The world’s a predictable place. But it’s also a paradoxical place, because some of those things that seem predictable can yield something completely unexpected. So let’s take some stuff we know well, and see what it looks like when a twist is added.
A small tweak.
These concrete steps are pretty utilitarian, but they have an awesome feature molded right in: a simple concrete lip on the left side gives cyclists an easy way to walk their bikes up the stairs.
Give me modern solutions, please.
The top of this item is pretty familiar. It looks like the standard head on a set of hair/beard clippers. But since this is an antique, the rest of the mechanism looks totally weird.
Where do old corks go?
Cork is a unique, and increasingly scarce, form of wood. This winery has found the perfect way to repurpose old corks, by turning them into a set of thematically-appropriate stools.
Dune wheelchair.
Most wheelchairs, whether manual or electric, are totally unsuitable for sandy areas. But this three-wheeled dune buggy wheelchair looks ready to take on any beach with its thick, durable tires.
The circle of life.
These German jars of Nutella include a packet of flower seeds and instructions for planting them in the empty jar. From Nutella to seeds to flowers: that’s how nature works, right?
Drainpipes, reimagined.
Most buildings have a standard vertical eavestrough to funnel rainwater from the roof, but this building in Menorca, Spain takes a different approach. It’s more visually interesting and would be easier to unclog and clean.
Mind = blown.
If you’d told me that a blue stop sign would look super weird and out of place, I wouldn’t have believed you. But then I saw this pic from Oahu, and everything changed.
We can memorialize trees, too.
Cemetaries are usually for humans, or sometimes pets. But this one has a different kind of memorial — one for a tree. Considering how important and long-lived trees can be, it seems fitting.
Why not?
The tables on this train include a chess/checkers board, along with a Monopoly board. Train rides are boring and board games are…less boring, so this seems like an awesome idea.
Here’s how they fan in the future.
Ceiling fans are nice to have, but their designs are usually pretty similar and boring. I don’t know if this two-bladed model works better, but it certainly looks more impressive.
Elegance in construction.
Cladding is usually used to seal off scaffolding when renovations are being done in an urban area. I’ve only seen ugly one-color cladding, but the stuff used in Rome blends nicely with the surroundings.
The pickle lover’s best friend.
If you enjoy the odd pickle, you get it: sometimes it’s tough to spear the desired pickle out of the jar. I’ve never seen one of these pickle-lifting tools before, but now I desperately want one.
Making light switches way more interesting.
If you have a 3D printer and the inclination to take on this project, you can have the sensation of activating Frankenstein’s monster every time you flick on the lights.
If it has Wheels, why can’t they be Hot?
This is an awesome idea for two reasons: the most awesome Hot Wheels are generally the unique ones that aren’t just standard cars, and also that this gives kids in wheelchairs something cool to play with.
This counts, right?
I mean, human thighbones might not be seen as “everyday objects”, but they kinda are — most of us have one or two, right? In this case, a human thighbone has been repurposed as a Tibetan trumpet. Waste not, want not.
Inside or out?
When a building’s operations have grown too big for the space, one option is tearing the building down and putting up another. A more interesting option is adding onto it like the example seen here.
The Tony Hawk of storage.
Skateboard decks, at their core, are durable, thin pieces of wood — flat in the middle, curved at the ends. This means that they can serve as an effective (albeit rickety-looking) set of pantry shelves.
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Light the way.
Sometimes, a stick on the ground has such a unique shape that it’s impossible not to pick it up. Even if this torch doesn’t light up for real, it must feel good to brandish.
What dimension is this from?
I hope it’s a joke card or something, because if there’s some underground world of poker that incorporates half-cards, I don’t think I’d ever be able to keep up.
Just gross.
It doesn’t look like much, but what if I told you that this was, in fact, a condom that was found inside a scrunchie? Unfortunately, this is absolutely real .
Sour candy down under.
It doesn’t seem like Sour Patch Kids would need to have region-specific formulas, but here we are. The Australian version (bottom) has a totally different shape than the familiar U.S. version.
Surprise!
This slap bracelet reuses a piece of tape measure to form the elastic that gives it that signature snapping action. As a bonus, it comes with something that allows you to take (limited) measurements.
