design+ingenuity: Some things should go unnoticed

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

                                                                         Leonardo di Vinci

Imagine yourself nearing the end of a six month kitchen renovation, after more tradespeople than you can count have been in and out of the house, finally seeing the fruits of your time, money and perhaps the odd argument.  The cabinetry is in, the countertops are laid, and the marble slab backsplash you've been dreaming of is finally set in place.  Perfection.  Then just before the last contractor leaves the house, he pulls out the screwdriver and secures Home Depot's $5 white plastic switch plates on every five feet of your Carrera marble bliss.  There's nothing like a practical finishing touch.

Enter TRUFIG, the award-winning flushmount switch plate and outlet cover system.  Camouflaging switches, jacks, outlets and touch panels, this modern invention has a place in even the most traditional settings.

TRUFIG solutions work on stone, drywall and wood applications.  For designers, I doubt that any man-of-the-house wouldn't be completely impressed when a TRUFIG is installed on his custom Plasma built-ins.

 

And for you Mac lovers....an iPad mount.

 Who said interior designers and engineers can't work together?

More than a pretty face.

There's a lot of pretty out there.  Pretty blogs (guilty of visiting them daily), pretty accessories, pretty spaces.  The thought of glossy magazine spreads of beautiful homes, one after the other, are what make that monthly mail delivery so special.  But I think another post of "pretty" is one too many for this blogger.  I've been thinking that good design has to be more in depth than just a collaboration of beautiful things.  It all looks so easy in photos, perfectly styled and well lit, but the art of creating a beautiful space is often thanks to a few great inventions...

So I have an idea for a new little series around here - let's call it Design Ingenuity.  I'll showcase the most innovative products behind the pretty spaces - things that make great design even better. 

First up: An invention so obvious that any kitchen or cabinetry designer will wonder why they didn't think of that themselves, followed by amazement/rejoicing, etc.  See you then!