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Artist and designer Tord Boontje has long been a darling of the design world and a personal favorite of mine. His light, snowflake-esque floral designs have always appealed to my girly side and I love the way he juxtaposes nature with our modern world. Filled to the brim with inspiring images, the new retropective book by Martina Margetts is a great look into the work of a true original.
Reader Dana sent in this beautiful dining room as a great example of mixing old and new. Here, the floorboards are salvaged from an old bowling alley and the roman blinds are made from vintage linen sheets. And although the room is actually quite small, the continuous white allows your eye to bounce around the room making it appear much larger while the stacked magazines offer a pop of color and a fun boho vibe. Below are some interiors that fit with the design^sprout philosophy - proving that you don't always have to buy new - mixing modern and vintage is a fabulous way to express your personal style!
Starting this week PBS will be airing a six-part documentary focusing on environmentally responsible architecture. e2–design focuses on the necessity for ecologically conscious design in our future. Narrated by Brad Pitt (sigh!) it's a must-see for all design^sprout fans! Click here for a listing of times in your area - search for Architecture 2030.
By the year 2010 a 90% increase in the demand for paper products is expected. This is occurring while half of the world's forest coverage is gone. These facts and oh-so-many more are the driving inspiration behind the New York-based design firm Cardboard Design.
Like the name, this clever team takes one of our most natural renewable resources and transforms it into beautiful feats of design and engineering! Their vases are a particular favorite of design^sprout - elegant and totally affordable. I can see one of these as a wonderful conversation piece in an entryway or on your dining table. Check out these visionaries on Martha Stewart today!
So many of Studio 1 a.m. designs are fantastic but this creative take on a coffee table (This table will self destruct) really caught my eye. Each piece is made of slab concrete organized into pixels. As new tables are ordered, another pixel will be removed from the design - literally self-destructing. Once the table loses function they will stop producing it, leaving behind a limited edition series of completely unique art - I love the cheekiness of this play on our society's consumption.
I first bought this book at an art show and have raved about it to every designer I know! The editors at Frame Magazine scoured the world to compile a list of 150 new and interesting architectural materials. Material World 2 is easy to utilize and gives correct (thank you!) contact information for the companies producing these innovative materials. Large scale, colorful photographs make this a great gift for any fan of design^sprout.
MicaPaper provides great thermal insulation, can be used as walls and has the ability to be cold molded.
PluriGigaBall can be used for seating, floor covering and walls.
Supracor is able to be manufactured in a variety of colors and thickness - it main use is in seating and shock absorption.
