John Stein is into demolitions, but not in the way one might think.  The founder and president of California-based Kirei USA has a knack for finding the possibilities inherent in the unwanted.

This vision shows clearly in every Kirei product, including the newest line, Windfall.  These engineered panels are produced in partnership with Windfall Lumber, which takes Douglas & Hemlock Fir from deconstructed buildings in the Pacific Northwest and brings the reclaimed wood to fresh, new life.

“It’s great to reuse demolition material that would otherwise take up space in the landfill,” says Mr. Stein.  “Having it become beautiful wood panels is even better.  This is old-growth wood that just can’t be found any more, and we get to bring it to designers.”

Windfall is manufactured in the United States using low-VOC adhesives.  The reclaimed wood is milled into strips of differing width, which are then randomly stacked to form the panels and cut to size.  Panels are available either solid or 3-ply with a NUAF/FSC-certified core.  They may come unfinished, with a clear coat that shows off the natural grain, or stained and prefinished in Anthracite, Mocha, Ivory, and Leather colors.  The result adds to any interior.

And as Windfall gives stylish new life to reclaimed wood, so the other Kirei lines bring new purpose to certain types of agricultural waste.  Kirei Board, Kirei Coco Tiles, and Kirei Wheatboard use reclaimed agricultural fiber from plants commonly grown for food around the world.

After harvest, waste from sorghum (an edible grass), coconut, and wheat plants is usually thrown into landfills or burned.  Now much of this unused material is removed from the waste stream, reducing landfill use and air pollution while giving rural farmers a new source of revenue.  Rapidly renewable or FSC-certified wood are used as bonding strips, greatly reducing the need for newly harvested wood for building.

Manufacture can be more involved than with particle board.  For example, with Kirei Board the sorghum stalks are compressed, washed, and woven into sheets.  The latter are then stacked and heat-pressed with a formaldehyde-free adhesive to create blocks, which are cut to desired size.

Kirei offers a similar product made of Moso bamboo.  The plantations from which this fiber is taken are generally reclaimed farmland, which helps to preserve uncut habitat.  Panels are available in a wide variety of colorways, including the luscious looking new Chocolate, probably the favorite out of all the bamboo treatments that I’ve yet seen.

These four products are suitable for architectural millwork, cabinetry, flooring (though not in high traffic areas), wall displays or covering, furniture, and decorative objects – in short, any application where one would normally think of using wood.

To round out this versatility Kirei came out with their Canamo Hemp Panels.  These are made with a no-added-formaldehyde resin and reclaimed hemp hurd fiber left over from fabric & seed oil manufacture: over 70% post-industrial recycled content.  The panels are produced in 48”x96” size and are offered in a variety of thicknesses, all left unfinished so that designers may best tailor the product to individual need.  According to Kirei, the hemp panels may be used for the purposes above.  Ceiling panels are also available.

Collectively, the Kirei philosophy may yield several LEED credits for one’s project, which in itself is wonderful, but there’s much more to it that that.

The word kirei is a Japanese adjective signifying many meanings, including Clean, Pure, Beautiful, and Truthful.  Under John Stein’s direction the company strives to embody its namesake as an ideal.  His business aims to stimulate the economic activity of its source regions by providing new jobs at fair market wages.  By using recycled products and efficient, sustainable practices, Kirei works to lessen humanity’s impact on natural resources while contributing to clean, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing indoor environments… with a eye to the latter quality.

“Green has to be beautiful,” says Mr. Stein.

“If you’re going to do green for green’s sake you’re going to have a very limited market – people who have health issues or people with a conscience.  If you have beautiful materials that happen to be green, then really they’re open to everybody.  I regard it almost as a gateway drug to other green activities.”

With the visual appeal of the Kirei product, perhaps we’ll see many new converts to the sustainable ethic.  Let’s hope so.

~ Emerald

Images courtesy of Kirei USA.

