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Wormed Wood: 5 Home Furnishings Highlight Organic Holes

Schell Loef — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:47:36 +0000

What a waste. Some furniture makers recoil when they cut open a raw board to discover its insides have been chewed up by invading insects. Others, however, see this as a unique opportunity to turn natural flaws into found treasures.

Riva 1920 has featured fascinating?recycling projects like those pictured here, in which weathered and worn materials were transformed into modern and appealing home objects. The timber, in this case, was salvaged from its watery grave (inspired by Venice – a place where water meets land) and turned into a series of creative tables.

Minimal steel is used to create structural joints and bridge material intersections, while glass is employed to make the wood visible from all angles.

In some items, the larvae-carved holes that wind into the wooden supports are turned outward for maximum visibility.

Resulting round and square side and coffee tables, stools and other accessories would look right at home as accents in anything from an ultramodern condo to a converted industrial loft space.

Some of these pieces are simple and practical, but others feature a wooden core that goes beyond structural necessity. While this is an interesting choice, it feels less effective than the works in which the wood plays both an aesthetic and functional role.

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Afterlife: Easy-to-Assemble Furniture Made of Recycled Plastic

Stephanie Rogers — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:22:08 +0000

Great things can happen when modern design meets sustainability, and this new furniture collection is proof. Circular design shop Supernovas recently collaborated with design studio Odd Matter to create Afterlife, a colorful duo made entirely from recycled plastic. These heavy-duty pieces are durable enough to last a long time but are fully recyclable when they’re finally ready for a new purpose, too.

The Afterlife collection consists of a storage crate and a bench, both of which are stackable so you can create your own custom configurations. The benches can double as shelves and the crates can be used as planters, or pretty much anything else you can dream up. The design’s signature “nipple connection” uses a 3D-printed plastic bolt to keep each module secure without the need for any additional fasteners or tools. Both items are also weatherproof, so you can use them both indoors and out.

“Supernovas challenged Odd Matter to develop a collection that empowers dynamic living, with designs that give waste an afterlife and ensure the recyclability of the products at the end of their lifecycles. With the unique process that brings together different types of cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, Afterlife is made from recycled plastic waste streams such as PE and PET – namely those found in bottles, packaging, squeeze bottles, toys, gas and water pipes.”

Supernovas’ London and Madrid design teams pioneered a combination of three manufacturing techniques to produce these recycled, easy-assemblage products. Rotomolding, pressing, and 3D printing come together to turn industrial and household waste into items like multipurpose storage trays and boxes.

Even cooler is the circularity at the center of Supernovas’ business model. While conventional linear design sees a product live out its consumer lifecycle and then get thrown in the trash, Supernovas takes back products at the end of their useful lives and turns them into new objects. Their Streaming member program lets you swap out your purchase with something new of equal value whenever you feel like it, so you can try new things guilt-free. The idea is that the materials used to create these items never become waste, they simply shape-shift over and over again.

The Afterlife collection is currently available for pre-order. Both the bench (€1,674/$1992) and the crate (€400/$476) come in eight colorways, including vivid pink, black, speckled gray, terracotta, speckled black and white, blue, terracotta and white, and a mix of black, white, and terracotta. The pattern of colors is reminiscent of terrazzo, a unique look particular to the recycled materials.

Odd Matter was founded by Dutch designer Els Woldhek and Bulgarian designer Georgi Manassiev, who share a curiosity “for all things strange and wonderful” and a love for experimenting with different materials and processes. “The studio believes that by working with existing processes and notions and researching these from a different, more naive perspective, a different kind of product can be created,” they say. Products that are “unique and specific to the place they originate from.”

“Odd Matter’s design process starts from the materials, which then dictate the design and aesthetic,” says Supernovas founder Massimiliano Rossi. “The studio has an innate talent for colors and materials, making them the ideal partner to develop a product that transforms waste into beauty, and to bring functionality out of line.”

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Fab Habitat Makes Rugs From Recycled Plastic Straws

Dawn Hammon — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 21:00:00 +0000

Within the sustainability realm, water-cooler chats have long revolved around single-use plastic straws and the damage they cause to the environment. For one thing, they’re petroleum-based and transported. Even worse is their after-effect, whereby they litter coastlines and pose a massive threat to marine life everywhere. While many businesses are beginning to source single-use water bottles as a recyclable material for a variety of products, Fab Habitat has also targeted the plastic from straws in an effort to reduce post-consumer waste and wildlife endangerment.

Fab Habitat is a company aimed at producing quality goods while maintaining a minimum carbon footprint. Husband and wife co-founders Kanan and Suchin Gupta began the company with a lifetime’s worth of experience in the manufacture of handmade rugs. Born in India and now living in New Jersey, Kanan has made rugs for decades now, sharing her husband’s beliefs in fair trade, non-child labor, and eco-friendly materials.

“You have to be constantly improving the rugs and your ethical standards,” says Suchin.

