Author: Kyle Ancheta

Hawaii…one’s mind goes immediately to the lush landscape, the beautiful ocean, the towering mountains. Maui is all about the outside and LifeEdited:Maui did its best to create a great outside of the house to accompany its inside. Below are the plants, technologies and other gear that we used outside.

Acer/Pioneer – Water Catchment Tanks

We like the idea that the important stuff comes to LifeEdited:Maui from the sky. A nuclear power station in the form of a burning star sends us our energy and sometimes fast, sometimes slow-moving clouds bring us our water. We collect it via our own roof and that of our neighbors and then route it to the 15,000 gallon Acer/Pioneer steel water tank lower on the property. From there, when the sun shines, a solar pump pumps it up to the 5,000 gallon tank behind the house. The tanks are not only of extremely high quality and beautiful, they are also smart…their roofs, different from most tanks, collect their own water. A torrential rain-storm now has the added silver lining that we are collecting gallon upon gallon of fresh rainwater! We’d love to see a lot more of this around the world…it just makes sense.

 

KOHLER – Foot-washing Station

It’s about the big moves…and about the small ones. Details are important. Sand on the beach…great! Sand on your floors…yech! There’s a lot of beach time in Maui and so we wanted to have a nice set-up for when people return from the beach. We designed a lovely little foot-washing station that is placed by the front door. A polished chrome Kohler “Triton” fixture is complimented by a dark Ipe wood and enables residents to keep that pesky sand outside the house.

 

Magnum – Electric Bikes

Maui is gorgeous, rugged and….hilly. LifeEdited:Maui needed some ecologically smart transportation to complement its green approach so we talked to Court Rye at the amazing Electric Bike Review site and he directed us immediately to Magnum. Magnum makes terrific electric bikes for the value conscious buyer. Many of them are in the $1,500-2,000 range. They look great and work really well. Pedal assist instead of throttle which we think is smart. They easily help you up steep hills and due to the slower speed limits and curviness of the roads, you can get around at speeds not terribly far from a car’s! Knobby tires allow you to get off-road and go through cane field trails to reach unique, remote ocean and mountain destinations. Add a surf-rack and you can even bring your board to the beach. We love them as they help take the lazy factor off the table..you just grab your bike and go…and end up getting some exercise as a result.

 

One Earth Design’s SolSource Classic – Solar Cooker

What better way to compliment our off-grid house than with an off-grid, fossil-fuel-free BBQ! The SolSource uses 5 curved mirrors to capture and focus the sun’s rays onto one point where a cooking pot can be placed. It can quickly reach 550F/280C!! This means you can boil a liter of water in 10 minutes. In fact it heats up 5x faster than charcoal so is ideal for BBQing. Saves energy and emissions while providing fun for adults and kids alike!

 

Plants – Fruit Trees

With help from Evan Ryan of Pono Grown Farm Center, over 25 different fruit trees were planted on the property and over the past year or two they are really starting to come into their own. We planted papaya, improved meyer lemon, tahitian lime, sharwil avocado, malama avocado, yamagata avocado, breadfruit, fairchild mango, star ruby supreme grapefruit, washington navel orange, kari starfruit, eggfruit, buddha hand lemon, surinam cherry, soursop, dancy tangerine, rolinia deliciosa, murta jaboticaba, mamey sapote, biew kiew longan, black gold jackfruit, emperor lychee, kaimana lychee and white indonesian guava.

 

Plants – Ornamental

Evan also planted a lot of beautiful and sometimes aromatic plants in various places around the property. He planted things such as monstera, ginger, anthurium, native white hibiscus, alocasia varieties, aloe, mini agave, ti (green and maroon), euphorbia, plumbago, jade, bougainvillea, ‘ohi’a lehua, pikake, reina de la noche, song of india and bromeliads.