Okay, so I’m a sucker for the Victorianesque.  But isn’t it exquisite?  Thanks to the collaboration of Glasgow architectural model makers Finch & Fouracre and the folks at Another Studio for Design in London, U.K., one needn’t have a grand estate in order to own a beautiful Victorian hothouse… in miniature, that is.

As it was designed to emulate the ornate steelwork of 19^th-century greenhouses the Plantini is a lovely accent piece in its own right, but there’s a practical reason to like it.  It’s environmentally friendly.

The kit comes in a box of 100% recycled paperboard, and the biodegradable planting pot is composed of bamboo and rice hulls.  The greenhouse frame itself is made of stainless steel.  Its avowed purpose is that of planter – to shelter one’s seedlings or nurture flowers – which means it can also help improve the indoor air quality of one’s home or office.

A removable canopy and etched glass panes brings light to the plants inside.

Also in the flat-packed DIY kit are viola seeds, the compressed compost in which to plant them, and instructions.  Once assembled, the model greenhouse is 9.5 cm (3.75″) tall, and would make a lovely conversation piece atop a desk, tucked on a windowsill, or on an entranceway table.

The Plantini is available here at the Postgarden website.

~ Emerald

The little wooden robot sits there, head cocked, arms outstretched, vacant drilled eyes staring into space.  Its expression is puzzled and innocent.  It looks like it wants a hug.  It’s cute.

Sometimes, in the earnest seriousness of striving to live green, we forget our sense of humor.  Marjolaine Poulin of M Design hasn’t forgotten… and she loves nothing better than to make other people smile, hence the little army of wooden robots marching out of her workshop in El Salvador.

Marjolaine (“Mao”) has taken scrap wood & discarded furniture and raised them both into art.

A native of Quebec, Canada, Mao splits her time between Montreal and El Salvador, always looking for inspiration.  Her introduction to woodworking came in 2004 in Guatemala, where she learned classical bamboo carpentry from a Taiwanese master.  Shortly afterward she began crafting her own designs hoping to promote bamboo’s many advantages as a building material in Central America.

Bamboo, a fast-growing, imminently sustainable crop, grows in diverse climates and after treatment is strong, durable, yet lightweight.  Discoveries of its usefulness and applications continue to expand.

“In the United States and France,” Mao said, “It is possible to get houses made entirely of bamboo, which are earthquake and cyclone-resistant and internationally certified.”

Her own work with the material is on a more modest scale, consisting of beautiful furniture crafted from bamboo and tropical wood.

Mao has recently turned her attention to a problem local to Montreal: unwanted furniture abandoned on the city streets.  As though collecting lost puppies, she rescues the unloved, discarded furniture and gathers it in her workshop, where it waits to be transformed.

“I walk around my workshop and try to mix and match,” she explained.  “To repair or repurpose old things with more old things.  To be able to sell my pieces at a reasonable price, I try to buy as little new material as possible, which means I need to be really creative and reuse as much as possible.”

This pastime blossomed in 2010 with the Scrap Project, an exhibition of Mao-transformed furniture, the second edition of which took place this past August.  The positive feedback from the show’s first run freed her this year to explore new techniques and let herself slip into the creative process.  And what are her plans for 2012?

“My Montréal’s workshop is full of amazing abandoned pieces of furniture and I can’t wait to start working on them next summer,” the artist said.  “I still have a lot of concepts in my head that I haven’t had time to bring to life, so that’s what the Scrap project 2012 will be about: making it real.”

For Mao, new is overrated.

“It makes me so angry to see how much stuff people in the first world are throwing away,” she said.  “It’s unbelievable how much a human can buy and send to the dump every year.  I wanted to do my part and feel better about the issue.”

Despite that anger – or perhaps as a salve upon it – there is a deliberate lightness to her work, which is full of opposites and contradictions, whimsical robots, clean lines next to old textures.  The unexpected often brings a smile, and it is that smile that opens doors in the mind to new ideas, like sustainability.

More information about Scrap Project 2011 is available on Mao’s blog.

