oslo – penholder
Designer: Harri Koskinen For Danese Milano
Most of the times simple things are most functional and beautiful.. A simple creation and lot of thinking (sustainable too) is the beauty of this memo and pencil holder.
Designer Harri Koskinen has taken only two birchwood rings and a sheet to create this.
I would take lots of pencils & things to decorate this!
hut carved of a raw coconut
Designers: @ Vibrant Nature
Vibrant Nature manufactures all types of handcrafted products made of natural fibers like Banana Fiber, Sisal Fiber, Screwpine, Palm, Talipot, Kora Grass, Coco Fibers, coconut shell and raw coconut etc.
Their creative input brings forth some very innovative products:
These pieces are made by carving a single raw coconut – ?
Ganesha
Vibrant Nature works in close association with hundreds of established artisans, cooperative societies, Women Groups with traditional talents and experience in their respective fields and village community.
These products are made of coconut shell – ?
cup
spoon
pickle jar
small box (kumkum daan)
locket
tea-set
See more of their products made of natural materials @ flickr here.
I call Vetiver grass the eco steel!
The roots of Vetiver grass have strength of 1/6 of mild steel.
Something as simple as grass and what could be the count of applications and environmental solutions it offers – somewhere around 10,000!! (see some here)
No, I am not joking or exaggerating!
I came to know about this wonderful grass when I did this post.
And there is some great news ?
The first ever National Workshop on the ‘Vetiver System for Environmental Protection and Natural Disaster Management’ is going to be held from 21st to 23rd February 2008 at Cochin, Kerala, India. Overseas participants are welcome.
This workshop provides the means for low cost and immediate action using a proven and tested technology. It is of great importance for people who are looking to remedy many land and water resource problems relating to climate change, resource degradation and pollution.
Please check all the details about workshop here.
urban landscaping with vetiver (floating) in China
It is organized by The Vetiver Network International and India Vetiver Network.
handicrafts from vetiver made in Venezuela
Images via Vetiver Network International.
Designer-Craftisans:@ Kunye African Trends
Do you think these products are beautiful!?
Then let me tell you these are made from ughs…waste plastic – recycled plastic!
kunye kube
And I think these are one of the most beautiful recycled plastic products I have ever seen!
computer bag
These are not just fun and funky products, these are functional too.
How else I would say the bed cover, plastic rugs for swimming pool, computer bag and screens; some real recycled innovation!!
container
These handmade products are from Kunye – brilliant brainchild of Alison Coutras (and her local team of craftisans – a cooperative to combat unemployment) in South Africa.
Kunye is the Xhosa word for ‘forward together’.
Kunye has won a number of awards.
unblossom
Kathi Stertzig and Albio Nascimento @ The Home Project
I am going to ask few questions first.
Why few young designers just do not design beautiful luxurious products, follow market trends and be happy with fame and fortune!
Why research for endless hours?
Why rummage through the tradition and think new designs?
Why insist on sustainable life style?
Why develop new material culture?
And why ask disturbing questions through designs?
Hats off to those young designers who do all these and much more and bring beautiful things to make our life easy!
Kathi Stertzig and Albio Nascimento @ The Home Project are two such designers whose designs, I am unable to ignore.
I already did a post on their postcard-which evokes a succinct remark on our life and times!
Here is their stunningly beautiful and eco -sensitive ‘unblossom’-salt crystal bowl .
Traditional hand-crafted crochet -work doilies are given new shape and function by crystallizing salt which raises them into bowls.
egg-holder
Egg-holder is a natural useful object to expose, serve and eat boiled eggs.
An old Portuguese tradition sells boiled eggs out of a plate which is filled with salt. The salt conserves the egg for a longer period and avoids strong smell. The crochet technique builds a structure for salt to crystallize. The outcome is a standard egg holder made of pure white salt crystals. A natural useful object to expose, serve and eat boiled eggs.
Few more of The Home Projects’ designs…..
Designer Singh Intrachooto @ OSISU papi stool
Bangkok based Thai architect, author and designer Singh Intrachooto produces functional furniture art pieces that integrate local crafts and skilled carpentry with pure passion under the brand Osisu. Each piece is hand crafted from materials left to waste at construction sites or discarded from manufacturing processes.
PAPI-Stool has paper torso, which has been carefully stitched by hands into organic patterns-to celebrate and not to camouflage the salvaged material. It is slightly undersize with the seating dimensions of an A4 sheet. Supported entirely by layers of embroidered papers salvaged from offices.It comes fron Etcetera collection.
Etcetera is a collection where recycled and salvaged materials have been transformed by the hands of tailors, carpenters and artisans to achieve a modern appearance.
tilee diamonds
Solid and straightforward woodwork, hand-pieced from teak morsels. Two cubes are simply merged for wider seating. Its top surface displays an array of wood grains, making Tilee-Diamonds subtly animated and fresh.
