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Japanese outdoor gear brand Snow Peak has been bringing smart design to the backcountry since 1958. Take, for example, Snow Peak's collapsible Carry-On Chopsticks, a must-have for roaming noodle lovers. Made from recycled baseball bat wood, the wooden ends screw into stainless steel handles that expand to chopsticks to eating length. After use, simple unscrew them and tuck them away in the canvas......read more
With its emphasis on openness and space over creature comforts like, say, a living room, loft living is perfect for young creative types who are more interested in throwing dance parties than dinners. But there comes a time when what you really want in a home is a cozy spot to watch TV. Adrian Jones knows this well. The designer had been living in his top-floor loft in Brooklyn for nine......read more
Israeli industrial design studio Tenenbaum Hazan has found a surprising use for the plastic window blinds that have been replaced by lighter, stronger alternatives made of aluminum. The flowing, curvaceous TRIS chair features old plastic roller blinds held together by a closed wooden contour that keeps the form in place. The side where you sit is flexible while the other side......read more
With a design practice focused on the endless possibilities of found materials reuse, Cologne, Germany-based designer Michael Konstantin Wolke conjures truly inventive new uses for old discarded stuff. His coolest creation may be these wardrobe units, which consist of from bicycle inner tubes wrapped around a metal frame. Super smart. Also check out his recycled cardboard light......read more
Clover Chadwick, owner of Dandelion Ranch here in Los Angeles, describes her approach to floral design as "natural, organic, balanced, with lots of movement." It's a design philosophy rooted in her experiences studying agriculture and working in a Napa eatery, where fresh, seasonal ingredients were the order of the day. Chadwick's creations involve wild, native plants that are outside the realm......read more
These classic gingham napkins stay neatly in a roll until you need them. Better yet, they're made of cotton and are fully washable so you can use them again and again through the summer. Just throw them in the laundry then iron and you're ready for your next picnic. Roll of 20. Made in Spain. ...read more
Designer Inghua Ting of London, UK-based TING Studio has an impressive range of lux fashion accessories and homewares made from salvaged materials. From the TING collection comes this rustic leather floor mat crafted from upcycled belts, featuring warm tones and textures that conjure the timeless look and feel of worn wood. The mat is handmade by mounting the vintage leather belts on a backing of......read more
Finally, a useful way to store all of our back issues of Playb--I mean Dwell. The Magazine Stool ("Hockenheimer"), designed by Germany-based NJU Studio, turns old periodicals into a smart piece of sustainable furniture. The DIY kit features a wooden base, a pillow seat, and dual leather belts with cinches that let you make a a stool of varying heights depending on how......read more
The most advanced practitioners of frugal living understand that the pursuit requires patience, commitment and, most of all, a willingness to resurrect other people's trash. Jennifer Wurst and partner Michael Fleming, who live in a 200-year old home on 20 remote acres near Phippsburg, Maine, have honed their thrift skills to a finely tuned artform. Their home's rustic decor owes a debt of......read more
After doing their job absorbing leaked oil, dirty oil booms typically go to the their graves in the landfill, where they languish for eternity. But, as GreenTech Media reports, that doesn't have to be the case. In a triumphant PR move, General Motors has found a way to intervene in the cycle, by making use of oil booms from the Gulf for passive car parts like air dams and water deflectors.......read more
