Posted by Peter Medvin on Wed, Mar 06, 2013
We have some exciting news here at Zoom-Room. We’ve super charged the “remote control” part of our remote controlled Murphy Bed.
First, we’ve completely redesigned the remote. The new design comes in stunning silver and is greatly simplified (just up, down and child safety lock buttons). It uses one 9v battery and, with our regular IR receiver, works like a charm. Thanks to our German manufacturer for coming up with such a great upgrade.
But the really exciting stuff is our new relationship with Logitech. As you may know, Logitech is the industry leader in high tech universal remotes (their Harmony line has long been the standard). But the advent of the ubiquitous iPad, iPhone, and other tablets and smartphones has raised the bar (and lowered the price) for state-of-the-art remote control.
Now, you can control your Zoom-Room remote controlled Murphy Bed from your smartphone or tablet with the new Logitech App called Harmony Link (you can also control your TV, stereo and a host of other devices). The App is free, and the Harmony Wireless Extender which, among other things allows you to control devices hidden inside cabinets, is available online and at electronics stores nation-wide (and soon on the Zoom-Room website!) and costs about $100. If you’re interested in adding this extremely cool and convenient feature to your Zoom-Room Murphy Bed, give us a call at (888) 211-1120. We’ll be happy to walk you through the process.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Sun, Oct 28, 2012
Got an extra $20,000 lying around? If so, you and six lucky friends can be among the first to stay at the Orbital Hotel located in...errrr...orbit! That's right, small space design has travelled to outer space - 200 miles above the earth!
And despite what you may have heard from astronauts in the past, this uber high tech hotel packs a lot of luxury integrating many small space design solutions to ensure guests' comfort. In lieu of the traditional sponge bath, hotel guests can take showers. High tech features such as vertical beds are attached to the wall to keep guests from floating away (no Zoom-Room Murphy Beds yet, but we're working on it!).
Heard the horror stories about tube food, and other "delicacies" of the International Space Station? Not to worry. The Space Suite features a kitchen complete with microwave and refrigerator stocked with gourmet goodies. Guests will dine on yummy precooked meals while sipping mineral water, juices and sodas. And while there's no veranda, the view is spectacular! But sorry party animals, it's not Vegas, and no alcohol is permitted off planet.
Due to the location, it's no surprise that this space pod features such a potpourri of high tech small space design. Perhaps the hotel can be used as a showplace for those in search of smart solutions for small spaces, and teach us a few things on how to maximize our living spaces back here on earth.
Thanks to our friends at Dornob for uncovering this new high tech design wonder. The brainchild of Russia's Orbital Technologies, you can best believe that the space race is back on.
But while $20,000 might get you a night at the best hotel in space, space-fare is not included. It will take at least 25 times that ($500,000) to get you to and from your luxury space pad, so start saving now. For a more affordable option, let's hope Richard Branson's ride to space, which will only cost $200,000 per person, opens soon.
In the meantime, stay tuned my friends, no more fuss about international travel, we'll soon be taking trips that are out of this world!
Posted by Peter Medvin on Sun, Sep 23, 2012
Our friends at Houzz are at it again, with a smart post from Mari Richards about blobs in design. What caught our eye was the Cave Bookshelf, a bookcase with integrated reading chaise - a new take on convertible furniture design that offers both utility and whimsy. Dual purpose and stunningly beautiful, here's a great example of small space design solutions that stretch the imagination.
This unique product hails from Scandinavia, and BK Library Interiors, a group dedicated to bringing new and innovative furnishings to libraries world-wide. Based in Sweden, they work with a group of contemporary designers who try to find smart design solutions for one of our most personal public spaces - with quite remarkable success.
Whie the price tag will cause most to pause (over US$5,000 before shipping from Sweden), it does make us wish there were more folks out there who approached furniture design with this level of imagination.
See Ms. Richard's original post on Houzz here.
Be sure to check out the other blob ideas she highlights - they're great fun.
For more information about the BK Library and their innovative design products, check out this link.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Mon, Sep 17, 2012
You know how much we at Zoom-Room love high-tech furniture that disappears - it's what we do for a living both with our electronic, remote controlled, retractable guest bed as well as our new line of traditional Murphy Beds. Maybe we just are a bit ahead of our time.
The September 12th issue of the New York Times Home Section has a great article entitled "The Cult of Disappearing Design" that explores all sorts of new innovations for architects, designers and end clients who are looking for that seamless look.
One architect featured in the article is described as "...Part interior illusionist and part aesthetic anorexic, Mr. McInerney is a practicing member of the cult of disappearing design, the now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t ethos that aims to secret away anything that needs a button, a cord or a subwoofer to work." And we're not talking about just Murphy Beds. The higher goal is "...creating unified spaces that flow from room to room and place to place."
The article's lead photo (below) shows a bed that levitates, disappearing into the ceiling and exposing an elegant bath tub. Perhaps an extreme example of convertible furniture, but you have to admit it's cool.