It’s true that consumers respond well to most any product made using recycled materials, but if that product doesn’t meet some kind of need, their interest in it still wanes pretty quickly. That’s why Fab Habitat created an assortment of colorful rugs that cater to all kinds of interests.

All Fab Habitat rugs can be used in or outside the home. They are available in a variety of colors to suit any decor, and also come in eight different sizes, ranging from small 2 x 3-foot rugs to full room-sized 10 x 14-foot ones.

The rugs are available in both round and rectangular designs. Every rug also has a pattern, some more subtle and others more bold. There are stripes, leaves, zig-zags, Native American-themed prints, and even full-on images available as pattern options. Plus, each Fab Habitat rug is reversible, offering two usable sides. With longevity in mind, each rug has also been UV treated to protect against fading and premature wear under the hot sun.

Plastic straws are just one of the recycled materials the company uses in their rug product line-up. For example, PET is a polyester fiber made from recycled soda and water bottles. It makes a fabric that is as soft to the touch as cotton while diverting plastic from landfills. One distinct advantage of PET products is its stain-resistance and ability to clean with just soap and water.

For fans of true cotton, the company also makes rugs from recycled cotton sourced from the manufacturing floors. In other words, they take those little scraps that would have otherwise been thrown away and turn them into rugs instead. Sustainable wool is another popular material when responsibly sourced. Finally, the product line also includes jute rugs, which perhaps provide the most back-to-earth look of the group with their natural tan and brown tones.

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GIRIA: Biodegradable Dishes Made of Tree Bark Waste

Stephanie Rogers — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 00:27:57 +0000

It’s no secret that we collectively waste an enormous amount of materials that could otherwise be creatively repurposed or eliminated altogether, with so-called “single-use” items being among the worst offenders. But does it make any sense at all to make product packaging, to-go containers, and coffee cup lids out of materials that don’t biodegrade? The fact is that the world is full of alternatives that break down a lot faster or are, themselves, by-products of another manufacturing process — and some of them last a lot longer than you might think.

Designer Evelina Kudabaité saw an opportunity in a material that’s often overlooked. Tree bark is typically removed from logs before they’re processed into lumber for architecture, furniture, and other projects, creating “slash piles” of unwanted material that then has to be discarded. While some mills send this material to chipping facilities to become mulch, the logistics of transporting it aren’t always financially feasible, and it often gets burned instead.

So what if materials like this could be “rescued” by craftspeople for another purpose? Kudabaité’s new “GIRIA” collection upcycles this waste into a range of beautiful tableware that retains the pleasant properties of plant-based materials. Consisting of plates, bowls, platters, and jugs, GIRIA is made of tree bark scraps collected from sawmills which are then dried, chopped, and mixed with powdered leaves.

The Lithuania-based artist mixes these materials into a paste and shapes them by hand into the vessels, coating them with a non-toxic finish that can be gently washed with a cloth. Since they can’t be washed directly in a sink, they’re not ideal for everyday dishes, but they can still serve beautiful decorative purposes, or inspire short-term food usage as an alternative to harmful plastics.

The finished dishes retain a rustic look that reminds us where they came from, and that there’s plenty more of the same materials to be had, especially as a byproduct of sustainably managed working forests. The different kinds of leaves and powders used in the making of each object, including charcoal for darker tones, gives them a unique look. No two pieces will ever be identical.

The official GIRIA website explains that “the project is aimed to pass the sensations of the forest through material, to establish a connection between the user and the object. This collection is a result of an experimental process by which it was meant to show how materials, which are destined to become waste — tree bark and leaves — can be transformed into sustainable design through the traditional crafts like cooking and clay molding.”

“It is a research on the alternative and unconventional ways to shape wood, which reminds [one] of the culinary process. During the research, a recipe of a unique material that consists of harmless organic substances has been found. No two items in GIRIA are the same: each is made by hand, and the bark dust of different kinds of trees (oak, pine, ash, and tree leaves) gives a unique texture, varying in color and roughness of a surface.”

Kudabaité adds that “the collection distinguishes itself from mass production, making the products as individual as their owners.”

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Recycled Metal Furniture from Scrap Cars

Dornob Staff — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:44:21 +0000

Owners of classic cars must suffer terribly if their vehicle becomes simply too rusted, dusted and dilapidated to survive any longer. But like treasures from a sinking ship,the Weld House is making an art out of recycling trash: converting old car parts into beautiful new furniture designs.

In some cases the rust and weather patterns on the metal are enough to make for an incredibly unique piece of custom-built furniture, while in other instances there is already some form of art present on the vehicle which becomes memorialized in the resulting work.

When polished and finished, one might never guess the origins of these amazing recycled furniture pieces – primarily tables – and suspect they were the result of some kind of intentional process designed to create more visual interest and variety on the scrap metal surfaces.

Of course, the results come in as many colors and shades as cars do so each reclaimed furniture piece tends to be quite different from the next. While the Weld House primarily specializes in simple tables they have also experimented with storage units, bed frames and other designs.

