We came, we saw… and now we’d like to share with you our favorite green designs from this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair. This annual furniture fair takes place every year in NYC in May, and is always a great place to spot brilliant new designs and emerging trends in the design world. This year’s show was smaller than usual (due to the soggy economy no doubt), but that made the stellar designs from this year’s show stand out even more.
My favorite booth at the show had to be Pratt’s Design For a Dollar booth, which showcased a number of truly inventive student designs – all made for under $1. I’ve always been a fan of Pratt, but this year the design college upped the ante in innovation, truly proving that Pratt is where it’s at in terms of design education.
This stunning ‘Sleeve’ lamp by Sara Ebert is made from a sweater sleeve and an apple juice bottle – how awesome is that?
The best use for all those design magazines? stools!
Beautiful candles made from orange peels and soy – they smell great.
Crafty designer Lana Williams makes handbags from recycled plastic bags!
IKEA wowed us with their super cheap, well crafted takes on high-end design, like this palm frond lamp.
Daisuke Hiraiwa’s toothpick lamp got a lot of attention.
GrayPants’ cardboard lamps elicited oohs and aahs from inspired onlookers.
PARO robo seal pup was severe cuteness overload- these things are apparently for sick and elderly people who can’t take care of living pets but still want furry companionship. Studies show that pets (and PAROS) help lift the spirits and help people recover from illness.
Yes, there was an interpretative dance troupe paying dancing homage to kneeling chairs – true awesomeness!
Metropolis asked visitors to write their “Blue Sky Hopes” on a piece of paper that can be cut and folded into a pinwheel to post on the wall next to their 2009 Next Generation Winners.
The winners of this year’s Metropolis Next Generation Design Competition unveiled an ingenious plan to convert power line towers into wind turbines.
Elisabeth Buecher’s “My Shower Curtain is a Green Warrior” project transforms from a colorful curtain into….
A wall of inflatable spikes that enforce shorter showers!
Oh wow, that is so cool!