~ Emerald

Proteak

It’s always seemed strange to me that in the society where we remodel our kitchens every 10 to 20 years, we like to put in stone countertops that will last for centuries. Doesn’t it make more sense to use a material that, while long-lasting, is also biodegradable at the end of its use? Besides, wood countertops are not only better for the environment, but they have a warmth and beauty that can’t be beat.

There are plenty of sustainable options, including FSC certified wood, bamboo, and reclaimed wood. Take a look at some pretty examples and then take our poll:

Craft Art reclaimed chestnut

House & Earth Texas walnut

Plyboo Squared end grain bamboo

Old Growth Riverwood reclaimed wood

Antique Woodworks reclaimed red oak

A couple of worries I always hear expressed about putting in wood countertops have to do with staining and scratching. In truth, a wood counter would not be a good option for someone who doesn’t like the occasional imperfection. Good maintenance practices, including periodic use of a tung oil or a beeswax rub, and quick wiping up of spills will go a long way towards preventing stains. If the countertop does get stained, it is usually possible to remove it with a light sanding. The amount of scratching that may occur will depend upon the species of wood used more than anything else. The denser the wood the left scratching will occur.

On a personal note, I’m currently planning to put in wood countertops in my own kitchen.  I live in lovely house built in 1925, that was the victim of a late 80′s kitchen remodel, including golden oak cabinets and beige laminate countertops.  Ugh!  Plans for a full kitchen remodel (done right and with respect for the architectural style of the home), are on hiatus, pending, well, a lot of things.  However, painting those cabinets a soft white, and replacing the laminate with wood will be an inexpensive, environmentally friendly way to add a little charm to an otherwise charmless space in our home.  Due to budget restrictions, we will be opting for this wallet friendly countertop from Ikea…

Ikea NUMERÄR

To find out about other options, try my post on 6 Sustainable Countertop Solutions.

So, what is your kitchen countertop of choice?

Here we see a beautiful example of mixing an old decorative style with the relatively new material. Etsy seller, MHDdesigns has taken the flowing, intricate designs of the Art Nouveau period, and married them to the more spare, modern design element of bamboo ply to create this lovely screen.

Even the thick grosgrain strapping used in place of hinges provides a decorative element, from its linear pattern across the screen, to the bronze dome head screws used to attach it.

MHDdesigns also makes this smaller, two panel screen, which makes an effective but not overly dominating room divider.

You might also take a look at their pretty bamboo lamps, which, although not inexpensive, could provide a beautiful quality of decorative light in the evening.

You can check out more of MHDdesigns work here.

The Hut-Hut Kids is the old fashioned rocking horse taken modern, sustainable, and sleek.  Designed and produced by Kalon Studios, and available in five FSC certified woods such as black walnut (shown above), bamboo, and even cork, this seat’s simple styling gives a kid’s imagination room to grow.  So whether they want to say “hut hut” (giddy-up to camels) to a trusty steed with one hump or two (or maybe a horse, pony, elephant or tiger), they can create their own adventure as they wish.

So what about those of us who have already grown-up?

Kalon makes a version for us too!

One of the things I find most intriguing about the design is how Kalon took the grooves the 5 axis CNC machine created as it cut the wood for the Hut-Hut and turned them into a decorative, yet useful, element for the seat.  By doing that, they figure they saved 75% of the machine resurfacing time (and energy).

For kids who like their world to be extra colorful, Kalon just released a new version called Hut-Hut Kids Resin, made entirely of 100% recycled resin, available in 5 cheerful, kid friendly colors (the green is not shown here).  Utilizing the same great form as the wood version, it is currently available for Christmas pre-order at 25% off the $125 price!

Think of it.  You won’t even have to worry about having to borrow an extra battery or two out of the TV remote just to get it to work once Santa drops it off.  Not that that has EVER happened at our house.  (cough)

This beautiful image is one of two brand new, limited edition artworks available starting today from Paperwork.  Titled “San Francisco, CA 2010″, it is by photographer Alex Greenburg, and is printed on archival quality bamboo fiber art paper.  Yep, bamboo!

