Hear that?

You don’t?

Perfect!

Milano Wall

That sound you don’t hear is Zephyr’s new Next Generation Europa line of range hoods.

Napoli Island

The reason you hear hardly a thing isn’t because the hood is so loud it drowns out your smoke alarm when you set the bacon on fire (come on, it’s happened to all of us, right?).  No, it’s because these range hoods are equipped with Zephyr’s DCBL™ Suppression technology.

What’s that you ask?  Well, let’s take a look under the hood, shall we?

Modena Wall

By utilizing an on-board computer, and a DC, brushless motor (the industries first), Zephyr is able to generate precise wattage and more torque at lower RPMs.  This allows for both greater air movement, and a significantly quieter operation.  At its lowest setting – which is plenty strong enough for standard cooking needs – you might just forget it is even on!

Zephyr has another trick up their sleeve, which manages to make this hood as energy efficient as it is quiet.  If you look at the photo above, you will see four lights shining down from the canopy.  Those are ultra low energy Bloom™ LEDs, which are standard with the Next Generation Europa line.  Cool to the touch, but warm to the eye, these LEDs provide an evenly distributed light to the cook top below, without adding heat to the kitchen.  Best of all, they are also dimmable!

Verona Wall

Of course, speaking of LEDs, check out what the Verona range hood can do…  (cue theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Yep, it has an LED lighted edge that shifts from color to color while you cook.  Dang!

Napoli Island

Whether you like it or not, the range hood you select will have a significant impact on the overall look of your kitchen.  Isn’t it nice that you can now have an environmentally friendly option that is also friendly to your ears AND your eyes?

Visit the Zephyr website to learn more about the Next Generation Europa line of range hoods, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter to catch up with their latest news.

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel

Full disclosure – Although I was not paid for this post (I never am), I was invited to participate in a two day Discover Zephyr event in San Francisco, which is where I learned a lot I didn’t know about how these hoods work, and also where I found out just how quiet they can be!

NewspaperWood was developed by Dutch design label Vij5 as a way to create a wood like construction material out of waste paper.  By rolling the paper up into “logs”, rendering them solid with binders, then slicing through them, a new material with a wood like grain is achieved.

Simple, yet elegant.  Love it!

The resulting material can be used to construct furniture, such as this industrial style cabinet.

Here is a funky styled display cabinet that shows the beautiful warm/cool contrast between actual wood and the NewspaperWood.

The NewspaperWood can also be milled in a cylindrical shape, as seen here in this cute LED desk lamp.

This product, and the items fashioned from it, debuted this Spring at the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair.  Further evidence to me that I HAVE to try to get there next year.  I love seeing this sort of imaginative solution to our conflicting desires for a healthy planet vs. new and exciting “stuff”.  An entire fair full of such creativity would be bliss!

Excuse me while I go dream of Italy…

Ciao,

Rachel

images by Béatrice Durandard et Océane Delain

Floating above your head like a rustic flying saucer, the Aura lamp is a beautiful marriage between one of the oldest of handcrafts and the latest in lighting technology.  Created by two young French designers, Océane Delain and Béatrice Durandard, who met during an internship at Ikea in Sweden, it immediately attracted notice and garnered them an award and seed money to start the production process.

The lamps are now being created by hand in Northern France.  Here you can see the LED strips being woven into the design.

Although visible up close, the individual LEDs are perfectly blended in from a distance.

Because each lamp is made to order, the size can be customized.

LEDs can come off as a little to modern and stark sometimes, but combining them with rattan gives them such warmth and charm, don’t you think?

Aura can also be designed as a wall hung lamp.  Just lovely!  I can’t wait to see what these two talented designers come up with next.

I’m absolutely giddy about it, which I’m sure leaves some of you wondering about my sanity.  For those of you who share in my enthusiasm for all things “woady” I promise will give you all a full report next week.

And don’t forget!  We are giving away a great Adesso Reach LED desk lamp this week!  You have until Saturday at midnight to enter.