 

Plants – Green Fences

In order to maximize visual and acoustic privacy as well as make the place look nice and sink some carbon, we have planted a number of plants on the borders of the property. We planted Textilis gracilis bamboo in one location where we didn’t mind if it got to 15-20 feet and we planted a really bushy bamboo called dwarf malay in some places where we didn’t want it to get over 12-15 feet. Our neighbor has a huge stand of Bambusa textilis that borders the property and must be 60 feet tall! We’ve also used Vetiver in a few places where we wanted a border that didn’t get over 10 feet. We like Vetiver as it’s a great fixer of nitrogen.

 

Plants – Groundcover

We wanted a groundcover that would stop erosion, provide habitat, sink carbon, look beautiful and require little to no maintenance. For much of the property, the solution was perennial peanut (Arachis pintoi). It takes some effort in the early months to get it planted and weed it regularly enough that it takes over but after it does, it’s virtually maintenance-free. It looks terrific, feels good on your feet and really holds up well in the torrential downpours we get sometimes. We planted it on all the slopes and pretty well all the open areas except for two areas near the house where we planted a more typical grass (kikuya) such that we could have something cut shorter that would be a bit nicer to play on. We set up an electronic perimeter and then our Worx robot mower can automatically cut it on schedule and charge itself. Let the robots do the work!

 

Resource Furniture – Piano Coat Rack

We’ve worked with Resource Furniture for nearly a decade now because they always have the highest quality space saving transforming furniture. We share the philosophy that every square foot should be awesome. One of the products we used next to the entrance was the very cool looking (and functioning!) Piano coat rack. It’s made out of a beautiful walnut and its various “hooks” can be folded in or out in different patterns. It’s fun, functional and looks terrific.

 

Rich Brilliant Willing – Crisp – Dimmable LED Lighting

Remember when energy efficient lighting was ugly – compact fluorescents and LED bulbs with big cooling fins? Well, you can forget that now. Witness the gorgeous and energy-efficient Mori Crisp Copper. We used it as our prime outdoor light. Its calming yellowish/orangeish glow on the facade is the perfect compliment to the blueish grey board and batten siding. RBW…beautiful, functional and low energy to top it off.

 

Slyde – Handboards

Surfing on a surfboard is most certainly a lot of fun. Body-surfing can be pretty fun too. But you know what’s better? Body-surfing with a little help! Enter the Slyde handboards. LifeEdited:Maui has various models that help you go from total beginner to expert body-surfer. And besides how much fun they are…we think they look pretty cool too!

 

Worx Landroid – Robot Lawn Mower

We’re big fans of robots doing work for us. We’re big fans of solar energy as opposed to fossil fuels. We’re also big fans of quiet. So when the question of how to keep our lawn nicely trimmed came up…we went straight to WORX. This Landroid M Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower is amazing. It runs itself. Most of the time, it rests in its station and is charged from our solar electric system. Then, as often as we want to set it to, it automatically tools around our yard and quietly cuts the lawn to our desired length before returning to its charge station. We set the perimeter of the lawn with a simple wire system that is staked into the ground. The mower stays within the defined territory and stops if it encounters a person or object or if it starts to rain. It even has an anti-theft pin. We love this robot and couldn’t imagine a better solution. It saves us money, time and emissions. Yes!

 

Mentioned in previous posts but still important parts of LifeEdited’s outside environment:

 

• Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage – The best off-grid battery system on the market, period
• Sunflare SUN2 Solar Panels – Beautiful, highly functional, and the greenest mass produced panels on the planet
• Andersen Multiglide Sliding Glass Door – It beautifully blurs the line between indoors and outdoors
• The Modern Fan Company IC/Air3 Ceiling Fans – Great modern look, very well made – breezy yet nearly silent
• Ann Sacks Stampino and Savoy Tile – Beautiful, green, nearly indestructible, and seriously waterproof
• Richlite Lanai Railing Tops – 65% recycled paper yet highly durable – we used it all over the house
• Vanatoo Transparent Zero Speakers – Amazing sound, highly versatile, surprisingly inexpensive
• Meural Lenora Wi-Fi-enabled Digital Canvas – An art lover’s dream – smart digital art frame that displays artwork of your choosing
• Oliver Yaphe Pillows – Each beautiful, each unique – made from new and unused fabric waste

Want to know more about LifeEdited Maui? See the detailed description, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Would you like a home, apartment, or apartment building like this? If so, read about our services And if you are interested in renting or owning LifeEdited Maui or the LE2 apartment in NYC, please contact us.

