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 »

Weathered wood is getting quite popular in interiors, what with its silvery grey patina and rough hewn texture.  And of course, there are many ways of accomplishing that look, such as scraping, painting, pickling and staining.  However, those methods take a lot of effort (not to mention being less than sustainable).  Why not let Mother Nature do all the work for you?

People (from places other than Wyoming), let me introduce you to this amazing thing called a “snowfence”.  Apparently in Wyoming, the snow runs free across the prairie, and they have to put up fencing to keep it from roaming onto the highways, or some such thing.  I don’t know – I’m from Southern California.  I am officially clueless about snow.

In any case, this fencing is subjected to wind, rain, sun, snow and ice, so it surely qualifies as weathered!  Not surprisingly, it can only last so long before it needs to be replaced.   Thankfully, Centennial Woods has found new uses for all the old, discarded planks, turning them into beautiful boards and flooring. Read the rest of this entry »

If all flashlights ever make you think of are spooky stories at sleepovers, or late night runs to the campsite porta-potty, then you haven’t seen how cool Conant Metal & Light can make them…

And if you think a pendant fixture from a repurposed flashlight has a sly sort of style, wait till you see the fun they had with a table fan… Read the rest of this entry »

I am a treehugger.  There, I’ve said it.  It’s true, and not just in the sense of being an eco-minded individual either.  I literally love trees.  They fascinate me.

One of the most interesting and beautiful aspects of trees is the variation found on their bark.  From the rough and rugged oak, to the delicate, papery aspen, trees come in a tremendous range of colors and textures.  But as much as I love wood as an interior element, it had never really occurred to me to use the bark in my designs.

Luckily, Bark House, part of Highland Craftsman, came along and created a material that any designer could be inspired by. Read the rest of this entry »

I usually don’t try to theme the Friday Wrap-up, because on most weeks I would have to pass up more interesting items in order to do so.  This week though, the theme seems to have written itself – “Is It or Isn’t It?”

So please ponder the following posts I ran across this week, and leave a comment (or two or three) with your thoughts on what you’ve read.

Image by Robert Wright for the New York Times

First up, Treehugger writes about a designed to the teeth 178 sf apartment.  Is it good sustainable design because it is small, or bad design because it is cluttered with objects only there for appearances?

Next up…  Is it a table?  Is a child’s playroom filled with electronics really for play?  Is wood made to look like reclaimed wood still green? Read the rest of this entry »

I think someone dreamed up these lovely lamps after sipping a few too many Pina Coladas on the beach…

“I know”, they must have thought, “What if we use all this seaweed lying around on the sand, stick it on top of a coconut tree and call it a lamp?”*

Thankfully, the designers at Chista obviously waited till after vacation to put pen to paper, because the resulting lamps are quite elegant.  The bases are made of sustainable coconut wood, which gives them a wonderful grain pattern, as well as a pleasant warmth and character.  The shades are woven of seaweed and linen.  Yes, seaweed.  I admit to never having seen seaweed used in this way, but considering the results, I hope to see a lot more of it soon. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s something I didn’t even know I needed, but now that I’ve seen them, I must have one!

Image via Designer Drains

Yes, I know you’re laughing at me now – it’s not fancy jewelry after all – but hear me out.

These are Designer Drains, and they are made in the U.S.A. out of reclaimed .060″ thick stainless steel.  You can get them in around 30 different patterns, and four different finishes.  Both round and square shapes are available.

The next one may just be my favorite… Read the rest of this entry »

After a long, dark, wet week here in Southern California, it’s nice to look at light filled spaces like these…

Image by Rinne Allen via Interior Design "Cindy's Salon"

Seen on the Interior Design Magazine “Cindy’s Salon” blog, this lovely little cafe looks so cheery with its blue and white color scheme, and open spaces.  But what really stands out are the marvelously refurbished chairs…

Read the rest of this entry »

All images from Fire Farm

When the First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI asked Fire Farm to create light fixtures for the new addition to their historic Frank Lloyd Wright Meeting House, they had an unusual request.  Would the designers at Fire Farm please find a way to recycle the old copper roofing from the original building into the new fixtures?

Over 50 years old, and weathered to a soft green, the original roof tiles had character to spare.  Turn them over though, and the beautiful warmth shown out like a new copper penny. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Read the rest of this entry »