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When Design&Function Meet

When Design and Function Meet — Living Small!

#memyselfandi, Good Design, When Design&Function MeetAmy MorelliComment

Image Courtesy of Macy Miller

If you are a loyal reader of my blog, then you know I love it when GOOD design and Function meet! I used to teach at an art school and one thing I used to tell my students, there is nothing worse, then design for design sake. In my book, Design should have a purpose, a reason and a function. 

Lately there has a been a trend of what I call "living small".  Do you ever wonder, have we as a society become captives to STUFF? I think the short answer is (emphatically) YES! The more "modern and advanced" society becomes — the bigger the consumerism motto is drilled into us by influencing societal ideals. We now live in a society where the majority of people work like dogs to obtain things. 

This fact first hit me this past holiday season, when talking with friends I mentioned that I spent all day replacing and testing fuses and bulbs in my christmas tree lights. A friend then said, they are so cheap these days that I don't even bother with it anymore, I throw them out and just buy new ones.  This surprised me, as this friend I've know for over 15 years, and they have always been pretty serious about recycling and living green. I thought, WOW what a statement on the state of society, that the norm has become "Just throw it away and buy a new one." Especially when I hear it come from someone who has always been pretty socially responsible.

Apparently I'm not the only one who is feeling like a slave to my stuff. There is a recent growing trend of Living Small. And not only do I think this is amazing, I really love those who are executing this trend with Style. Here are just a few tiny spaces that have made me swoon! This first one below has to be my favorite!!

This ordinary garage transformed into a TINY DREAM!!!!! But I won't lie... I would love the treehouse below as well!

Above Images Courtesy of worldinsidepictures.com  He Didn’t Have Money To Buy An Apartment and He Bought A Garage, to read this full story click here.

Image Courtesy of Nicole Wolf

Image Courtesy of www.ecolifemagazine.com

Above Images Courtesy of bohtlingk.  “De Markies” (The Awning) was an entry in the “Temporary Living” competition 1985 and was conceived as a mobile home. On the road, it measures 2.00 m by 4.50 m, and once it has arrived at its destination its floorspace can be increased threefold in a matter of seconds. “De Markies” was awarded the Public Prize at the Rotterdam Design Prize 1996.