Please click on a thumbnail to see a slideshow. Bloggers and journalists are free to download the web resolution photos or the high resolution photos. It isn’t mandatory but it is much appreciated if you can credit Shawn Hannah for the photography.

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

Ever feel that gust of wind when a car rushes by you? That same power is now being harvested into renewable energy. A Turkish company, Devecitech, has constucted their Enlil Wind turbine that harnesses the breeze produced by moving vehicles and converts it into electric energy. They’re intended to be placed along metro bus lines, highways and on urban rooftops as they can still be powered by the natural wind. Still in its developmental stages, prototype turbines are currently being tested in Istanbul. According to their website, Devecitech also claims that the Enlil Wind turbine will have added functionality in addition to capturing wind energy:

“It will also measure the city’s temperature, humidity, wind and CO2 by using the the build-in sensors and the IOT platform. The measurements made by ENLIL will be used on the carbon footprint map to provide the comfort of the city and it will also contribute to the safety of the city by providing information to possible earthquakes in Istanbul with the earthquake monitoring station”.

Shell Global is also backing a similar concept of roadway powered wind turbines. Sanwal Muneer, a young entrepreneur from Pakistan, has received funding from Shell as well as an award from the United Nations. A smaller version in relation to the Enlil Wind turbine, his is made of recyclable carbon fiber. It’s able to produce “kilowatt of electricity, enough to run two lamps and a fan for around 40 hours”. Muneer plans to use them in developing countries and is currently being tested in the town of Dundee, off the east coast of Scotland.

See the video below to see the Enlil Wind turbine in action.

Maui has some of the most stunning natural wonders in the world. Most people end up going to bed early and getting up early to squeeze every last minute of daylight out of each amazing day. So…a sunset mai tai on the lanai with friends and family followed by cooking up some of the great local produce is what most people enjoy doing most of the time. LifeEdited and modular furniture experts, Bento Build took that to heart while thinking about the kitchen. It’s made to do some serious cooking but also have friends and family gather around the big Richlite island while it’s happening or contribute to the convo from the nook containing the comfortable Resource Furniture couch. Here are the main components that made this kitchen work so well.

Bento Build – Lattice Kitchen

The first thing you’ll notice is that the kitchen is made to do some serious cooking. As you look more closely, you’ll see the flexibility of the Bento Build Lattice System. Bento’s modular Lattice system allows cabinets and other items to be connected and removed with ease – quality and flexibility, both of which are watchwords for smart space-efficient living. And of course, done in a beautiful modern way.

Smeg – Appliances

We believe that every square foot matters. So does Smeg. Their compact appliances deliver high function. And look good doing it. That’s why we have the full set – CB300U built-in refrigerator, SCU45MCS1 combination oven, ST8246U built-in dishwasher, SIMU524B induction cooktop, ECF01BLUS coffee maker, CJF01BLUS juicer, BLF01BLUS blender, TSF02BLUS toaster, and KLF01BLUS kettle. The fridge is a perfect size. Just big enough…more like the standard european size. It’s also able to be covered with wood or other nice material such that it disappears. The cooktop has plenty of burners and is induction which means it uses less energy (good for solar), no fossil fuels and heats up extremely quickly. It also gives you more counter space and is REALLY easy to clean which once you’ve experienced makes it impossible to go back to your standard gas or electric stove which must take 10 times as long to clean due to all the nooks and crannies ready to receive errant food and spatters of grease. The oven is just the right size and has a ton of functionality you wouldn’t expect. The coffee maker is beautiful and makes great espresso while fading into the black kitchen background. Smeg worked perfectly with the Bento kitchen!

Sunflare SUN² Solar Panels & Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage

Did you notice that all of the above kitchen appliances are electric? We like the fossil fuel free approach – no gas appliances. All electric is unusual for an off-grid house. But we have all the energy that we need thanks to the excellent Sunflare SUN²  solar panels and the Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage system.

