Category: Tiny Homes

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LifeEdited Maui: A Quick Update

As we near the end of summer we’d like to provide you all with the first glimpses of our newest project, LifeEdited Maui. LifeEdited’s CEO, Graham Hill is currently on location in Hawaii overseeing the build. For the month of September we’ll be showing you the process of how we are designing our eco compound. As October rolls around, our construction updates will be in real time leading up to the big unveiling.

Site preparation

The goal of LifeEdited Maui is to build an off-grid, low impact, luxurious, space-efficient four bedroom house in 1000 sq ft. LifeEdited Maui is about finding the most innovative answers about how the future will live. We are presenting a version of the future that is sustainable, resilient and, frankly, awesome.

We believe in self sufficiency and tasty food, so we have already planted 30 different kinds of edible plants including bananas, mangos, and papayas. Our long term vision includes this fruit orchard, raised garden beds, some purely endemic Hawaii acreage as well as creating nurturing habitat for birds, bees and other local fauna. Walking paths, benches, hammocks and agriculture structures around the property will encourage engagement and connection with nature.

As the building process approaches completion, the applications of transforming design as exemplified from our previous projects will also take shape in LifeEdited Maui. Beds that fold into walls, tables that expand, rooms that do double and triple duty—serving to maximize available area for this live work space.

One of the guiding principles behind LifeEdited Maui is to have as light of a footprint on the environment as possible while still building homes that don’t make compromises in form or function.

Wood frame coming together

Stay tuned to our social media and newsletter for more updates!

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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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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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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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Home Automation

Photo by Deutsches Uhrenmuseum Furtwangen

Home automation is not just for nerds like me anymore. It promises energy efficiency, convenience, and a bit of fun. And it’s *much* easier to setup than it used to be.

I’m an engineer so I like to start from requirements, and I think you should too. Here are the requirements for our new showcase apartment LifeEdited 2:

  • Light control
  • Fan control
  • Door lock control
  • Smoke alarm
  • Air quality monitoring
  • Energy usage monitoring

Once you know what you want, I suggest looking at the ecosystems that support most of the above:

  • Nest / Google ecosystem
  • Insteon ecosystem
  • Amazon Echo ecosystem
  • Apple HomeKit ecosystem
  • Belkin ecosystem
  • Savant ecosystem
  • SmartThings ecosystem
  • Lowe’s Iris ecosystem
  • Wink ecosystem
  • And yes, there are more ecosystems

Since that is a rather daunting list, let me tell you a little about the systems that we chose for LifeEdited 2:

  • Nest. We have a Nest Protect (smoke & carbon monoxide detector) and a Nest Indoor Cam. We’ll write more about these in another post. But in short, they’re great.
  • Works with Nest. Nest also has a Works With Nest program for other manufacturers. We have a BigAss Haiku ceiling fan and Hunter Douglas motorized blinds. In other words, lots of automated ways to keep people comfortable without spending a lot on heating, cooling, and lighting.
  • Insteon. We are using Insteon in-wall switches, dimmers, keypads, and fan controllers. All of which can also be programmed and controlled from an app. It’s amazing how the feel of the apartment changes with the “relax” scene that dims all of the lights in the apartment.
  • Amazon Echo. Graham bought an Amazon Echo for the voice control. It works with a surprising number of home automation components. Graham also now has a Google Home device, and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Amazon Echo.

Are you using Home Automation? We’d love to hear your experiences.

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. Some of the products above were given to us (Nest Protect, Nest Indoor Cam, BigAss ceiling fan, Hunter Douglas motorized blinds, Insteon equipment).

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Minimalist Home Office Set Up

The LifeEdited 2 home office / guest bedroom is a classic in space efficiency. Apartment dwellers can work at a large stand-up desk with a 34-inch screen and two guests can sleep comfortably, all in one room that is just a bit bigger than a queen-sized bed.

What we used:

  • LG 34UM95 34” wall-mounted monitor
  • Wireless keyboard and mouse
  • MacBook & printer in the closet, connected via hidden cables running through the wall
  • LifeEdited-designed moveable sofa segments that assemble into a guest bed
  • New Concept Table from Resource Furniture (two of these, they fold down)

What we like:

  • It’s a potent home office
  • It has a minimalist feel to it — the messy bits are in the closet
  • Transformation to guest mode is pretty quick

Alternatives:

  • That 34” screen is *really* nice, but a 24” could also work well
  • You could wall-mount an all-in-one computer e.g. an iMac or curved HP Envy

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 fold-down table 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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Minimalist Music & Movie System

We all want to listen to music and watch movies, but we don’t want the technology to get in our way. Thus for LifeEdited 2, we deployed a very capable but very simple system.

Our needs:

  • Play music from Spotify
  • Play movies from Netflix & iTunes
  • Allow guests to use the system without reading a manual
  • Energy efficiency in all of the above e.g. music can play without the TV being on

What we used:

screen-shot-2016-12-01-at-8-19-05-pm

What we like:

  • Music sounds great!
  • Total cost is less than $1,000
  • No need for a big A/V receiver or subwoofer
  • To control it, all you need is the tiny Apple TV remote and a phone
  • Guests have successfully used it

Alternatives:

  • Rather than an Apple-centric system use a Google Cast system, or an Amazon-centric system, or a Sonos system, or a Roku system
  • Projectors can also be great for small apartments — less wall space taken up.

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. None of the products above were given to us.

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Kohler Water Conserving Fixtures

Thanks to Kohler, LifeEdited 2’s bathroom is beautiful and eco-friendly.

Our favorite feature is the brushed nickel Stillness Valve in the shower, which separates water pressure from water temperature, allowing users to save water every time they have a shower by making it easier to quickly get the temperature they want. In addition, the matching Purist Showerhead and Single Hole Bathroom Sink Faucet are beautiful, simple and high functioning. The Veil Toilet, which saves up to 12″ of bathroom space (and has a bidet!), adds to the LifeEdited 2 apartment dweller’s standard of living while reducing their carbon footprint by allowing one to stop using toilet paper entirely.

To learn more about official WaterSense water saving products, 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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