So who is behind all of this? Here’s more info:

“We are a small company specializing in handmade steel furniture. Our passion is delivering functional works of art that have a rich American history. By combining the colorful, reclaimed sheetmetal of 20+ year old American automobiles with the attention to detail and heavy gauge tubing from The Weld House, you end up with an heirloom quality piece of furniture that is truly one-of-a-kind.”

“Weld House produces modern furniture from both new and recycled metals. With designs ranging from industrial to minimalist, each piece of furniture is meticulously fabricated on very tight-tolerance and calibrated machinery. Our equipment allows us to deliver a level of accuracy beyond that of most commercial welding shops. Whether you choose one of our designs or we collaborate on one of yours, you can rest assured your piece of furniture will be made with the best materials and incredible attention to detail, even in areas not ever seen. “

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Patchwork Recycled Wood Office Furniture

dornob dornob — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 17:53:26 +0000

Patchwork isn’t a word we usually associate with furniture, but this eco-friendly style works with more materials than just your grandmother’s quilted textiles. When bringing together reclaimed and recycled wood from different sources into a new product, what you get is unique by its very nature. In this case, the vibe is a bit more urban professional than ’70s hippie.
Somewhat mid-century sensibilities inform the shapes of these creative furniture designs, but what really sets them apart is the variegated strips of wooden refuse given new purpose on their surfaces.

Designed by Kann, which is known for its minimalist, midcentury modern inspired furniture, this recycled wood office set includes a desk, sideboard and shelving unit that combine basic white and numerous shades and species of wood in each piece.

On surfaces of use, the collaged elements are sanded smooth and finished accordingly, while on the sides of the desk, for instance, a rough three-dimensionality remains for effect. In turn, support and contrast pieces – the vertical elements in the bookcase, trim and secondary sides on the desk and sideboar, provide a neutral point of contrast for the mixed woods.

“Created in Beit Chabab, Lebanon in 1958 by Kanaan, the father of Houssam (Kann’s founder), our workshop is the foundation of Kann’s project. The know-how perfected by its craftsmen is our heritage and strength. The collective, headed by Kann, is a melting pot of independent craftsmen. Carpenters, welders, upholsterers, painters & weavers that work hand in hand to make our quality furniture. They are the Kann makers.”
“As an editor, Kann materializes designers’ ideas and drawings. Since its creation, Kann’s project is bringing together talented designers who share the same vision of contemporary design. Directed by Houssam, Meghedi & Rudy, this is where ideas, colours, creations & designs are elaborated to develop the recognizable Kann Design Collection.”

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Odorless Japanese Compost Bin Design

sorchaohiggins — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:32:37 +0000

An innovative new trash can has been designed to convert food waste into plant food using an odorless Japanese method that breaks down refuse through fermentation. The Taihi bin, conceived of by industrial designer Ben Cullis Watson, was inspired by the vast amounts of household waste produced in the UK every year — much of which ends up in toxic landfill sites despite being compostable and recyclable. The bin composts household trash using the Bokashi method, which typically employs an inoculated bran to break down both vegetable and meat waste. In this case, however, a special activator liquid is sprayed on the bin’s contents to speed up the decomposition process. The microorganisms contained within this agent quickly break down the refuse and convert it into two products: compost and liquid plant food. Taihi’s uniqueness lies in both its aesthetic and in the process it uses. The bin bears the sleek, minimal appearance characteristic of Japanese design and is available in either black or white. It’s also been equipped with some ingenious functional features. Firstly, it uses a double lid system with rubber seals to keep foul odors from escaping, meaning the mess and smell associated with trash will be firmly sealed inside and away from the user’s home environment. Secondly, the bin collects the liquid that’s produced during composting in a separate container, which can be individually removed when it comes time to water the plants.The solid compost matter is stored inside the unit and doesn’t have to be turned like it does when you’re using other composting methods. The liquid activator allows the decomposition process to happen much more quickly and efficiently than it naturally would, taking just two weeks! Taihi has also been covered with a special, easy-to-clean coating that makes emptying it the easiest thing in the world.
One of this odor-free compost bin’s biggest novelties is how it has managed to reinterpret the Bokashi system (and the traditional composting system itself). Other systems employ organic composting agents like worms, which can be a little unappealing to homeowners. Taihi, by contrast, has automated the entire process, and it’s pleasing design makes it easy to incorporate into all kinds of kitchen decor while remaining unobtrusive.
“Trying to change people’s perceptions of waste and make it as ‘sexy’ as possible is part of the challenge, and something I relish as a designer,” says creator Ben Cullis Watson. “Products already on the market use things like worms and turning mechanisms, but I wanted to find something that was different. I stumbled on bokashi in an online journal and thought its simplicity was perfect.”

Taihi has already been lauded by the James Dyson Foundation and given the 2017 New Designers Joseph Joseph Brilliantly Useful Award. Watson now plans on taking Taihi forward with a second, more ready-made design. The odorless compost bin’s initial design was produced when he was still studying Product Design and Technology at Loughborough University. Unfortunately, the trash can is not currently available for purchase, but Watson is already in talks with two business incubators and hopes to make it retail-ready sooner rather than later.