Resource Furniture – Transforming Furnishings

We’ve worked with Resource Furniture for nearly a decade now because they always have the highest quality space saving transforming furniture. We share the philosophy that every square foot should be awesome. The Flex Outdoor sofa (used indoors) is a great place to relax with a book or talk with whoever is cooking. Their secret seems to be the combination of their generous depth and the easily movable yet solid backrest pillows (weighted with neoprene bases so they stay put). Pull them close to eat at the table or push them back so you can transition into full cocktail lounging mode…

Andersen – Multiglide Sliding Glass Door

Indoor outdoor living is part of Maui culture. But how do you really blend indoor and outdoor living? With the Andersen MultiGlide! It beautifully blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. When it’s open, you hardly notice it’s there. And it’s quite attractive when it’s closed. It not only creates a huge opening, its threshold detail allows the flooring to flow on one plane from inside to out…nothing to trip on or to ruin the beautiful transition. It’s a perfect fit for Maui.

Ann Sacks – Savoy Tile

Beautiful, durable, and green. A perfect choice for the kitchen. The Savoy Collection has a wonderfully wide set of styles to choose from, including a nice assortment of artisan glazes. Made from 21% recycled content, including, “ceramic waste material from discarded clay and smashed tableware.” We love the colors, the textures, the durability and the ease of maintenance. We used Savoy penny round tiles in lotus for the bathroom floors, Savoy herringbone in lantern for the floors and walls of the outdoor bathing room and Stampino herringbone in black for the lanai and kitchen. It all looks, feels and works extremely well. It’ll also last forever.

The Modern Fan Company – IC/Air3 Ceiling Fans

It’s a modern house, so we need modern ceiling fans. LifeEdited Maui has no heating or cooling system, so ceiling fans are essential and all we really need. On the lanai, it’s quite refreshing to make your own breeze with the IC/Air3 Ceiling Fans. You can feel the breeze, but you can’t hear the fans, which is great. The Modern Fan Company has a wide selection of fans, so we were able to get just what we wanted. Which is great as there are surprisingly few manufacturers that make good modern-style fans. You’ll see other fans Modern Fan inside the house. And they work with our home automation system, so we can say, “Hey Google, turn on the lanai fans”.

Richlite

We’re green. Richlite is 65% recycled paper and yet highly durable. And beautiful. And uniformly colored throughout, so we can cut or sand as needed. Need we say more? We fell in love with it and ended up using it all over the house – lanai railings, kitchen counter, table tops, shelving. It looks terrific and will last forever. We understand that you can also use it for furniture, millwork, musical instruments, aerospace applications, and even skateparks(!). It was a great discovery and we plan to use it in many future projects.

KOHLER – Purist Faucet

In compact living, there’s no room for the ordinary – every space must be interesting. KOHLER’s bold design are an excellent fit, including the Purist single-hole kitchen sink faucet. We’ll have much more to say about KOHLER’s excellent products when we describe the bathrooms.

All-Clad – TK cookware set

Come back in 20 years, we’ll probably still be using this All-Clad TK 11-Piece Inspiration Cookware Set – it’s that well made. And it’s very LifeEdited – it has all the cookware that you need and it stores in a remarkably small space. It includes fry pans, sauce pots, a sauteuse, a rondeau, a stockpot, and universal lids. These flat lids store very small and because they work with many sizes of pots, you need less of them…smart!

Stelton – Pure Black Knives

In general, knives can be high function OR high style OR space efficient. With Stelton Pure Black Knives, you get all three. A great fit for LifeEdited Maui. We really like how we used black knives on a black magnet knife block on the black Richlite backsplash. Black on black? Nope! Black on Black on Black!

Rich Brilliant Willing – Monocle Lighting

Remember when energy efficient lighting was ugly – compact fluorescents and LED bulbs with big cooling fins? Well, you can forget that now. Witness the gorgeous and energy-efficient Monocole sconces in the kitchen. Each Monocle sconce swivels and dims to cast a precise light. Rich Brilliant Willing makes other wonderful lighting products – you’ll see that we used the Mori Crisp Copper and the Mori Seed elsewhere in the house.

