Lego’s for adults? Yes and better! These Sofa Bricks by Japanese designer Aya Koike invite users to tap their inner-designer to create a wall, a piece of furniture, or an art piece. Made of soft molded eco-friendly cork, they’re lightweight, comfortable and sturdy. Perfect melding of fun and function.
Manufactured by NAGAYANAGI co.,ltd.
Via MocoLoco
Props to Belgian designer Charles Kaisin (seated above) for turning recycling into a style statement. His Newspaper Extendable Bench is an ingenious eco-friendly transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary. Recycled newspapers are carefully glued together in a honeycomb fashion to create seating that structurally sound and expandible–like an accordion. I love that it can be molded by the owner into many positions to suit your needs or taste, then recycled when it comes to the end of its useful life. This is eco-style at its best. You can see more of his beautifully recycled furnishings here.
This just dropped into my inbox: all FLOR rugs and carpet tiles are 15% off until August 4. EVERYTHING. Only available through their online shop. Be sure to type in 15%sumsale to get the savings.
The Bendant chandelier by MIO Design is simply ingenious. It arrives flat with laser cut flaps that you mold into a design of your liking. Made from recycled and recyclable metal, this lamp like many of MIO’s collection is sleek, eco-friendly and affordable.
Available directly from MIO.
Check out this feature interview with MIO designers via Design Public.
One of the most ingenious products featured at the hauteGREEN exhibit last month was the ThermaLamp designed by London-based G|O|E Design. It literally relies on you to make the move from a conventional to eco-friendly bulb for it to work and “bloom.”
Step 1: Therma Lamp arrives in flat form on your doorstep. You install a standard incandescent bulb in the fixture to wilt the thermo-softening petals into a desired shape (finally making use of some of the excessive heat that emits from our everyday bulbs).
Step 2: Once you’ve achieved the look you want, switch the bulb to an eco-friendly, low wattage bulb. Voila, you’ve co-created an energy efficient, light sculpture.
What else makes them fabulously green:
They’re lightweight, require minimal packaging, made by local manufacturers, and as a thermo-softening plastic, it can be recycled (and has been made in part from recycled material).
You are also forced to part ways with that everyday light bulb if you want to keep your new piece of art from discoloring or turning brittle. You might even see some savings on your next electrical bill.
Although available primarily in Europe, G|O|E is able to ship to the US. Reasonably priced at £45.
Thanks to Campbell at G|O|E for giving me the ThermaLamp for Dummies tutorial and for answering my barrage of technical questions. I appreciate their candor about what pieces are eco-friendly and which aren’t in their collection — demonstrating their integrity as designers. That’s what I call being socially responsible.