Meanwhile, here are some of the things that caught my eye this week:

1. This tutorial for recycling porch light fixtures into terrariums is so brilliant. I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to incorporate into my new office space. (design*sponge)

2. Here’s another great giveaway, this one for some lovely Amy Butler organic bedding. (Green Bag Lady)

3. We are all so used to the idea of flatpack furniture, what with IKEA and all, but when designer Kem Weber pioneered the idea with his Airline Chair, people thought it was weird and he only managed to sell about 200 of them. Man, what I wouldn’t do to own one of those amazing chairs. (Boing Boing)

4. And speaking of IKEA, they recently made a pledge to transition to 100% “better cotton”. It looks to be a step in the right direction, but is it really enough? (Inhabitat)

5. I’ve always liked cheery yellow in a traditional kitchen, but never figured it would look right in a modern one. Here is a super sleek, modern kitchen with bright glossy yellow cabinets, and I have to admit, it looks great! (Trendir)

6. Wood is becoming an increasingly popular element in many interiors. This lovely home takes that idea to the nth degree. (2Modern blog)

7. And now I’ll leave you with two fascinating videos. The first is an interview with a woman who lives in a 90 sf “apartment” in New York. She’s managed to make it quite livable, although I could never sleep in a bed like that!

The second video I’ve included just because it’s so darn peaceful, even if it is a commercial.

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend!

That’s what Adesso did recently with their new Reach LED desk lamp. And you know what? I’m glad they did, because this lamp is kinda sweet!

One of the first things I noticed about the Reach desk lamp when I took it out of the box was the weight. While not overly heavy, the lamp has a nice solid feel. There is nothing flimsy about it. Once I unwrapped it from its packaging material, and started to play with the positioning, I could feel the smooth movements of all the joints, and I got a little silly seeing how contorted I could make it. Hey, some people play with their food, I play with my lighting. What can I say.

Of course the most important feature in any desk lamp is the light quality itself, and here’s where the Reach really goes all out. Using a 7.2 W LED, covered by a magnifier shield, this lamp emits a really nice, wide beam of bright light. By rotating the shade arm, it’s possible to cast the light anywhere from the top of the desk, to the ceiling above, meaning this lamp can be used for task or ambient light. I love the flexibility that gives it – both literally and figuratively.

Adesso’s Chairman Lee Schaak (a.k.a. “The Lamp Dude”) says, “These lamps give people the brightness they need with the energy efficiency they want.” And efficient they are, using less than a third of the electricity needed for a comparable fluorescent fixture. Another benefit is that they’re cool to the touch, meaning they are much safer and more comfortable to be around, especially compared to those halogen task lamps you see everywhere.

All in all, I’m really impressed with the quality, style, and usability of this lamp.  Can’t wait to see what LED lighting Adesso comes up with next.  They are certainly off to a great start!

Giveaway!!!

So I’m really pleased to say, that thanks to the folks at Adesso, not only am I writing to tell you about this great lamp but I actually have one to give away (in the steel color above) to a lucky reader in the U.S.! All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me where you plan to use it. Would it be for the workplace, your home office, for a reading lamp, or some other kind of task? You can post your comment anytime before midnight Saturday, April 9th, for a chance to enter.  Randomly chosen winner to be announced next Monday.  Good luck everyone!

Meanwhile, as usual there is plenty of fascinating stuff going on in sustainable design that I thought you might be interested in. Here’s what I’ve been reading about this week:

1. The process of dying silk fabric uses an awful lot of water. What if you could dye the silk before it is even spun by the silkworm? That’s what researchers are working on right now, by feeding fluorescent dye to silkworms. (Treehugger)

2. One of the biggest obstacles to using LED lighting is the initial cost. New research may be able to lower that cost by 75%, making LEDs comparable in cost to the much more popular CFL and incandescent bulbs. (Treehugger)

3. A big factor to consider in creating a sustainable product is the efficient use of material. This hardwood flooring company reduces waste by using a computerized analysis to calculate the curves and irregularities of uncut logs in order to create flooring using no straight lines. The curved edges of the pieces fit together like a puzzle. (Boing Boing)

4. Here’s an interesting look at some DIY lighting projects. (Design Sponge)

5. I don’t know what this midcentury modern wall sculpture is actually made from, but it reminds me of dried slices of citrus fruit. What do you think those funky circles are? (Standard)

6. Here are four good sources for paraffin free candles. (re-nest)

7. In this interview, furniture designer Leon Wong discusses why he encourages people to buy modern wood furniture for Earth Day. (Maneuvering Life With Style)

8. I thought I would close with this video interview with Architecture for Humanity founder Cameron Sinclair talking about how they are already helping  Japan rebuild. If there is anybody who can inspire architects and designers to go out and save the world, it’s him. (seen on Inhabitat)

If you haven’t seen a flameless candle before, essentially you have a paraffin wax pillar, just like you would have with a regular candle, but instead of a wick that you light, you have small LED bulbs and a switch at the bottom to turn them on with. This particular candle sample I received has three LED bulbs that are set to flicker randomly and independently, giving them the appearance of an actual flame. It also includes a timer feature, where the candle can be set to turn on at the same time every day for between 4 to 8 hours.  If you want to splurge a little more, you can even get the version with a remote control, for those hard to reach locations.