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Dressers Made of Vintage Suitcases

dornob dornob — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 15:46:38 +0000

Vintage travel cases are hard to pass up at an estate or garage sale – a peek inside is just too temping, to see what history may yet linger within. Still, they aren’t much use by themselves if they are worn and tattered, unless you are James Russel and Hannah Plumb of James Plumb Design, whose work covers everything from found object furniture to retro installation art. Their series of recycled suitcases transformed into one of a kind dressers is especially fun.

Ragged vintage suitcases are given a second chance at life inside metal towers, each made around a particular range of sizes to be both simple to construct but uniquely accommodating as well. These DIY recycled suitcase dresser designs stack and sometimes stagger the old travel cases within the shelving, each one as unique as the found objects used to create them.

As in their other work, James Plumb shows off their interest in “overlooked and discarded, taking time-worn antiques and cast-offs to produce one-off assemblages, luminaries and interiors.”

“Our clients come to us because they want something real, with depth and resonance. We immerse ourselves deeply in our projects, and we offer intense commitment to our clients. Our focus is on authentic actions and experiences of living and being. Not just the surface veneer of aesthetics, but how it will feel to use, and inhabit.”
“For us the distinction between art and design is blurred and interchangeable – both in our own work and in our perception of the world at large. A table becomes an artwork, or a sculpture becomes a chair. An art installation is designed to be inhabited, and an interior design is approached as an artwork. We are artists who conceive, create, and direct work across a wide range of industries and disciplines, but we are less worried about how to define our work, than with what it adds to the sensation of the world around us.”

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Mine Craft: Explosives Turned Furniture

dornob dornob — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 17:07:10 +0000

Beating swords into plough shares is one proverbial way to move from war to peace … but this may be the best modern equivalent. Mati Karmin is sculptor and industrial designer with a taste for the absurd, crafting such innocent furniture objects as carriages for children, suspended porch swings, master beds and lounge chairs and even bathtubs out of unlikely junk metal bomb shells.

The chair above is “made of two hemispheres of a mine shell. The lower hemisphere forms a base on which the upper hemisphere can be smoothly rotated with the help of ball-bearing. The design of the chair follows the geometric line. Metal strip is welded on the cut edges of the upper hemisphere for thickening and padding. The interlaced caprone seat base is adhered to welded loops in the chair, forming the base for the seat. The cushion and headrest are made of tarpaulin in a minimalistic style.”

When Russia pulled out of Estonia in the 1990s, they detonated or burned all remaining ordinance, leaving a sea of scrap in their wake. Much was immediately brought (or washed) to shore and recycled, but many metal husks remain.
“The extended form of the bathtub is achieved by adding cylindrically cut pieces from mine-shells to the regularly-dimensioned mine-shell. The stainless steel bath inside the marine mine casing is custom-made in accordance with customer’s wishes. Extended steel detonator mock-ups are used as legs for the bathtub. The selection of sanitary engineering is based on the design of particular item.”

“One of the most gorgeous objects in collection: three hemispheres made of mine-shell have been added downwards to an entire mine-shell. Detonator mock-ups made of plexiglass are used as light bulbs. In every detonator there is a halogen light, which makes the chandelier a really good flood lamp.”

The spherical fireplace is especially cool since it’s sort of metaphorical in nature, referencing the original purpose of the materials. It features authentic illuminators sourced from old ships.
Check out many more amazing recycled furniture designs made out of old reclaimed explosives at MarineMine.com.

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7 Ways to Repurpose Empty Wine Bottles

AnnabelEmery — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:00:16 +0000

Upcycling your unwanted waste is an awesome way to lead a sustainable lifestyle and unleash your creativity. Most of us have probably experienced a boozie weekend at some point, after which we’re left to deal with trash bags bursting with empty bottles. But what if we could turn some of that trash into something new, exciting, useful, and even beautiful?

Decorative Vases

There are a thousand ways to do these! Grab a couple of your favorite bottles (remembering that the more varied heights, widths, and colors, the better) and go completely crazy with them. Paint them opaque white and bedazzle them with rhinestones, stick pearls on them to create DIY centerpieces for weddings, or use craft glue to adorn them with pendants and charms for themed parties.

If you prefer something a little more subtle for everyday life, try using transparent bottles to hold “floating” photographs of loved ones, or simply print out some stickers or lettering to write out your favorite quotes on the bottles. Of course, these vases wouldn’t be complete without something blossoming out of them, right? Whether you want to fill it with water and grow some flowers of your own or simply decorate them with some fake foliage for a look that won’t flounder, bringing nature into your indoor world is sure to help your home thrive!

