This weeks guest blogger is David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture.   An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

The increasing popularity of sustainable and locally made goods has permeated into the design world especially among furniture designers/makers. While the idea of creating furniture locally in a sustainable manner has been around for decades within the furniture community, it is more often than not, a new idea to the everyday person. As more large scale and local furniture manufacturers label their products as being made from sustainably harvest wood, this label has different levels of meaning and can be confusing.

To help you navigate through the terms and make informed decisions about your design purchases, I am including a brief description of terms used to describe sustainably harvested wood commonly associated with furniture making. While all descriptions listed are sustainable, I’ve put them in the order of what I consider to be the most sustainable especially within my personal design processes. Note: as always, the more local the source of sustainably harvested wood, the better. Read the rest of this entry »

This weeks guest blogger is David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture.   An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

To look at my furniture it’s obvious that I like Danish Modern.  When we create we can’t help but let our influences show.  Our work is a compilation of what we see and our imaginations.  Certainly as a furniture maker I’m going to be influenced by the aesthetics of the styles of the past but I’m also going to draw upon why these furniture styles can to be.

I went to The College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program, in Mendocino, CA.  The school is known for teaching a high attention to detail and balance and symmetry in design based on the work of James Krenov, Jim, as he’s known to the students.  The program is set up like a European apprentice system where students start with the basics and then make pieces under the watchful eye of the instructors.  Students must have their designs approved by Jim.  Any deviation from his design sense may be dealt with by his sharp criticism.  Rebellion is mild but highly noticed.  It’s funny to look at the pieces I made during school to know that they were controversial at the time. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m so excited to introduce this  weeks guest blogger, David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture!  An accomplished craftsman, David is also a member of LA Box Collective, a select group of professional Los Angeles based furniture makers, committed to environmentally conscious design and production.

David: Being an independent furniture designer/maker is no easy job. Comparing artisan or locally made furniture to IKEA or the Pottery Barn is like comparing apples and oranges. I often encounter people who question and often frown upon my time consuming methods and prices. We are so used to seeing and buying furniture made by big manufacturers that it becomes hard for one to appreciate quality, hand crafted, heirloom furniture. Rather than reading a blog entry about me defending myself and my craft, I decided to have my wife write a blog about her love of artisan furniture from the perspective of an outsider who is now a big fan of artisan made furniture. Read the rest of this entry »

The sun is out, the grass is green, and the birds are singing.  I’ve got total Spring fever.

Judging from the colors for their EMU Re-Trouve line, I’d say so does Coalesse!  Aren’t these seats adorable?  There’s no other word for them.  With their tongue in cheek retro style, these would look at home in just about any setting. Read the rest of this entry »

I want to thank this weeks guest blogger Christina Fluegge, of My Sparrow.  Christina has a line of beautiful and sustainable furniture and accessories, and I highly encourage you to check them out on her website.

A great way to create storage that is interesting and functional is to use vintage containers.

Anything goes from wine crates to vintage locker baskets; you can store and organize your stuff in interesting and usable ways.  You don’t have to hide everything away in cabinets or a closet, using interesting containers gives a space personality.   In an entry way or mud room you can label vintage baskets and bins for everyone in your home, helping to keep you from searching for the keys, shoes or soccer balls just before it is time to head out the door.  Be creative!

I’m in a bit of a silly mood this morning, which you will discover at the end of the post, but for now let me introduce you to a great line of furniture from Australia…

Created from Moso Bamboo, one of the most eco-friendly species of this fast growing plant, the award winning Wambamboo line of furniture by Kent Gration deftly combines a modernist style with an ancient building material.

Very conscientious about the environmental impact of the furniture line, Wambamboo follows the supply chain from it’s beginnings in the Zheijang province of China, where the bamboo boards, veneers and poles are sourced and manufactured, to it’s end point in Brisbane Australia where the furniture is crafted.

Read the rest of this entry »

For our final post on Japanese craft, let’s take a look at the beautiful art of carpentry.

Japanese carpentry is known for its complex system of joinery, crafted entirely by hand.

The tools used to work the wood are as artful as the furniture they are used to produce.  Unlike western carpentry tools, Japanese saws and planes are designed to cut on the pull stroke, rather than on the push.  One advantage to this is that the saw blades can be thinner, and therefore make finer cuts, but the technique takes quite awhile to master. Read the rest of this entry »

All images via Design Artist - Shawn Soh

Artist and furniture designer Shawn Soh has created an enchanting place to tuck away your books and other treasures.  A part of the Design Artist collective in South Korea, Shawn was inspired by childhood memories.

“I remember
That I folded narrow and long paper
And stuck it between the branches of a tree
That memory
Led me to embrace a tree
The tree with books forever chatters
Before I knew it, the books became the tree
In full blossom with sprouting leaves”

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Welcome to Day 3 of Let’s Get Organized!

Today I thought we could focus on some of the great, sustainable storage solutions out there.

image via Iannone Design

First up are these sustainable chic filing cabinets by Iannone Design.  Constructed of bamboo, FSC maple plywood and cork, they have touch release drawers, which allows for that amazingly smooth face front.  Stainless steel handles can be added for those wanting a more traditional look.  Best part?  The fronts double as cork boards, for those who like furniture that can multi-task.   Price $995 – $1,175

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Happy 2010 everyone!

If you are like me, this is your first day back to work after a nice holiday break.  And if you’re really like me, you started the day with a scream when you realized that the magic office elves did not take care of things in your absence, and the piles of clutter on your desk are still there, only a bit dustier.  Darn those lazy elves!

In honor of the New Year (and the stacks of filing I face) I present you with a week of ideas for stylish, sustainable organizing.

First up, the center point of any attempt to organize – the desk!   Check out these six beautiful finds…

image via Knu

The Knu Desk #3 is an ample 66″ wide x 35″ deep, providing more than enough room for a laptop, and several overflowing inboxes.  Constructed of FSC certified wood, it comes with your choice of 6 different eco-friendly veneers.  Price $1,849

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