Friday Wrap-up – 7/23/10

I’m actually on vacation right now (shhhh!  don’t tell anybody), but I’ve kept my eye out for interesting stuff to share anyway…

image via Shelterrific

Here are some really CUTE pillows from recycled materials, by Alexandra Ferguson. (Shelteriffic)

West Elm’s new line of FSC certified office furniture, designed by students at Pratt. (Inhabitat)

A lovely new kitchen, made of reclaimed materials, that looks absolutely classic. (re-nest)

GE has unveiled their latest technology in super efficient OLED lighting. (Inhabitat)

It takes 5,000 cocoons to provide enough silk for one kimono!  And this guy is raising the caterpillars, spinning the silk, and weaving it all by himself. (BoingBoing)

The first U.S. Certified Passive House, in Louisiana of all places. (Treehugger)

And finally, the most adorable ad, made on a whim by an 11 year old girl, for Harmony Art organic cotton fabrics.  Seriously, somebody hire this girl! (The Journey is the Prize)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday Wrap-up – 7/16/10

It’s hot here.  OK, not as hot as some of you have been suffering through lately, but still, it’s definitely a nice tall glass of icy lemonade weather.  Luckily, it’s supposed to start cooling down a bit for the weekend.

Via Design*Sponge

Till the weather cools though, I’ll have to just content myself with looking at how refreshing this pretty, wooden textile stamp looks. (Design*Sponge)

This fountain would look refreshing, if only it wouldn’t fall apart the minute you add water. (Craftzine)

Love this simple and effective filing cabinet makeover! (re-nest)

Ooh!  Does Room&Board actually have organic cotton pillows from Mod Green Pod at their stores now? That would be wonderful! (GreenYourDecor)

And finally, a new use for an unloved plant.  Could the future of sustainable fabrics be the stinging nettle? (Treehugger)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Friday Wrap-up – 7/9/10

Even on a short week, there are still interesting things to read about…

Image via re-nest

I love this whimsical artwork from recycled materials in Greece. (re-nest)

Treehugger asks if less could become more again. (Treehugger)

Check out these vibrant organic cotton pillows! (Green Your Decor)

And finally,… if you’re like me, you forget all about your resolve to take a short shower once you step under the lovely warm water.  Here’s a fun way to be gently reminded when it’s time to turn off the tap. (Inhabitat)

Have a great weekend all!

Friday Wrap-up – 7/2/10

Happy (almost) 4th of July weekend everyone!  Here are a few things I thought you might want to check out in the downtime between stuffing your face with hot dogs, and stuffing your fingers in your ears to watch the fireworks.  And if you’re not here in the States, stuff your faces with something good to eat and join in the fun.  Every day is a holiday somewhere!

Image via Design*Sponge

Here is a great corkboard craft for those wanting to keep track of where they’ve been, or where they plan to go.  (Design*Sponge)

I really, REALLY wish I could visit this amazing Medieval castle being built in Burgundy, France.  They are building it using the technology of the time, sans the harsh labor conditions I’m sure. (Craftzine)

Here is a must read for anyone in the design community – “Is Design Ready for a Re-think?”.  (re-nest)

I can’t be the only one who thought “Is that a pagoda?” when I saw this rendering of Nationwide Homes new Eco-Cottages. (Inhabitat)

Love these beautiful prints for Paper Cloud’s organic cotton placemat and napkin sets. (Green Your Decor)

And finally, a good review of the best of Dwell on Design 2010.  Sadly, not from me. (Inhabitat)

Friday Wrap-up – 6/11/10

We’ve got the typical “June Gloom” conditions going on this morning in Orange County.  Overcast, breezy, even a little drizzle now and then.  Hard to imagine that Summer vacation is about to start…

Of course, that means my son will be bringing home loads and loads of old school papers, most of which we really don’t need to keep.  Perhaps we should get this multifunctional paper shredder/coffee table?  Actually, with the way things are going for BP in the Gulf, they might want to invest in a bunch of them for all their executives soon.  Just sayin’.  (Design Sponge)

Sadly, I point you now to the final installment of the Cardboard Fort Architecture series.  This scholarly set of posts has been full of architectural achievement and analysis the likes of which you rarely see.  OK.  Actually, it’s just damn hilarious – and the kids are SO cute! (Build Blog)

So what do you think about the recent study claiming LEED certification does nothing to ensure the interior environment isn’t still toxic? (re-nest)

I was so happy to see my friends at L.A. Box Collective mentioned on Inhabitat!  If you are in SoCal, you should check out their new show. (Inhabitat)

The new issue of Lonny is here!  Now if I could only get an iPad to read it on, my life would be (almost) complete. (Table Tonic)

And speaking of iPads, if I ever do get one, this is what I’m going to put it in. (Inhabitat)

That’s it for now.  Wishing you a blissful weekend!

Friday Wrap-up – 6/4/10

Lack of sleep, tight deadline, ever expanding to-do list,… yep, typical Friday.  How about you?