Drinking Glasses

This DIY hack involves getting your hands a little dirty. If you have the right tools for it, then cutting and sanding your tall bottles into glass tumblers can be an excellent way to save money on store-bought glassware. It also helps save your Saturday night pinot grigio bottles from landfill! It takes a little tech know-how to get the edges of the glass smooth enough to put your lips on, but once they’re ready for use, you’ll be able to wow your dinner party guests with your thrifty imagination.

Candle Holders

There are several ways to do this, but a common favorite is the classic “stick a tall candle in the top and melt it down the sides for a gothic effect” approach. This works particularly well with Kraken rum bottles due to their wider shape and unusual looking handles. Alternatively (and carefully), you can cut the bottles down to their labels and melt candles into the resulting cup-shaped glasses. These make quirky home additions and great presents for anyone who enjoys their alcoholic beverages! Gift your gin-loving aunt with a homemade candle made using a Bombay Sapphire bottle, or give your grandpa a Talisker whiskey candle.

Garden Wind Chimes

Bottles are a great for decorating your garden, as they don’t weather easily and keep their vibrant colors through wind, snow, rain, and sunshine. Drill a hole in the bottom of a wine bottle (or chop the end off completely), attach it to a homemade wooden wind chime, and surround it with hanging charms and beads to bring some sparkle and sound to your outdoor greenery!

Creative Bird Feeders

Bottle-based bird feeders are sure to allow all you DIY hackers out there to really get creative! Simply upturn a wine bottle and make an incision in its bottom (which is now at the top). Then fill it with bird seeds and let nature nibble at the rest!

Indoor Planters

This works especially well with green and blue tinted bottles. Slice each one in half vertically to create a “boat” shape, sand it so there are no rough edges, and then layer it with pebbles, stones, sand, soil, and even crystals to create your own little indoor planter. These are especially great decorations for coffee tables and display units.

Wine and Cheese Platters

Far-fetched yet fascinating, this creative way of repurposing your bottles sees them as legs on mini table stands, which you can bring out at parties to display yummy snacks on! A great way to present cheeses and dips, simply fix chopping board-style wooden palettes to the top of your bottles to create a sturdy foundation for all your culinary needs.

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Drink Your Brew Out of a Reusable Cup Made from Coffee Husks

Joanne Camas — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 13:00:46 +0000

If you drink a couple cups of coffee a day, you might be surprised to learn that you’re responsible for more than 6.6 pounds of coffee husk waste each and every year. In the same amount of time, coffee production worldwide yields over 1.35 million metric tons (tonnes) of husk waste. Now, the Huskee design company is tackling coffee industry waste head-on with its HuskeeCup, a reusable cup that is made from actual coffee husks that were discarded during production. The cup quickly reached its crowdfunding goal on Indiegogo, so hopefully the company will soon be able to turn their prototypes into ready-for-sale products.

What exactly is a coffee husk? Well, it’s the rough covering that holds the bean itself. “At the end of the harvest, coffee farmers are left with tonnes of this organic material,” the Huskee designers explain. “While it has previously been used as a fertilizer supplement and even a carbonized fuel source, there is currently no economically viable and sustainable way of dealing with it.” Cue the HuskeeCup.

Huskee sources its coffee husks from Yunnan, a Chinese province near the border of Myanmar. Yunnan is known for growing specialty coffee, and Huskee has been working in partnership with local farmers there for about 10 years. When HuskeeCup production takes off, the company expects to begin working with growers around the world. It’s truly a win-win-win: the company gets its raw materials, the farmers earn extra income, and the world is given a way to dispose of this particular waste stream.

While you’re entitled to feel a little virtuous when you’re sipping your latte from your sustainable, zero-waste HuskeeCup, environmental concerns aren’t the only reason to buy it. On top of being completely reusable and recyclable, the HuskeeCup is also chip and crack-resistant, which will surely make it a favorite in diners, cafés, and homes around the country. Durable means less hassle and less money to be spent.

Team Huskee designed their cup to keep your coffee hotter for longer. The HuskeeCup actually retains heat better than a traditional ceramic coffee mug, and because of the ridges along its body, your hand will always be cool and comfortable. The cups come in a range of sizes (six, eight, and 12 ounces), though they are all compatible with the same saucer and lid — and of course, the lid means you can take your coffee on-the-go, saving time and money and eliminating the need for disposable paper carry cups. You can put the HuskeeCup in the dishwasher, and we think you’ll appreciate the little design feature that channels water off of its base to ensure the entire mug is dry when you take it out.

HuskeeCups are designed to stack safely and efficiently, resulting in fewer breakages and the most effective use of cabinet storage space. This is an important plus for home users and busy restaurant staff alike.

“We are recycling hundreds of tonnes of waste material from the production of coffee,” the company says. “Our dream is to realize sustainability for cafés and home users while achieving zero waste at the farm. HuskeeCup is the first step in fulfilling this mission.”

