Apr 02
These air filters by Mathieu Lehanneur has been making their rounds in green media like Good Magazine for their clever design. In Lehanneur’s design, a plant is enclosed in pyrex and aluminum. Through the use of a filter, ‘dirty’ air is brought into the system and then purified air is exhaled. I can’t tell if I like the concept or hate it.
Like It: If it is effective, then it will essentially be a sustainable air filter. As long as the plant inside is kept alive, there is nothing to plug in and no expensive filters to replace.
Hate It: It seems like a waste of materials which kind of makes it seem more “green hype” than “green hope” to me. My friend has tons of plants in his apartment. I’m sure they do more to filter the air than this tiny plant enclosed in a biodome.
Now it’s only a concept and a beautifully designed one at that but unless it can present some substantial data proving it’s effectiveness, I say open your windows and save your money.
Via BLDGBlog
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Apr 01
I was at a show recently, and this vendor, Vintage Redwood Company, had some really great furniture on display. Come to find out, it’s made out of reclaimed redwood and oak wine vats (show was in Napa, of course).
The awesomeness of the previous contents have left these pieces of wood with a great color and texture, and the need for such sturdy vats means that these pieces are incredibly stout.
According to the website, they’re great indoors and out, which shouldn’t be surprising considering they’ve held wine for years (around 50-100yrs!), and are thoroughly seasoned.
I can’t really tell if they require any conditioning or maintenance (ala teak), but I could definitely tell that these were extremely well-built, great looking pieces meant to last a lifetime.
I’ve seen a few of these companies popping up, and the furniture really seems to be top-notch…worth checking out…slightly financially prohibitive at this point, but there’s a good chance it will outlast the buyer.
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Mar 31
Acadia, by Anthony Marschak is a unique direction in table design. A blackened steel base supports a unique top made of reclaimed wood.
The Live Edge of two slabs face inwards reminiscent of the fault lines of California.
At $5,000-$8,000, it’s not too cheap but damn cool. Available at Modern Bamboo.
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Mar 31
Sometimes you just need to use disposable plates and utensils - like that 4th of July bbq where you had more guests than real plates. Well you don’t have to feel guilty anymore!
These plates, cups, and bowls are made of compostable sugar cane fiber which is a byproduct of the sugar making process. These are 100% biodegradable and since the byproduct sugar cane fiber is ususally burned to dispose of it, this is a win-win situation.
Reasonably priced and available at Branch.
As a side note, the term “biodegradable” is pretty complex but I guess it’s fancier than “decayable” or “rotable” althought I do think “rotable” kind of rolls of the tongue.
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Mar 26
This Pear Lighting concept, by Nick Foley, is one of the coolest lighting concepts to come along in a long time. If you look carefully, you can see that this lighting sculpture is a modern lamp - notice the on/off switch at the bottom left. As if not marvelous enough, the Pear Light also features some great innovations.
Each of the Pear globes contain 10 LEDs, which if you remember the hierarchy of energy and planet friendly, goes Sun > LED > CFL >> Incandescent. But wait, there’s more! The three Pear globes are attached to the light with rare earth magnets which allow the lucky owner to “pick” the pear off the tree for up to an hour of continuous light.
Who needs romantic candles anymore, take the Pear globes straight to the bedroom. Impress at your next party or stay safe during your next blackout. The possibilities are endless.
For more pictures and information: Nick Foley Design
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Mar 25
When good old self-motivation just doesn’t work, sometimes we just need a bit more of a push. In comes the Eco Drop shower, which will provide that extra “push” by forcing “ripples” through the surface of your showers’ floor.
With four levels of intensity, the shower progresses from “kinda weird” to “get me outta here”, as it decides you’ve been using too much water. The ripples in the floor will rise, causing discomfort to the point where you can no longer stand it.
Also good for getting you to work on time, The Eco Drop, from designer Tommaso Colia, is unfortunately only a concept. It’d be interesting to see how many would opt for a physical deterrent to wasting water.
Tommaso Colio’s Design Website
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Mar 20
The Wattson, by DIY Kyoto, is a unique way of monitoring your energy consumption. It looks like it came straight out of Apple’s design studio, it turns energy consumption and conservation into a clever game. It brings to mind the Prius - half the reason drivers get such good gas mileage in a Prius is because of the smart packaging. The Prius’s onboard display showing gas mileage and battery charge in a fun way that makes the driver strive for a better MPG.
The Wattson works in very much the same way. You install a wireless transmitter to your homes fuse box or meter. You then put the Wattson on the coffee table, nightstand, or anywhere else you want its hypnotic light to glow. The underside of the unit glows red and the intensity is directly tied to how much energy you are consuming. The top of the unit displays how much energy you are currently using - it even converts it into what most people care about, $$$. In an attempt to bring that $$$ number down, you’ll find yourself running around the house and turning everything off every chance you get. Saves money, energy, and looks cool to boot.
DIY Kyoto
And yes I know Sherlock Holmes never actually said that in the books, but it’s so apropos.
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Mar 20
Well maybe not the new plastic, but cork is getting more and more versatile - check this chaise out. Since cork is the renewable bark of the cork oak tree, this lounge is all about sustainability + design. The cork as we know it is the bark of the cork tree. From what I understand, the cork tree gets stripped of its cork, then allowed to grow back so there’s no dead tree and guilty conscious. Kind of like how a sheep is sheered for wool.
This chaise, designed by Daniel Michalik, looks like it’s gotta be either really comfortable or the exact opposite. I don’t know how stable it is but I wouldn’t mind grabbing a good book and giving it a go. The description says its bouyant so maybe you can plop it in a pool or a lake and drift to sleep although at $4,988 maybe it should remain dry.
The Cortica Chaise Lounge is available at Branch - Sustainable Design for Living.
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Mar 18
This is the third thing I’ve seen made of recycling safetly belts. How can you not feel safe sleeping in a hammock made of safety belts?
Made by Ting of London
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Mar 18
This is a really cool piece by Iannone Design. It’s a sideboard/console with a minimimalist appeal and smart design. Only sustainable woods and no toxic chemicals and glues makes this about as ecofriendly as you can get besides just leaving your stuff in a pile on the ground.
Iannone Design Website
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