Insteon – Dimmers & Smart Outlets

We have already described how much we like the Insteon dimmers & smart outlets – modern, attractive, highly automatable. We love saying, “Hey Google, dim the kitchen lights”. We use the 2477dh Remote Control Dimmer, the 2663-222 Remote Control Outlets, and the 2245-222 Hub. We use them with a Google Assistant, but you can also use them by themselves, or with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Microsoft Cortana, Logitech Harmony.

Plumen – 003 Dimmable LED Pendant Set

Almost a decade after their original bulb was made part of Moma’s collection, Plumen moved from strength to strength with its 003 bulb. Designed by a jeweler, the bulb looks fantastic before even adding a shade or lamp. It combines a directional spot (down) with an omni-directional glow (to the sides) such that the area below is highlighted but the stuff to the side is also bathed in a warm, yellow candlelight kind of light. It lasts 10,000 hours and is highly dimmable. Looks and substance. We put them all over the house and can’t wait to see what Plumen comes up with next! They were the perfect, cost-effective solution to hang in the kitchen over our Richlite island which we use as a kitchen work surface and also a place to eat in inclement weather.

Airlite – Purelite Interior Paint

We never expected to be excited about paint. But we are. Purelite Interior Paint is pretty darn cool. Very green. Certified Zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Known to greatly reduce bacteria formation via surface oxidation and high alkalinity. And of course it looks really good. The painters loved it too!

Vanatoo – Transparent Zero Speakers

The Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers are one of those rare pieces of smart technology that bring joy without any frustration. Joy from the music. It’s the kind of sound where you can *really* listen – on a comfortable couch, eyes closed, not thinking about anything else. We had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners and we have absolutely no hesitation in saying that Vanatoo really cares about the music and the experience.

simplehuman – trash cans, soap pumps, more

simplehuman says, “Day to day life has room for improvement”. We agree. And they do improve everyday life. We have a simplehuman garbage & recycling center, soap pumps, and more. Beautiful, highly functional and long lasting. Boom.

Krups – SAVOY Coffee Maker

Even in paradise, you need good coffee and sometimes enough for a bigger gang. That’s why we have a Krups SAVOY EC312 Coffee Maker. It makes 12 cups of high quality drip coffee.

Full Circle – folding dish rack, nesting bowls, more…

Full Circle, you had us at “ditch single use plastics”. Folding dish rack, nesting bowls, reusable zip lock bags, and many other items. All green, all space efficient. Smart.

Oliver Yaphe – Pillows

Beautiful. Sustainable. We tried to say it better than Olive Yaphe, but we can’t, so here’s a quote: “A line of rugs and pillows made from new and unused fabric waste. Each piece is totally unique – since the look and feel depends on the amazing scraps that we can gather at any given time”. We created a little kitchen nook that fit a Resource Furniture Flex Outdoor sofa and added some Oliver Yaphe pillows to give a little comfort and texture. It’s a great place to read or have a beverage and interact with whoever is cooking.

One Earth Designs – Solar Cooker Classic

This Solar Cooker is amazing. It uses a simple set of curved mirrors to focus the sun’s reflection on an area that you can place a cookpot. SolSource Classic is the ultimate solar cooker. It’s 100% solar powered, reaches 550F/350C, boils a quart of water in 10 minutes, works with indoor cookware and can be used to purify water for drinking. Great for breakfasts, lunches or early dinner when the days are long. And a whole lot of fun too!

Soma – Glass Water Bottles

Modern, clean and made from glass instead of plastic, these are the perfect water bottles. They come with colored sleeves to protect them from damage and make them look great. Single use plastic? Don’t think so!

Want to know more about LifeEdited Maui? See the detailed description, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Would you like a home, apartment, or apartment building like this? If so, read about our services And if you are interested in renting or owning LifeEdited Maui or the LE2 apartment in NYC, please contact us.

Please click on a thumbnail to see a slideshow. Bloggers and journalists are free to download the web resolution photos or the high resolution photos. It isn’t mandatory but it is much appreciated if you can credit Shawn Hannah for the photography.

