Stefano Boeri’s Urban Vertical Forest

from: http://freshome.com/

Rent To Own.ph: We already see plant billboards along EDSA and vertical gardens on the walls of underpasses here in Metro Manila but this design structure takes it one step further. Forest buildings might just be going up in the near future.

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Milan-based architecture studio Stefano Boeri‘s Vertical Forest is a residential building duo named Bosco Verticale that can be seen in construction in the metropolitan center of Milan, Italy. This exciting green residential project was meant for growing forests in the sky and allowing residents and neighbors to enjoy fresh outdoor air. Bosco Verticale  adds green space in an over-industrialized busy city, challenging future metropolis to offer its inhabitants a safe, healthy environment. Biodiversity in urban spaces will not be a problem once more projects like this will appear in the urban landscape.

WHAT'S TRENDING: MODULAR

from: http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/

Rent to Own.ph: These pieces are handy to use in small spaces. They are functional with simple, clean lines.

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www.renttoown.ph

Scandinavian company Muuto's Stacked shelving system works on both walls and floors. Using small clips the modules can be connected and rearranged to create all manner of shelving set ups, room dividers or side tables.

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www.renttoown.ph

A revolutionary piece on the French market of the early Fifties, Linge Roset's reissue of avant-garde furniture designer Pierre Paulin's Daybed, also known as  'modèle 118', mixes a pared-down Japanese-influenced frame with magically sturdy free-standing back cushions that allow it to effortlessly morph from a large banquette for three or four, to a small settee and low table, to an occasional bed for one, all at the swish of a cushion.

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www.renttoown.ph

The by Lassen Frame series with its cubist-inspired black outlined boxes is ultra chic. Mix and match depth, height, width and colour.

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www.renttoown.ph

Alki's Zutik wall system organized along a horizontal solid oak beam, can be composed of acoustic panels, shelves, mirrors, ladder and coat racks, and adjusted over and over again both in length and composition. Perfectly adapting to both large and small spaces. 

www.renttoown.ph

www.renttoown.ph

Ferm Living's elegant clothes rail, suspended from the ceiling from leather straps, can be hung with a mirror, a ladder for flinging clothes or towels, hooks for pots and pans in the kitchen, or a magazine holder for the office.

15 Sq. M. Micro Apartment

from: http://www.home-designing.com/

Rent to Own.ph:  15 sq. meters sounds tiny, doesn't it? But with a little innovation, which we all know could work, this space becomes a lived in apartment.

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This apartment measures just 15 square meters (161 square feet) which is tiny, even compared to other micro apartments. With no space for loft the bedroom, the designer here has gone with the next best option, which is a convertible bed that can function as both a sofa and a bed (some would call it a futon). Multipurpose objects like this, as well as hidden storage such as the creative sliding closet, are absolutely essential if an apartment this size is going to be livable. 

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www.renttoown.ph

Top 6 Gadgets for the Home to Help You Go Green

from: http://inhabitat.com/

Rent to Own.ph: We've always been an advocate for the environment. Today we feature gadgets that make your homes more energy efficient. Read on:

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16.8-Watt Voltaic Solar Charger Kit

Many people would love to install a complete photovoltaic system to power their home, but they either lack the space or money to do so. One much less space-intensive—and inexpensive—alternative is the 16.8-Watt Solar Charger Kit from Voltaic. This handy system features a V60 battery that is able to charge everything from laptops to tablets to cameras to several cell phones at once, and its portable and lightweight design makes it easy to move around to wherever you need power. Moreover, if any of the recent natural disasters have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t rely on the local grid in emergencies. Provide you and your loved ones with a little extra peace of mind by ensuring that you’ll always be powered up and connected.

Store it Smart: Storage Solutions from Real Kids' Rooms

from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Rent to Own.ph: These are real kids' rooms and they show some ingenious storage solutions to your children's seemingly unending stash of knickknacks, toys and things.

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• Hanging "Wardrobe"

How to Fit a Dining Room into Small Spaces

from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Rent to Own.ph: Dining rooms are, in our opinion, an integral part of the home. This is where people gather, not just to eat, but to laze around, work on, chat and sometimes, prepare food. Every space, regardless of size, needs a dining room - big, elegant homes or even tiny apartments.

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Whenever we ask readers why they don't entertain more often, lack of space inevitably crops up as a recurring reason. Although space can definitely limit the types of parties you host (it might not be a great idea to have a kegger in your studio apartment), it shouldn't keep you from inviting smaller groups of friends over for a dinner party. Here are five ways to make room for a dining table, even if you live in a few hundred square feet.

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1. Try a round table: A compact round table usually seats more people than a rectangular one, and it can fit into tight corners. Kens' table (shown in the first photo above) is an extra-space-saving vintage Danish modern Hans Olsen dining set.

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2. Make a surface do double duty: Fold two (or three) spaces into one — a bar countertop can easily double as a dining table.

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3. Use a folding table: In Emily and Meeko's apartment, a collapsible table can be put away if they ever need more open floor space.

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4. Mount your dining room table: Angela and Tania created a "murphy table" that folds flat against the wall shelving when not in use.

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5. Choose an expandable table: Lauren and Stiles have an expandable table, with leaves, that can seat fewer when they're eating alone, but make room for more when they're having company.

Upcycled Shipping Containers: Affordable Housing

from: http://www.homedit.com/

Rent to Own.ph: This container home is cheap and chic!

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If you think about shipping containers, you don’t really get the image of a livable place. First of all, the material of which they are made (steel) has a very small chance to convey a positive, warm feeling. But just as there would be no good without evil, living in a shipping container has both good and bad parts.

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www.renttoown.ph

www.renttoown.ph

Atira Women’s Resource Society came up with a solution for Vancouver’s social housing problems. Turning shipping containers into homes that are especially designed for low-income people, now this is a lesson about how to be economic and efficient at the same time! This is how you create new homes, new lives and new hopes for people who have the greatest need of all these.

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www.renttoown.ph

Twelve shipping containers were used to design the two buildings. Each building has three floors.  A single container has somewhere around 290 square feet, and incorporates a living room or bedroom, a small kitchen, a bathroom and laundry facilities. What else could you need?

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www.renttoown.ph

These apartments have a message for us: the amount of space we have is not so important, what really matters is how well we manage to use it. The containers are very well insulated with spray foam and on the inside they used drywall to maintain a common look. Large windows were used to provide natural light during day.

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www.renttoown.ph

www.renttoown.ph

www.renttoown.ph

I have to admit that these apartments have a special charm and a nice homey feel. I would definitely see myself living in a place like that. Let’s not forget that shipping containers buildings are cost-effective and eco-friendly!