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Artist-Welder Gives Old Cars New Life as Cool Furniture

Joanne Camas — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:00:56 +0000

Joel Hester uses his training as a welder and his love of old cars to design and make cool, unique furniture from junkyard metal. A summer job as a teen introduced him to metalwork and welding, and that fall he constructed a queen-size, poster-style bed frame that got rave reviews from friends. “People would tell me I should build furniture and sell it. I laughed them off for 10-plus years, but when I wanted to do something new, welding and metal furniture just made sense,” he says. The result? Weld House, his Arizona-based workshop and design studio.

We caught up with Hester and grilled him about his work as an artist-welder.

What’s your favorite piece you’ve made, and why?

The very first automotive sheet metal coffee table I built. I was building it out of hot roll steel for a client named Matt. He threw me a curve ball by bringing me a very small, thin sheet metal beer sign to incorporate. I was stumped on how to mix this thin old metal in with the thick new metal and not have sharp edges. Plus, I had aesthetic issues–after all, it was a beer sign. But Matt insisted on this damn sign. I headed to a junkyard looking for anything to fix this coffee table. I rounded a corner and came face to face with the back of a very old, very large Cadillac. The truck was massive and the colors on the paint were unlike anything I had ever seen. Even by 2017’s standards, the patina on that original Cadillac’s trunk is phenomenal.

It was a light bulb moment for me: I knew I could skin the thin sheet metal off that trunk and cut/bend it across the table so it would be one piece, with no sharp edges. I was totally thrilled with this new idea, and Matt was on board. I needed a solution so bad and the answer I got was equally amazing–it just blew my mind. I am so thankful to Matt for insisting on getting what he wanted and forcing me to think outside the box. Granted, I am a creative type and I don’t quit, but I am grateful for my clients pushing me in new directions.

Check out the process of turning a gorgeous red Cadillac into a coffee table.

Has anyone ever brought you their beloved old car and asked you to make furniture out of it?

One project will always stand out. A family’s patriarch, nicknamed Shorty, had passed years prior. For decades, he ran a food truck to support his family. Shorty’s food truck was something they could not part with yet, but it could not sit by their house forever. When they saw my automotive sheet metal coffee tables, they knew that would be the perfect solution. They shipped me the hood and VIN plates, and I made them into a cool table. I added a burgundy pinstripe to match the roof of the truck, and Shorty’s name was wrapped into the pinstripe as well. They were so grateful, but I was really taken aback by the gravity of building something so meaningful to this entire family. I lost my dad unexpectedly in 2007, so I understood the emotions they must have been feeling. I’ll never forget that project.

Why do you feel it’s important to use reclaimed metal as much as possible?

I didn’t start out with recycling on my radar. I was brand-new to welding and had my hands full with the learning curve. It took years to really get comfortable with the welding machine and be able to consider aspects to furniture other than the simple mechanics of welding. It was not until a customer brought me a scrap piece of metal that they wanted incorporated into their new furniture that I had to think outside my normal steel-tube bed frames. That was the genesis of incorporating recycled metal into my furniture.

Ever tempted to work with wood or other materials?

When I have my own building with adequate space, I’d like to work with wood and cast concrete. Really cool things are being done with used skateboards glued together to make wood furniture, and the colors are mind-blowing. That type of creative niche is what I like.

Have tech advances changed the way you work, or is welding still the same method it’s been for years?

Technology is changing much faster than I even know. I thought welding would be a trade forever, but with 3D printing, I am not so sure anymore. I watched a video of a robot on wheels 3D printing itself a bridge in mid-air; it kept printing structural track until it crossed over a small creek to the other side. 3D printing replaces not only welding but cutting, bending, assembly, supply chain of raw materials, and the list goes on. The artist side of welding, I think, will be safe longer than the industrial side.

Are you working on anything particularly cool right now?

They are all cool. I love the days when I can get in the truck and go hunting for metal. I am still chasing the high I got when I saw that original Cadillac for the first time.

Any famous person you think needs one of your pieces in their home?

I’ve often thought it would really be cool to have a piece of furniture in the White House. Hopefully someone here in the US is making the White House furniture, so why not me? I’ve had designers buy for people they could not name, but I’d be perfectly happy building for families like Shorty’s any day.

Watch Hester on a junkyard trip and hear him talk about his unique work.

The post Artist-Welder Gives Old Cars New Life as Cool Furniture first appeared on Dornob.

Scary Scrap Metal Creations Inspired by the Artist Behind “Alien”

EileenO — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:00:54 +0000

Growing up in Leeds in the North of England, Bob Campbell had easy access to nearby Sheffield — also known as the Steel City. Industrial scrap metal and old mining parts were plentiful, abandoned after the collapse of the UK steel industry and the closure of coal mines in the 1980s.

After a brief flirtation with the fairground in Great Yarmouth, which he joined when he left school (“It sounded glamorous to me at the time!” he claimed), he took a course in welding at his local college. He’d seen the huge metal sculptures and installations from the Mutoid Waste Company in Glastonbury, which started out in Britain in the 1980s before relocating to Italy.

He was also inspired by the Mad Max films and by the works of surrealist biomechanic artist and set designer HR Giger, who created, among other fear and awe-inspiring artworks, the monster in the iconic sci-fi film “Alien.”