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

Contractors from all over Japan are showing up with their tiny trucks to participate in this quirky competition of landscape architecture. They are given several hours to transform the back of a truck into a miniature tranquil garden. The competition is stiff as competitors include ornate designs such as pebble stairs, ponds and tiny homes. The judges look at several criteria such as design, execution, and expression when deciding on the winner. To see photos of the competition or for inspiration for your tiny home garden, click on the thumbnails below.

via spoon-tamago

Beds can take up a lot of space and are unnecessary during our waking hours. Why allow this large piece of furniture so much precious real estate when we aren’t even awake when we’re using it?! With the use of transforming and multifunctional beds, they can greatly improve the way a small space functions. Here is a list of the different types of beds that can make the most of your tiny bedroom.

 

Trundle Bed

A trundle bed conveniently tucks under an existing bed with the use of wheels. This home office can transform into a guest bedroom instantly with the pull of the trundle bed extension. You can easily sleep two comfortably.

Fold Down Bed

This sleeping situation folds out of the wall and frees up floor space. It maximizes open area as it hides itself within the built in cabinet. The Clei Kali Sofa shown here has removable cushions that make way for the sofa to be fully revealed.

Murphy Bed

We’re huge fans of murphy beds, so much that we’ve used them in all of our LifeEdited homes.  They are widely popular in microapartments and for good reason. Similar to the fold down bed, the murphy bed hides in the wall and folds out vertically. The Clei Oslo transforms from sofa to bed with a mere pull. When the bed is hidden, a shelf sits above a comfy couch. When the user is ready to sleep, the shelf serves as the leg for the bed and pulled down. The bed then collapses over the sofa and the transformation is complete.

Sofa Bed

Pull out couches have been around forever. They are perfect for last minute guests. Although they’re very convenient, most sofa beds can be somewhat clunky and difficult to pull out. The Law Dormeuse is a modern, lightweight solution that can be transformed within seconds. As an added bonus it also comes with a removable cover.

Loft Bed

Popular among students, it allows the sleeping functions to remain out of the way while using the floor space for a desk.  The functions of a workspace and bedroom are all in one area so you don’t have to go far after pulling those all nighters. Loft beds are also perfect for small spaces with high sealings (unless you like bumping your head).

Elevated Bed

For those who would rather keep their workspace and bedroom separate, an elevated bed is a nice a alternative to the loft bed. Extra storage space beneath the bed is easily accessed by lifting it overhead. The Letto loft bed shown here has enough space for your own walk-in closet.

A Bed Desk Bed

Turn your desk into bed just by folding it out. The concept is similar to the loft bed, but with less climbing and doesn’t require high ceilings. Nano Studios created their bed desk combo for a set of microapartments aimed for students. These bedroom solutions can definitely alleviate many of the problems caused by cramped dorm rooms.

Sofa Bed Bunk Bed

Double up with the sofa bunk bed. This concept expands on the sofa bed by adding another level. The Ciel Doc comes with a compact ladder and safety railiing for the top bunk that neatly folds out and tucks away. You now have twice the room for last minute guests.

Under Floor Bed

Completely hidden from the naked eye, an underfloor bed can pulled out from underneath a raised floor. Once you’re done sleeping, the bed can be pushed back in and your floor space is once again free. it’s a convenient solution if you can’t have the option to pull out a bed from the wall like a murphy or fold down bed.

via homedit

LifeEdited Maui is the helpful kind of smart house. It’s smart enough to make life easier. But yet not it’s not complex. Our main goals:

• Monitor the off-grid aspects – energy generation, energy storage, energy usage
• Control climate – ceiling fans
• Control lighting – “Hey Google, dim the kitchen lights”
• Control entertainment – music, movies, art monitors
• Manage security – cameras, locks, doorbell, security system, smoke detectors
• Ease maintenance – robotic lawn mower, robotic vacuum cleaner

The Smart House Technology

August – Lock & Doorbell

Living on Maui means having guests, which is great. It would be silly of us to not have August gear to access the house as it makes it so easy for guests. After all, your smart home starts at the front door. That’s why we have a Smart Lock Pro + Connect and a Doorbell Cam Pro.

Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage

We have already described the Blue Ion 2.0 Energy Storage system as the best on the market, period. In many ways, it’s the backbone of our off-grid house. Importantly, this includes excellent monitoring tools, so we always know how much energy is available.

eGauge – Energy Meter

The eGauge Energy Meter makes it easy to see how we are using energy, so we stay within the bounds of the solar energy system. We can see the information in real-time on eGauge’s web site, look at historical trends, and get notifications if something unusual happens.

Google Home

The house has a mixture of Google Homes, Google Home Minis, Google Home Max, and Google Chromecast audios. There is one in every room. They provide voice control over many aspects of the house.

Insteon – Dimmers & Smart Outlets

We have already described how much we like the Insteon dimmers & smart outlets – modern, attractive, highly automatable. We love saying, “Hey Google, dim the kitchen lights”. We use the 2477dh Remote Control Dimmer, the 2663-222 Remote Control Outlets, and the 2245-222 Hub. We use them with a Google Assistant, but you can also use them by themselves, or with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Microsoft Cortana, Logitech Harmony.

Meural – Digital Canvas

The Meural Lenora Black and Meural Winslow are an art lover’s dream. Each is a smart digital art frame that displays artwork of your choosing. A casual observer will be fooled, in a good way, by this art frame as the rendered images are lifelike and textured. For more information, see our earlier description.

The Modern Fan Company – Ceiling Fans

We have already described how much we like the Modern Fan IC/Air3 and Cirrus Flush ceiling fans – modern, stylish, quiet, highly automatable. LifeEdited Maui has no heating or cooling system, so ceiling fans are essential and all we really need. And we like saying, “Hey Google, turn on the lanai fans”.

Neato – Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

LifeEdited Maui has Botvac D5 Connected. We named it Nigel. Nigel vacuums so we don’t have to. Nigel uses lasers to guide himself. You’re not still vacuuming your own floors are you?

Nest – Cameras, Alarms, Protection

Nest has a knack for making complex things simple – they just work. The Nest Cams keep a watchful eye on things. The Nest Secure is by far the easiest alarm system that we’ve ever installed. Nest Protect smoke + CO alarm gives us wonderful peace of mind. All of these devices let us know if they sense anything unusual.

Sense – Energy Monitor

Sense is an artificially intelligent energy monitor. How much energy is that coffee maker using? Sense knows. It’s a small device that installs directly in your electrical panel. The artificial intelligence means that we don’t have to wire every major device in the house to a meter. Pretty cool.

Sunflare – solar panels

We have already described the Sunflare Sun2 solar panels as gorgeous high-performers. They are the greenest mass produced solar panels on the planet (no toxic chemicals etc.). And if you like, they can blend in with a dark roof so as to be nearly invisible. It’s now pretty hard for us to imagine using anything else.

Vanatoo – speakers

We have already described the amazing sound produced by the Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers. We are very impressed that the speakers automatically switch from the music input to the movie input. We don’t know of any other speakers that can do this.

WORX – robotic lawn mower

Everything grows fast here in paradise, so it’s great to have a WORX Landroid M Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower to mow the grass. It uses artificial intelligence for intricate cuts and for navigating narrow passages. So it’s better at mowing the grass than we are, and we’re OK with that.

 

Want to know more about LifeEdited Maui? See the detailed description, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Would you like a home, apartment, or apartment building like this? If so, read about our services And if you are interested in renting or owning LifeEdited Maui or the LE2 apartment in NYC, please contact us.

Please click on a thumbnail to see a slideshow. Bloggers and journalists are free to download the web resolution photos or the high resolution photos. It isn’t mandatory but it is much appreciated if you can credit Shawn Hannah for the photography.

This post is one in a series that describes LifeEdited Maui. LifeEdited Maui embodies our green, space efficient, and minimalist principles. We view it as a lab for experiencing things that are consistent with these principles. Some of the products described in this post were given to us, which we appreciate, but we would not have accepted if we didn’t believe in them.

