The village of Krumbach, Austria, boasts something that no other city in the world has: bus stops—seven of them—designed by an international list of architects. The end product of a project called Bus:Stop, the structures were created via collaborations with local craftspeople and businesses to help boost tourism in Krumbach. — Continue reading
A wood carving tradition that dates back to the 19th Century and the Bosnian town of Konjic is still practiced by Manulution, a modern furniture company that pays homage to a Balkan craft perfected over the course of four generations. Manulution’s sustainably sourced European hardwoods find expression in simple forms — Continue reading
There’s nothing cute about millions of animals doing time in shelters, waiting to be whisked off to a loving home—only to be put down when the wait becomes too long. But Ikea’s inspired marketing campaign, aimed at finding homes for shelter dogs, is plenty heartwarming. Teaming up with creative agency — Continue reading
Dutch design brand Vij5 has introduced a collection of cabinets partly comprised of NewspaperWood, a composite material they helped develop in 2011 with designer Mieke Meijer. Reversing the wood-to-paper process, NewspaperWood is born of layers of newspapers, which, when rolled and sliced, expose patterning akin to that of wood rings. — Continue reading
3Form, makers of architectural surfaces, has a sustainable, socially responsible answer to expanding its translucent Varia Ecoresin product line. The company’s Full Circle initiative mines the skills of artisans across the globe for the hand-crafted decorative elements used in creating its Varia Ecoresin panels, a material comprised of 40% pre-consumer — Continue reading
Italian outdoor furniture company Serralunga presented a suite of new offerings at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, with the Alice table by Milan designer Patrizia Pozzi playing the charming attention-getter. Alice delivers on the whimsy its name implies, with a table-top of molded (100% recyclable and UV protected) polyethylene that looks — Continue reading
London based designer Marjan van Aubel has designed a table which harnesses solar power that can then be used to charge portable devices. A collaborative project with Swiss solar panel company Solaronix, van Aubel’s clean and modern Current Table ingeniously substitutes a standard table top for a grid of bespoke — Continue reading
Capitalizing on research that shows we’re just not getting enough sleep, or at least the proper kind of sleep, lighting products company Saffron, makers of the well-named Drift, think they’ve got a solution. An energy efficient LED light bulb, Drift looks ordinary enough, fits into a standard light socket, and — Continue reading
Swedish clothing retailer Uniforms For The Dedicated is proposing a novel approach to recycling—with a shopping bag that graphically encourages a clothing donation with each consumer purchase. The Rag Bag is a shopping bag which, when turned inside-out, morphs into a mailing envelope, postage-paid and pre-addressed. Customers are urged to — Continue reading
Even novice gardeners have big dreams, and Edyn, a new gardening system, promises big things to weekend gardeners and expert growers, alike. A two-component system—a sensor which, when ‘planted’ in garden bed, monitors soil conditions and transmits the data via a smart phone app; and a solar-powered valve which automatically — Continue reading
When life gives you lemons…. With ongoing bad news related to sugary drinks, and its undeniable complicity in the proliferation of plastic waste, the Coca Cola company may be forgiven for feeling a bit persecuted of late. But, give them credit for trying to generate some good eco-centric press for — Continue reading
For the venerable Vermont-based furniture company, Copeland Furniture, the concepts of environmental stewardship and sustainability, far from being buzzwords, are intrinsic to the company ethos. A recipient of the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) Sage Award for environmental excellence, Copeland’s longstanding commitment to exceptional design and manufacturing standards is reflected — Continue reading
Pet owners who’ve long since subjugated their aesthetic desires in favor of keeping their furry friends happy have something to finally crow about. The Lui Cat Scratcher from Brooklyn design studio Modko is handsome enough to be mistaken for human seating, but presents an ideal scratching surface, lounging area, and — Continue reading
The fact that the impossibly elegant Trumpet Coatstand, designed by Danish brand Mater, is crafted a world away from Denmark—in Jaipur, India—goes to the heart of the Mater brand. Founder Henrik Marstrand sees Mater as an antidote to consumerism which turns a blind eye to social and environmental transgressions. “I — Continue reading
If to be an artist means to find beauty in unexpected—and ugly—places, Madrid-based Sara Landeta may be an artist in the truest sense. Landeta, a prolific young illustrator with gallery representation, has embarked on an intriguing project in which the insides of pharmaceutical boxes, of all things, serve as canvases — Continue reading
London’s Design Museum announced its 2013 Designs of the Year winners yesterday, and we don’t mind saying that while a glamorous building by Zaha Hadid was the winner in the Architecture category, our favorite of the 13 architectural nominees remains a humble project being realized a continent away in Lagos, — Continue reading
When you author a book called The Taxonomy of Office Chairs, it’s safe to say you’ve amassed an impressive knowledge base regarding chairs. And with that knowledge tucked away, Jonathan Olivares went about methodically creating the perfect outdoor chair, “not too heavy, certainly not too light, more comfortable than anything — Continue reading
Glass design studio Niche Modern, makers of graceful glass pendant lighting, has just announced a new collaboration with Charity: Water, the non-profit organization that has made it a goal to bring clean drinking water to some of the world’s most impoverished areas. To commemorate the collaboration, Niche Modern has created — Continue reading
A wood dining table that weighs less than 20 pounds is one of the nominees for Designs of the Year 2014, as just announced by London’s Design Museum. Selected as one of 6 nominees in the furniture category was Benjamin Hubert’s super skinny, ultra-light Ripple table, which was launched at — Continue reading
‘Artisan’ chocolates are so yesterday; it’s time to move on to ‘couture’ indulgences. Enter Seattle’s JCOCO chocolates, which, in addition to super smart recycled packaging in a range of vibrant monochromes, has adopted a fashion-centric hook as its visual identity. Owner Jean Thompson has imbued her chocolates with the kind — Continue reading
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