on the surface, but delve a little deeper and you'll find that it actually conceals a luxurious, bunker-style underground wing that was built in an old missile silo. During the Cold War era, hundreds of missile silos were built across the United States, but most have been left forgotten and in disrepair. Bruce Francisco and his cousin Gregory Gibbons saw the potential in this silo located in the Adirondack State Park, and turned it into SiloHome, a gorgeous residence with 2,300 extra square feet of hidden, subterranean living space.
 

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