Starchitect Bjarke Ingels partners with long time friend and colleague, Soren Rose, to produce a prefab A-frame cabin for Rose’s design firm, Klein. This chic off grid, tiny home has  a footprint of 180 square feet (with a 13 foot ceiling) and is located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The inspiration for the design struck the two friends during a road trip in the surrounding area as they wanted to create an authentic and eco-conscious wilderness getaway. The result, the A45 home. It’s name stems from its traditional A-frame structure that is twisted at 45 degrees to allow more room for space.

The effect is an “interesting volume,” comments Ingels, “where from certain angles it looks like a cube but from other angles it looks like a spire.”

Klein’s objective is to produce a series of tiny prefab homes designed by leading architects for consumers to choose from. Their lead off design with Ingels has 24 units already preordered. For more info and updates on their release to the general public, sign up for their newsletter and follow them instagram.

Tour the modern Scandinavian interior of the A45 by clicking the thumbnails below.

via Architectutural Digest and Designboom

Cassandra Chin and Jas Johnston of Ample Architecture have created a home that doubles its utility as well as hides its functions. Aptly named the Hideaway House, it was a single family home until it was decidedly split into two smaller, twin homes to create density as well as offer an opportunity for investment.

“’Hideaway’ in Hideaway House, alludes to both the desire to create a secluded haven, removed from its immediate busy urban context, as well as the ability to manage and conceal the everyday ‘messiness’ of family life.” -Ample

A powder room, pantry, laundry, store and coat closet are all hidden behind seamless wooden joinery.  The interior walls seem to blend into one another in a minimalistic fashion but doors can pop open to reveal more than meets the eye. A breakfast bar, a child’s desk and a dog kennel with it’s own door can all be concealed when these functions are no longer in use.

The most impressive use of double function storage are the shelves located underneath the stairway. An otherwise inefficient area, this storage solution adds to the aesthetic of the warm wooden feel of the space.

Click the thumbnails below to see more tucked away areas of the home.

As conversations about climate change are becoming more widespread, it seems that it’s being discussed everywhere besides in our classrooms. According to a recent study, only 4% of college textbooks are dedicated to climate change and at a high school level, it’s even lower. The majority of high school science teachers lack a background in earth science, the basis of education regarding climate change. Teachers are ill equipped to educate their students on the phenomenon that is influencing the lives of future generations. 

Climate denial groups like Heartland Institute are taking advantage of this educational disparity by spreading their propaganda to teachers all across the country. Their book, “Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming”, is intended to lead teachers to debate the existence of global warming, and it’s working.  As a result, 31% of teachers told their students that the cause of climate change is still arguable.

Alexander Moore, from the Paleontological Research Institution has aimed to fight back against the Heartland Institute with the publication on her book, “The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change”, and has made it a priority to raise funds for distribution. Through crowdfunding, Moore has raised over $74,000. Her goal is to send a copy to every high school science teacher in the country. The book is not only a resource on educating teachers about climate change, but also gives them the tools to properly discuss and answer complex questions from students.

For those who would like to learn more about Moore’s campaign, click here and digital copies are also free to download.

via Treehugger

Here is another prime example of student housing going modern. In Rotterdam, Netherlands, Standard Studio has converted an entire commercial building into small, but extremely functional student residences for Erasmus University. The structure was once home to Hermes City Plaza, an old office building. The monthly rent for these studios are € 615 (that’s about $720). The tiny house movement served as the main inspiration for designing the space, employing multi-functional furniture and fittings throughout.

Each of the apartments set out to include a toilet, shower, vanity, kitchen, dining table, desk, couch, queen size bed and plenty of storage space. It was a heavy task, but Standard Studio rose to the challenge. The designers utilized the studio’s tall height to add a lofted bed to help expand the 193 square foot apartment. Tansu stairs that lead to the bed were employed to add storage, while a couch and sofa were lined along the perimeter to keep the middle of the space open. Click the thumbnails below to see more space saving details of the apartment.