Author: Francesca Michel

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Keys? Who needs ’em when you have the August Smart Lock!

Another beautiful Yves Behar design, the August Smart Lock allows us to open and close our front door with our smartphone. With the ability to create virtual keys for guests, auto-lock and unlock, and keep the existing hardware of our door intact, the August Smart Lock is beautifully designed. It is also easy to install in 15 minutes over most common deadbolts. Graham loves the auto lock feature because it allows him to come and go with nothing but his phone in his pocket. It locks automatically after he leaves and opens up as he returns.

Learn about our Nest Cam security system here.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Hufcor Accordion Wall – Instant Visual and Acoustic Privacy

If privacy is ever needed in the LifeEdited 2 guest room/office, pulling the Hufcor accordion door closed certainly does the trick. Usually used in institutional settings, Hufcor doors are designed with ceiling tracks and wall fixtures to ensure the accordion door seals tightly for visual and acoustic privacy. When closed, it has similar acoustic properties to an insulated 2×4 wall with 1/2″ drywall on each side!

In addition, the Hufcor material is extremely durable, and qualifies for LEED recycling.

For every foot of space it takes up when open, our Hufcor wall compacts to a mere inch when closed, allowing us to hide it away in a cabinet.

We love the way it easily creates a temporary space with excellent visual and acoustic privacy.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

The team wanted a room partition that was the right combination of industrial strength and visual subtlety, so we covered the Hufcor accordion door with the aesthetically restful Maharam Tek-Wall Heritage textile.

To learn more about privacy in the apartment, also read our post about our Filzfelt wall and curtain which were created from felt remnants.

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Nest Cam and Nest Protect

One of the key features of the LifeEdited 2 apartment’s high quality of life is Nest. Having previously used Nest Cam to monitor construction projects and ensure the general security of his homes, Graham wanted to make Nest Protect, a high functioning smoke and CO alarm, as well as Nest Cam, an indoor and outdoor safety camera and app, a central part of LifeEdited 2. Not only is Nest Protect far more beautifully designed than your average smoke detector, but it also functions as a motion sensor nightlight and sends alerts to your phone in emergency and emergency-like situations. In the case of a false alarm, the Nest Protect that easily be hushed from a smartphone- no stools or ear plugs necessary! 

Nest Cam has always allowed Graham to check in and record who is coming and going in the spaces he works on and lives in. Whether it is people working for him or resident doggies, the app allows for him to both see and talk to any people or animals from his smartphone.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Green and Sleek Edyn Garden Sensor

Graham’s proudest match making moment has come full circle with the addition of the Edyn Garden Sensor in the LifeEdited 2 apartment. In 2013, Yves Behar, founder and principal designer of Fuseproject, an award-winning industrial design and brand development firm, and Jason Aramburu, an ecologist and soil scientist, came together to create an exceptionally innovative gardening system. Edyn Garden Sensor monitors “minute changes in soil nutrition and moisture,” allowing the garden’s owner to “anticipate and resolve problems” before they even happen by receiving tips and notifications on their smartphones. Solar powered and Wi-Fi connected our Edyn also has a database of plants from which it can recommend flora to users based on their soil profile. The sleek design and incredibly intelligent technology work really well in the LifeEdited 2 apartment. 

To learn about the smart and water conserving Edyn Water Valve, which we don’t have but conceptually love, watch this video!

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Sustainable Soma Water Filters and Vessels

Passionate about design and interested in creating water filters and vessels free of chemicals, Soma’s production practices are as sustainable as their products. This includes transparent labor policies, post-consumer waste packaging, using a portion of their revenue for water charities, and at the center of it all, their 60% renewable and plant-based product, disposable water filters which can be used with each vessel they sell. This is exactly why we use their Glass Carafe and Portable Water Bottle daily in LifeEdited 2.

To learn more about water and air filtration in the LifeEdited 2 apartment, see our Blueair and and Franke posts.

Graham is a proud investor in Soma.

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Filzfelt Wall and Curtain Add Texture and Sound Absorption

One of the coziest aspects of the LifeEdited 2 living room/bedroom/dining area is its 100% biodegradable 3 mm Filzfelt Wool wall and curtain.

The wall is made entirely out of offcuts laid out like shingles with plywood behind them and stapled in rows, adding texture to the space and absorbing sound really well. The curtain allows for full privacy when guests come to stay in the office/guest room across the way. Plus, Filzfelt even gets you LEED points.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Insteon for a Smart Apartment

Insteon has made the LifeEdited 2 apartment truly efficient. With their Insteon Wall Switches and Keypad we can control, customize, and even schedule our Plumen hanging lights and Haiku Fan from a smartphone using Insteon Hub technology.

Plus, Insteon works in tandem with the Nest smoke detector and security camera and more, letting Graham follow through on his vision of a highly functioning, high tech, easy to use, energy saving apartment.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Franke Under the Sink Water Filter

Our LifeEdited 2 Franke Water Filter with ceramic cartridges easily mounts under the sink, leaving more space in our kitchen and allowing us to drink filtered water straight from the tap. It’s a great way to get away from bottled water.

As a former crew member of Plastiki, “a unique  60ft  catamaran  engineered  from  approximately  12,500  reclaimed plastic  bottles and srPET, a  fully  recyclable material … relying  primarily on renewable energy systems,” Graham cares about the complete removal of bottled water from his and everyone’s lives. For him, the Franke water filter is an excellent and easy way for dwellers to help completely remove plastic water vessels from their lives.

Even though NYC has exceptionally clean tap water, Graham still uses his Franke filter to help remove potential contamination created from the old pipes in the building. To learn about the best filters for your needs, follow this link!

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Stunning KBH Mirror with Brass Fittings

A well known way to create the illusion of more space in a room is to add a mirror. In LifeEdited 2 KBH Københavns Møbelsnedkeri’s stunning brass mirror does that and more. The brushed brass frame enriches the aesthetic of the apartment and matches the Plumen light fixtures.

Have a look at KBH’s site, they do really great work.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.

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Lithoverde Pre-cycled Carrara Marble in LE2

For most of the countertops and surfaces in LifeEdited 2, LifeEdited chose Lithoverde Bianco Carrara, natural stone composed of 99% post-industrial pre-cycled material and “infused with a soy-based poly-amid binder to create a tight bond,” making it great for wet surfaces. We used it for the kitchen counter, the backsplashes, the wall and vanity in the bathroom as well as the window seat in the office. Durable, smooth, and long lasting the Lithoverde Bianco Carrara really adds to the high quality feel of the apartment.

We love how it looks, how it works and the fact that it’s the greenest marble out there.

This post is one in a series that describes our LifeEdited 2 showcase apartment. LifeEdited 2 embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view LifeEdited 2 as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. The product described in this post was given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in it.