Anyway, wine is a multi-billion dollar, global industry, and anything that big generates a LOT of waste.  So I thought I would share some of my favorite sustainable goods made from the remnants of the wine making process…

Elegant curves define this beautiful folding chair from Whit McLeod.  Made from used oak wine barrels – many of them decades old – this chair is surprisingly comfortable and very chic.

Here on this Fontenay coffee table, it is easy to see how the type of wine, and the length of time a barrel is used, provide a rich variation in staining.

That beautiful variation is also evident in this richly patterned “barn door” by master furniture maker Cliff Spencer, also made of reclaimed oak from wine barrels.  I so wish I had a place in my house or studio to put one!

And of course, the oak can be used to create a stunning floor, like this custom one, also by Fortenay.

There are other great materials to be reused too.  For instance, wine corks make a terrific flooring, as these sweet round tiles cut from surplus wine corks show. And yes, that’s a picture of a shower floor.  Believe it or not, these tiles install just like regular ceramic tiles, with standard thin set and grout.  The only difference is the water based urethane you finish them with once they are installed.

Yemm & Hart has gone so far as to collect used wine corks, reprocessing them into 3′ x 3′ tiles, that can be applied to floors, walls or even as a surfacing material for furniture.

And of course, no post would be complete without things made from wine bottles.  Now, I could write an entire post on lovely vases, glasses and decorative items made from bottles, and maybe I will someday, but for now I wanted you to see a couple of more unusual applications.

Here are some marvelous color block pendant lamps by Jerry Kott.  Handcut from recycled wine bottles, and then reassembled, they would look striking suspended over a kitchen island, or a stylish wet bar.

Another piece I just love is this sideboard.  Designed and handcrafted by Blue Moon Bottles from recycled steel, glass and wine bottle punts (the bottom end of the bottle), it looks so pretty and yet truly useful at the same time.

To really appreciate how pretty the punts look in this table though, you have to see them with a little light coming through.  It reminds me a bit of the stained glass windows made from cut bottle bottoms that were at a Mexican restaurant I ate at as a kid.  They absolutely fascinated me.  Ah nostalgia… I have a sudden craving for cheese enchiladas now!

So, do you have a favorite piece of furniture, decorative piece, or building material you’ve seen made from the remnants of winemaking (and drinking!)?  Please feel free to share it in the comments below.

Meanwhile, just so you know, I’m on vacation.  Not a “throw all cares to the winds, sipping margaritas by the pool, can’t be reached by cell phone” type of vacation, but a little time off nonetheless. So I hope you won’t mind the brevity of my writing for the next several days.  I have some serious relaxing to do.  Maybe with a glass or two of wine in hand…

Recycled paper, molded into a shade, then fully wired and ready to go!  Created and developed by Polish designer Ania Werner, the Make Your Lamp manages to be both sustainable AND affordable.

But the best part?…You can paint it any color you want!  Lipstick red, lemon yellow, lime green – it’s all up to you.  Polka dots if you’re feeling really ambitious.  You can even cut into the shade if you want.

Every lamp has its own, unique serial number, and comes ready to paint.

Made by hand in Poland, these lamps can be shipped worldwide.  They would make a fantastic project for kids, students, DIY enthusiasts, or just folks wanting to find a lamp in a VERY particular color.  How the Make Your Lamp turns out is completely up to you!

Take for instance this beautiful wooden pendant lamp by Korean designer Kwon Jae Min.  For this piece, he used the natural fissures found in wood to allow the escape of light, creating an intriguingly ethereal design.  Appropriate to it’s form, the piece is named “Crack Bowl Light”, a name which has (most likely unintentional) implications in American culture that can’t help but raise an eyebrow or two.

However, despite a name which may have been lost in translation, the graceful shape and organic pattern of the sustainably harvested wooden shade are truly beautiful in any language.

Not unlike skylights, daylight tubes are designed to bring sunlight through the roof and into the interior environment.  They differ however, in being able to concentrate light, thus utilizing a smaller amount of ceiling space for the same amount of illumination.  Their design also prevents UVA/UVB light from entering, virtually eliminating solar radiation and heat gain.

The new sun tunnel design by Velux takes this concept a step further by providing an additional diffuser which hangs below, allowing daylight to be bounced around a greater area and with softer effect.   Because this is full spectrum light, interior spaces look brighter, and more cheerful.  Studies have also shown a strong link between exposure to daylight and a persons sense of well-being and overall health, making the Sun Tunnel an even more worthy addition to any interior project.

Velux, and Ross Lovegrove (seen above) were recently awarded the Red Dot Design Award – Best of the Best 2010 for their Sun Tunnel design.

I hope their success with this design will encourage Velux to add even more products that combine great design with sustainable living.

image via Yanko Design

Combining the green design communities love for the efficient use of materials with the energy savings of flatpack design, these three dimensional pieces made of a single sheet of recyclable metal are all the rage.