So, does the use of LEDs make these candles more or less sustainable? Well let’s compare the different attributes:

1. Most standard candles are made of paraffin wax, just as the LED candle is. Paraffin is derived from petroleum, so as a material it definitely isn’t sustainable. As you know, it is possible to purchase standard candles made of vegetable waxes such as soy, and also beeswax, which are more environmentally friendly, but also more expensive.

2. The LEDs used for the candles will last from between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, which means they may outlast you. However, the batteries used to run them will only last for about 300 hours before needing to be replaced. If you were to use rechargeable batteries, they would not need replacing as often, which would lessen the environmental impact of dead batteries.

3. Like so many things, the LED candle I was sent as a sample was made in China. I imagine that standard candles are mostly made in China as well, so it’s probably not much of a factor. However, it certainly would be a factor compared to a locally made, hand poured candle.

4. LED candles give off light, but no smoke, so they are definitely better for indoor air quality.

So, what do you think?

P.S. – It’s been several weeks that we have been living with the LED candle, and I must admit, we’ve really grown fond of it. It came in real handy during a recent blackout, as I could safely leave it on in my 9 year old son’s room without worry of an open flame causing a fire while we slept. In fact, he has really taken to the flickering light it gives off, and will often “steal” it from our dining room and put it in his rom to fall asleep to! – Rachel

Now two other designers have added some fresh coats of “paint” to the concept.

Meet the CANdle, by the design team at twenty5ive…

And Pouring Light by product designer Yeongwoo Kim.

Resembling a can of paint, twenty5ive’s aluminum CANdle utilizes LED lamps to create a lightweight, durable, portable light fixture.

Intended for use as either a spotlight, or for ambient light, the CANdle is also suitable for outdoor use.

The Pouring Light Lamp by Yeonwoo Kim is a stylish and sustainable take on the classic desktop task lamp.  By using phosphorescent material in the “liquid” portion of the stand, the light given off by the interior LED can be stored in the material, and then continue to glow after the lamp is turned off.

Both of these fixtures are in the conceptual stage, but both speak to the possibilities inherent in the burgeoning realm of LED technology.  With their relatively small size and significantly lower temperatures, LEDs are already revolutionizing lighting design.  Let’s hope we continue to see such wonderful, innovative products hitting actual market shelves soon.

Note – Both of these products were found on Yanko Design, a terrific blog for keeping up with new and creative design solutions.

Image via Yanko Design

I realize I might be stretching things a bit to include tree planting robots on an interior design blog, but, they’re so eco-friendly and CUTE!  And besides, isn’t it better than the usual apocalyptic robot future we usually see?  (Yanko Design)

Lot’s more to look at this week…

How about a garden made of 40,000 books? (Inhabitat)

Speaking of Inhabitat, they’re having a back to school contest.  Get your eco-academic groove on with $150 worth of green school gear. (Inhabitat)

Green interior design pioneer, Penny Bonda, details the ups and downs of her own recent kitchen renovation.  Turns out even the experts can make the occasional mistake. (Design Green Blog)

Check out these trippy LED embedded wood stools. (re-nest)

Renters, it’s still possible to live green! (Los Angeles Times)

And, since I ran out of time last Friday to do a Wrap-up, here are a couple of good articles from last week that you might find interesting -

Is this the best use of 500 SF in New York City? Possibly anywhere? (Treehugger)

And what is our devotion to cheap, easily broken stuff really doing to us?  How did we go from a toaster that could last 50 years, to one that only costs $5 (and lasts about as long as it takes you to get it home).

I’ll be working on a Habitat for Humanity build tomorrow, and then collapsing in a heap Sunday.  How about you?  What kinds of fun things do you have planned now that Summer is winding down?

Is it a lamp, a table, a wallhanging, or all of the above?  Whatever you want to call it, I think you’ll agree, it’s darn cute.  Just look at that banana yellow!

Made of aluminum, with a warm white LED light, this fixture is also darn sustainable, if a bit on the pricey side ($415-$451 U.S.)

Available through TopDomus.