Sushi anyone? These Papcorn dinner plates designed by Danish duo Anne Bannick and Lene Vad Jensen made a splash among design-enthusiasts since their debut in 2003. A true marriage of style and sustainability, I thought they could use an encore.
Made from wheat, corn, and lactic acid these mod plates are compostible when the party is over. Can be used 1, 10 or 100 times, and you can dine then dispose without the guilt. As beautiful as they are why would you? Visit Papcorn.
I’ve been thinking about planting an herb garden for my kitchen but as an apartment dweller face a severe lack of yard and space. Leave it to a Japanese design company to create diminuitive garden pieces that can fit anywhere. These Egg Plants by SMP feature sprigs of basil, mint, thyme, parsley, chamomile, lemon balm are as handsome as they are practical. Crack open the ceramic egg where you like, plant the seeds, water frequently, and watch these little babies grow. Available for $14 each at Branch.
This past February my husband and I cruised to Palm Springs to visit friends and check out the annual Modernism show but was let down by the paltry selection and left empty-handed. And since my life ping pongs between work and design school, I haven’t had the time to hit the weekend flea markets here in L.A. So when I saw today’s Design*Sponge post featuring New York’s Hi+Lo vintage boutique I got excited. Voted “Best Bet” by New York Magazine Hi+Lo offers an impressive range of high quality, vintage modern design including ceramics, furnishings, jewelry, fashion, art and rare books. No need to make your way through piles of musty doilies to find the gems–they are available online. They ship in the U.S. and internationally. Generaly high-end prices but occasionally you’ll find that perfect budget find.
MAJA ISOLA MARIMEKKO WALL HANGING($75)
RUTH REEVES ABSTRACT TRAY, melamine plastic with incised mark on the bottom, circa 1954 ($275)
JORGEN JENSEN PEWTER CAT’S EYE RINGS, signed by artist ($40-85 each)
MOD CHROME FLOWER LINK BELT, Chrome flower belt, originally bought in Paris, $100 (ooh lala)
Who ever thought rehab could be this fun? Sarah Cihat’s line of Rehabilitated Dishware are handsome enough to showcase on your tabletop or as focal points on your wall. Cihat visits Goodwill and Salvation Army in search of unwanted plates and gives them new life with bold colors and high contrast graphics. Cihat can even design custom styles for customers.
Why they’re fabulous:
Unfortunately they’re not recyclable. But as gorgeous as they are, why would you want to?
Available in the U.S. and Japan. Visit SarahCihat.com for stores.
These groovy coasters from Vinylux put a cool spin on any house party, or work as a great housewarming gift for that certain music lover in your life. Made from recycled vintage records, an assorted set of six (for $20) comes packed in their own putaway case. Or grab those favorite 45s from seventh grade and have Vinylux produce your own set of “greatest hits.”
Here’s another take on urban eco-style: coasters crafted from salvaged street signs. Pressed, finished and sealed by hand, guests will park their libations on these colorful cats. Designed and made by artist Boris Bally. Sells $65 retail for a set of four.
Both are available online at Elsewares.
According to color studies, the world’s most favorite color is blue. Blue to me has more emotional range than any other color family (which is why I nicknamed my emotionally-versatile husband Blue). Light and cheerful, melancholy, or mysterious, there is a blue out there to suit almost everyone’s personal taste.
These salad bowls are perfect for summer dining alfresco. Bringing together the earthy quality of traditional bamboo with modern bursts of color, these bowls are design-friendly and durable. There are 8 colors in all, but in the spirit of Independence Day, we’re highlighting the one in Robin Egg Blue. Made by bambu, a sustainable company that was the first to use certified organic bamboo materials. They also donate 1% of profits to the environemental non-profit One Percent for the Planet. Available through Whole Foods, Crate&Barrel, Sur La Table, Bloomingdales, Dean & Deluca or through online retailers re:modern(another One Percent Member) and greenfeet.com.
These gorgeous hand-made felted pillows beg to be touched. Made from soft certified organic materials, Looolo Textiles was one of the first to use yarns to create biodegradable furnishings (they can actually be composted and absorbed by the earth in one year). Looolo spent five years to develop a dyeing process that would be toxin-free, and still bring a strong palette of colors like these beautiful blues. Sustainable and styling, Looolo’s pillows are available through Vivavi.
The Six Easy Pieces Rug by Interface FLOR is a great eco-friendly accessory for folks on a tight budget ($50). It’s a thoughtful mix of carpet tiles from FLOR’s broad collections pieced together to form a variety of handsome ensemble rug. Long time pioneers of sustainability in the carpet industry, FLOR is one of my favorite design companies. Available directly from Interface FLOR.
Angela Adams rugs have become iconic in recent years. Angela’s couture designs have expanded into handbags, stationery and even tiles for kitchen and bath. But rugs was where she began and thankfully, they are made from 100% New Zealand wool and bear the Rugmark label which means no child labor was used in making this newly released baby blue Lulu Rug. Available through re:modern and other stores.
Maybe I’m being a bit indulgent to blog twice in the last month on the beautiful Modular Series pieces crafted by designer Galya Rosenfeld. For fashion or interiors (as a wall finish, window treatment, table runner, or rug) these textiles are eye-droppingly gorgeous, tactile and eco-friendly.
Ok, I was going to pass on today’s entry because I have several design project deadlines to meet and a final exam to study for; but I couldn’t help myself when I discovered Vivaterra was having a sale on a variety of green style pieces available on a West Elm budget. After doing a little virtual shopping my favorite discounted pics are:
These Honeycomb Bowls (see above) made from recycled metal bowls ($34-62) are stunning whether they hold goodies or not. The interconnecting rings create a delicate texture that make an industrial-modern yet warm statement to a tabletop.
The felted Barefoot Wool Rug made from New Zealand wool and some recycled fibers is currently 30% off.
Two more things that aren’t on sale but meet modest budgets include the Twisty Stool ($195) which is carved from a single piece of sustainable, monkey pod wood (need confirm if it’s FSC-certified wood and will report back–I’m a stickler about such things). Resembling a Mobius Strip or an Infinity symbol, it surely would bring good karma to any space.
Finally the Love Nest bowl is a dervish of antiqued brass coils of recycled, hand-shaped wire. It comes with a pair of glowing glass eggs that rest inside. I would personally take the bowl alone but it’s a beautiful little decorative for only $39.
Viva vendita! Did I say that right?
Bamboo flooring is truly beautiful and becoming a popular alternative to hardwood. For lovers of color, Duro Design offers a dizzying line of 50+ colors that grace residential, retail and commercial spaces ranging from earthy blondes and browns, to bolder blues and sassy citrus hues. Architects and interior designers will love them because specifying bamboo flooring will get you 2.0 LEED points for rapidly renewable resources.
But there’s much more to bamboo than flooring. Product designers are also offering stunning bamboo accessories for the home such as this bamboo chopping block that’s both beautiful and indestructible, a fruit bowl called Barcode that’s a striated stunner, and these narrow serving bowls. These pieces were found at TwoKH.
