One trend we noticed in this year’s AIA Homes Tours in San Francisco was how the frugal use of floor space and an abundance of natural light can add volume to otherwise downsized floor plans. Boor Bridges Architects managed to do just this in the adaptive re-use of a 1940s tap dancing studio, formerly used by famed dancer Betty Mae, into a kind of urban luxury cottage marked by modern minimalism and subtle hints of years past.
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 simple box for storage. The overall effect is a modern line of furnishings that celebrates each piece’s unique history, and we were excited to see lead designer Forest Dickey recently debut his latest collection at Dwell on Design.
The fabulous Dwell on Design Show in LA last weekend showcased some amazing new products and home designs, like the organic ‘Solar Ivy‘, and the Mormal Radziner Skyline Prefab Series. Even more exciting though was the little prefab that could by Reclaimed Space, which sold on Ebay for $75,000, with a portion going to Habitat For Humanity. Reclaimed Space designed and built a 400 square foot prefab cabin, trucked it to LA for the event. The home has a contemporary mix of wood and metal in its exterior, and a beautiful interior decorated by our friends at Ecofabulous, with the help of Jeffers Design Group. We’re in love with the design, space and interior — so we weren’t surprised that it was a smash hit at the show.
Designed by Daisuke Hiraiwa, these elegant echidna-esque Stamen chandeliers elevate an everyday material into brilliant expressions of found design. Each one is created by gluing hundreds of toothpicks together to form a flexible disc that gives their bristling points a fluid form. The pointillist pendant lamps recently debuted at ICFF 2009, where they wowed onlookers with their complex folding curves and innovative use of materials.
New York’s Governor’s Island is set to receive an incredible set of renovations that will transform the 172-acre plot of decaying Coast Guard structures into a stunning eco-park. Designed by West 8, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Rogers Marvel Architects, the project is a hybrid of landscape and architecture based around a sinuous set of new paths, watercourses, restaurants, aquaria and even complimentary wooden bicycles. Slated for completion in 2012, the ambitious, new and improved Governors Island will incorporate a host of environmentally friendly features.
WEmake’s beautiful Beryl and Friends lamps are composed from cast-off bases and lampshades that have fallen out of favor. The designers carefully refinish each component and then recombine them to eclectic effect, re-wiring and re-stocking them with low energy bulbs. Beryl and Friends were included in (re)design’s ‘Lighten up‘ exhibition at 100% Design at this year’s London Design Festival.
Seraglia is a beautiful and ethical collection of romantic accessories, all hand-crafted in the UK by designer Lucy Wills. With a dedicated focus on environmental responsibility and genuine resourcefulness, Seraglia vintage pieces are made using antique and unusual reclaimed materials – all with the intention to (re)create long lasting, heirloom accessories for the modern, eco chic woman.
It takes more than renewable materials to turn the head of seasoned sustainable design fans. This is why our gaze fell so admirably on the line of housewares from Domestic Aesthetic while making our way through the ICFF this past week. Domestic Aesthetic’s motto “live well, live right” extends beyond their product line into the surrounding community, with social responsibility high on their list of priorities. With a beautiful line of handcrafted pieces, this truly green-minded company is out to make eco-friendly easier for both buyers and manufacturers, and we have to admit that the results are beautiful.
WIS Design’s Decades chest of drawers stopped us dead in our tracks at Salone Satellite. Dramatically positioned before a hot pink background, its combination of drawers were selectively rescued from local Stockholm flea markets. “Decades” was first launched at last year’s Casa Cor exhibition in Stockholm, where WIS Design are based and have a showroom. This is the first time the products have been shown at an international exhibition such as Salone Satellite and the debut made some seriously sustainable waves throughout Milan.
Think a luxury pillow has to be made of silk? Think again- African-born, London-based designer Bridget West crafts gorgeous housewares, pillows, and throws, from vintage labels and tags that critique the throw-away nature of our consumer existence in a really beautiful way. Her Handle With Care pillow is made from clothing tags, while the Delicate Cube and Made in Cube pillows are quirky and comfy, featuring inked graphics and organic cotton or hemp.
British-born sculptor Tony Cragg uses color families and a carefully curated collection of flotsam and jetsam in his large-scale installations. Born in Liverpool, Cragg has an amazing collection of pieces made from found materials from household trash to construction refuse. We love the impressionistic charm of his pieces- gorgeous and graphic from far away, intricate and detailed from up close.
Fernando and Humberto Campana, the Brazilian brother design duo, have long been known for their unique combination of craft-meets-contemporary, recycled-meets-high design furniture. This past summer, they debuted their latest creations, called TransPlastic, at London’s Albion Gallery, which showcased their wicker and plastic crafty yet modern furniture designs. We love the super-cool take on a vernacular form, made hip and new using traditional materials in a cocoon-like encasing technique.
Producing a beautiful ambient glow through it’s perforated surface, Reestore’s recycled washing machine table turns a household appliance into gorgeous piece of functional furniture. This post-industrial table, dubbed ‘Silvana‘, is fashioned from a reclaimed washing machine drum and a polished glass surface by Reestore.
Bathtubs are places for relaxation, and here’s a new interpretation- turn your tub into a sofa! This clever design by Max McMurdo breathes life into an antique fixture, and turns what was headed for landfill into a smart, provocative, and comfy conversation starter. Founded by UK product designer Max McMurdo, Reestore is a line of green products based on the recycling of old home products. Taking everyday waste objects and turning them into charming yet functional pieces of furniture and accessories, Reestore attempts to “avoid traditional eco materials in favor of contemporary finishes, fabrics, and, above all, style.”
Ever wondered what could be done with a 1,200 foot spool of rope? Designer Josh Urso answers the question with this marvelous innovation in table design: KNOOP (Dutch for “knot”) is his latest line of table designs, which uses resin-impregnated military-grade rope to deliver wonderful inspiration to often discarded materials.
British based lighting designer Ali Siahvoshi exhibited work at 100% Design this week, and is the designer behind Fabbian’s line of super-cool chandeliers made from knives and forks. Born and raised in Iran, Siahvoshi has a unique approach to contemporary lighting design. Using previous everyday objects, from table legs, coat hangers and cutlery Siahvoshi has designed a range of light fixtures that exemplify the beauty of recycling objects for new purposes.
England is the land of tea, and as once would expect, there are tons of old, unwanted tea sets in London sitting in charity shops and landfill. Fortunately British product designer Christine Misiak has arrived on the scene to turn old tea sets into new, hip, contemporary products that are as gorgeous as they are eco-friendly. Exhibiting at 100% Futures during at the London Design Festival, Misiak makes tea time greener with this thoughtful form of adaptive reuse.
You may have thoughts tennis balls were just for tennis – but creative Dutch designer Tejo Remy has found a another use for the bright yellow bouncy felt-and-rubber balls. The same material qualities that make tennis balls bright, bouncy and easy-to-spot make for seating that is comfortable, sturdy, and extremely eye-catching. While many museum goers observe works of art perched upon the usual wooden bench, visitors at Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen are able to sit and stare in style on these colorful and clever tennis ball benches designed by Tejo Remy and Rene VeenHuizen.
LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!
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