The table that recycles its own packaging!

"Outside In" from Design Soil of the Kobe Design University is a table that comes flat-packed in corrugated cardboard. The packaging  can be pulled apart and stacked in sheets which are then slid into the top of the frame and clamped between two timber pieces with just four screws.
The designers explain their idea:

"Shipping containers protecting products at time of transportation becomes waste after safely shipped and unpacked. Feeling this paradox that corrugated cardboard has a short lifespan contrary to its long durability, a new life is given that to work continuously as the core of top surface of desk. The desk is stabilized with the corrugated cardboard inserted into the top surface  which is pliable without it."

 source
The table is presented at Salone Satellite during Milan design week 2012.

Helsinki Design Week 2011

The To Declare exhibition is the highlight of the Helsinki Design Week program at the Old Customs House. And the job of making it an exhibition that people feel that they must come and see has been put on the shoulders of Kaj Kalin:

"Most of the gadgets and stuff around us are made to say, “Buy me!” Otherwise, if no one buys them, they have no other purpose for being. This is their only message. This exhibition is not just about showing design objects, but saying something with them.These will be items with a message.'

Onebarrel by Harry Thaler

Shower timer David Weatherhead

The World Design Capital title is awarded every other year to one city which is exceptionally
skilled in utilising design as a resource for social, economic and cultural development
- The designation is granted by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid).
Helsinki is the third city to receive the title, after Turin in Italy (2008) and Seoul in South Korea
(2010).
- World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 will launch teasers about its programme during the
Helsinki Design Week 2011.

Design for children at Maison et Objet 2011

Anne Claire Petit - Small Stool

Nonah! - Table Aldabra

I just found these interesting suggestions for your child's room presented at Maison et Objet:

 Anne Claire Petit's Small Stool is made of cotton and polypropylene and is far less fragile than it appears - you can clean it without fear of spoiling.




















Aldabra table is equipped with sliding trays that conceal two compartments for storing treasures and pencils. Made from wood from managed forests and treated with a biodegradable oil it suits all requirements for eco-design.








source: marieclairemaison.com

Jarrod Lim - Rocking Horse Hiho 

The kitchen of the near future from Eurocucina 2010

One steady trend in kitchen design from Eurocucina 2010 is focus on simplifying daily life. There were many inspiring suggestions that created a very desirable image of the kitchen of the near future. One of my favorites is Indesit's Aqualift concept which redesigns the washing-up zone with an integrated dishwasher and sink, thus eliminating the need to bend down to use the dishwasher.

Integration makes it possible to redesign space and discover new, unexplored furnishing possibilities. Home appliances that are modular, flexible and integrated make it possible develop the functions needed to improve day-to-day life and also enjoy the advantages of improved management of energy resources, with obvious environmental benefits.
Another great product suggested by Indesit is Vertigo, which integrates an ample hob and hood in a single synergic system with an oven cavity conveniently placed above the kitchen top.

More great products for the kitchen of the near future will follow soon!


See your product here

Elegant Re-use

What do you do with those drafts and plans that are no longer necessary? A brilliant idea how to make something useful and beautiful with them by architects Seth and Jonathan of Graypants (left) - Sketchlight pendants.

Another lighting solution with re-used materials: - Ball Jar Pendant by Conant Metal & Light

"How else can you take an artifact of a by-gone era and make it functional again? Repurpose it! Even if you are just using a jar as, well, a jar again, that still counts. What we’re doing at Conant Metal & Light is taking that flashlight, jar, insulator, or even toaster and making it into an integral part of your home and lifestyle."

See your product here

Good Design for Children

Toys are important - they create our children's good taste, stimulate creativity and imagination. That is why good design for children is of great importance. I just came across these beautifully designed toys:

Max Push Car by Sirch - Designed for families with aesthetics in mind, yet still fun for kids, made to be paired with the LORETTE trailer to take your toys with you.

Sibi products have been awarded the prestigious German "Spiel Gut" design award for toys.

Flix Push Car by Sirch



PLAYSAM Xtreamliner Cab
Beautiful handpainted lacquered wooden Xtreamliner car with wooden figures.

Green Design

Design is getting greener and greener. And I like it - this is the better way to live healthy life. When we think green still in the design phase of each product then we shall need less investments to fight with trash or existing problems.
One way to live better is to introduce nature inside our homes. A great idea is this unique lamp designed by Laura Fiaschi and Gabriele Pardi (Gumdesign) for Tredicidesign. Lit with a Floraset bulb, produced by Osram and developed to stimulate the growth of house plants, the plants and flowers are in small Murano glass vases while the structure is in metal.

source DOMUS

But it appears that some simple steps can considerably improve the quality of our lives. For example an arrangement of three common houseplants, used in specific spots in a home or office building, can result in measurably cleaner indoor air.
More green design ideas and sources of information are available in my Design for Green Living & Wellness blog.

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home furnishings

The Beauty of Being Green : Water Table from Meld

"Life is beautiful the second time around" say designers from Meld -USA : their eco-X eco-sensitive concrete is as good for the environment as it is good looking.

Made with nearly 70% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials, eco-X
retains the verve of extremeconcrete® and adds an earth-friendly dimension.
eco-X challenges the notion that recycled is somehow less than original. This
ecologically sensitive material offers potential LEED credits, prevents items
from filling up landfills and presents a whole much greater than the sum of its
parts. All while looking beautiful.


I like especially one of their products : the Water Table is great for summer feast! Designed by Robert Siegel as a modern version of the massive stone table that resides in the gardens of the Villa Lante in Bagnaia, Italy and available in several sizes, this modular entertaining table is handcrafted to a luxurious finish using extremeconcrete® and is supported and accented by stainless steel. An integral concrete trough running down the center of the table can be filled with ice or water while a perforated stainless steel screen slides over the channel transforming the table top into a continuous flat dining surface.



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Eco-friendly washing machine wins Electrolux award

Have you heard of "natural soap nuts"? It appears that in India and Nepal, people have used the soap nut (sapindus mucorossi) for centuries to clean their clothes. Hungarian Levente Szabo, inventor of E-wash – a compact washing machine that uses natural soap nuts instead of detergent – has won this year’s international Electrolux Design Lab 2007 award. His design was described as “a brilliant connection between ancient knowledge and high technology” by judges of the prestigious competition.

Szabó says that a kilogram of soap nuts would last the typical person a year, and soap nuts are good for people with allergies and gentle on clothes. But I am wondering - how many kilos can be supplied for all the people from all the countries that will buy "E-wash"? I suppose that many people like me will wish to have it at home.

Design Lab 07 is the fifth annual awards event, which encourages the design of eco-friendly and sustainable household appliances.

via Inside Retailing

Eco-Friendly Smart Dishwashers

Smart Dishwashers now can save energy with the push of a button. With features like SENSOTRONIC® and TOP RACK ONLY™, Bosch dishwashers can save you up to 20% in energy usage. They can also customize the wash cycle - their ECOSENSE Wash Management System uses an infrared light beam to sense the soil level in the water and react accordingly.

Eco-Friendly Style for Kitchens and Baths: Smart Dishwashers