Of course, the best part is…

These artworks are not only sustainable, they are AFFORDABLE.  As in, only $20 for an 8″ x 10″ print!   So if you like today’s other new artwork, “Green Boots” by artist Maryam Gaber, (above) you can go to their website, pay your $20, and within 7 days, the 8″ x 10″, numbered print will arrive at your door with a certificate of authenticity and a brief biography of the artist. Many artworks are also available in editions up to 30″ x 40″, although that can set you back a bit more at up to $500 for a print.

Every Tuesday, at 1PM EST, Paperwork offers two new artworks by emerging artists, as well as any remaining prints from past weeks offerings.

Even though this can mean a fairly small selection is available at any one given time, with such an eclectic mix of styles and mediums to choose from, it would be hard not to find something you liked.  Personally, I’m really digging this colorful sketch of buildings in Portugal, “Bairro Alto 01″, by Brazilian artist Christina Guerreiro.

As an added bonus, starting today and running through Labor Day, Paperwork is offering free shipping on all purchases.  Just use coupon code laborpw at checkout.

I love that you can be a patron of the arts for only $20, and be environmentally conscious too.  What do you think?

Also haunting, ethereal, sublime, and a bit luscious – all at the same time.

This beautiful line of wood veneer wallpaper from Trove, including the Alcyone design shown above, is available in a wide variety of cloth backed, FSC certified veneers, such as maple, oak, cherry, walnut, birch, and bamboo..  Any motif from their library of wallpaper designs can be chosen, and printed in sizes up to 42″ wide x 120″ high.

Because they use non-toxic, translucent inks, the natural wood grain of the veneer can be seen through the pattern, giving the design a subtle, watercolor effect.

Trove, already known for their use of environmentally friendly inks and nature inspired patterns, has really upped their green creed with this line.  A Class “A” fire-rated product, the veneer can be used in both commercial and residential projects, and there is the potential for earning up to 9 LEED points with its use.

Now, one of the bittersweet aspects of writing about amazing wall treatments such as this is that I can never use them in my own home.  You see, we have 85 year old plaster walls with a very bumpy sand texture, making wallpaper an impossibility.  So imagine my delight to find out that Trove will also make this veneer with a paper backing, suitable for use on furniture, doors, cabinetry and the like.  Oooh, the possibilities!

Nothing really, except the name – and perhaps the perky attitude.

Created by SAGE in Design from bamboo that was bent without steaming, the Marlo chair features an eco-friendly recycled tire inner tube seat.  I find the form of this chair fascinating, especially that dramatic split down the middle.  Seriously, what holds the chair together?There are other pieces in the Marlo line, including this great Marlo Tire Bench in sand cast aluminum from 98.5% recycled auto parts.  Just like the chair, the seat cushion and back are made from tire inner tubes.  I have to admit, I’ve never envisioned something so futuristic and sleek looking coming out the remains of an old car junkyard.  What a great example of re-envisioning materials!

Both pieces are made in the United States, and are available in a range of colors and finishes.  Click here to explore more of SAGE in Design’s extensive range of environmentally friendly contract furniture.

image via Scandinavian Kitchens & Design

Speaking of blue, isn’t this blue and bamboo kitchen lovely?!  Such a nice color combination. (Scandinavian Kitchens & Design)

I kid you not – this product is called the “Blow Sofa”.  Well, it is descriptive at least. Still, visions of “Less Than Zero” come to mind.  Did I just date myself?  (Inhabitat)

Nice little list of 4 affordable online independent art sources (re-nest)

OK. If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I like things made from wool felt. So this post title certainly caught my eye – “FUZ – Affordable Felt For All!” (Design Green Blog)

And finally, Mark Frauenfelder found a treasure trove of funky things, like this geodesic home prototype, over at the Henry Ford Museum.  Hmmm, I might just have to make a pilgrimage to Detroit. (BoingBoing)