Here we see the Qbik steel lamp, designed by Enrico Zanolla and Andrea Di FIlippo for Miniforms Spa.  With its boxy form and heat releasing perforated top, this lamp has a very modern industrial feel.  But folded metal can also look a bit softer…

Somehow, Los Angeles based designer Brooke Woosley has taken a single sheet of aluminum, and given it lightness of form that belies its heavier nature.  Inspired by origami, the Oru table has a glossy white auto finish top, with a matte blue underside.  The folds are created using a water jet to cut perforated lines along which to bend the metal.

A similar technique of perforation was used to make the folds for the Noshi Stool by Designloop, although here the material is laser cut steel.  Unlike the previous pieces however, this one is in production and available for purchase ($243).  Cute, handy, and very, very durable, the Noshi also comes in grey and black.

Just launched today, Redefine Home is the ambitious and amazing interiors shop belonging to Linsi Brownson and her husband David Betz.

Filled with artisan crafts and vintage finds, there is something to please everyone.

Redefine Home sees decorating as an ongoing process, more of a cultivation of things you love and things you need.  We strive to offer a collection of beautiful everyday items mixed with one of a kind treasures and furniture designs inspired by just about everything.  We recognize that some things are a splurge and some are a steal, and we like it that way. – From the Redefine Home website

From the simple, rustic feel of this grain sack throw rug,…

to this charming print, done exclusively for them by Paper Cut Industries, there is a quite a lot to recommend.

Of course, some of you may even remember this table from a guest post Linsi wrote for us awhile back.   Yep, it’s the Bob Hope table, so named due to its (possible) origins from Bob Hope’s Palm Springs estate.  Even if it never actually belonged to “Old Ski Nose”, it has such a lovely character that it should surely belong to you!

Right now Redefine Home is offering free shipping on all orders over $50.  So what are you waiting for???

As a side note – I had the pleasure of being Linsi’s first employer when she completed her degree in Interior Design, and I am really looking forward to the day I can say “I knew her when…”.

So, congratulations Linsi!  No one deserves success more than you.

This whimsical LED lamp, designed by Pablo Pardo, seems the perfect fit for a child’s room.

Flexible yet sturdy, the aluminum Link Table Lamp has splayed “feet” for added stability, which only adds to it’s slightly comical look.  The 15 LED bulbs remain cool to the touch, making it the perfect lamp for little ones who may still be learning the age old “hot – don’t touch” mantra.  And with an expected bulb lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, the lamp they learn to read “Green Eggs and Ham” under may well light their way through their first college chemistry course.

Available in 5 colors, both online and in Room & Board stores.

I mean, how adorable is this Orange Moon lampshade from the Woolroom?  Pretty darn cute don’t you think?  I can just imagine the beautiful, warm glow that moon would give off when the light is on.If adorable isn’t what you are looking for, how about fun and modern?  The Felt Loop shade above has a very Dwell vibe to it.

I love the simplicity of this small pendant Cone shade.  Although it does have a bit of a gnomish quality to it, I’m intrigued with how they have taken advantage of wool being naturally fire retardant in order to create such a close fitting shade.

For those of you who aren’t in the market for new lighting, The Wool Room also has a lovely selection of decorative wool felt pillows, throws and accessories, which they can ship for free within Britain, and for a low cost internationally.

The amazing new Apaya Collection of lighting from Aqua Creations is all that and more.These glowing columns of light look like some ancient form of life on a David Attenborough nature documentary, and yet, they also have a contemporary, sculptural feel to them.

Hand crafted using the felting technique, these beautiful wool light sculptures retain an organic softness in their form.

As the layers are formed, sections of wool are allowed to remain unfelted, providing a glimpse of the material in its original state..

Says Aqua Creations of this collection:

While felt was mainly associated with craft, felt art is recently being culturally revived and acknowledged for its sculptural quality that allows sustainable art. Apaya is the contemporary result of a conscious design process: the combination of the old handcraft techniques with advanced lighting technology creating the very first accommodation of manual felt to contemporary lighting.

I love the creativity and liveliness of the Apaya Collection, and look forward to seeing Aqua Creations continue to experiment with the possibilities of natural wool felting in lighting.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Brandon, and his wonderful wife Sundeep, for several years now, and I can say without equivocation that he is one of the most gifted furniture designers I know.  I could go on and on about how he came by his design sensibility without any formal training, how that lack of training gives his designs a natural grace and uniqueness that might not otherwise have been possible, or even just how much I dream of owning one of his chairs someday.  But really, nothing is going to say it as well as his work itself, so take a look…

Los Galos chair

Atomic Series No. 1

Glass Series No. 4

I’m so happy that his work is starting to get the recognition it so richly deserves!