As a design material, bamboo hits on all the right notes. It's strong but lightweight, cheap but sustainable. And in the hands of a skilled artisan, it looks damn good. This crispy-looking, Oregon-made Silva Bamboo Macbook case is a fine example. Sized to fit 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros (note: not MacBook Airs), the cases are lined with wool felt, and feature a leather hand strap for carrying.......read more
A tuned-in skate shop owner in Santa Monica boils down the basic tenets of the SHFT philosophy - that we need to bring sustainability to culturally relevant places. And that today's youth will gravitate towards green living when it's presented to them in the context of what they do in their every day lives. We think he's right, and Arbor Skateboards nails it on both counts....read more
Portland’s Renovo Bikes is quietly building a reputation for their super functional, slick-looking wooden bike frames. The lightweight, smooth-riding Pandurance Road Bike, from the company’s Panda bamboo series, is made from, you guessed it, bamboo, one of our planet’s most sustainable woods. Renovo's Panda series is green with no apologies for performance. As a material for making......read more
Fast-growing, oxygen-producing bamboo is one of the most sustainable woods on earth. In the hands of a master craftsman, it can also be one of the most beautiful. The clean, durable Bamboo iPhone case from Vers Audio is a case in point. Featuring a top loading, wood-framed display, it provides full use of the device while in the case. Charitable bonus! For every tree used, Vers replants......read more
VersAudio is a perennial SHFT fave. With the new Vers 1.5R, the Massachusetts-based sustainable stereo manufacturer comes correct with another great home audio device. This compact, handcrafted AM/FM soundsystem with iPod dock delivers the full, rich sound we've come to expect from Vers. The handcrafted, versatile 1.5R works perfectly by your bed, in your kitchen, in the den — anywhere you......read more
The Green:Mod cabinet series from Iannone Design is informed by clean, modern lines and a strong focus on environmentally friendly materials. This Wood Stripe 2-drawer nightstand is made from a rapidly renewable bamboo frame with an FSC-certified birch plywood interior. The front is made of domestic solid walnut and finished with a low VOC water-based lacquer for healthier indoor air quality.......read more
If you love your bike, why not show it off? The Pinch, from Pittsburgh, PA cycling boutique ClankWorks, is a perfect bike stand solution for the home. Designed and manufactured in the Steel City, the Pinch is made of two elegantly shaped slats of bamboo laminate. The unit uses the weight of your bicycle to firmly lock the rear wheel into place, then, when you're ready to roll, just lift your......read more
Adorbs alert! Discovery assembled an "awwww"-inspiring slide show of endangered baby animals. Are fixies over? We have no idea, but this bamboo joint from Germany's Arndt Menke-Zumbragel tells us no. Lance Armstrong is down too. The world's most famous cyclist called it a "killer wooden bike" on his Twitter. Can't disagree. Check out those rear forks! ......read more
Twisted is a fun furniture piece from SF-based designer Dylan Gold that can be used in one or more of several ways — as a console table, a wall mounted display cabinet, or a vertical bookshelf. One twisted box sits is framed by four in-line boxes, creating an interesting and inventive focal point. Made from rapidly renewable bamboo and covered with a non-toxic finish....read more
At the tender age of 25, Mexican industrial design student Diego Cardenas is doing big things in the realm of bamboo bicycle design. Inspired by photos of other bamboo bike creations — including the first commercial design, unveiled at a London trade fair in 1894 — Cardenas felt he could do better. Judging from these pics, he may be right. After attending a bamboo workshop in Europe,......read more