Much of Campbell’s inspiration comes from traveling. In the early ’90s, together with his partner and their son, he traveled around Europe and Morocco in an old Mercedes truck before they settled back in England in their Derbyshire home.

Keen to try making metal creations for his own amusement, in 1995 he began to construct small scale items — tables, chairs, etc. Three years later, he was running out of storage space and decided to sell a few items at a local artisan market. Totally overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response, he set up his company Stig Art — named after the eponymous children’s fictional character in author Clive King’s “Stig of the Dump.”

Twenty years ago, Campbell decided to create “something awesome from cheap or free scrap and waste materials.” Since then he has made “hundreds of unique pieces that have found their way around the world.” Though he still makes smaller items like his original foray into the creation of quirky and original tables and chairs, he will now tackle whatever is required, whatever the size (well, within reason).

During the winter months, he works with his friend Paul Smith in Goa India, who he met back in Morocco in the early ’90s. Smith has set up Rag & Bone Customs, customizing old Enfield motorcycles.

After working on it for six months, in spring 2016 Campbell shipped a bespoke spiral staircase to Ibiza. He was commissioned to make the staircase for the interior of a tower in the grounds of an Ibizan villa owned by a couple whom he met on his travels in India.
“They wanted something unique that was sculptural as well as functional and in an industrial style,” Campbell said.

Prices for original, bespoke items like tables and chairs are around £1,000. Conceived in collaboration with each client, Campbell is available for one-off items and larger furniture, but for a much higher price tag. He also has an online shop of ready-made articles for sale. He also has a bigger project on the go — restoring and converting a 1950’s grain silo into a self-contained eco house.

The post Scary Scrap Metal Creations Inspired by the Artist Behind “Alien” first appeared on Dornob.

Grassy DIY Seats Sprout Up From Your Yard

Stephanie Rogers — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:00:58 +0000

How green can your outdoor furniture get? Sure, you can buy recycled plastic lawn chairs, loungers with renewable bamboo frames and cushions covered with reclaimed burlap sacks, but nothing has taken the word ‘green’ more literally than this product.

‘Terra!’ is a flat-pack, biodegradable and recyclable cardboard framework developed by an Italy-based collective of designers. Designed to be set on just about any earthen surface, filled with soil and planted with grass seeds, it results in a surprisingly ergonomic and comfortable seat that ultimately becomes integrated into the landscape.

Originally designed in 2000 and sold commercially through 2005, the Terra! grass armchair features notched cardboard framework elements that are quick and easy to assemble. The project got lots of attention for its clever design and sold out around the world, but its creators ran into some production hiccups and the chair was taken off the market.

On the internet, however, the idea lived on, and prospective customers often contacted the Studio Nucleo design collective hoping to make a purchase. In fact, it was an enthusiastic letter from a fan that encouraged them to look into reviving the grassy chair.

Thankfully, a lot of things have changed in the way products are made in the last decade, placing manufacturing capabilities directly in the hands of designers. That gave Studio Nucleo another chance to get Terra! out into the world. Studio Nucleo no longer has to rely on bigger companies to help create and distribute its product, and the company has made some tweaks to the design that enables an even smoother shipping and assembly process.

This summer, the company turned to Kickstarter to fund a whole new round of production integrating modern laser-cutting technology for precision and consistency. The whole thing packs up as slim as a flattened cardboard box.

The campaign was a smashing success, surpassing its funding goal, and the first backer rewards are set to ship in October 2016 before the product is officially available for sale to the public.

To celebrate, Studio Nucleo expanded the product range beyond the original armchair. New offerings include a mini cushion, kids chair, a miniature for gardens and terrariums, a two-seater sofa, a three-seater sofa and even site-specific installations, like a long curving sofa big enough for a group.

The concept is so simple, it’s a wonder we don’t see similar modified grassy mounds more often. Once you see the Terra! in action, it’s easy to envision everything from complete living room setups to stadium seating made primarily of earth and covered in grasses or durable sedum. The framework could easily be replicated on a larger scale, conserving resources and eliminating a whole lot of waste.

“Design products are made to be used, and disposed,” says Studio Nucleo. “TERRA! instead is a living product, it grows as a tree grows. As the world around you grows, so does your Terra! To take care of TERRA! you don’t have to be a designer, an architect or an artist. The pleasure of TERRA! is not only found in its ‘functionality.’ It is also found in the making of your own place to relax, growing a piece of nature, a place where we can all experience the peace.”

The post Grassy DIY Seats Sprout Up From Your Yard first appeared on Dornob.

Designer Turns Old Bowling Lanes Into Classic Furniture

Joanne Camas — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 22:13:36 +0000

CounterEvolution’s gorgeous furniture gives new life to old wood. It’s a labor of love for founder and designer Jim Malone, who stumbled on wood from a closed bowling alley when he was furnishing his log cabin home on 12 wooden acres in New York State eight years ago. He turned it into a unique kitchen counter, and ta-da–a fledgling business was born.

