An abandoned bowling alley finds a second life in this beautiful series of furniture by LA-based designer/woodworker William Stranger. Crafted from reclaimed strips of wood salvaged from a local defunct Tava Lanes Bowling alley, the collection springs to life in a variety of forms including a series of wall hangings and a low coffee table.
With so many slick electric motorcycles on the horizon, it’s getting increasingly difficult to justify the use of polluting, petroleum-powered older models. But instead of sending old Vespas to the trash pile, Spanish design studio Bel & Bel has a more creative solution: turn the stylish relics into snazzy pieces of furniture!
Clothes hangers are clogging our landfills at a rate of nearly 8 billion per year. We’ve recently brought you designers who have been developing brilliant ways to tackle the problem through eco-friendly materials and innovative new designs. Now industrial designers Alex Witko and Courtney Hunt at Organelle Design have hit upon another great idea — Hangeliers, wonderful chandeliers made from off-the-shelf plastic and wood hangers.
The serene back-and-forth movement of a rocking chair is nothing if not relaxing. It can also be useful and productive, according to Rochus Jacob. The designer’s Murakami Chair, a winner in designboom’s Green Life competition, uses the kinetic energy produced by rocking to power an attached OLED lamp.
One of our favorite shows from the 2009 London Design Festival was Corn Craft, a beautiful showcase of sustainable materials hosted by Gallery FUMI and Studio Toogood. Held in Gallery’s FUMI’s personal live/ work space on Hoxton Square, the exhibition hit all the right notes with tactile, emotional art-design pieces by Max Lamb & Gemma Holt, Nacho Carbonell (above) and Raw-Edges Design Studio.
Odds & Ends, Bits & Pieces is a beautiful four-piece furniture set made entirely out of re-purposed materials. Designed by Inhabitat favorite Jo Meesters, the spring-colored furniture was crafted using a variation of upholstering and weaving techniques and is an amazing transformation of 34 discarded wooden beams and 16 leftover blankets.
One of our highlights from Copenhagen Design Week 2009 was a well-curated exhibit of new Danish design titled It’s a Small World. The show asks itself how Danish design is reacting to the challenges wrought by globalization, climate change, and technology, and the result is a rather extraordinary and intriguing attempt to encapsulate the energy of contemporary Danish design.
New projects on display at Copenhagen’s ShowHow promise innovations in everything from zero-carbon building practices to sustainable manufacturing
Skateboards these days are amazing examples of graphic design, and some are practically objets d’art – what a shame that they should to go to a landfill after the boards have lost their pop! Thankfully, Pennsylvania-based Deckstools is here to keep art from the trash heap and to add style to your pad with their striking line of furniture made from reclaimed skateboards.
Summertime is fun, but can be tiring — and all you need sometimes is to sit your tush down on some nice, comfy seating. And if you are like us, you want to be locating yourself on a nice bench or stool that is sustainably sourced and constructed. There is certainly no shortage of functional and eco-friendly furniture to be found out there, and this is what we noticed this …
If you are looking for a cabinet that is every bit as interesting as the trinkets that it contains, search no further. Open since April 2008, Tel Aviv-based Ori Ben-zvi’s Ubico Studio gives the world a refreshing take on repurpoused objects with his beautiful ready made products. His study of function, material and form is evident with their legged cabinet line – the twist is …
Old bequeaths new in Varian Designs‘ beautiful reclaimed furniture, which blends found materials and craftsman techniques with a modern aesthetic. Each piece in this sustainably crafted line is finished using all-natural old-world techniques, and extra close attention is paid to the details and joinery. In the Bartizan Desk pictured above, wood and steel are artfully brought together with the addition of a …
We’ve seen designers recycle airplane parts to create desks, tropical eco-hotels and a hostel, and now we can add couches and beds to the lofty collection! MotoArt is a team of designers who transform airplane parts into sleek, highly polished modern pieces of furniture. Based in Los Angeles, the 6 person design crew creates an impressive line-up of upcycled furnishings, sure to please every airplane enthusiast’s flight of fancy.
Austrian designers mischer’traxler have created a solar powered machine that makes an incredible array of furnishings that vary based on how much sunlight it receives over the course of a day. Titled “The Idea of a Tree“, the machine spins spools of thread into stools, benches, containers, and lamp shades that wax and wane as the available sunlight shifts. Variations in weather, the time of year, and other environmental factors create pieces of different shape, color, and size, instilling the furniture with growing, seasonal qualities that mimic photosynthesis.
As one of Tel Aviv’s most thought-provoking new companies, Junktion, a young, edgy and innovative design studio, is breathing new life into the trash their city has cast aside. Junktion began in 2008 and has made their presence know in the contemporary furniture market with their unique approach to function and unwavering conviction to challenge how people regard junk.
London-born designer Tom Price was commissioned by Arts Co. to produce a piece of work for ‘From Now to Eternity’, an exhibition celebrating design, and focusing on plastic as a versatile material. Addressing concerns over our increasing piles of wasted throw-away plastic products, he chose to create an ingenious series of chairs formed by strategically melting piles of polyester fleece.