The Times now goes on to expound on "zero sightlines" and "seamless surfaces", highlighting the many new products out there that enable the dedicated modernist to fully embrace form follows function.
Examples include the Trufig Wall Jack and Hidden Wall Switch, Vanishing TV's, and Frameless Doors, to name a few.
Check out the full article at: http://nyti.ms/UgeFEr
Posted by Leo de Carvalho on Tue, Jun 05, 2012
The inspiration behind this ingenious space-saving appliance was the classic electronic TV lift. Taking this idea to new fontiers, a versatile kitchen with a maximum amount of open space, together with plenty of storage was achieved by utilizing the dead space beneath the kitchen. But wait, why not bring the concept into the 21st century be controlling the whole mechanism by using a custom iPhone app?
When retracted, this innovative kitchen island is hidden away, allowing for maximum walking space within the kitchen area; simply activate the app on your iPhone, and the kitchen island rises from beneath the floor! Special sensors in the cabinet doors make sure you can't lift or retract the mechanism while they're open (pots and pans all over the floor would not be pretty!).
The design was created by Tim Thaler, and we saw it first on 3Rings.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Tue, Jun 05, 2012
Last month our dealers from the North, Infinity Kitchen and Bath, won the best booth over a 30k sqft local home show. We are so happy to have had the Zoom-Room Murphy Bed displayed at the show. Our "Standard Espresso" cabinet looks very elegant and really stands out well in the white walled show space. It was an attractive display & the bed makes for a great conversation starter. They had everyones eyes on them and received tons of questions about our very unique Zoom-Room Electronic Murphy Bed. Many were amazed with the functionality and how something so advanced was able to fit into a 2' deep cabinet, without making the space completely unusable.
We want to give big round of applause to Infinity Kitchen and Bath from Brandon, Manitoba Canada, for a job well done!
Posted by Leo de Carvalho on Tue, Jun 05, 2012
Cardok created this incredible space-saving parking solution for dense urban areas where space can sometimes be more valuable than the items that occupy it.
Being an underground parking solution that also doubles your space, Cardok provides greater security and is more aesthetically pleasing than a locked garage. Simply use the remote control to elevate your personal carport and park your car. Then press the button once again to be ported underground to your garage, where your car is safe; and you never have to run to your car in the rain!
Of course the design can withstand a great deal of weight, allowing the top platform to also be usable space. Just be careful not to open the magic (garage) door to unsuspecting friends hanging out in your drive way!
This ingenious space-saving parking solution was created by Cardok, and we saw it first on Dornob.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Thu, May 17, 2012
Who said that Murphy Beds are a thing of the past? We here at Zoom-Room pride ourselves on taking the Murphy Bed "light years" into the future!
We are very thankful to have been mentioned again on another blog. A big "Thank you" to The Modern Sybarite for shouting us out and to one of our dealers, Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets in Campbell, California, for their amazing craftsmanship of the cabinetry which makes a very stylish and storage-filled home for the Zoom-Room Murphy Bed.
To see more custom cabinetry designs that house the Zoom-Room Murphy Bed please visit our photo gallery.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Tue, Apr 03, 2012
As this article asks, "Who was Murphy and Why Is There a Bed Named After Him"? And you know how we love articles about the history of the Murphy Bed (see the next posts - revivals of old ones we did years back).
There are multiple stories about Murphy and why he made the folding bed (Murphy bed). The version that is told within the Murphy Bed Company is that Murphy wanted to have a young lady over but at the time it was inappropriate to have a woman in his bedroom, that moral standard inspired Murphy to come up with a solution to turn his bed room into a living space. Eventually Murphy married that same girl and with a loan from her father commercialized "Murphy In-A-Door-Bed" and his company was born, which is still in operation today. Demand for his product peaked in the early 1900's as more people moved into cities seeking manufacturing jobs in the growing American economy. Sales dwindled down as the Great Depression hit and raw materials became scarce during WWll. Today, with the attraction of urban living and downsizing baby boomers, the market is experiencing a resurgence. His original company is going strong, as is Zoom-Room, the next generation electronic, remote controlled Murphy Bed.
Posted by Peter Medvin on Mon, Jan 09, 2012
So here's something we don't see much - an entire song about Murphy Beds (well, one particular Murphy Bed belonging to a gentlemen by the name of O'Riley). Leave it to the literate Irish to come up with a ballad about our only-on-rare-occasions glamorous subject, but here we have mystery and daring (missing persons, possible arson - and what's that about the policemen's ball?) all in a surprisingly catching diddy.
As YouTube singing sensation "threelegsoman" (A.K.A. Tony - I think) says:
"The Murphy Bed of the title is a clever space saving device. When down and open, it is as the name suggests a bed, but when not in use it is lifted up from the foot end and folded into an alcove in the wall thus creating space in the room. The thought crosses your mind though; 'what happens if someone is in the bed when it is folded away?'"
Sammy Gallop and Al Goodhart wrote the song.
Do you think they'll ever try one about Zoom-Room?