The bright constellation

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Convertible bed in the form of an upright piano. Built in 1865. Decorative Arts Collection of the Brooklyn Museum.

The piano was an important element of the parlor in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The owner of this convertible piano-bed could, in a way, have his cake and eat it too – he could the propriety that a piano conferred on his parlor while gaining a reasonably comfortable sleeping unit for a large family living in limited space. (Source)

 

A man in New Zealand (and might I say the best dad in the world) built a very special bed for his son. By day, it's a life-size TARDIS (the time machine from Doctor Who), but by night, it's a fold-down bed!

Not only does this TARDIS bed look awesome, it also has working lights and a telephone built into it.
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Coming from the house of Decadrages, the designer BedUP model offers the perfect comfort level without occupying much space.

Suspended from the ceiling, this novel piece can be accommodated in just 4 square meters of any apartment. By day, the bed is stored in the ceiling with the possibility of integrated lighting for the under-surface. At night, the bed comes down like an elevator and stops at a predetermined height, thus avoiding moving furniture that would have been placed underneath. (Source)

 

French architect Paul Coudamy has designed the interior of the upper level of a small apartment in the 10th arondissement of Paris. The challenge was to provide a 250 square foot space with a bedroom, a full bathroom, a dressing area and work space. Coudamy successfully completed the challenge using a bookshelf with a hidden bed.

The bookshelf is a mobile block that controls the opening of the bed. Its U-shape covers the bed and shapes the room by closing the dressing area, the bed or the work space. This mobile system provides a closed sheltered bed without completely closing the space. A carmine red gloss paint reinforces the dimensions of the space and its boundaries by contrasting with the matte white walls. (Source)

 

This murphy bed was designed to look like a row of lockers. The two outside lockers are working storage units, while the lockers inside are fixed and fold down to reveal a hidden bed.

From the Poggyskids furniture line of baseball beds, this bed was customized in a vintage style to commemorate Babe Ruth's 1921 World Series. The price tag? $3080. (Source)

 

Latvia-based designer Rolands Landsbergs of Boxetti has created an ultra-compact bedroom set that contains everything you need in your bedroom (or any room.)

Landsbergs' “Bedroom in a Box” consists of a series of modules that are capable of transforming into a range of furnishings, including a bed, a desk, storage cupboards and a wardrobe.

Once they have been used, each module can be pushed back into the box and hidden out of sight. The minimalist design blends into most environments and is ideal for rooms and loft studios that have limited space. The bedroom unit is even equipped with a spotlight and an ambient lighting fixture above the bed's headboard. (Source)

 

Dog owners in cramped living spaces might appreciate the new Modern Fold-Out Pet Bed by Murphy's Paw Design.

Perfect for large dogs or multiple smaller dogs, the bed provides your pampered pet with a comfortable bed when needed, but fold up into a stylish piece of furniture when not in use. Just jump out, and lift it shut – ok, a little help from the owner might be useful!

Originally debuting at the Austin, TX Barkitecture event benefiting local pet charities in the fall of 2012, this unique dog bed received significant acclaim and the award for “Best Urban Dwelling." ()

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The first-ever crack pipe vending machine has debuted in Canada — and it surprisingly isn't in Toronto. A Canadian nonprofit organization installed the controversial vending machines in Vancouver as part of a plan to curb the spread of HIV and hepatitis among drug users.

Each machine holds 200 pipes and is restocked every five days. The pipes are sold for 25 cents.

Crack pipes, which are often made by users from glass tubes purchased from DIY stores, frequently have splintered glass, which can cause cuts and sores and spread infections like HIV. (Source)

 

Amazon is reportedly experimenting with automatic “Kindle Kiosk” vending machines at various locations in the United States. The machines sell everything from the $379 Kindle Fire HDX to a $20 Kindle PowerFast adapter, as well as Kindle e-readers and covers.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the kiosks have been rolling out since November 2013, and are installed at a variety of locations, including event spaces, shopping centers and airports. (Source)

 

Over the years, Japan has seen an array of interesting and unusual vending machines. Recently, a vending machine dispensing bras debuted in Tokyo.

In 2013, Japanese lingerie maker Wacoal rolled out a bra vending machine at its Une Nana Cool branded specialty shop in Shibuya. The vending machine is packed with the company's wireless "Fun Fun Week" bras.

To help you choose, there's a size chart on the machine. Bras are priced at 2,940 yen, or about $30. (Source | Via)

 

We're used to putting money in a vending machine and instantly receiving consumable goods—a bag of chips, a soda, or even a new pair of headphones—in return, but what if vending machines became a fresh way to reuse, recycle, and trade with people in your community? That's the idea behind Swap-O-Matic, a New York City-based vending machine project that wants to "shift culture away from an emphasis on unconscious consumption," by encouraging people to donate and receive used items for free.

To use the Swap-O-Matic, you register with an email address using the machine's touchscreen interface. New traders start out with three swapping "credits." Donating an item earns additional credits, which can be redeemed for anything else in the machine. The Swap-O-Matic operates on an honor system—no one is monitoring whether you're actually putting a pair of earrings into the machine in order to get the cool Star Wars action figure your neighbor donated. However, a "flag system" prevents misuse. (Source)

 

A Barrie woman has come up with a unique way to let people on the go enjoy a good read – over and over. Her concept may have you re-thinking what you throw away.

