Homemade Modern
March 26, 2019 6:13 PM Subscribe
"It is desirable to people and institutions that have lots of options, and it's attainable to people who don't."Ben Uyeda stopped designing sustainable mansions to instead create designs for people to make at home. His products are beautiful, his videos are perfect, and he gives away all his designs for free.
With respect, I remember seeing similar designs in Readers Digest/McCalls/Better Homes & Gardens back in the 70s & 80s. He uses a little more concrete and copper tubing.
I had big plans at one time to make hanging shelves that used ropes. Heck, I had a whole book of furniture to make from 2x4s.
Everything old is new again, I guess. His designs are fine.
posted by Archer25 at 6:52 PM on March 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
I had big plans at one time to make hanging shelves that used ropes. Heck, I had a whole book of furniture to make from 2x4s.
Everything old is new again, I guess. His designs are fine.
posted by Archer25 at 6:52 PM on March 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
I read the title as Homemade Modem, and then was like, Readers Digest had designs for those in the 70s? I had to click through to the Instagram to realize my mistake.
posted by Daily Alice at 6:55 PM on March 26, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by Daily Alice at 6:55 PM on March 26, 2019 [6 favorites]
With respect, I remember seeing similar designs in Readers Digest/McCalls/Better Homes & Gardens back in the 70s & 80s.
Sure. That was good also. What Ben Uyeda is accomplishing is similar to what others have done before. Nobody thinks making stuff out of plywood is his invention. But what he's doing is awesome. He found a way to make a career out of teaching and inspiring masses of people to create things. That's great! Obviously he is reaching an audience that those publications have not reached. If someone else found a way to reach a different audience via a different medium with similar designs and ideas, that would be a good thing worth celebrating as well.
Personally, I've just now been inspired to think about making some things out of concrete. That's not his idea originally, but he was the first one who reached me and showed me how easily I could do it. I appreciate that!
posted by whatnotever at 8:01 PM on March 26, 2019 [13 favorites]
Sure. That was good also. What Ben Uyeda is accomplishing is similar to what others have done before. Nobody thinks making stuff out of plywood is his invention. But what he's doing is awesome. He found a way to make a career out of teaching and inspiring masses of people to create things. That's great! Obviously he is reaching an audience that those publications have not reached. If someone else found a way to reach a different audience via a different medium with similar designs and ideas, that would be a good thing worth celebrating as well.
Personally, I've just now been inspired to think about making some things out of concrete. That's not his idea originally, but he was the first one who reached me and showed me how easily I could do it. I appreciate that!
posted by whatnotever at 8:01 PM on March 26, 2019 [13 favorites]
I've noticed a lot of DIY YouTubers are into concrete. I get it-- it looks cool/"modern" and pouring can be more fun than assembling from materials that require a bunch of tools to assemble, but one word of caution: Concrete is really heavy. Like, 150lb per cubic foot compared to maybe 20lb for a soft wood like pine.
posted by gwint at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by gwint at 8:37 PM on March 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
Some of these look really nice, and there are lots of ideas worth considering. Not everything is to my taste but there is plenty there.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:47 PM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Dip Flash at 9:47 PM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Reminds me of Enzo Mari's Autoprogettazione.
posted by St. Oops at 10:23 PM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Oops at 10:23 PM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
I would love his welded rebar firepit. The ones you buy - the pans rust out and you have the buy the whole thing again. Nice designs, nice approach. Thanks for posting.
posted by theora55 at 8:33 AM on March 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 8:33 AM on March 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
one word of caution: Concrete is really heavy.
Second word of caution: It can be hard to get rid of or re-use. I smile when I see retaining walls made of “urbanite,” stacked concrete that’s been smashed apart from some defunct concrete project like a sidewalk or driveway. These slabs are thinner and more moveable but it’s still very heavy work and the look of it is not for everyone. More monolithic pieces or even fairly small pieces are heavy and cumbersome to dispose of from your average residence.
posted by amanda at 8:35 AM on March 27, 2019
Second word of caution: It can be hard to get rid of or re-use. I smile when I see retaining walls made of “urbanite,” stacked concrete that’s been smashed apart from some defunct concrete project like a sidewalk or driveway. These slabs are thinner and more moveable but it’s still very heavy work and the look of it is not for everyone. More monolithic pieces or even fairly small pieces are heavy and cumbersome to dispose of from your average residence.
posted by amanda at 8:35 AM on March 27, 2019
This is great, had I seen this in my 30's opposed to 50's, I'd be missing more fingers today.
posted by Keith Talent at 9:10 AM on March 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Keith Talent at 9:10 AM on March 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
Didn't Bull on Night Court have a couch made of concrete, or was it cinder blocks?
posted by blakewest at 11:07 AM on March 27, 2019
posted by blakewest at 11:07 AM on March 27, 2019
Ben's videos are great and whenever I get the itch to build something I browse through them for ideas.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:56 PM on March 27, 2019
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:56 PM on March 27, 2019
@Archer25: I would love to see what you're referring to from the 70s and 80s - I always prefer to see the originals and what was done before.
posted by yueliang at 4:28 PM on March 27, 2019
posted by yueliang at 4:28 PM on March 27, 2019
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