Meanwhile, lots o’ pretty interesting stuff spied on the web this week.

image by jewelweeds

I’m entranced by these lovely hand blocked organic cotton linens from Jewelweeds. (mochatini)

Great, ethereal looking Tonic pendant lamp, made of 100% post consumer acrylic. (chictip)

More fun cardboard fort analysis! (BuildBlog)

Grandma’s old National Geographic collection transformed into a shelf. (Craft)

How to design in “Itty Bitty” spaces. (Inspired Design Daily)

Love the colorful glass bottle walls in this post. (re-nest)

Cute task lamp made of recycled egg cartons. (Dezeen)

Wishing everyone a relaxing, restful weekend.  See you Monday!

Friday Wrap-up – 5/21/10

Just a quick little wrap up this week, with links to some great posts on ICFF (which I really hope to attend next year).

But first, don’t these kids look completely thrilled with their handy work?

Image via Build Blog

From Build Blog, the same blog that brought you the great overview of couch cushion architecture, comes a critical analysis of cardboard forts.  Truly a must read.

So, on to ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), which took place last weekend in New York.

First, here is a nice overview of some of the standout pieces seen at the fair. (inhabitat)

Apparently there was some terrific student work too.  (Treehugger)

And lastly, a whole lot of cork showed up in all kinds of ways at ICFF this year.  Maybe I was too hasty when I said I thought this was going ot be the year of cardboard! (Treehugger)

That’s it for now.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Friday Wrap-up – 4/30/10

How can it be almost May in Southern California?  The temperature never got above the mid 60’s!  It’s supposed to be down to 47 degrees tonight.  There is FRESH SNOW on the mountains.  What???

So,… can you tell I’m getting a little tired of my sweater collection?

Maybe I would feel better if I just built myself a great sofa cushion fort like this girl did.  Then I could have my work of architectural wonderment critiqued for its Richard Meier overtones in this hysterical (if you like architectural critiques) post.  (Build Blog)

Here’s something I missed in all the Milan Design Week hoopla – a really interesting new eco-kitchen from Whirlpool. (inhabitat)

Ever heard the term “piezoelectric”?  Me neither, but if this cool looking shower is any indicator, we’re going to hear a lot more about it soon. (inhabitat)

I love this collection of Spring themed organic cotton bedding! (Green Your Decor)

I WANT these beautiful, scrapwood, fair trade baskets designed by Piet Hein Eek! (renest)

And these amazing green dollhouses are, well, amazing!  Some of them come with their own solar arrays on the roof, and LED lighting throughout. (renest)

So, do you ever run across a cool bit of sustainable furniture, or eco-friendly design you think our readers should know about?  Feel free to send us a link, or just mention it in the comments section below.  We love hearing about new and exciting design sources!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Wrap-up – 4/23/10

After a week of computer woes and petty jealousy towards all the bloggers that got to go to Milan Design Week (maybe if I start saving my pennies for 2011 now?), not to mention an Earth Day spent scrambling to get caught up on all the work those same computer woes caused me to get behind on, it’s nice to be back to the blog.  Maybe spending a little time telling you about neat stuff I saw on the internet this week will get me back in the groove.

So, here is one of the first things I saw written about from Milan this week.  Tokujin Yoshioka’s “Memory” chair.  Created from recycled aluminum, it changes shape every time someone sits in it. (Inhabitat)

To see more amazing furniture, lighting and products from Milan Design Week, check out Inhabitat’s “Best of” slide show. (Inhabitat)

Here are some cool wildlife portraits made from old topographical maps.  This one is actually from last week, but too lovely not to mention. (BoingBoing)

I love this wallpaper using old newspapers to create a grasscloth look.  Fairly expensive, but for the right room it could be stunning. (Design Green)

Love this rustic yet very modern take on the picnic bench, using brightly colored enameled aluminum and FSC certified redwood. (re-nest)

Recycled gym floor decor – fun! (Green Your Decor)

Finally, is this the greenest bulb of all? (Design Green)

Happy weekend everyone!

Friday Wrap-up – 4/9/10

Well, this is a little late.  Almost a Saturday wrap-up really.  What can I say?  It was a busy week!

Image via Treehugger

I find this new take on Tatami mats fascinating. (Treehugger)

A rug made out of cigarette butts?  That might be taking recycling a little far, even for me.  (DesignBoom)

Wild furniture restoration going on at Purpose Restoration – check out the flying knives on the the kitchen cart! (Design Green)

Great flat pack plywood stool design. (3rings)

Nice, simple re-use of old packing crates as drawers.  Hmmm…  I have some old wine crates… (Unplggd)

Charming, wool felt pillows based on science book illustrations. (BoingBoing)

And lastly,…

I thought I would include my own piece for HomePortfolio.com, which started out as a post on cork flooring, but really became a plea for the Iberian Lynx. (HomePortfolio)

Have a marvelous weekend everyone!  See you Monday!