The curtains of the very near future

like, for example 2020, will be able to filter the air for you! That is almost reality - a mineral-based surface treatment enables the new IKEA curtain to break down air pollutants when it gets in contact with light, explains the company on their press page:

"The GUNRID air purifying curtain is a new step on the journey.
“Besides enabling people to breathe better air at home, we hope that GUNRID will increase people’s awareness of indoor air pollution, inspiring behavioural changes that contribute to a world of clean air,” says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Head of Sustainability at Inter IKEA Group. “GUNRID is the first product to use the technology, but the development will give us opportunities for future applications on other textiles.”
The curtain uses a unique technology, which has been developed by IKEA over the last years together with universities in Europe and Asia as well as IKEA suppliers and innovators. The way it works is similar to photosynthesis found in nature. The process is activated by both outdoor and indoor light.
“For me, it’s important to work on products that solve actual problems and are relevant to people. Textiles are used across homes and by enabling a curtain to purify the air, we are creating an affordable and space-saving air purifying solution that also makes the home more beautiful,” says Mauricio Affonso, Product Developer at IKEA Range & Supply.

The beauty of natural materials

The Tatti containers by Katriina Nuutinen are made of mouth blown glass, turned pine, basswood or ash

Thermos bottle by Anna Palomaa
The thermos bottle consists of two glass shells which are held together with a cork frame.

Eco-Friendly and Beautiful

MOON Scraplight by Graypants -  a classic of green design made from stacked rings of corrugated cardboard from leftover scraps.
DRUM Scraplight by Graypants
Contemporary Corbett Kyoto Japanese Paper Silver Leaf Wall Sconce
Hand-made Japanese paper. Silver leaf finish. Off white hardback linen shade. Paper Table Lamp by Moooi
A modernist blend of reinterpreted cliches, reinvented classicism and the romance of papier maiche. Studio Job (Dutch designers Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel) created the Moooi Paper Table Lamp with an eye less on absolute functionalism and more toward the lamp's design ...and the poetic, artful story that its design can tell. Paper Chandelier by Moooi

What can be done with cork

Cork is one of my favorite materials, along with copper, glass and wood. I like its warm touch and flexibility. We have seen quite a lot of applications, but here below are a few more, presented at 

METAMORPHOSIS :

Cork shoes designed by Jasper Morrison for Camper 
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Naoto Fukasawa - benches of different heights, which take advantage of the cool smoothness of cork in its contact with the human body. 
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Álvaro Siza - a nest of two cylindrical stools,
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Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura's doorknobs
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More applications and design ideas with cork on my blog.

A great example of using wood scraps!

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You like it? This mosaic is made exactly of wood scraps remaining from the work of designers and woodworkers Jason and Lars Dressler. The huge pixelated image out of scraps adorns the facade of the Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. The tsak was to create something that would evoke Ontario’s north. Inspired by their photograph of a fallen leaf, the Brothers Dressler crafted the mosaic from 35,788 wooden blocks made from a variety of woods salvaged from the collected history of their workshop.  As they explain, 'They include off-cuts from pieces, leftovers from jobs and extra pieces collected over the years and are shown all in their natural colours.'


Interested in other examples of clever recycling? Go here.

Gardening in your old shoes

Using old shoes as planters may be a good idea - look at some interesting design solutions:

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