DRUMROLL PLEASE…
We are excited to announce the Inhabitat Editor’s Choice Awards for BKLYN Designs 2009! As we walked through the BKLYN Designs show this year we were thrilled to see fresh new faces and established designers alike unveiling an inspired assortment of locally-sourced designs made from recycled materials, elegant energy-efficient lighting solutions, and beautifully crafted furniture of every fit and form. Read on for our picks for the finest trends in future-forward furniture design!
MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF MATERIALS: FUNATURE BY HUGH HAYDEN
Hugh Hayden’s fresh new line of FUNature repurposes plastic balls into a bright bunch of furnishing solutions. We were particularly impressed with his tennis ball chair, which is composed entirely of recycled tennis balls that have lost their bounce.
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN: PAPER LAMPS BY LEVENT & ROMME
Levent & Romme’s elegant lamps consist of a single sheet of paper that has been laser-cut to let light shine through in beautiful patterns.
HEY DESIGN LOVING NEW YORKERS! BKLYN Designs starts tomorrow and we couldn’t be more excited! Running from May 8-10, this awesome showcase of local furniture design kicks off NY Design Week, and is one of our favorite events of the year. We’ll be pressing our noses up against the glass bright and early tomorrow morning and – as soon as doors open – racing around to see all the fabulous eco-friendly furniture on display, so we can report it back to you guys this weekend.
This year at BKLYN Designs we’ll be doing something new: we’ll be giving out ‘Editors’ Choice Awards’ to recognize our favorite green designs from the show during our annual Mother’s Day Green Design Tour this Sunday. We’re looking forward to seeing fresh new furnishings, great green products, and energy-efficient lighting solutions, so stay tuned for more coverage to come and if you’d like to join us at the event you can pick up tickets here!
And if you’re not in NYC, keep it tuned to Inhabitat this weekend and next week for all the latest on BKLYN Designs 2009
DRUMROLL PLEASE! New York Design Week is about to begin and we’re kicking things off this weekend with our first ever Green Design Awards at BKLYN Designs! Running from May 8-10, this incredible showcase of locally-sourced design is one of our favorite events of the year, and we’ll be giving out ‘Editors’ Choice Awards’ to recognize our favorite pieces during our annual Mother’s Day Green Design Tour this Sunday. We’re looking forward to scores of fresh new furnishings, great green products, and energy-efficient lighting solutions, so stay tuned for more coverage to come and if you’d like to join us at the event you can pick up tickets here!
The 2009 Milan Furniture Fair showcased an incredible assortment of furnishings, lighting, and housewares from all over the world, ranging from the well-established designers showcased in the main exhibition halls to the young designers and start-up companies exhibiting at Salone Satellite. Although in visiting the modern and contemporary halls of the fair I was disappointed by the lack of green design, it was encouraging to see that this year the fair is focusing on quality. Although the materials and construction of most of the furniture would not be considered sustainable, the intention is that the pieces will last a lifetime. Many of the designs also allowed for modularity, or reconfiguring over time. Read on for our favorite green design finds from the show!
Heads up East Coast design junkies! BKLYN Designs, New York’s preeminent showcase of locally-sourced green design is kicking off next week from May 8th through the 10th, and Inhabitat will be on the scene to bring you all of the latest from the show. Based upon the tremendous success of last year’s event we’re looking forward to another weekend filled with brand new releases by an acclaimed set of sustainable designers, enlightening lectures, and our very own Jill Fehrenbacher will be hosting another Mother’s Day Green Design Tour. We’ll also be kicking off our first ever Inhabitat awards, where we will carefully vet all designs on display and give awards to our favorite green designers at this year’s show. Check out our BKLYN Designs coverage from last year and don’t miss out on this groundbreaking event – buy your tickets today!
Looking for fun, modern furniture for the little ones in your life? We just spotted Spanish kids furniture designers Ninetonine at the Milan Furniture Fair, and we are as excited as kids in a candy store about Ninetonine’s playful, eyecatching designs. The Zebra Crib, shown above, takes the form of a zebra with some extra functional design features, such as a ‘head’ that can be used as a tray to holds bottles, and a ‘tail’ …
Looking for a fun DIY project this weekend? Why not participate in Inhabitat’s first ever Spring Greening Contest for a shot at fame, fortune, and a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop! It’s the perfect time for a bit of spring cleaning, and we want you to take any old furnishing, appliance, or household item and give it a brand new application instead of tossing it in the trash. We’ve already received some stellar entries, and we’ll be showcasing the best and brightest projects in an exciting round of online voting — so break out that dusty dresser or busted chair, give it a brand new life, slap on a fresh coat of (eco-friendly) paint, and let it shine for a chance to win!