He called the log cabin Little Big North, and while outfitting it he meshed design elements both rural and contemporary that would live on in CounterEvolution’s two main furniture lines: Modern Rustic and Industrial Green.
Of course once he fell in love with old wood with a history, Malone couldn’t turn back. He found happy corporate customers in Starbucks and Shake Shack–his tables and counters are now in most of the burger chain’s U.S. stores–and he supplies furniture to give homes a unique look. Eco-friendly never looked so good.

He still uses reclaimed wood from shuttered bowling alleys and steel from old industrial buildings that are being torn down, continuing to live up to CounterEvolution’s mission statement:

To design, build, and sell quality products that realize the highest potential of reclaimed materials with the ultimate goal of bringing functional art, thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted, into your home or business.

You can order the one-of-a-kind pieces online and choose from around 25 stains to complement the other furniture in your home or office, from various shades of brown to pale-blue Clearwater, pink Cadillac, or Greenwash. Not sure which color to go with? No worries: CounterEvolution suggests you place your order and let the company send you samples of your top three choices so that you can decide at your leisure. It’s often easier to select a shade when you see a sample in your home, next to your current furniture and colors.

If you are used to picking up furniture from a huge Scandinavian warehouse store to assembly yourself (with plenty of frustrated cursing), you might suffer a case of sticker shock when you check out CounterEvolution’s creative work. But, you’re buying quality furniture with a solid past and a sturdy future.

People on a more modest budget can plonk down their bucks for a Strike wall clock (above) from the Buffalo Green line of products, which is handmade from either solid heart pine or a maple/pine splice of reclaimed bowling lane wood. No two clocks are the same, so you’ll have a truly original, functional piece of art on your wall–a centerpiece timepiece, if you will.

Other more moderately priced items in the Buffalo Green range include hearty chopping boards, a tealight holder, and one of our favorites: the Barmaid Craft Beer Flight Paddle (below). The designers are quick to point out a major selling point:

“It is, of course, handcrafted and branded from reclaimed bowling lane, vintage heart pine, but it’s also virtually spill-proof for even the least seasoned armchair mixologist.” Hey, we’ll drink to that.

The post Designer Turns Old Bowling Lanes Into Classic Furniture first appeared on Dornob.

Creative Coffins: Bringing Quirky Color to Sad Times

Joanne Camas — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 21:00:19 +0000

Humor and funerals don’t often appear in the same sentence, but Creative Coffins tries to brighten sad, dark days with its colorful, often whimsical, casket designs. Indeed, some will definitely raise a smile, such as the “Rest in Peas”option (above), the chocolates or the popcorn carton.

Whether you want roses for Grandma or a scenic “Gone Fishing” image for Uncle Jim, there are plenty of options. You can go colorful and classy or bright and silly, depending on the person who will be residing in the casket or the approach of your family. Whatever you choose, you can bet you’ll turn some heads.

What can you get on your Creative Coffin?

“Virtually anything is possible,” say the designers. They can select pictures from a large photo library, but if you want a particular image, they’ll do their best to track it down for you.

They explain:

“Please bear in mind, though, that company and sports club logos and images such as cartoon characters may be subject to copyright and require the relevant permission. Nevertheless, we have found most organizations to be very understanding.”Can’t decide what type of coffin you’d like to custom-order? Fear not—the company has an impressive selection of stock designs you can order, and they are divided into several broad, browsable categories: flags, natural, pastimes, personal and sports.

Every Creative Coffin comes with free personalization, so you can include your relative or friend’s name, date of birth and death, and perhaps an apt saying or a favorite spiritual verse or quote.

The British business started when it found that a sizable number of people wanted to ditch the traditional heavy wooden casket and instead choose an environmentally-friendly coffin with character. They didn’t want just a plain white finish. People were seeking options, a more visible way to commemorate, celebrate and reflect their departed loved ones.

The coffins take advantage of all the latest advances in technology, the designers explain:

“Using cutting-edge engineering and printing techniques enables us to produce a cardboard coffin that has no visible folds, a traditional style rounded lid and a beautiful matte finish.”

Creative Coffins also boasts impressive eco credentials. It sources all its materials locally, which cuts down on transportation costs and fuel, and makes its coffins from 98 percent cardboard and paper, of which 70-percent is recycled (post-consumer waste). And of course, since they are lightweight, they also enjoy transportation savings.

They may be lightweight, but you might be surprised to learn that they are strong enough to carry up to 350 pounds—not too shabby for cardboard and paper!

The construction of the caskets uses only cornstarch glue and environmentally friendly inks, too, compared to the chemical-heavy traditional processing, and the casket handles are fashioned from natural woven cotton. You can also choose biodegradable lining.

While death and funerals are not topics any of us like to think about, Creative Coffins offers a fresh approach that may shake up our notion of sad and somber, all while considering our final impact on the Earth.

The post Creative Coffins: Bringing Quirky Color to Sad Times first appeared on Dornob.