Blend Your Own Background Noise

Outside it was bloody hot today but I got most of my work done while listening to a storm. My perfect and very personal noise-blend-recipe of the day; lots of rain, bit of thunder and wind. All thanks to the amazing site Noisli that generates background sounds that keep you creative.

For a lot of people, me included, a little background noise is helpful to calm down and focus. As I wrote in this post about the Coffice-trend, a certain level of sound also boosts your productivity. It’s why a lot of people love to get things done with their laptops in a coffee place.

I loved Coffitivity a coffee-shop-noise simulator but Noisli is way cooler, it allows you to create your own set of background sounds by combining clips of rain, water and wind, but you can also listen to a forrest by night a campfire or sounds of the sea. And naturally the sound of a descent coffee shop is also part of the collection. Highly recommended! (via Hacker News)

 

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Shed for Inspiration

Since our house in Amsterdam is rented out, we’re still looking for a roof over our heads during some bits and pieces of our Christmas-break trip. When you also have to work, it’s not the best solution to stay with family of friends all the time. I know myself… no work is gonna be done:). I would love to stay in a nice little shed like this, what an inspiring cabin to start the new year in… lots of plans and resolutions will come naturally when you’r dwelling in a room like this:). Places can get the best out of us, I’m sure of that:)! Good luck with making YOUR new years’ resolutions! (via)

Shedworking: Shed of 2013

I previously wrote about shedworking here. So I didn’t want to keep this news from you;-). Fighting fierce competition from over 1,900 creative garden dens, the Boat Roofed shed, owned by Sheddie Alex Holland from Machynlleth in mid Wales, has been crowned the winner of the 2013 Shed of the Year competition. The unique and beautifully crafted shed is no ordinary design. It has a recycled upturned boat for a roof and is located in the Cambrian Mountain range, mid Wales, the shack is made entirely from recycled materials.

What is Alex going to do withe the prize money? “With the £1,000 prize I intend to buy a second hand wind turbine to augment the solar panel to give me enough electricity to make ice in the fridge for gin and tonics, and to ensure the cider and beers are always chilled. I’ll then be able to have a proper party to celebrate with those who have supported me in getting so far.” A great idea Alex;-)! (via)

Creative Travel: Camper Bike

A shared interest for biking, China and camping was the reason why I came across the Camper Bike project of New York based Kevin Cyr. What started as a series of paintings developed into an awesome functional sculpture and a crazy bike/camping adventure in China. You can find out more about it here.

But when I read an interview with him about a recent project: Camper Kart. I was even more impressed. The Camper Kart was inspired by the haunting Pullitzer Prize winning book ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy, the story of a father and son pushing around their belongings in a shopping cart. The Camper Kart is a small pop-up camper built on top of a shopping cart, where you can pack your belongings and sleep in.

Is it an accusation, a solution or a anti-consumerism statement? Among other things, it IS a great idea!

 

Trend: Shedworking

They’re cheap, chic, eco-friendly and above all – there is no commute. I wrote earlier about the rise of backyard offices here. But now I found out there’s a whole community that calls themselves shedworkers!

The famous shedworkers who have attracted the most attention are artists and writers such as Philip Pullman, Roald Dahl, Henry Thoreau and Henry Moore. But also non-creatives increasingly run businesses from a shed. Alex Johnson, blog author of Shedworking calls it the miniaturisation of the office workplace. Interesting concept.

“It is a lot greener to move words, number and ideas than it is to move people” (Lloyd Alter, architecture expert at treehugger.com). Totally agree with that!