The deadline for submissions is Friday March 27th
All you have to do to enter the contest is:
1. Sign up for the inhabitat newsletter
2. Send a photo and description of your project to editor at inhabitat.com
We love this early 1900’s vintage factory cart, which was once used to transport furniture, fabrics and supplies around a factory floor. Restoration Hardware has restored these fabulous white oak carts and their cast iron hardware for use as a coffee table. The wheels still function, so perhaps you could still use it help transport heavy objects.
Via …
THIS FRIDAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!
Can you tell we’re excited? We’re midway through March, the birds are chirping and we want to encourage you all to green your spring cleaning with our first ever Spring Greening Contest! We all have a few derelict furnishings, defunct appliances, and otherwise unused items collecting dust in the closet – rather than tossing them in the trash we want you to re-furbish, re-purpose, and re-think them into functional examples of DIY design. Send us a picture of your project and we’ll select our favorites for a round of online voting and chance to win some great prizes including a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat shop in addition to all of the fame and fortune of being showcased on Inhabitat. So break out that dusty dresser or busted chair, give it a brand new life, slap on a fresh coat of (eco-friendly) paint, and let it shine for a chance to win!
The deadline for submissions is Friday March 27th
All you have to do to enter is:
1. Sign up for the inhabitat newsletter
2. Send a photo and description of your project to editor at inhabitat.com
Design students Jeffrey Gerlach and Andrew Stanley have instituted an informal furniture catch-and-release program. With just a few steps, they have discovered a way to construct a clever and stylish Adirondack chair using Department of Public Works roadblocks that are simple, easy-to-assemble, and instantly returnable to the urban wild.
Zurich-based Postfossil Design Collective came together to create a platform for exploring how design can influence responsible, and adaptable behavior. Earlier this year, at Milan’s furniture fair, they excused themselves for ‘deviating’ from a focus on the use of sustainable materials and production methods, yet Postfossil presented an impressive eco-conscious collection at Salone Satellite. Their thought-provoking designs garnered the Design Report Award for unique ideas that challenge our post-fossil perception.
TRØKK16 are turning heads left and right at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair with an elegantly engineered line of prototypes including the graceful Frøy Chair. A modern update on the side chair, it makes smart use of natural materials with a slim design that seamlessly joins ergonomic angles with distinctive stature. A set of elegantly tapered back legs bloom into the chair’s split backrest that is made from laminated wood. Frøy is composed of solid ash and addresses the modern model of “good design” that is beautiful and built to last.
The Nut Bench is fun, colorful and made from pineapple paper to boot! Bangkok-based Yothaka International creates hand-woven, modern Asian designs using local natural fibrous materials available in Thailand. The firm that pioneered the use of water hyacinth and Yan Lipao (a fern-like vine found in the South of Thailand) in furniture making has introduced a Pineapple Paper collection made from locally produced pineapple paper fiber. Pineapple leaf fibers are pressed, dyed and made into eco-friendly chairs, stools and benches.
Furniture designer Cliff Spencer couldn’t resist when he heard about a Napa winery discarding wine-stained oak. An avid user of reclaimed materials, Spencer now regularly reclaims oak staves from California wineries and transforms them into these stunning one-of-a-kind pieces for residential and commercial use. (p.s., you don’t have to be a wine aficionado to enjoy them).
Danish architect Knud Kapper has drawn from the tradition of handmade, mid century furniture to create the new eco-friendly Living Kitchen Architecture series which was recently unveiled in New York. The pieces are attentively hand built from solid woods that were harvested from sustainably managed forests under stringent regulations. Engaging, durable and finished with natural wood treatments, Kapper’s kitchen furnishings have a built-in longevity that embody the core meaning of the rooms they establish.
Under the premise that “a person’s a person no matter how small”, DucDuc makes beautifully crafted children’s furniture that keeps even tiny ecological footprints to a minimum. The Austin Crib is a prime example of the company’s efforts toward forward thinking design for the newest members of the planet.
Brave Space Design has become somewhat of a perennial favorite here at Inhabitat, drawing our attention with the Tetris-inspired shelves. And this weekend, you can check them out at this year’s BKLYN Designs, May 11 to 13. Staying true to their original design intent to provide modern environmentally-friendly furniture, their Hollow Dining Set is well on its way to becoming another Inhabitat favorite. Available in both a natural and amber finished bamboo, the Hollow Dining Set displays the beauty of the material while providing surprising spaces for unique storage opportunities.
There’s something unconditionally appealing about seeing greenery growing in unexpected places. Whether it’s from concrete, rooftops or furniture, it’s a decorative detail that adds vibrance and texture (and sometimes nutrition).
Many of us who live on the coasts develop a bias for the outer edges of our country. I think it’s safe to say that we often assume trends develop from the outside and make their way in, rather than the other way around. If you fall into this category, then here is a little reminder that some spectacular and ultra-hip designs are originating in the middle. The Twin Cities are something of a mecca right now for great architecture and design. One that caught my eye recently is Solv Studio, the Minneapolis furniture company of designer George Mahoney.
LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!
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