Dana Clarke, the creator of the recycled book machine explains how it's used: “When you decide what book you want, you put the toonie in, rotate it, and out comes the book.”

This is a green book vending machine – it's the color of a granny smith apple, and an environmentally-friendly way to read. For $2, you can pick out a used book and donate one when you're done. Part of the proceeds will go to literacy programs and building schools in Africa.

Clarke plans to start a crowd-funding campaign to raise money to get these machines in train stations, bus terminals, and hospitals across Canada. (Source)

 

A Mobil station in West Hollywood, CA is now the home of the world's first Burritobox, a bright orange vending machine that delivers warm burritos in 60 seconds.

You can't exactly customize your burrito, but you can choose from five varieties, including shredded beef and cheese, roasted potato, egg and cheese, and chorizo, sausage, egg and cheese.

Each burrito costs $3, excluding tax and additional toppings. A side of sour cream costs an extra 50 cents while Tabasco sauce is 65 cents. Guacamole is also available for 75 cents. (Source)

 

Back in 1997, North Carolina artist Clark Whittington began converting retired cigarette vending machines into the Art-O-Mat, which dispenses original works of art. Each machine is beautifully customized (often in a retro design) and carries art from one of their many contributing artists.

There are about 100 Art-O-Mat machines across the country, vending cigarette-pack-size fine art from locations as diverse as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and a Whole Foods Market in Houston. (Source 1 | Source 2)

 

Boston's popular Hubway bicycle sharing program just got a lot safer for out-of-towners. The new HelmetHub allows users to rent or purchase helmets in the country's first helmet vending machine.

Located by the bike sharing station near Boylston Street and Mass. Ave., the HelmetHub holds over 30 helmets. The goal? Encourage all users, whether daily commuters or one-time visitors, to ride safely. This helmet machine is one of 14 set to arrive in the city as part of a pilot program. (Source)

 

This Lego vending machine on a Munich train platform might be the best way to keep your kids entertained. Ideally placed for frustrated parents trying to keep their children calm on a long journey, this machine dispenses a wide range of Lego toys. (Source)

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The room showed above is one couples' unusually creative gift to their very excited teenage daughter. The bookcase, holding rows of books, a stuffed dachshund and a volleyball, silently swung outward, revealing a tiny, well-lighted room. Containing a desk, a chair and a laptop computer, it serves as her study area. (Source)

 

When Louise Kircher, a retired teacher, and her husband, Dennis, a former accounting manager at Boeing, moved into their year-old, 4,300-square-foot contemporary home in Mesa, Ariz., the staircase in the master bedroom was something extra that came with the house. It rises to reveal a hidden room, where she and her husband store an antique bedroom set and a replica of a gilded mummy's coffin. A remote control amazingly lifts an entire staircase out of the way revealing the hidden passage. (Source)

 

To make sure your hidden door stays hidden, Creative Home Engineering offers a number of non-traditional hiding machines. Sure, they've got the standard revolving bookcase and sliding wall panels. But, the company also constructs hidden doors from grandfather clocks, fireplaces, paintings, stairwells, and other household fixtures. They also offer an option that allows your hidden door to double as a vault door, so your valuables stay double protected. Priced from $5-$250K, you'll probably want to make sure you've really got something big to protect to make the purchase worth your while. But, even if you don't, Creative Home Engineering claims that a quality hidden door can make a solid investment from an appreciation standpoint. (Source)

 

Ever wanted a wine cellar but didn't have the space or money to build one? The Spiral Cellars design/build firm will dig a hole right in whatever room you want your cellar in and haul the dirt right out the front door. In the remaining void they infill a highly functionally and visually dazzling spiral-staircase wine cellar to fit all your favorite vintages and go with your favorite funky furniture designs. The cellars are kept at ideal temperatures, insulated on the sides and top. Cool air is piped in and warm air is piped out. Even when no air flow is needed for temperature purposes it is kept moving to keep the air fresh. Customers have had these installed in all kinds of ways, from flush- and hidden-door versions to entrances that intentionally boast their presence. (Source | Via)

 

This wardrobe is actually a secret entrance to a playroom. The owner of the house had the wardrobe and figured he might as well add a touch of magic to the house for a pretty amazing result. Sorry, lion and witch sold separately. Still, the stage is set much like many of us imagined when we read the children's classic as kids: a dark-painted room with wood-trimmed windows and antique wooden furniture, with a large dresser that looks strangely both foreboding and inviting. (Source)

 

Also another creation from Creative Home Engineering. (Source)

 

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McMills Construction approached Beausoleil Architects for help installing a garage in the bottom floor of a property on Oak Street in San Francisco's Upper Haight district in order to maximize the tenant's rent. By hiding the space behind a retractable facade indistinguishable from the rest of the historic Victorian apartment house, they were able to avoid running afoul of the city planning department strict appearance codes.