eco-chic design

recycled paper transformed into eco-modern home accessories

Last week at ICFF the colorful cushions made out of recycled paper by Japanese company Qurz Inc. caught my attention since they were surprisingly soft. I couldn’t believe that they were made of recycled paper. It turned out that the structured looking paper cushions are made by weaving together recycled twisted paper after a softening process. The smooth surface looks very unique and almost feels like paper with a satin sheen. 

Qurz Inc. was founded by the Japanese designer Takumi Shimamura in 2005 after he spent some time as a car designer at Subaru. The recycled cushions are part of his product line cuiora. All cuiora products are made from woven bands of 100% recycled paper that traditionally were used for carrying heavy rice bags in Japan. Now these sturdy bands are skillfully used to create contemporary home accessories such as paper cushions, striped fruit bowls and striped lampshades. The eco-friendly fruit bowls and lampshades are made by firmly rolling the paper bands into a spiral shape. In both cases I was amazed that post-consumer recycled paper can look this beautiful. Especially since I’m quite guilty myself of creating paper waste on a daily basis. It’s great to see a company value recycled paper by artfully turning it into useful everyday objects.

acoustic wall panels made from eco-friendly felt at ICFF

As a long-standing fan of wool felt utilized in modern design I was excited to discover the stunning acoustic felt wall panels by Anne Kyyrö Quinn at ICFF. The installation unveiled her latest “Laine” and “Leaf” textile structures that are inspired by nature. Both create a sense of movement through their play of light and shadows. “Laine” is inspired by the reflections of ripples on water and “Leaf”, as the name suggests, by moving petals in a summer breeze. The structures of the acoustic felt walls were mesmerizing and felt like a breath of fresh air. I never imagined that acoustic wall panels could create movement and stillness at the same time. So how do they reduce noise levels? The main material felt absorbs sound through its tiny cavities of its intricate 3-D surface that wick sound waves into another layer of fabric underneath. It basically functions like an acoustic sponge. The result is beautiful and functional at the same time. This makes them perfect for eco-conscious home theaters, offices, lounges or restaurants. In addition the London-based designer Anne Kyyrö Quinn introduced her "Lola" low seating pieces and cushions. And here again, she puts a surprising twist on one of the oldest fabrics in the world by turning the organic designs into structural pieces of art.

contemporary green designs in motion at ICFF

One of my favorite companies at ICFF yesterday was the booth by MIO introducing their new 2010 collection “Design on the Go”. The first thing I noticed were their colorful Pop-Up Baskets in white, red, and aqua and the Pop-Up Bicycle baskets in white, black, and green. Both contemporary designs are laser-cut made with powder-coated steel and ship flat to cut down on unnecessary energy consumption. The Pop-Up Bicycle baskets are a fun way to encourage drivers to ride their bike more often for running errands instead of taking their car. Other accessories for a mobile green lifestyle that made their debut at ICFF were the super-cool Bubble Dot Computer Sleeves made of 100% wool felt. They were developed in collaboration with a local milliner. What makes them so playful is that they are molded with steam to create the bubble-effect and then hardened to protect iPads, Netbooks and laptop computers.

MIO has been designing eco-modern products for the home and office such as their Beehive SoftBowls, the Organixe Magazine Filing System or their Origami Side Table since 2001. The Philadelphia-based company was founded by the Salm brothers and has successfully combined fun, modern design with sustainability. I’m glad they ventured out into the mobile green lifestyle area as well with their “Design on the Go” collection since I’m ready for summer.

sustainable skincare made with organic herbs and flowers

During my last visit to ABC home & planet I couldn’t resist to sample the Lavender Milk from Farmaesthetics since it smelled amazing. What initially attracted me though was the handcrafted yet super-chic look of the packaging. The design of the label seemed inspired by old recipes from grandma’s kitchen. It’s no surprise since the founder Brenda Brock grew up as the daughter of a 7th generation farming family from Texas. She first sold her handmade herbal skincare at an organic farm stand in rural Rhode Island.

All Farmaesthetics products are 100% natural made with certified organic herbs, flowers, oils & grains. The full line of 100% natural skincare products for face and body range from Nourishing Lavender Milk to Deep Lavender Rubs that bring relieve to upper respiratory tightness due to colds, allergies, stress or asthma. That’s certainly something I can use these days since allergy season is in full swing. I always like when a company considers the full life cycle of their products ranging from material extraction, manufacturing, shipping to disposal and their role in the community. Farmaesthetics was founded on the principles of sustainable agriculture and supports small U.S. family farms and organic growers. Shipping materials use recyclable or recycled boxes with minimal packaging. Thanks to the synthetic-free formulations and nonirritating qualities some products are donated to women’s oncology programs to help relieve difficult skin conditions. Knowing all this makes you feel good inside and out.

Swedish sustainable fashion inspired by activism

The opening of the exhibition “Eco Chic – Towards Sustainable Swedish Fashion” at the Scandinavia House proved Tuesday night that sustainable fashion can look stylish. I’ve always loved the simplicity and smartness of Swedish design. It was enlightening to see the same sensitivity in sustainable fashion. All Swedish designers were carefully selected based on their eco-friendly and ethical approach. I loved watching the short film “Globalization” that raises the question if there’s such a thing as sustainable globalization. It follows Annika Axelsson, one of the founders of Dem Collective, starting her own manufacturing facility for her sustainable clothing line in Sri Lanka. All employees are paid a living wage based on actual living costs, three times higher than the national minimum wage.

The video set the tone for the rest of the exhibit by illustrating that ecology, ethics and well-designed quality can coexist. Some of my favorite eco-designs at the exhibition were by Dem Collective, Camilla Norrback and Zion Clothing. Camilla Norrback calls her ecological line Ecoluxury and skews more upscale like her modern black coat made of organic cotton. Currently 75% of her collection is made from organically certified materials. Zion’s line is inspired by street fashion and music like the dark green hooded sweater and T-shirt made of organic cotton. All dyeing and printing is water-based without the use of heavy metals. It was a fun surprise to see the hand-made wooden shoes by Swedish Hasbeens based on the original 1970s models that complement any eco-outfit.

modular design for solar-powered electronics

In my ongoing efforts to reduce my energy consumption I finally started researching solar-powered speaker systems for my iPhone that also have a space-saving design. Well, you guessed it. Inevitably I landed on Regen’s solar-powered ReNu Audio Dock for iPod and iPhone. And let me just warn you upfront before you get too excited, like myself, that it won’t be available until fall 2010. I love the small size of the ReNu Audio Dock since it’s perfect for small studios plus you can easily take it with you on weekend getaways. But first you’ll also need the ReNu Panel that comes separately. Simply expose the ReNu Panel to direct sunlight for 7-14 hours depending on its indoor or outdoor location to get a fully charged Lithium Ion battery. After that you can enjoy up to eight hours of sound. 

What struck me the most though about this eco-fabulous family of solar-powered electronics is that the modular design works with a range of devices. And multi-functionality as well as adaptability is a big component of sustainable design. The full line of products includes the actual ReNu Panel that can be used with the ReNu iPod Dock, the ReNu Audio Dock and even the ReNu Side Light. The latter is essentially a sustainable desk lamp with an LED light. All products have the same sleek design and are great additions to a sustainable home or home office setup.